Some of the resistance I have heard from potential funders is that, “Do people outside Detroit really care what happens here?”
As one of those outsiders, I can say “yes.”
How do I know?
First of all, less than 20% of all the BuyAFrame producers who are helping to fund this production are from Michigan. The other 80% come from places like New York, Chicago, even Russia. So what happens to Detroit matters to people not just outside of the city, but outside of the continent.
Secondly, did you see the Chrysler Super Bowl commercial last night? The one that talked about the Detroiter’s Detroit? Having spent 15 years in advertising agencies, you can trust me when I say that the decision to spend what had to be $10+ million on production and another $10 million in media (a 30-second Super Bowl spot cost $3M and this was two minutes. I'm guessing they got some kind of volume discount) isn’t done just because some Chief Marketing Officer has a hard on for your city. Painstaking planning, vast amounts of energy and endless national focus groups went into ensuring that Chrysler’s Detroit message would resonate with the rest of the world.
In one fell swoop, Chrysler informed more than 100 million people that Detroit is still on the map, that it is still thriving, and that it is about to rebound in a huge way.
And now, thanks to 1248 producers and some matching from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Quicken Loans, we are finally returning to Detroit to continue shooting (y)our version of Detroit’s resurgence.
So here we go. I’m coming back into the city on Wednesday-Sunday. We’re shooting some incredibly profound stories of hope and reinvention. These are people and businesses who will make you not just want to cheer for Detroit, but roll up your sleeves and make a difference yourself.
If you’re a BuyAFrame producer, I will be posting video and behind-the-scenes photos of our progress. You’ll know who we’re shooting before anybody else.
Think about your hopes and expectations for the future. Think about the community you would like to live in. Think about your definition of the American Dream.
Chances are, it all began in Detroit.
In 1902, Detroit invented the assembly line, and practically overnight, modern civilization was born. Nations were developed. The standard of living improved. Because of Detroit, a steady job with a good paycheck meant you could buy a home and become rooted in your community. These are inherently American ideals, and they were invented, tested and proven possible in Detroit, MI.
What has also proved possible is the devastation that can happen when there’s a reliance on a single industry to advance those ideals. America followed Detroit down the automotive superhighway. It was a great ride. And by many accounts, it ain’t over yet. But now it’s clearly time to diversify.
Detroit is the bellwether for American possibility. It is both a beacon for our greatness and symbol of our faults. It’s why Michigan Central Station is arguably the most over- photographed, over-discussed, over-sensationalized building in the world right now. There’s nothing quite so poignant, so rich with symbolism and so representational of what can go right and what can go wrong than a now-dilapidated structure where more than 200 trains a day once came and left the city of Detroit....
Last month, BCBS of Michigan matched yourbuy-a-frame dollars. And for the rest of this month, the nation’s largest online lender, Quicken Loans, has agreed to do the same.
When you buy a frame for a dollar, Detroit-based Quicken Loans will match it. When you buy a full second of the film for $24, Quicken Loans will match that. $100? You get the picture.
Call it speed matching. Call it power contributing. Whatever you want to call it, we’re just thrilled to have a fantastic Detroit-based company step up to the plate to help us raise additional funds.
From the bottom of all our hearts at “Lemonade: Detroit,” thank you producers. And thank you, Quicken Loans.
To get your contribution matched AND to become and IMDB-credited producer on “Lemonade: Detroit," visit http://buyaframe.lemonadedetroit.com and click “Become A Producer” before January 31, 2011.
The one question I get asked more than any other in reference to this project is, “Why is a Boston guy making a film about Detroit?”
Here’s a little history about me that might shed some light on why I’m so enamored with your city.
(Lawrence, MA)
I grew up in Lawrence, MA, which for a while in the 80s earned the distinction of having the highest poverty rate in the country. But in the early part of the century, Lawrence was a thriving mill town, with a fantastic textile industry that employed the dreams of tens of thousands of immigrants from all over the world.
But when the wool plants closed in the 50s, the jobs went away, and poverty and welfare became the norm. The psyche of Lawrence has mirrored that distinction ever since, and they’ve never quite recovered.
