Black Rock Bijou Fundraiser.

[champchild23]

Hey BM Community,

After seeing other attempts at listing Kickstarters in the forums here in the Eplaya world, we realize it's no walk in the park. The people here demand honest and fair fundraisers that parallel the Burning Man ethics and if they don't feel the project is up to par, they will not hesitate to let you know that, aggressively. We hope that we meet your standards, but if it appears we fall short somewhere, let us know. We are doing our best and only have good intentions.

Now, on with the show:

We have spent about $27,000 building this project in 2010 for the playa and bringing it back again last year cost us just around $9,000. We just don't have the money within our immediate selves and loved ones to continue to bring the Bijou back on it's own coin. We thought about retiring the theater due to financial issues, but we received too many pleas to bring it back. So... we are going to give it a shot with the Burner community and ask you for your support.

A little about the Bijou:

The trick we play on you is best illustrated in a story like this one. Imagine you and your friends are trekking towards the Man. Then on a wild whim, one of your more adventurous friends says, "Let's go all the way to Deep Playa, I see a light in the distance." So your whole crew reluctantly agrees to make the journey. The light you see in front of you keeps getting bigger and brighter and then you notice you're looking at a building with a big marquee.. It looks like an old, run down movie theater. When you finally get to this 'out of place' shack, you realize it IS an old, run down movie theater, which is odd because you are about 150 ft from the trash fence at Burning Man. You enter and you notice you are in a lobby with a large awkward candy counter that stands 8ft tall and the weirdo behind the counter just asked you, "what will it be, sir?" You are taken back a little so you ask, "Are you serious? Ummm... Do you have any chocolate left?" the odd kid replies, "Here you go. Enjoy the show." He then shows you to a 4ft door with a curtain in front of it. He lifts the curtain and then to your amazement, you are now in the theater. The authentic movie theater seats, balcony, proscenium, sconces, isle, mood lighting, ugly carpet throw you off. You ask your friends if they want to stay for a minute and one says, "maybe just 5 min and then we'll head back to town." You are so tired, the seats are so comfy and the old black and white film you are watching is so interesting that you stay for about an hour. Now the movie just ended and, without thinking, you get up and start heading back towards the lobby and when you get out, you abruptly blurt out, "Holy Shit!!! I'm in the desert in the middle of nowhere... WTF!!" It was just enough normal, nostalgic stimuli for your subconscious mind to be tricked. You give out a laugh at the whole thing, hug that weird guy behind the counter, then hang out and talk amongst all the other Burners who came to this Deep Playa beacon. =)

THANK YOU for the love over the last two years. We want very badly to bring this back to you, please (if you are able) help us on our journey to do so.

If you are new to the Bijou, please check out the Facebook page...

http://www.facebook.com/BlackRockBijou

And finally the link to the Kickstarter...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1604043590/the-black-rock-bijou-12

[lemur]

We just don't have the money within our immediate selves and loved ones to continue to bring the Bijou back

perhaps it is time to stop bringing it back.

people pleading to y'all to get the same thing every year is worth .......you pleading for the community to pay $12,000 to bring something for the 3rd time ?

(i like the project, the idea and the art... but i think as you appear to imply in your original post these kickstarter campaigns are getting a bit tiresome for some people...... whether things like community funded art have always been done or not.. its getting kinda a bit much the past few years)

as for meeting "[our] standards"..

i think asking the community to pay your storage costs for the 11 and 1/2 months (and beyond) it isnt on the playa is a bit unseemly.

i think asking the community to pay for your LLC rented container so its easier to 'bring the installation back annually' is a bit of a bore.. and sorta unseemly as well, as theyd be paying this year to put it in a box after the 2012 event so they could see it.....in 2013, next year? (and maybe asked again for money to see it reappear then as well? (just a guess?))

isnt this YOUR art project ? surely youre realizing big art aint cheap!! but why should the community pay to store it for 11 months just so they can see it again..and again? ..isnt two times (or three times) enough ?

