3D animation director Bassam Kurdali has taken to Kickstarter to raise funds for his latest project, Tube. The film is being made by a team from around the world, using open-source digital modeling software Blender to create the characters and environments. The project is an exercise to show the power and flexibility of open-source, with the final product being released under a Creative Commons license for all to share, mix, and re-interpret. However, those who choose to back the project financially will still be rewarded, with anything from exclusive artwork, to a place in the credits, or even being immortalized with a cameo appearance in the movie.
Tube is inspired by the poem The Epic of Gilgamesh and follows the story of Gilgamesh, a female soldier, as she is caught in an ever-accelerating vortex. The final release will allow users to see all elements of the film’s creation, and even adapt the character models for their own work.
We’ve seen Kickstarter used to crowdsource fund a diverse array of projects, from point-and-click adventure games to Bluetooth Smartwatches. Kurdali released another open movie in 2006, Elephants Dream, and says that he hopes that with the funding from Kickstarter this project will be complete within seven months. The money will be used to fund the work of the existing crew, with any excess raised used to hire in more artists and eventually fund the distribution, promotion, and festival entries of the film. After just two days, Tube has almost reached 50 percent funding, with more than 240 backers already pledging to the project.