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  1.  
    I've not pledged yet. Sorry to whinge but I think the reward tiers are a bit wide of the mark and need tweaking. I know nothing about funding films but I do know about what greases the wheels of a pledge offer. There's no digital download only option for instance, 50 quid seems a bit much just for a Disc. I'd be happy to pay for 50 for the bonus disc edition or maybe 70 quid gets you a signed copy in some exclusive artwork - but 100 quid with a promise of an invite to an exclusive screening ? - I would hazard a guess it will be in London which is a stretch for me never mind Wire fans in the US and around the globe - loads of Wire fans would all happily pay a premium just to get a nice special edition DVD/BluRay and skip the party invite

    Looking at the Frank Sidebottom kickstarter for instance (it got made, it is brilliant) - the lowest tier 10 quid got you a digital download of the movie *and* your name on the credits, 20 quid got you the disc, and then for 50 quid you got all that plus some unique pieces of memorabilia from Chris Sievey's archive and so on.

    Sorry to moan, I will pledge and we all really want this film to happen - which is why I'm moaning.
  2.  
    Hi all! It's Malcolm; the producer of the film, and co-director along with Graham Duff. It was really great to meet some of you the other day at the Crowdfunding party. Especially as it was the one and only time the five members of the classic line-ups have been assembled on stage together.

    I also took on board what's been said here and what was said to me about the value of some of the Reward Packages. I've listened and adjusted some since. I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts.

    I also heard the response over a lower price for credits, but unfortunately by then people had already taken that reward, which meant I could not physically change it. This is obviously a Crowdfunder functionality to prevent fraud, as I would have been changing the offer after it had been bought. Sorry about that.

    I have now added the option of credits in the BluRay/DVD at £300. I am also looking into the possibility of special screenings elsewhere, which would supplant the London screening for those investors not in the area. I'm also looking into the possibility of a limited edition print of the film poster for those who can't get to any special screening.

    I'm trying to create more interesting low-priced packages with some unique art and merchandise too. I'll keep you posted about that.

    I also want to give the Wire hardcore here exclusive heads up on a new and intriguing Reward Package I'm going to send live tomorrow morning.

    I spoke to someone at the pledging party. I won't give away his name without his permission but he was holding a shovel at points. He was suggesting a Wire devotee might be interested in significant investment if there was a profit share available.

    I have gone away and thought about this and - having cleared it with the band - come up with something I thought might appeal. We are going to offer a one-off package for one person which will include an Executive Producer credit on the film in perpetuity, plus crucially 1.54% of the box office profits! This package will cost £15400.

    I'm fully aware this is not for most, and I couldn't afford it myself to be honest working as an indie film producer. But for someone who loves Wire and has the means this is an opportunity to be eternally linked with them as Executive Producer of the Wire feature film. If it hit on an Amy scale, you'd actually make quite a bit of money!

    This will remain exclusive on here till I launch it on the Crowdfunder site at 9am BST tomorrow!
  3.  
    Going live at Midday today BST now! I realised that some forum members overseas and who log on just at weekends might not have had a chance to see this yet. So Midday it is!
  4.  
    As some of you will see the price has been dropped on the collectables with one of the lyrics having been snapped up already. I've also put feelers out to those who've pledged in the £550/500 mark if they'd mind if I upgraded their credit to Co-Producer, thus enabling me to introduce a "thanks to" category on the credits so you can get your name on the film in perpetuity for just £250!

    Be interested to hear feedback on that.

    Also, we are nearing 200 pledgers. But I simply refuse to believe there are only 200 people in the world who want to support a film about Wire which has the band's approval. Anything Pink Flag forumites can do to promote the cause will be extremely welcome.

    It's important we do it now before everyone disappears for summer! The crowdfunding campaign ends on the 5th August.
  5.  
    I hate to be a naysayer and I hope this project gets funded but I was really taken aback by how expensive the first reward (digital download) was. $37 is an astronomical amount of money to charge for a digital download.

    Might I suggest that Wire could drum up a lot more interest with £5, £10, £15 tiers and giving out rewards that people don't have to wait over a year to receive. £5 could get you something as simple as a sticker or a button, £10 could be a digital download of live tracks, £15 could be a previously unheard demo or some other rarity. There is plenty of stuff in the vaults that could drum up fan interest.
  6.  
    @Witness------"Also, we are nearing 200 pledgers. But I simply refuse to believe there are only 200 people in the world who want to support a film about Wire which has the band's approval. Anything Pink Flag forumites can do to promote the cause will be extremely welcome."

    Maybe Wire should consider doing some kind of short promo tour. Let people know you're out there. A NYC DRILL would garner a huge amount of attention.
  7.  
    Hi all. Thanks for the thoughts.

    I must confess, with respect, that some of the points made above seem to miss the point of Crowdfunding.

    £30 for a digital download is questioned. But it is of course NOT £30 for a digital download. You are contributing £30 towards the budget of the Wire film and in return you are getting a gift. The more you contribute, the higher the gift.

    If you just want to wait and buy the digital download of £7.99 when it comes out, that’s fine. But unless grass roots Wire fans like Pink Flag forum members support this, there won’t be a film to digitally download.

    For perspective, when I wrote to one of the people who has given us £500 to see if they minded if I offered credits to folk at a lower rate, they said “I don’t care what I get. I just want to help Wire”. Surely that’s the spirit?

    Part of the point of making this film is that whilst Wire are recognised by many critics and artists within the art and music world, because they have always been ahead of the game, they have not yet received the wider recognition they deserve for the influence they have had. Therefore there aren’t yet vast companies prepared to pour enormous resources into this as they might if we were doing Nirvana.