Sure, people like it!! it is an awesome idea.. but.. i don't think its so awesome that the community should foot the bill each year..

Id like to know how much y'all would be putting up personally out of pocket to bring it all back/store it for 2012 (not including personal tickets/food/transport/gear for the crew/entourages 'support camp' )

it was mentioned it cost you $9000 to bring back/make it happen in 2011.. but in 2012 youre asking the community to pay $12,000 to make it happen...... just how much of the total is the community paying to store it/get it back to the playa? 100%? 90%? 50%?

as for meeting standards or falling short....in my opinion.. yeah i think you are falling short..quite literally! pay yer own storage fees! and if ya cant afford to bring the same thing year in and year out.. dont do it... yeah, you might 'lose' that $27,000 you spent on it.... but hey!! big art aint cheap, and ya know, some folks just burn their expensive art!!

Good luck!!! I think film related stuff should be more represented on the playa.. film rules, a great medium...classic cinema is basically all i watch when im not away from home..

but heck!! I think things would be just fine if ya were to bring out a projector, a screen and just tell us an address in the city to go and watch some stuff.... it would probably be cheaper, for all of us, too!

..again.. good luck!

[champchild23]

Thank you for the very detailed grievance you have against our kick starter. Since you've claimed we have fallen short of Burning Man Standards... I will answer your very polite curiosities. I'm assuming you've done a large art installation before since you seem to know of all the hardships of doing them so I'll try to be as specific as I can. Artist to artist.

First off...

[Financial details removed by a moderator. Please send a PM to request details]

I can only hope nothing goes wrong because this is what I ask all my team to cover themselves, and they do it because they are FUCKING AWESOME.

Tickets:
Food: That's up to them they supply their food. We all share what we have.
Gas:

Not to mention all of their Burn Gear, Sleeping accommodations, etc. Not to mention the work they take off just to build this which is anyway from a $500 to a $1500 sacrifice a piece. These are eight grown adults. So to imply that we would be using the money for anything but the Bijou would be damn near impossible and quite offensive to these guys who have sacrificed an enormous amount to build this for you, year after year.

I'm assuming it was late, maybe you were cranky, or maybe you had some kind of judgements from the past, etc. But the entire Bijou team has an enormous amount of integrity. We wouldn't take any money from the Burning Man Community and use if for anything but the Bijou. We choose to be here as Volunteers.

As for the remark that we should just burn it or get rid of it. We almost did at one point. Because, like you've pointed out, we couldn't afford it. But too many other artists (like yourself) came by and told us there is no way we could let this die. The Artery told us we were part of Burning Man now and are fully expecting us to return. There was just too much call for us to stay a part of Deep Playa. The Bijou is a little different in that aspect. I'm not sure you've been out there to experience it or maybe you would have been a little more sensitive to our cry for help.

And look at it this way, if you don't want to donate, you don't have to.

We would LOVE to come back on our own dime Lemur, trust me. It's a lot easier that way, but we are unable to this year so we are going to try the Kickstarter and see what happens.

Sam Gipson (Solar)
Co-Creator of the Black Rock Bijou

[moonrise]

Everyone will help bring it back!!!!!! Virgins please help by chipping in too!! It is awesome!! I only saw it for a few moments in 2010, it's amazing and well worth it, every square inch...please be SURE to SHARE the FB etc links! Make them go VIRAL!! eplaya is not enough! It'll help but the links must be shared!! There are plenty of 2010 and 2011 burners who did NOT get to see this, yet....(too bad ya have to show photos but, if it helps, then so be it)
~THANK YOU FOR THE MOVIE THEATER! & PLEASE DONATE AND SHARE THE LINKS EVERYONE!!!~




(sorry lemur, but wow can ya give them a break, sheesh!!)

