UPDATE:

We reached our GOAL for the 1st Round!!!

Thank you!!!!

Please contribute to our 2nd Round of fundraising...

Your donation will help us finish the film and

cover our post-production expenses. 

Thank you again for your support!

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HI FAMILY AND FRIENDS,

Production on our New Orleans feature length film is finally happening and we need your financial support to show that there’s an audience for this film!!  The Preservation of Roux Lee  (a.k.a.  Preservation), a dramatic film set in beautiful New Orleans, is preparing to shoot in Winter of 2022 . It is an inspirational film about Roux, a Black New Orleanian, who finds a miraculous way to overcome trauma and to find meaning in his suffering.

By joining our team, you're supporting the dreams of all of the artists involved who want to tell meaningful stories. Your'e also supporting the people the film gives voice to, by eradicating stigmas associated with mental illness, particularly for people of color. The film's message is one of hope, conveying that help and healing are available to those who need it.

1.  CONTRIBUTE -   Join our campaign by making a contribution for any amount here.  We can put your gift to better use, if you opt to cover this platform fee and opt-out of a tax-deduction. But if you'd like one,  email us and we'll connect you with our fiscal sponsor. ( Info@PilgrimageProductions.com).
2.  SHARE VIA EMAIL -   Email this campaign's link to other art lovers, philanthropists and cinephiles in your network. Your impact will be multiplied by sharing this with 10 people you believe would resonate with the project. 
3.  SHARE ON SOCIAL -   Share on social media that you joined our team and are supporting us. (Links for every sharing option are in the Blue Share Bar under the first Image on this page.)

With your help, we’ll be perfectly poised to meet our goal and ensure the film gets made. And seen! Not to mention you'll get some cool perks!

Keep reading to learn how my family inspired this story and how this film’s powerful message advocates for mental health by teaching the art of perseverance. Or if you're short on time and need a quick summary of the project, check out our concept video above. 

In an industry where women and people of color are grossly underrepresented behind the camera, it was no easy feat to insure that at least half our crew is female. We are proud to say that we are successfully doing our part to help balance gender and diversity disparities in the film and TV industry. We feel fortunate to be working with some of the best minds in the industry with more than 120 years combined!

Did you know? Of 1,300 films released in 2020, only 11 were directed by a woman and even fewer by women of color. 

THE STORY

The Preservation of Roux Lee is a modern southern folktale set in sultry New Orleans. It is a heartfelt story about Roux Lee Richards who despite his age, finds a miraculous way to overcome trauma and to find meaning in his suffering.  To preserve and restore what remains, Roux must learn to remember the unfathomable, believe in the impossible, and ultimately uncover the unthinkable.

Limited Edition concept art, designed for our perks by Graphic Artist, Sokoni Christian.

Sokoni on Threadless.com

How It All Began: In 2005 Hurricane Katrina, an exceptionally large Category 5 storm, flooded 80% of the city, killed approximately 1,833 people, left a million people displaced and caused $161 billion in damages. Even though New Orleans has recovered in many ways, its levee system to this day still can’t withstand another storm the size of Katrina.

The concept of this film was born after I witnessed my New Orleans family lose everything they owned and endure incredible obstacles during and after Katrina with little to no assistance from the local and national government. Before my uncle Louis (a Katrina survivor) passed away, during a difficult phase of making this film, he encouragingly made me promise to finish this film. 

I’m on a mission to make good on my promise. 

I am on a quest to examine what it truly means to overcome hardship and trauma. In Preservation, we delve into the decay of the American Dream, explore what it means to be American as a "have-not", and the sociological and psychological impact of that reality when disaster strikes. We also explore  preservation as it relates to mental health, an unexplored theme in Black America. Long after Katrina, the effects of such conditions persists. These communities still need our help to share their story and bring awareness to their need for mental health resources.   To learn more about the film's social outreach, click on the "Social Impact" tab in this campaign.

At its core, PRESERVATION is a visually striking, thought-provoking, and heartfelt story that forces us to reflect on the critical decisions we make and how those choices affect what matters most - preserving our selves and those we love.  If we had an unlimited budget, I would shoot PRESERVATION on 35mm film - the film school geek in me still prefers the grainy look, latitude and color rendition of film. Even the biggest directors have to fight to shoot on film. However, there are several amazing digital systems we will use instead that look amazing.  I am collaborating with Allie Shultz, a fantastic cinematographer who I know will help produce a beautifully shot film no matter what format we shoot on.

The other part of controlling the look of the film rests with our Production Designer. A Production Designer is in charge of the overall look of the movie. They collaborate closely with the Costume Designer, Hair/Makeup, Props, Location manager, Set Designer, etc. to ensure the film has a cohesive tone. We are in talks with one of the best  designers in the business. Here's our pre-visualization game plan:

WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO?

Crowdfunding allows us to make certain decisions that aren’t dictated by Hollywood politics and finances like: having Final Cut (editing control), casting choices, budget cuts that affect creative choices and location choices (being able to shoot on location instead of faking New Orleans in Los Angeles).

100% of the funds you give will be spent solely on the making THE PRESERVATION OF ROUX LEE:

• EQUIPMENT – At the heart of every film is beautiful lighting, cinematography and impeccable sound. So, equipment is one of our most substantial costs and it’s crucial that we get the right equipment to tell this story beautifully and effectively. 

• PRODUCTION DESIGN  – We will have fantastic locations thanks to our highly experienced Location Manager and his commitment to finding ideal spaces. Our production designer will need funds to dress the sets and to supply props.

• CREW  – We expect our immensely talented crew to do their best work, enduring long hours and tough weather. We plan to pay them for their time and work. With this said, they believe in the film so much that they have all agreed to work for scale, thus making it possible for us to make the film on such a limited budget. 


• CATERING  - Long days of hard work creates a hungry crew in need of nutrition, hydration and energy. So Craft Services is one of the most important elements of a well functioning set. We will be working long hours and braving the heat of LA and New Orleans, so we will need lots of water and sustenance. Oh, and coffee!  

• ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS – Filmmaking is a beautiful art form but it is equal parts art and  business. Administrative fees add up and the folks who do this work, from bookkeeping to the Production Assistant who may find themselves showing actors where to park, will all be paid. 

• POST - PRODUCTION – Preparation for Post production: logging, archiving and categorizing footage in preparation for editing.

• TAXES, FEES, SAFETY  – We would like to ignore the fact that a large chunk of what we raise will go to taxes and this crowdfunding platform’s fee, but it’s a reality and we’re factoring it into our fundraising goals. Your support will enable us to fill the gap for massive revenue loss due to COVID as well. 

Wrap it up, Jen, I have stuff to do... 

Be yond our goal of $150K lies our $200K stretch goal. This means we can cover all  Post-Production costs to finish the film, such as:

• Computer-Generated and Special Effects
• Music licensing and Scoring
• Sound Mix
• Distribution, Deliverables, Marketing, Archiving and film festival fees!

THAT'S A WRAP!

We will keep you updated on our progress, but for now, thank you so much for helping us to get the powerful message behind our movie out there. We are so excited to be making this movie with all of you about a city we adore and a community that needs our love. Looking forward to your input and your partnership with us. Let’s make a movie!

RISKS:

• There are always risks when making any film but our fantastic team can minimize the risks of setbacks with proper logistical planning and test screenings to create a beautiful, thrilling and engaging film.

• As a donation based project, we will disclose all vendors, expenses, and everything about the project that we reasonably can, which includes financial information.

• We will do everything we can to honor our commitment to our backers.