the flight continues!

Taking to the air once more, this steampunk film is working mightily to soar - and I'm on board again!
Previously presented on kickstarter, the film failed to attain its funding goal... so it received nothing. Those are the rules: attain goal, receive all funds pledged; fall short of goal, receive nothing. The backers have rules, too: if goal is reached, the backers receive the rewards for their pledge levels. However, if the project fails to hit goal, the backers do not receive rewards - and their monies pledged are not collected.
Jennifer Marie Bird, the writer and director of photography of "The Flight", did not get discouraged. In fact, I believe she became even more determined that this "kickass steampunk film" see the light of day. Festival exposure is critical to the growth of this short into a feature-length story.
At this point, the film is finished, edited, locked - all of that. So now to get the backing to take it on the road, show it to the world, let the LGBTQ community have another pathfinder, especially for youth.
So, she brought it to indiegogo.
The rules are different here. The project creator receives all monies pledged, whether the funding goal is attained or not. And, the backers are guaranteed to receive the rewards they have chosen, as the pledged funds are collected instantly when pledged.
I guess this manner of crowdsourcing relies upon better preparation than does kickstarter.
At any rate, I know I will receive the dvd of the film, this time.
Thanks, Jenn, for reminding me a few days ago about this new aim for the skies!

from venice, with thanks

It hasn't yet been a year since I backed her printmaking trip to Venice. In the past three months, I've been to Italy, she's been to Italy, and we are both back safely home again.
Say what? I went to Italy?
Yes, I did!
I shared the news with Rachel Singel in May:

fliss on May 11, 2012
Rachel, I leave for Italy on Sunday!
The Health Professions group at the university where I teach are going there for a Study Abroad trip and I was fortunate enough to snag one of the seats that opened up in February. This is only my second trip there; my first was ten years ago.
I will not be going to Venice, but I will go to Salerno, Siena, and Roma - perhaps one day I'll make it to Venice!
Happy travels to you!

Her quick reply had been:
Rachel Singel
May 11, 2012
Hi Faustina! Wow! That is so great!!! I sure hope you have an amazing time! Safe travel to you, too! :)

My travels had me home again before she left on hers. Then sometime in July, she returned, sharing her photographs of her adventures and ... TA DA! some of her artwork she had created in Venice! Wow!
Today, the thirty-six page book she had made for me arrived on my doorstep.

Notice the four binding cords
holding it all together,
the indentation for the bookplate,
the creamy color
and rich texture of the pages,
the 'wispy clouds
on a summer day
in Venice
in an old black & white movie"
design of the cover of the book.
Beautiful, isn't it?
Perhaps I will, one day, share it with my bff.
Perhaps I will use this book, this unique piece of art, to record the adventure she and I shall have when we go to Venice for Carnival in a few years.
Perhaps that will be best - the book will return to Italy with us!