[lemur]

The total for all of the above is $12,331 which leaves us with $169 in case something goes wrong. I'm assuming from what you wrote that you are very familiar with "Big Art" so you know that we will FOR SURE spend more out of our pocket for this Bijou than our budget is outlined and what we have planned out.

so it looks like the community will pay for 100% of everything except the 'oh shit/emergency/we forgot/budget overruns' stuff..

thanks for the info

hopefully youve budgeted correctly (and no 'oh shit'/we forgot/emergency stuff happens) for your pocketbooks sake!!

hope ya make it out there and good luck raising it all!!

im sure you will.. y'all are pretty popular and the idea is a good one.

[junglesmacks]

The first time I ever encountered this was just as described: Random, in the middle of the dark playa, unbeknownst before, tripping my nuts off. (On pixie sticks and Advil)

It was one of my most random, WTF moments of 2010.


Props and good luck!

[Bob]

Everybody has an opinion or two.

Making *any* mention of your personal expenses is the plumber's crack on this otherwise workmanlike fundraising plea. Should have stuck to the merits of having succeeded twice, with an efficiently built and attractive installation Loved By All. Everybody pays for gas, food, etc. whether they do Art or not. Plenty of theme camps build bigger installations and don't engage in aggressive panhandling.

Could take exception with some of your budget items. The fake brick? Looked like fake brick. Very much like fake brick, peeling off of plywood. Was that the intention? Could do a serviceable job with recycled paint mixed with sand or sawdust, at little or no cost.

Repairs? Isn't it supposed to look and feel like a derelict building? Are we using new or recycled materials? No idea about the tech equipment. Are those priced as new?

Anything more than one container makes me suspicious of *bloat*. Are we storing camp supplies in there?

Sure this idea is fresh enough for a third go-round?

All that said, I appreciate anyone publishing a cost breakdown; it's a brave thing. Costs are less than a lot of things I could think of. And no doubt people will donate, that seems to fit the current model of participation-by-proxy. Good luck.

[MyDearFriend]

Sorry OP you got pounced on by two of the most notoriously grumpy people on eplaya but, now that we've heard from them, let me say that your concept and execution are very community-oriented (WHAT NO VIP PARTY ), you yourself sound very open-hearted, y'all have a proven track record on the playa and are essentially asking those who want you to bring this back to walk the walk with you.

All good things.

I am happy to participate in this with you.

[trilobyte]

Putting the moderator hat on for a minute… While we have relaxed the rules to allow camps and art projects to post about their fundraisers on ePlaya, that doesn't mean that detailed financials are to be posted here. If you'd like to offer a 'peek at the books' then please offer to do so via PM.

Taking the moderator hat off… Good luck with the project. It sounds a bit pricey to me too, but I've never built a temporary movie theater, let alone one out in the desert. You might want to start the fundraising efforts by reaching out to all those people who've been pleading to bring it back. Sounds like a solid base of people, and their support should give you a solid headstart. As for criticisms of your efforts, be prepared for that. As more camps and projects press the public funding/public assistance button, the proverbial collection plate's getting passed around a lot more and projects face more scrutiny and criticism. That has less to do with you or your project, and more to do with the number of fundraisers and the dollars being asked for. Again, good luck.

[Bob]

Putting the moderator hat on for a minute… While we have relaxed the rules to allow camps and art projects to post about their fundraisers on ePlaya, that doesn't mean that detailed financials are to be posted here. If you'd like to offer a 'peek at the books' then please offer to do so via PM....

Is that spelled out somewhere, in general or specifics? DIdn't see it here.

Discussing costs can help identify places for savings or donations. Or identify a seriously underfunded project. People have done it dozens of times wrt to art cars, installations, theme camp projects, camp equipment, transportation, etc.

