Hello to all of our wonderful HERB & DOROTHY supporters!

4 quick days have passed since we crossed the finish line to our Kickstarter campaign for HERB & DOROTHY 50×50, and we at the HERB & DOROTHY Headquarters are still recovering from the mind-boggling campaign that became our lives for the past 60 days, sweeping us up in a tornado of activity and emotional ups and downs.

This process is definitely not for the faint of heart.  Our hearts have been trying to process this miracle you created, and to say we’re elated, absolutely over the moon with joy and gratitude, would be the understatement of the year.

For those of you who may not have heard, we were able to successfully meet and surpass our ambitious Kickstarter goal of $55,000 with a whopping total of $87,331.

As you can see from the graph above, the final week of the campaign was such a dramatic expression of generosity and passion from our community, we could hardly contain ourselves.

730 of you supported us from all around the globe, and we finished at 158% of our goal!

THANK YOU from each of us at Herb & Dorothy Headquarters, for taking the time, effort and your hard-earned dollars to help fund HERB & DOROTHY 50X50.  Your tweets, Facebook messages, blog posts, emails, phone calls, newsletters were so effective in helping us spread the word, and we would like to thank each and every one of you in person.  But since we can’t…

We’ll be sure to bring you the most wonderful film ever possible in 2012, in perfect time to commemorate Herb and Dorothy’s 50th wedding anniversary!  Please, please stay tuned for news about HERB & DOROTHY 50X50.

During the campaign, we never lost faith in the film or in all of you, but there were times when we were feeling a bit…lost.  We’re a film production team after all, with very little knowledge of what it takes to run a successful fundraising campaign.

Thankfully, among our supporters we found more than a little bit of heart (and brains), amazing people who stepped up and came up with brilliant ideas to bring the community together.

The campaign transformed right before our eyes as many of you (many, many of you!) began doubling and tripling your pledges.  It became a movement, and we were stunned.

The campaign continued to take off as it reached Japan, Megumi’s home country, and word spread like wildfire, sending a flood of generous pledges our way.  Arigato, Japan!

All the while, back home in the United States, as well as around the world, art-lovers quickly and willingly jumped aboard our HERB & DOROTHY train, pledging like mad and encouraging their friends to join.

ALL OF IT MATTERED.

Everything you did mattered to us and to the campaign, and we salute you.  Thank you.

It’s been a pleasure writing from behind the curtain on this campaign blog, which will be closing its doors with so much joy in our hearts.  Do not worry about a thing, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on the production of the film that you all are a part of, through our newsletters and Kickstarter updates.

(To sign up for our newsletter, please leave your email address in the box at the top right hand corner of the page where it says JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER)

Since our campaign ended, we’ve received several messages from HERB & DOROTHY fans via Twitter and Facebook saying they wished they’d heard about it.  Though the Kickstarter fundraising campaign is over, we’re gratefully accepting contributions on this HERB & DOROTHY 50X50 website to complete and release the film.  Please click our DONATE NOW button if you didn’t get a chance to join our campaign.

As always, thank you.

You’re truly shown us the spirit of HERB & DOROTHY, proven the generosity we all possess in our hearts, and fully expressed our vision of art being supported for the people, by the people.

Keep creating art.  The world needs it.

THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER!

Team HERB & DOROTHY

(Written by Kiki Murai)

Good morning!

Stepping out of the Brooklyn subway station in my puffy down jacket this chilly November morning, I shivered my way to HERB & DOROTHY Headquarters, reflecting on today, our final campaign meeting.

Yes, the campaign is almost over.  We’re down to our final 35 hours (or so).

I will never look at the word “Kickstarter” the same again.  It’s a word now filled with joy, hope, tears, exhaustion, worry, and finally, connection.

It’s been a learning experience to say the least, countless lessons received from Herb and Dorothy themselves, from Megumi about filmmaking and what it takes to reach your goal, and finally from all of you, our supporters, about what it takes to run a passionate, successful campaign.

