Help us fund Season 2 of Vigil, a story about the people we call heroes, the organizations they create, and the truths that those with power can make us believe. Your contribution will allow us to bring you high-quality storytelling while paying BBIPOC (Black, Brown, Indigenous, and People of Color), LGBTQIA2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Aromantic/Asexual, Two Spirit, and More), and Disabled artists a living wage for their work.

The world of Vigil has existed, in some iteration, in the mind of creator Adam Qutaishat for over 20 years. Always nervous that it was never the right time, or they would never be able to do justice to the vast world in their head, Adam constantly put projects centered in this world on the back burner. But then in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 quarantine, Adam was uncertain about what the future held for them as an artist. More importantly, they were concerned for their friends, fellow artists, and communities who have been traditionally silenced and marginalized. They turned to the power of art and storytelling and the way that they can inspire each of us to imagine a world where injustice can be overcome. Adam wanted to create something that showed a world not too different from ours but that was fundamentally rooted in growth, restorative justice, and overcoming systemic corruption.

So, heeding advice they received years earlier to "never hold onto your best ideas for fear you won't have another," they decided to bring Vigil to life in an audio thriller. They assembled a team of all BBIPOC actors, and after months of work, Season 1 of Vigil was ready to go.

A few months into release, the show gained steam. It was selected for the Minnesota WebFest and Milwaukee Fringe Festival and was added to the Fable & Folly Podcast Network. By the end of Season 1, Vigil had amassed over 10,000 downloads and, as of this writing, has over 100,000 all-time downloads. Adam realized that Vigil’s story was just as meaningful to the show’s audience as it was to them, and they knew that the story had more to offer to the community it had brought together.

Here’s just some of what audiences had to say about Season 1:

• “Unique take on super heroes. Well acted, and super well produced.”
• “It's extremely creative and I'm loving the mystery mixed into the superhero genre.”
• “I’m sucked in… Some of the smartest super powers I’ve ever heard of.”
• “I normally hate superhero stuff, but I really enjoyed Vigil.”

Since the final mini-episode of Season 1 in early 2023, Vigil has been on hiatus, waiting to continue the story of Maria Kennedy, Vigil, and the other characters that live in this world.

Adam is now ready to create Season 2, with a story that includes:

• A new host, new cases, and familiar heroes
• The return of Maria Kennedy and a surprising new perspective
• A new connection to Vigil that will erode our faith in everything we believe to be true

We are asking for $12,000 USD to cover the costs of creating 8-10 episodes, including:

• Paying the people involved (88% of the goal)
• Marketing and promotion (8% of the goal)
• Hosting and other fees (4% of the goal)

Our primary goal is to make Season 2 in a way that respects our artists and our audience. We strive to create a place where artists can be themselves, grow their craft, and be compensated fairly for the work they do. When we meet these goals, it enables us to create higher-quality and more compelling work for you, our audience, in a way that is sustainable for the show and for our artmakers.

The goal is to increase our actor pay from the current rate of $20/hour to $25/hour to reflect a living wage for major cities in the United States. We are also planning to pay our writer and producer for their work on the show (they made Season 1 for free) and to bring in additional editors and producers to increase our overall production value and streamline the post-production process.

Marketing, Advertising, and Promotion

We want everyone who might benefit from listening to Vigil - whether they see their experience reflected in the story and characters, or they’re simply looking for a good story - to be able to find it! That means we need funding to help us spread the word about the show and help it to better reach its audience. Funds for this category will cover activities like:

• Paying artists to create additional ad materials, including graphic designers, videographers, and performers
• Time spent by producers to research and develop relationships with our peer podcasts
• Intentional ad placement opportunities in publications and podcasts
• Occasional paid promotions on our social channels

All of this directly contributes to the sustainability of the show. With a larger audience, our advertising revenue will increase, and we’ll be able to use this income to fund future seasons and projects.

Hosting and Other Fees

There are miscellaneous fees and administrative expenses related to producing a podcast, such as:

• Hosting fees for our episodes
• Hosting fees and domain registration for our website
• Festival submission fees
• Equipment purchase/upkeep
• Shipping and printing fees

The best way to help us is to get the word out about the show and this Crowdfundr. Share the link to this page and to the show with your network.

If you don't have the ability to support us financially at this time or you want to go above and beyond, we want to make sure you know your contributions are valued! If you let 10 people know about the fundraiser or the show, send us an email at contact@vigilpod.com and we'll bump you up one perk category from tiers I-VII (even if you haven't contributed financially).*

The same is true for getting something published about the show, using a platform you have to get the word out, or anything else that you might be able to think of. Just send us an email and we'll make sure you get a reward. We thrive on community and we appreciate you being a part of ours.

We also love receiving fan art. Just saying.

*Tier VII is the highest tier that can be reached using this method. One tier bump per donor.