“Lawrence has often made efforts at revitalization, some of them controversial. [Under] the guise of ‘urban renewal,’ large tracts of downtown Lawrence were razed in the mid-1970s and replaced with parking lots and a three-story parking garage connected to a new In town Mall intended to compete with newly constructed suburban malls. The historic Theater Row along Broadway was also razed, destroying ornate movie palaces of the 1920s and 1930s that entertained mill workers through the Great Depression and the Second World War. Additionally, the city's main post office, an ornate federalist style building at the corner of Broadway and Essex Street, was razed. Most of the structures were replaced with one-story, steel-frame structures with large parking lots, housing such establishments as fast food restaurants and chain drug stores, fundamentally changing the character of the center of Lawrence.”
I was born into this Lawrence. My mom and I were on welfare for most of my childhood, until she put me in daycare and got herself into job training that eventually got us out of poverty. And not only that, over the course of the next 20 years, she got her degree at Leslie College and worked her way up to become the executive director of the very same organization that provided her with poverty assistance.
I’ve lived through both great poverty and great reinvention. I’ve seen what’s possible, on both sides of the spectrum.
So, the answer to the question, “Why is a Boston guy making a film about Detroit?” is simple. Your story is my story. Your potential is my potential. I know intimately about struggling and overcoming that struggling. And we’ve both got a lot to prove.
Or organizing something he calls "time banking," where people barter one hour of work for one hour of work, regardless of the monetary value of that labor. Someone can trade an hour of shoveling for an hour of tax accounting, an hour of carpentry for an hour of legal advice, etc.
Oh, and then there's the urban farms he runs, where people in Detroit learn how to plant and grow their own produce and turns abandoned land into a natural resource.
The man is an absolute machine. He's putting the city on his back and his legs aren't even close to wobbling. Keep your eye on Reverend Barry Randolph. I know I am.
iPads are flying off the shelves. Parents are fighting in the aisles over the last Pillow Pet. It's the annual season within the season known as holiday gift buying.
But there's another option. And you never even have to fight the holiday crowds to do your shopping.
At http://buyaframe.lemonadedetroit.com, there is a button that says "Give the Gift of Frames." Once you click on that, you simply add the names of the people you would like to buy for, along with the number of frames you would like to give them. Once that is complete, the site will take you to Paypal so you can finish your transaction. Simple.
Their names will appear in the credits of the film as a producer, both in the end credits and on IMDB. Plus, you get to help fund a film about the reinvention and resurgence of Detroit.
And besides, who needs an iPad when the 2nd generation is coming out next year?
From now until the end of the year, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan will be matching contributions to our BuyAFrame site, dollar for dollar. That means that every dollar we generate on http://buyaframe.lemonadedetroit.com will be doubled, thanks to the huge support and generosity of BCBSM.
Now, what does this mean for the film? A lot. First, we can afford one and possibly two additional shoot days. Which means we can also put more Detroit filmmakers to work. And it means more stories of hope and perseverance can be included into the project.
““The ‘Lemonade: Detroit’ film is a story about hope, and the role of small business owners and entrepreneurs in reshaping and restoring our region to good health,” said Jerome Espy, BCBSM director of external affairs. “We recognize the key role they play in the economic future of metro Detroit and we are very excited to lend our support to this important project.”
Just to make sure you understand how the program works, BCBSM matching does not double the number of frames you purchase. But it does mean the number of dollars you contribute will be matched and put directly into the production of “Lemonade: Detroit.”
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for this amazing gift. Both to the hundreds of producers of “Lemonade: Detroit.” And to the generous matching from BCBSM.
We're inviting you to purchase individual frames of "Lemonade: Detroit" and become an IMDB-credited producer in the process. For $1/frame, $24/second, or $1440/minute, you can play a huge part in making the film. Join the movement now by visiting our microfunding site.
Rewards
$1 (one frame)
A color strip in the progress bar with your name and investment amount
Ability to share your investment with your social network
Producer credit in the film and on IMDB
$24 (1 sec) - $1,440 (60 secs)
All of the above
A video clip of your "seconds" with your name edited into an introduction. Once the film is produced, you can use your portion of the film however you like.
An invite to red carpet event in downtown Detroit
$1,464 (61 secs) - $7,200 (5 mins)
All of the above
A movie poster, which will be designed by AIGA Detroit chapter
VIP invite to the red carpet event (benefits of VIP status TBD)
I'll be speaking about "Lemonade: Detroit" at 8:50 AM, right after Mayor Bing. But the whole day will be about amazing things coming out of Detroit. Watch it here.
“Lemonade, Detroit” is a film about the disarming resilience of those who are moving Detroit beyond automobiles into an era of entrepreneurism.