Thank you.

I think about what sustained us throughout the campaign, and know it was the spirit of Herb and Dorothy.  (And Megumi for allowing us to see and feel that generous spirit.)

Many of you may have been inspired in the same way.  Which is why I’m pleased to say…

Here’s your chance to connect with the three of them in real time!  Do you have any questions for Herb and Dorothy?  Megumi will be chatting with them on Ustream this Saturday night in New York.

What’s Ustream, you ask?

It’s a really simple video site, where you can watch our wrap-up party LIVE from your own living room.  All you need to do is click on this link this Saturday, November 5th from 9pm-12:30am EST. 

Here’s how to ask a question:

1.  Email kiki@finelinemedia.net and ask your question beforehand.  I’ll send them over to Megumi, who will ask Herb and Dorothy on the air on Saturday.

- OR -

2.  Post your question on Facebook or Twitter, and we’ll be sure to catch them.

This is your chance to ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask…about art, their collection, the film.  We really hope you can you join us at the party, either in person or on Ustream!

And on this cold day in Brooklyn, we send you our warmest, deepest thanks.  35 more hours!

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN BEGINS! 

Yes, folks, we’re now down to the final HOURS in our Kickstarter campaign.  The pledges are still rolling in, one right after another, and words such as “delighted” and “surprised” just do not do the movement justice.

We are floored by the outpour of love for HERB & DOROTHY 50×50, especially in these final moments of the campaign.  Over six hundred of you have come together to give an amount so grand…and there’s just no stopping you!

We at HERB & DOROTHY Headquarters are admittedly sleepy but elated, each new day renewing our faith in art and in the power of community.

And of course, we believe in Herb and Dorothy.

Did you know that next year, Herb and Dorothy celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary?  “50″ seems to be a special, magical number, doesn’t it?  It’s everywhere: in the Vogel 50X50 Collection, the title of the follow-up film, this campaign, and the Vogels’ love story.

And with just 50 hours to go in our campaign, we’re getting ready to count down the final hours to make this crazy challenge a reality.

Keep spreading the word, and let’s finish strong!  We make a great team, you and us.

THANK YOU!

In response to a thank you message sent by Megumi, Mr. Honda wrote:

Megumi, you, your staff, and the supporters have done 99.9% of the work.  I am privileged just to be able to take part in 0.1% of the production process, in helping bring your hard work out into the world.

If you had said you were thinking of making a film and needed to raise the money, I might have thought twice.  However, when I learned you were going to mortgage your home in order to create the film, I knew you were serious.

Many people depend on others when they want to do something, but hearing you were taking it upon yourself to produce the film, not relying on others, I was moved to support you 100%.  I decided to do so on the spot.

I was not notified of this campaign until you were very close to your deadline, and I could see immediately how hard everyone was working.  Following in their footsteps and being able to help even 0.1% of the campaign, I feel truly fortunate.

To be truthful, I’m not very knowledgeable about art.  But I do know that since the stone ages, art and artists have always been supported by patrons, and today, it should be an opportunity not just for the extremely wealthy, but to anyone who wishes to participate.

Herb and Dorothy have shared that gift with us, leaving remarkable footprints which we can now follow.  And you have shared that gift with the rest of the world.  I greatly respect you and your work, and wish for you to be a guiding light to those who come after you, an example of building success one step at a time.

I wish you the greatest of successes for that reason.  I hope that you and your team are able to rejoice, and complete a wonderful film.  Thank you very much for the opportunity to help.

