Back in the beginning of December I offered membership in a little experiment I was trying out, what I called an "Adventurers' Club". Basically, the idea was that if someone sent me $100 towards my next documentary (which is likely years away), then they would get a copy of my current documentary, three copies of the next one when it came out, and a mention in the credits.

I figured, hey, what the heck, it was worth a shot.

I'm pleased to announce that as of this morning the club raised four thousand dollars.

Now, I really need to stress what this is. This is forty people! Forty people who, based on either the previous documentary or the other work I do or my hanging out with celebrities that I was worth this sort of investment. While I recognized some of the names (friends, web-friends, and so on), a lot I simply do not. I don't know them and they don't know me except through my stuff online. And they threw $100 at me.

That is an enormous amount of trust and I don't take it lightly.

This site gets read by a number of budding filmmaker types who want to know where they can get funding or help or whatever (I know this because they write me) and here, I think, was the formula I used to raise this money:

Stack of previous film DVDs + explanation of project to come + paypal + truth + honesty = $$$$success$$$$

Some of the people who joined didn't want me to send them a DVD box. Some didn't want their names on the credits. One was a group of about a dozen people putting bucks together and then sending them to me. I can't thank all these people enough.

I ordered my new camera on Friday. It's an AG-HVX-200, a very nice camera, that shoots in a variety of formats and is part of a family of cameras that produce very nice-looking footage. It is backordered because it is very new, and because a lot of people want it. I know that with this camera I can shoot GET LAMP and the other documentary ideas I have in my head, and the footage will be stunning.

And yes, that is a high definition camera. I am shooting a documentary on text adventures in high definition.

Because of the Adventurers' Club, this camera went from a face-pressed-against-the-storefront-glass dream to a shopping list item. I can't stress that enough, how much everyone helped.

So thank you.