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March 10, 2021:

AND AWAY WE GO TO INDIEGOGOLAND

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I do believe we’re going to attempt to launch an Indiegogo campaign today. This is our ninth campaign, and every time we do one something is different and worrying, so I do have to call tomorrow and straighten something out that was different this time and shouldn’t have been. Once that’s at least explained to me and I’m comfortable with how it works, then we’ll launch. As I write these here notes, I’m uploading a fun little video for the campaign – it’s a large file so I have no idea how long it will take and I’m actually not sure why it’s such a large file for a four-minute video, but it should be done shortly, at least that’s the hope. Getting everything ready for it is a ton of work and that’s all I’ve been doing for hours. One has to write copy, get all the perks up and write blurbs for them and include photos where possible – it’s never-ending, really. But there are, at the moment, twenty-two fun perks, of which several are one-offs, so you’ll all want to check it out right away. There are the obvious perks, like getting the Blu-ray signed and with free postage, getting the Blu-ray and CD signed and with free postage (actually, all perks get free postage), getting the Blu-ray, CD, and sheet music book signed, there’s some rare sheet music from both shows and films, an original hand-written lead sheet from the Sherman Brothers, an opera package, a thank you in the booklet (which also gets you the Blu-ray), be an associate producer, and executive producer – those two get onscreen credit on the Blu-ray and booklet credit on the CD, and on and on – some really fun stuff, including the rarest item – an original typed manuscript of a Cornell Woolrich short story – obviously, typed by him on his legendary typewriter – which was published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. I have never once seen a Woolrich manuscript come up for auction or sale and this is probably worth five times what the perk is going for. In case you don’t know, Woolrich is the author of the short story that became Rear Window, The Bride Wore Black, Black Angel, The Black Path of Fear (which became the film, The Leopard Man), Phantom Lady, and so many more brilliant books and stories. The accompaniment for all that work was two Hans Pfitzner operas – the first was Die Rose Vom Liebesgarten (The Rose Vom Liebesgarten), which was just wonderful and filled with beautiful music, and then Das Herz, which is also wonderful but unfortunately, unlike the other one, the recording is substandard (sadly, it’s all there is) – a low-budget affair from the old Marco Polo label, with a middling band and middling singers. Maybe someday there’ll be a better version. And that, dear readers, was most of the day and most of the evening.

Yesterday began poorly, as I only slept three hours, if that. Couldn’t fall asleep at all, was up for a while, finally back in bed around eight and then these moron next door neighbors had their tree trimming morons start up. I managed to sleep the three hours, I think, but it was so loud and obnoxious that I got up at eleven and that was that. And it continued for hours after that. I can’t stand these people.

I answered e-mails, then had to do some project management and organization, Marshall Harvey came by and picked up his 2TB hard drive, and I ordered a pastrami sandwich from Togo’s, which came about twenty minutes later and was very good once I put the mustard on it, since Togo’s apparently forgot. I had no telephonic conversations, no time to watch anything, just work, work, work, so that today it’s away we go to Indiegogoland.

Today, I’ll be up earlier than I’d like so I can call the Indiegogo help line and make sure I did everything right and that this change they made is not going to screw things up because if it is then I may not do the campaign. I see no reason why something has worked and been simple for eight campaigns and suddenly be different. We shall see, but I’m hopeful it will all be fine. We’ll hopefully launch between ten and noon and then I have to spread the word far and wide as well as wide and far and then for the next thirty days it’s a lot of ballyhoo and tub-thumping, but especially for the first four days. I’m hoping if you dear readers are going to partake of any perks that you’ll do it on the first day or two, as those are the most important days because they set the tone for the entire campaign. For the Creature campaign a year and a half ago, we actually reached our goal in four days and then doubled it and then went up even further. That’s what I’m praying for – reaching the goal early means we can all breathe easier and then the more we raise the more extras we’ll put on. And remember, not only do you get Tonight’s the Night, you get both seasons of Outside the Box, all twelve episodes. Then if we have more money, we’ll do a commentary track for Tonight’s the Night, and I’ll do selected commentaries for the Outside the Box episodes. And if we continue to raise extra dough, I’ll put on some rare Kritzerland performances, too. And as we sell out of the one-off perks, I do have a few other things that I’ll be listing, as that always keeps things interesting and alive.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/tonight-s-the-night?fbclid=IwAR3Xwxr_7ec8VtZ9Ru9mCHfe1-_IUvjPXQujsExmV6nLMve2GBtQHiufPkw#/

After announcing, that’s basically going to be my day and evening, pushing to hae a really good first twenty-four hours. I’ll also hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat, I have four Kritzerland rehearsals and then I’ll finally try and watch Ma Rainey’s and then listen and relax.

The rest of the week is more of that, plus figuring out the show order, writing the commentary, then on Saturday we have our encore showing followed by another fun Q&A. So, very busy days ahead.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up early, call the Indiegogo help line and get everything straightened out in terms of my comfort, then if that’s all fine I’ll launch immediately. And then the fun begins, and we hopefully have a great first day. I’ll hopefully pick up packages, eat, have four Kritzerland rehearsals, but mostly push, push, push, Indiegogo-wise. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers, and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, and hopefully the morning will be and away we go to Indiegogoland.

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