Katsumi Honda

昨日FaceBook に、大きなご支援を頂いた日本のソフトウエア開発会社、ハイパーギアの本田社長からのメッセージを掲載したところ、サポ―ターの皆さんから暖かいレスポンスを沢山頂きました。せっかくですので、本田社長から頂いたメッセージの全文を、ここにご紹介致します。とても感動的なお言葉です。

99.9%は佐々木監督をはじめとする、スタッフと
サポーターの方々の努力と熱意と多分、汗と涙でしょう。
でもそこまでして物をつくる、世の中に出していくと
いう喜びに、あと、0.1%お手伝いできるだけで、
実現を一緒に喜べるというのは、これくらい嬉しいことは
ありません。

一番最初に昨年、お話を聞いたときに、もし、これから
映画をつくるのだけど、資金だしてくれますかと
言われたら考えていたかもしれません。
でも、アパートを抵当に入れても今、撮りたいと
お聞きして、この方は本気だなと思いました。

他人をあてにして、なにかをやろうとする人は
たくさんいますが、自分である意味犠牲になっても
何事かをやりたいという態度は素晴らしいし、
全面的に応援したいと思いました。
ですから、すぐ決めました。

今回の続編もそうです。
ぎりぎりの期限まで、本田にメールはきませんでした。
kickstarterの仕組みで、みなさん精一杯努力されています。
そんな方々のあと、ほんの0.1%の手助けができると
したら、本当に本田は幸運だと思います。

正直、アートはよくわかっていません。
しかし、アートには太古の世界から、理解者や
パトロンが必要であり、それは、現代では、
大金持ちではなくて、一般の人たちがするべきです。
Herbさんや、Dorothyさんには、その才能があり、
素晴らしい足跡を残せることを見せてくれました。
そしてそれを佐々木さんが世界中に広めてくれました。
たいへん尊敬していますし、佐々木さんと
佐々木さんをみて後に続く人たちに、
一歩一歩成功するという形で佐々木さんを見習って
続けて行っていただきたいのです。
そのためには成功してほしいのです。

ぜひ、みなさんで結果をよろこべ、
納得のいく映画を作ってください。
機会を与えていただき、ありがとうございます。

本田

WE DID IT!  We reached our goal!  Thanks to an unbelievable amount of support from around the world in the last three days, we’ve passed our ambitious goal of $55,000!

Just take a look at the graph above.  As you can see, in the second half of our campaign our progress slowed down significantly – we hardly moved some days which had us shaking in our boots, to be completely honest – and then…BOOM!  Our supporters came alive.

Oh, how you came together and created movement!

We’re both astonished and AMAZED.  THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts.  (What is even more moving is that you’re still pledging!  We just passed $60,000!)

This Kickstarter campaign has been a truly moving, life-altering experience for all of us here at HERB & DOROTHY Headquarters.

We’ll definitely write about that experience, but before we get ahead of ourselves, we have to complete the campaign!  In our final 4 days, let’s continue to fire up our Facebook and Twitter communities, write blog posts about the campaign, and keep spreading the word!

And on Saturday, November 5th, we’ll REALLY CELEBRATE!

We love you all!  Thank you.

New York City as seen from Herb & Dorothy Headquarters in Brooklyn

Over the weekend, besides the heaping amount of October snow in New York City, we received a tremendous amount of support from our friends in Japan.

Megumi being Japanese, of course, there’s a swelling sense of pride felt by the Japanese people that one of their own has created a touching English-language film like HERB & DOROTHY, adored by fans around the world, receiving award after award.  Many Japanese dream of expressing themselves outside of their country, and Megumi serves as an inspiration, an example of what’s possible if you fully commit yourself to your dream.

Today however, we’re especially moved by the outpour of love and support from Japan, for we all watched in horror as the earthquake, tsunami and reactor accident crippled the nation in March (and still continues today).  Our close friends, relatives, co-workers, students, and peers in Japan are trying to rebuild the economy, the lost cities, their lives, their morale.

Frankly, art is likely one of the last things on the minds of the Japanese, and yet, they have so generously given to our Kickstarter campaign.  HERB & DOROTHY is a widely loved documentary in Japan, and many, many people are wishing and waiting for the follow-up.

This past March, “hope” was temporarily lost, and in the seven months since is slowly being reborn through, to name a few things, art and connection.  There’s no doubt that Herb and Dorothy Vogel have touched a deep chord in the Japanese people, and the Japanese want to give back through this campaign.