[theCryptofishist]

*And yes! Charging over from left field, riding her own hobby horse--here comes Fishy!*

I've given money via kickstarter in the past, but I almost certainly not will not do so this year. Kickstarter is processed by Amazon.com, and I am still spitting angry at that vile little x-mas stunt where they said that if people went into a brick and mortar and took a picture of a product and then ordered it from Amazon and bought $100 worth of stuff they'd get $5 off the bill. I found that a dastardly attack on local retail and it just made me kinda sick. Heck, I just came back from a wedding where I didn't buy off the registry because it was with Amazon.com, and I just have to hope that the happy couple will be happy with my selection.
Also, I wonder about the whole "premium" thing. Not that I don't enjoy useless schwag, but I wonder how much of the money gets diverted into buying those, instead of going to the projects themselves.

[trilobyte]

Not discussing the particulars/financials has been a thing on ePlaya since long before my time, but I'm happy to add clarification.

[champchild23]

Just to clarify, anyone who would like to see our numbers before they donate, please send a PM. We want to be as transparent as possible and we are more than willing to give you these.

Thanks for the donations guys!

- Solar

[Bob]

Not discussing the particulars/financials has been a thing on ePlaya since long before my time, but I'm happy to add clarification.

What I meant to type was that there seems to be no justification on the "Fundraising On ePlaya" page (created last November) for the warning "Do NOT use ePlaya to discuss financial details of your camp or project". Also curious why in editing the OP's posts, the total dollar amounts sought through donations were left in.

Seriously, it's the main reason I bother to log in here -- making suggestions for savings on cost or effort, so people in general don't feel like they're priced out of this star-spangled rodeo. Can't talk money without talking money.

And I don't do "PM" at all, because it doesn't do anybody else here any good. It's a discussion board. Or was.

[lemur]

if you want to find out my opinion about this fundraiser, PM me!

[trilobyte]

Bob, commerce and financials have always been a tricky and difficult discussion on the boards. ePlaya has always been considered a virtual extension of the playa, where commerce isn't allowed and discussion of the details seen as unseemly. This site is not intended to be a place to do a project's accounting or financial planning - camps and art projects are welcome to do that in public on their own sites if they care to do so.

[Bob]

Still baffled that the OP's posts haven't been completely neutered by the mods, wrt dollar amounts. So be it...

[champchild23]

Rules are the Rules. Whether we agree with them or not.

Trilobyte pointed out that we had broken one of them. He's not the one who created them. That's his duty and his gift to the BM community. Were genuinely thankful that he didn't delete more of the thread. He is here to make sure the forums stay somewhat along the lines of the standards of the Playa.

The end goal here is to get art and magic on the Playa, keep in line with the merit of Burning Man, and salvage all the chaos that's going on this year. Let's do our BEST not lose touch of this.

Being that you are even reading this means you are probably a leader in some fashion at Burning Man (like it or not). You're not just going to Burning Man for the party, you are ALREADY participating here and being involved in the building process yourselves. That's not BS rhetoric; Every comment, suggestion, encouragement, etc. is helping to build this city. In a year where there is a LOT of negativity, we as the leaders need to stay as positive we can and try to pull a miracle out of our ass. =)

Thank you Trilobyte, thank everybody who spoke up. Made us sharper, made this our fundraiser tighter and more in tune.

[moonrise]

Well put!

There are plenty of surpirse interactions left for participants to experience in this installation in my opinion. Love it!

[tamarakay]

I for one appreciated the breakdown. Glad I caught it before it went, but COMPLETELY understand why it went.

We stumbled on your wonderful gift and thought it simply amazing. Thank you for your hard work. I also appreciate the gift of your grace.

[Savannah]

I only saw the outside of the Black Rock Bijou, because it wasn't during the hours of operation, but I thought it was pretty cool and just loved that it was there! I'm enjoying the pic of the inside. Well done.

[HandJamMasterC]

Hey everybody, let's chip in $25.00 and help get the Black Rock Bijou back on the playa. Camp DOA made a contribution - hopefully you can too !!

[moonrise]

*bump*