I like to think one of the real distinct aspects of the technical documentaries I’ve done so far are the cast lists – the list of interviewees that I pull from to get the story the documentary is aiming for. In more standard situations, the cast lists tend to be rather small and have a few “big names”, a couple “experts”, and then a whole lot of still frames. I don’t work that way. BBS Documentary had 205 interviews, GET LAMP had about 80. I suspect that the three new documentaries will have at least 300 interviews, but who knows how it’ll all shake out.

(I successfully got funded, by the way. Thanks, everyone.)

Oh, and the places they’ll go! The worlds I’ll combine, the subjects that they’ll cover! It’s going to be quite an amazing spectrum.

To help myself, I have a number of utilities and tools to keep track of things. Among them is something I call the Cast Constructor, a very simple shell script that lets me make a bunch of flat files with potential names. It’s very much a sketchpad, and not meant to be a definitive list, or a fully accurate one, or ever a complete one. It just lets me get some ideas out.

All three of the documentary sites now have cast sketches. Here they are:

http://www.arcadedocumentary.com/cast

http://www.6502documentary.com/cast

http://www.tapedocumentary.com/cast

I’m opening up these to the world much earlier than I normally would, because of several factors. First, I want to share as much of this approach I’m doing with three concurrent documentaries as much as possible – I don’t know if a single person has ever attempted this before. Second of all, with such a massive spectrum of potential subject matter, I want to invite people to mail me at cast@textfiles.com with cast ideas. It would help me a lot if you added the word “CAST:” to the subject line of your message.

People have been writing in like crazy, and I’ve been adding folks as fast as I can, often to the detriment of details. Over the next few months, I expect all three cast lists to expand greatly in size. Not everyone will get interviewed, not everyone will even be contacted – but this is one of the ways I try to improve the production, by letting people tell me who I should interview before I start shooting, and not in the lobby of the theater.

Have fun brainstorming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, here’s how this goes.

By my very, very rough estimation, I probably engage in about three thousand transactions related to my projects in a given year. This consists of people who need information, people who want me to send them something, people who want to send me something, and so on – the normal back and forth of doing what it is I do. (I’m not counting mailing out the DVDs of the documentaries – that’s pretty basic.) Some of these transactions are as simple as responding with a number, and some of them are taking possession of materials and doing stuff with them. The latter take longer.

Most of these, I get done somewhat quickly, enough that I get complimented for it. But that’s definitely not the guaranteed situation – I’ve had cases of months getting back to people. I apologize, I try to make up for it somehow, but it does happen. I owe probably a half-dozen e-mail interviews, a couple pieces of hardware need mailing, I promised I’d get back with ideas about someone’s new business or to answer a tough question about the proliferation of various types of media in backup processes…. a bunch of stuff.

Some of this is just me wanting to get stuff right, and some of it is just some minor aspect, my saying “well, I can’t just leave it at that“, and then weeks go by.

Somewhere a ways back, I had a bunch of people involved in the Geocities Torrent, where Archive Team had generated this 647gb collection that uncompresses to about 900gb, and which basically requires a hard drive of its own to really keep a copy of. Some people started torrenting it, and we also ran into some hilarious case sensitivity issue.. and, well.. anyway, so all of it is now up on archive.org if you want a copy. (Hint, it’s huge.)

A number of people mailed me hard drives, about 10. I put a copy on their hard drives, and then mailed them back. Except one.

He was supposed to mail it in February, according to my records.

Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2011 13:55:46 -0600
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

sounds good... give me a mailing address, I'm headed to the post office
shortly anyway...  I'll drop in a label and money for return postage, much
appreciated.  I'd be mailing a 1gig external usb... I'll delete any data,
but the only data is from your torrent download anyway...  

But things being what they are, he ended up not mailing it until a month later.  These things happen.

Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2011 15:58:00 -0600
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

Jason:

Hi.. I completely forgot to ship this, put it in my trunk, then forgot it.
Anyway, shipped now (see attached).  However in my haste I forgot to put in
a return label/postage/and something for your time.

Have you got a paypal addy?  If so I'll send some cash there.  If not, I'll
send out a money order, let me know.  Have a good weekend.

Best, Tim

The drive arrived on March 7th.

This drive was in a slightly different form factor than the others, and at the time I didn’t have a dock to put it into, so no way to really read it. I did eventually buy a dock, but only recently. Money was pretty tight for a while (I was unemployed) so I couldn’t really put anything towards a dock and the rest, so the project kind of laid dormant.

The hard drive owner, Tim, mailed me about it, a couple times. I’m sure if I looked at that whole mail spool at the time, I was doing literally dozens of other things.

Date: Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:24:45 -0500
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

so what's the status of things?

 

Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:35:49 -0500
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

no word?  This is surprising, thought all was cool... Am I going to get the
stuff or not?  Offered to send you some paypal... what's up?

