A daring new web series by Rekha Shankar, focusing on women of color and the struggle to make it in a creative field will be starring a Denton native, Rachel Pegram. While we were in New York City last week we grabbed a drink and chatted about the challenges of creating a web series, and why you really do have to hustle to make your dreams a reality. Read on to find out more about their project, Hustle, and what is next for them as they take on this endeavor.
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Photo by Jade Chessman
CROWDFUND IT: FEBRUARY 2016
In the past few years, we've seen all kinds crowdfunded projects, from coffee roasters to forlorn lovers on different continents, we've seen it all. The great thing about this style of fundraising is that there is always a new project to be created and a new person (or people, or group) who are asking for your help to make their dreams a reality. We've rounded up the most promising projects in Denton right now and had a quick chat with the project creators. Take a look at their projects, count up your spare change, and see if any of the projects below are worthy of your hard earned dollars.
Read MoreCROWDFUNDING: MAY
Denton Juice Co. wants your cash so they can buy a pair of those pants that says "Juicy" on the rear.
Every once in a while, we like to take a look into the crowdfunding (sourcing money from local friends, family and invested peoples to help fund your project or idea) scene in Denton. Last month, we highlighted Bookish Coffee's campaign for a new roaster, Rabbit Hole Brewing's biergarten plans and some lady's horse movie-thing. Two of the three we discussed were funded. We'll let you figure out which won't be fully-funded by the end of it's run (hint: it's the one that doesn't involve a stimulant or depressant). Four weeks later, and we have another in a long list of projects Dentonites have in the works. Have a look through the following three Kickstarter campaigns (nothing from Indiegogo this month) and decide for yourself if one tickles your fancy. If so, hurry over to their Kickstarter page and donate.
Top Notch Juice for Denton Juice Co.
First up this month, we have a campaign started by Denton Juice Co. Much like Bookish Coffee last month, your favorite mobile juice bar wants to step up their machinery for larger production. They’re looking to purchase a few new-fangled juicers, a trailer to haul ‘em around in and a few odds and ends, as well. They need $10,000, altogether, and they have until June 9th to get it. We wonder if they can get a juicer that’ll keep their famed "Unicorn Blood" juice blend from staining our t-shirts, but we're not holding our breath. Pledge $200 and you get to create your own juice concoction. As little as $5 gets you their eternal gratitude. So if you’re the type that feels under-appreciated on Saturday mornings, go ahead and donate to this campaign. Then, head down to the community market every Saturday from here to the end of time to be thanked profusely by the folks behind Denton Juice Co. Eternal gratitude is no small feat.
REM - An Independent Feature Film
REM is being billed as a Denton film-making super project of sorts. While at this point, we’re not sure if that’s something to shake a stick at or not, Remington Blake and the group behind REM have already garnered the attention of many fine folks (they even got district 1 city councilman, Kevin Roden, to host a fundraiser for them at his house). While the video description leaves us feeling the movie has the potential to be a little collegiate and affected, the talent involved leaves us hopeful and we know for sure that it will look pretty at the very least. REM is looking to raise $8,000 before June 4th. A pledge of $25 gets you a digital copy of the movie after it’s hopeful festival run.
Robert Gomez - Earth Underfoot
Having recently released an album full of adaptations of Robert Olen Butler poems about decapitated heads (2012’s Severance Songs), Gomez has once more turned to Kickstarter to fund his new record. Gomez previously ran a Kickstarter promotion in the summer of 2011 for his aforementioned Severance Songs album. The campagain was successfully funded in Denton and the album was great. This time around, he’s looking for a total of $2,100 to assure this album is “well recorded.” If Gomez is involved, we’re sure it will be. $500 nets you dinner prepared by Señor Decapito, himself, but as little as $1 gets you a, “Thank you” blurb on his website. Funding runs through June 7th.
BOOKISH COFFEE AND DENTON CROWDFUNDING
Rabbit Hole Brewing Glasses
We’ve spent a lot of time covering Bookish Coffee here at We Denton Do It. Back in the day, we interviewed previous owner Brian Daskam about Bookish and their late-bicycle delivery service (RIP, awesome idea). A year or two later, we also we did a behind-the-scenes video with the then-new owner, Clay Rozell, about how their beans go from green to brown and eventually end up in your cup. Bookish was busy even then, and this was before their coffee was sold at The Cupboard, Natural Grocers, Denton Square Donuts, UNT, and all of the other lovely places in town you can purchase Bookish Coffee. Clay and his cohort, Wade Matheny, are in need of a new roaster and they’ve turned to you (via Kickstarter) to help. They're looking to purchase something that can handle larger roasting sizes to help their business accomodate for their recent growth (get that checked, Wade).
Clay Rozell of Bookish Coffee
In a city where we see lots of local business fail each and every year, it’s nice to see one that’s having problems due to their success. At this time, Bookish has a little over a week left to receive the $13,500 in pledges (down from $30,000) that they need in order to be successful. This is normally the make-it-or-break-it point for most crowdfunding projects. The people who were excited to donate have already done so and the rest of the donations will either have to come from people who are holding out to donate or have just heard about the project. Maybe you or one of your friends is one of said people. So, if you haven’t already donated, do so before next Saturday. $50 gets you a Bookish Coffee mug, too! You can put it next to your Armadillo Ale Works beer glass.
Speaking of beer, while a lot of our local brewing talking time gets devoted to our pals at Armadillo Ale Works, just down the road there’s another couple of dudes hoping to get a brewery up off the ground. In the middle of Justin, TX (yes, that Justin, TX) Matt Morriss, Tom Anderson and Laron Cheek of Rabbit Hole Brewing are trying to convert an office space and parking lot into a tasting room and biergarten, respectively. They’re started with a goal of $12,000 and have already received over $8,000 of that goal with a little over a week left. While the space might not look like much, the crew has big plans and a strangely awesome (in a b-movie kind of way) video to accompany the project. Plus, it’ll give you more to do in Justin than just buying a pair of boots or getting lost.
And lastly, on the more serious side of things, Giovanna Salas of Crazy Dreamer Productions, is looking for $7,000 to get her documentary about wild horses into the saddle. The crew has already been hard at work filming their non-biased documentary about what place wild horses (or the legends, thereof) have in a modern society, but are looking for additional funding to help with location fees, equipment rentals and festival entry fees. Sounds like this thing is getting made even if you hate horses. While there was plenty of room for Salas to make a “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” joke, sadly, they did not. Take that into account before you decide whether or not to donate.