    We have all spent a lot of money on Wire over the years. Like many of you here, they have long been my favourite band, and if I factor in all the trips up to London when I was living in Brighton through the 80s (where they scarcely ever played then), plus all the records and gig tickets, I’ve probably spent into the thousands. For the hardcore amongst you who go to most gigs, that will be even more.

    So to contribute a little money towards a independent film about Wire that gets to tell their story unalloyed without the breathing-down-the-neck of a know-nothing Exec that would happen were it receiving the top dollar of the BBC, doesn’t really seem a big ask, surely?

    Films cost a lot more to make than albums on the whole, simply because you’re dealing with video as well as audio with all the concomitant processing power, editing requirements and narrative and visual sensibility that entails.

    Having said all that, I am working at improving the propositions and adding to them. I am in talks with Jon Wozencroft about making the current film logo available as a postcard and limited edition print, and that will be obviously be at the affordable end of pledges. This will be up in the next couple of days. It will be affordable enough so that even if you’ve already pledged, you’ll hopefully be tempted to grab one of these.

    Unlike the other pledge gifts, these would be available soon.

    And as for “naysayers”, there isn’t going to be another feature of this nature about Wire. They are still a working band making remarkable music and Bruce is alive and kicking and creating. But you never know what the future holds and now is the time to make this film.

    Let’s do it!
  8.  
    Ok folks. Been in touch with Jon Wozencroft and we're just agreeing details of a limited edition, one-time only run of his new design for the film for the Crowdfunder campaign. Herein sneak preview details before I set it live on the Crowdfunder site:

    Jon Wozencroft – “People In A Film” brand design 2019 poster

    Limited edition of 100 signed and numbered copies

    Blue and white on black

    Letterpress print on 100% recycled 100gsm paper

    392 x 600mm approx

    I've written to Jon asking him to sign them.

    Will let you know as soon as this is live.
  9.  
    "I must confess, with respect, that some of the points made above seem to miss the point of Crowdfunding."

    Totally disagree. Crowdfunding isn't just about giving money, it's about feeling part of something as well as getting something back.

    I've partaken in these kind of things previously but I just don't think this works.

    It certainly doesn't seem terribly appealing. Not for me anyway, but each to his own. And I'm someone who has spent a fortune on Wire over the years.
  10.  
    Yeah that's where the disconnect lies for me as well. In most of my crowdfunding experiences there are always rewards that go beyond just receiving the end result of the product being funded. It would be nice if a large group of Wire fans could pony up £500 just to help the band out but the reality is most of us don't have that kind of money. If the £20 reward tier came with a digital download of rarities rather than just a thank you I think you'd be a lot closer than 33% of the current goal.
  11.  
    Perhaps we can be told what will the current donations be used for assuming, as sadly appears likely, they don't reach the target.

    I don't mind helping to fund the film if I'm going to get a film, but if the money is going to disappear into something unspecificed, I'll be looking for a refund.
  12.  
    They don't get the money unless the project is fully funded
  13.  
    I think they do. It says there "Flexible funding – this project will receive all pledges made by August 26th 2019 at 7:07pm"
    Means they will get whatever is raised, regardless of whether the target is met or not.
    I would assume they still do the film then, just with less budget ?
  14.  
    Btw, it looks like the end date has been extended. 24 more days.
    And a second person has pledged 5k.
    Now over 25k
    Still very far from target but who knows...
  15.  
    Thanks Malcolm for shedding some light on this. I take your point about the pledge being an act of altruism - however these days people are accustomed to the PledgeMusic (RIP) model where it felt, certainly on the basic level tiers, like simply pre-ordering a record directly from an artist rather than being a patron of the arts - so maybe that's altered people's perception of crowd funding. I've seen some bizarre things with bands practically pimping themselves out on Pledge campaigns (I've seen bands offering to play on your record, write you a personal song, have a 1-1 Skype call, hang out with you for the day etc) so it's become all about rewards rather than the 'feel good' factor.

    It must be difficult to strike the balance between attracting the big donations, and providing attractive tiers for us fans on more modest means so I'm pleased to see there are some additional rewards up now. The idea of some musical rarities or live downloads is a good one but suspect it won't fly with the band. Anyway, there's 23 more days to go so....
  16.  
    Blimmin eck - someone has actually stumped up for the £15,400 package! They have sensibly remained anonymous - and no it's not me LOL
  17.  
    Oh! Just beat me to it!!
  18.  
    Hi all again. Hope you're having a good summer.

    Yes Crowdfunder offered to extend the deadline as it was going so well!

    Just sounding out, I was considering for the final stretch of the campaign doing a limited edition run of 100 foil printed posters of Jon Wozencroft's current logo image for the Wire film.

    This will be a one-off run with no repetition guaranteed. I'm hoping Jon will sign them too. The eventual final design for the film will be different and we won't issue any more of these.

    Because of the expense of doing this, I just wanted to ascertain with fellow Wire fans here whether this would be popular or not? I'd certainly like one! But I'm obviously biased in a number of ways, not just being a Wire fan.
  19.  
    I will order 2 Malcolm. Will be they be on sale at Wire's coming up festival performance / will film donations be collected at that?

    I hope you get to make your film. Unfortunatley given the low number of pledgers I'd conclude that perhaps Wire are not the definitive post-punk band outside of this discussion board. The last 30% is going to be tough going but best of luck.
  20.  
    Excellent Itcontinues!

    To reassure you, the average number of pledgers on crowdfunder projects is 58. We are heading for 250. The average amount raised on crowdfunder projects is £12723. We have raised over £42, 000.

    And we still have well over a week to go!