Long time now since the HD arrived.  I'd appreciate letting me know what the
status is.

Tim

“Long time” in this case was 11 days. Not long for me, and as I guess I indicate next, I was also travelling at this time – I had just spent a week at GDC 2011, and was about to go spend another week down in Austin, TX for SXSW, and had spent no time at home between them. So things were now out of sync.

Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:50:51 -0400
From: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>
To: Tim

Traveling, back Sunday.

Here was my first mistake, because even if I was back Sunday, I was then stuck not only catching up with a pile of things needing my attention, but I was now going to start employment, and dealing with more travel and projects coming up. I’ve gone from being able to get things working on something like a hard drive, and doing the transfer of material, to heading down a path of more and more complicated projects. I am, in other words, fantastically busy.

Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 18:00:30 -0500
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

Assume you're back and have been back.  What appreciate the status please?
Tim

 

Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 23:31:28 -0500
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

this going to happen, or I shall chalk it up to life experience?

 

Here is, looking back, where it goes off the rails. Something about the tone, combined with the work I’m doing, and the whole situation, means that the priority this whole thing has, to go out and get the dock and find the hard drive with my copy of the torrent on it, and then to do the copy, and all the rest, drops noticeably. I’m focused on a lot of things, and something about “chalk it up to life experience” just makes my face scrunch. My mistake was then not just sending the drive back, saying “ah, look, it’s just taking forever”, and then knowing it would be up on archive.org soon anyway.

No, instead of that, I end up doing a non-committal “mmmmm”, e-mail style, which means “Look, yeah, I’m going to get to it, but I’m in the middle of a lot of stuff and I can’t set aside the day to set this all up, OK, just relax.” but probably comes off as “yeah, yeah”.

Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2011 00:40:48 -0400
From: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>
To: Tim

It'll happen.

Now in the low priority bin, Tim is left to flail. Again, my fault. And here, well, here you can watch what happens.

Date: Tue, 3 May 2011 16:04:12 -0500
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

my 30 day check in... any updates? T

 

Date: Sun, 8 May 2011 20:19:40 -0500
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

so now I don't even get a reply?  If it's not going to happen, then
please return the HD so I can put it to use.  I'm not certain at this
point if you're simply too busy, have forgotten me, or it's something
else.  You are the one that suggested your doing this, I have not
asked otherwise.

I need the files, my HD or pay me a fair price for the HD and keep it.
 Any of the three, but c'mon man, no word is just not right.

T

 

Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 17:41:50 -0500
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

Jason:

I won't bother you again then... IF (and I doubt it) you want to do the
right thing, get in touch.  I've lost faith in you and this, so keep the HD
and the files, I'll find a Unix guy and get the torrent myself.  I really
thought you were honorable (doing the torrent and all) but WAY too much time
has past, this is a very sour deal.

Enjoy the HD (life lesson for me).

Tim

 

Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:29:01 -0500
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

Happy July 4th... As the fireworks explode... think of all the honest, good,
hard working Americans who lived and died for this country.

Then think of those who NEVER follow through, who make promises they never
keep or intended to keep, who take merchandise under false pretense, who
ruin the integrity and spirit of the net...

Have a good weekend.

Tim

 

Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:48:02 -0500
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

just thought I say hi and let you know I haven't forgotten you.  One day...
in some way... you will be repaid.  Dishonesty is too nice a word for
you...  Have a happy holiday season... NOT.

 

Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:03:47 -0600
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

Happy holidays thief.  Hope Santa chokes on your cookies.  

 

Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:10:43 -0600
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

see you on kickstarter, I'll be sure to follow you  CLOSELY.. and help
out with comments whenever I see your name online.  $100k... yet you
rip me off, hard to believe.  .

 

Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:14:44 -0600
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

ah ha... I see Kickstarter has a link for "reporting projects"..
wonder what I can stir up by pasting our long thread... we'll see if
you respond or not. Sweet dreams. Tim

 

Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 01:16:46 -0600
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

even better.... think I'll donate $10 so I can comment about the
project... social media... love it.

 

Date: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:39:13 -0600
Subject: kickstarter project
From: Tim
To: Jason Scott <jason@textfiles.com>

Jason:

This is Tim, the guy whom you do not answer at my main email (
XXXXXX).  Here are two options.

*1.* Return my money via paypal (it seems you have PLENTY of money now).
The money I speak of is the cost of the hard drive I purchased and mailed
to you (at your request).  The cost of my postage to send it.  The
frustration you have caused over a LONG period of time.  We'll call it $200

or

*2.*  I will do my utmost to share our complete and long thread with
(including many quotes from you saying you would fulfill your promises)
with the Kickstarter administration as well as becoming a small partner and
sharing my comments (and links to the full thread) in your section.