We’re so grateful for each and every pledge that comes in, not just from Japan but all over the world.  We see each of your names, and wonder where you are and how you must have felt as you decided to support us.  And we’re touched.

We thank you deeply, and know that we can, in these final 5 days, reach our goal!

Thank you so much, from all of us at Herb & Dorothy Headquarters.

It’ll all be over this weekend.  Let’s give this all we have!

by kiki

Have you been as amazed as we have this week at how the numbers have grown and grown?  It is all thanks to you, of course, and we couldn’t express our gratitude enough.

Today, we’re posting an update to let you know our $1000 rewards have SOLD OUT, and due to popular demand, we’ve created a SPECIAL ART COLLECTOR’S PACKAGE at the same pledge level.

(Look under “PLEDGE $1000 OR MORE” on the right side of page here)

For a $1000 pledge, the SPECIAL ART COLLECTOR’S PACKAGE includes the following:

・Charles Clough 8″X11″ Ltd Edition print signed by artist  (see behind-the-scenes video on our main Kickstarter page)
・Sketchbook cover designed & signed by Lawrence Weiner
・Ltd Edition VOGEL 50X50 Catalog signed by Herb & Dorothy with personal note
・On-screen credit as FUNDER on “HERB & DOROTHY 50X50″ film end credits
・DVD Set:  “HERB & DOROTHY” & Special Edition “HERB & DOROTHY 50X50″ including deleted scenes & bonus material
・Ltd Edition “HERB & DOROTHY 50X50″ Official T-Shirt(International Shipping included.)

*For those who generously pledged $1000 before today, and are interested in switching over to this package, please contact us at kiki@finelinemedia.net.

There are just 10 packages available.  We hope you’ll let your art collector family members, friends and colleagues know today about this special package.  Act fast!  The packages will go quickly, and so will the campaign – we’re in our FINAL 8 DAYS!

Thank you!  And keep spreading the word!

Team Herb & Dorothy  (writing to you from a Brooklyn cafe today, as our pipes at Herb & Dorothy Headquarters have burst!)

With just 9 days left in our Kickstarter campaign, we’re both anxious and grateful.

Anxious about reaching our goal of $55,000 (we’re currently at $35,921), as we really don’t want to disappoint those who have supported us.  And grateful, of course, for every hard-earned dollar that is being offered to our cause.

Everyday we say to all of you…Thank you.

Today, we’d like to share a post published over at the heartful Art Aligned, where the wonderful Kate Watson interviews Megumi about HERB & DOROTHY, and about this campaign.

We hope you’ll go over for a read, as Kate truly is the epitome of generosity.  Every post, every tweet, every Facebook message is one real person showing us their passion.

And with that, we’re moved to continue on.

Just 9 days left!  We can do this together.

Artist Robert Barry on how a work is presented:

There’s no top or bottom.  How you decide to hang it, that’s up to you.  And it’s part of that whole scheme about leaving a lot of the decision up to the person that’s in charge of it at that time.

 

(Robert Barry’s work from the video clip)

How a work is presented, where it’s presented, when it’s presented, is very important in terms of its ultimate meaning and how it starts it’s journey in the outside world.

Be sure to check out the video clip from HERB & DOROTHY 50X50 HERE.

Today, I thought I would share our Kickstarter progress using this graph.  As you can see, the graph shows the amount reached on the left side, percentage raised on the right side, and the date along the bottom.

Yes, we’ve got a ways to go to reach that green line that says 100%.  With not a whole lot of time left.

But we know we can do it!  Yesterday and today have seen a mini-spike, proving to us that determined and passionate backers can really make it happen.

You did this.  And we thank you!

Let’s try to spike our way all the way to the green line in the final 11 days of our campaign!

We can’t do this without your help, and we’re more grateful than words could ever express.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

We love you all!

Make a pledge today!