Your choice, all I want is to resolve this

To be clear... at this point I am ONLY interested in the return of cash,
the hard should remain in your possession.

You may use XXXXXXX as the Paypal email and IF the funds are
received promptly, this will bring this matter and our communications to an
end.  If not, then (see #2 above).

Best,

Tim

 

It’s an interesting study, to say the least. I’m hardly blameless, and the whole thing going off the rails as far as it did is definitely my fault. But the gentle traipsing into blackmail and sinister threats are also prime demotivators to following through, so I decided to split the difference. Post it all here, let you see how not every person who deals with me is 100% satisfied, and then, when I get back to my home office later this week after Thanksgiving, find the drive, mail it back, and never think about it again. Perhaps not the best solution, but about what I’m into doing, all things considered.

And to my other friends who I owe a few things for, I’m sorry for the delay. It happens.

I’ll do my best to improve.

It’s five days left in the Kickstarter funding drive I started 55 days ago. It has been, by any measure, an enormous success. I set the whole thing at 60 days because that was the maximum that Kickstarter allows these days, and because I was asking for people to pledge $100,000 toward my project idea, which is not exactly something that leads to immediate clicking of the “drop tons of cash” button.  I was very binary towards the whole thing – either it would not happen at all, or it would absolutely happen. And it absolutely happened: 45 days in, the threshold was crossed. Fully funded!

There are two jumps there: The first couple days, when a bunch of people flooded in with lots of pledges, including a couple massive ones, and that hoist-up around September 25th where I did what nice people call an “e-mail blast” to everyone who ever bought a copy of my previous documentaries. I made it something that was informative and not just pleading and mercenary and it resulted in what looks like a pretty sizable jump for a tad, before going to the slow per-day rise you’ve been seeing. That last jump was someone being very generous.

One really nice thing about the whole process, the facet and fact that has really been the most heartwarming and the most touching, is that I’ve not dropped much in the way of details. In some ways, I’ve dropped almost no details. The Kickstarter pitch video is straightforward (if a tad weird) and the general message is: I am making three documentaries, and it is best to make them all at once, and I need this funding because I am now a low-paid archivist and not a well-paid sysadmin. That’s about all I’ve dropped, and all this happened. That is amazing.

So, here’s the interesting thing.

I’ve been working on some amazing things, talking to some really unique folks about aspects of the three projects, that might pay off really well – but I can’t guarantee them, so I haven’t been discussing them. I still really can’t – I rejected professional film-making not just as a career but as an outlook – and I much prefer underpromising and overdelivery to the alternative. So while I’m sure discussing these things I’m working on with much detail would skyrocket interest, having some of them inevitably not work out would make people feel misled. So there’s my quandry.

So let’s focus on some specifics in terms of goals, and maybe that’ll inspire people to get in on it.

Faced with the engineering/scheduling/arrangement of three documentaries, and having learned from the previous two projects, what I will be doing is travelling to a geographic area, and setting up for 1-3 weeks, doing a combination of location filming, interviews, appearances at events or being my own event, and general historical work. These massively hybrid trips will save me bundles in airfare, which was always the utter killer for costs. With my current employment endeavors being almost entirely online and not subject to specific geographic locations, this dovetails perfectly.

And it means that like the previous works, I can go after folks that some standard production would consider marginal and not worth the effort – people who are “just folks”, and as I hope both BBS and GET LAMP would show, some of the most amazing interviews that got in were “just folks”. (Jeff Keegan and Rob Griffiths come to mind). I can drive that extra few hours and get a place way off the beaten path. I can connect with stuff going on that a 2-3 day weekend trip would not allow. This is going to make interviews very good indeed. In a very rare few cases, I’ve had technical issues blow up an interview (I lost 3 out of 300 interviews I’ve done, roughly), and it’s good to be able to ask to come back, just a few days later. (Actually, this happened with a couple interviews and the subjects were both delighted to get a second chance to get their thoughts together.)

We are years from release, but even I can read the writing on the wall – as weird as it is right now to buy vinyl records (but deeply meaningful to a minority) it will be weird to order some media project in a couple years and not have a digital download option, or to be able to get the primary “stuff” at a less expensive and quickly convenient cost. That said, the other trend is that the physical form, the package and media, should be particularly high-quality, particularly amazing.  Because with these new physical packages, I will not be held to these two groups equally. You want the fast digital version, you get it – you want the deep version with many gigabytes of content in an exquisite package, you can get that too.

So at $107,000 – things are going well, well indeed. I decided, though, to throw in a big challenge to the folks out there that there’d be an immediate reward for hitting a higher mark. So I have this thing where if the funding hits $150,000, the $100+ funders get a backer-only coin. We’ll see how that goes – I guarantee the additional funding will end up making everything another layer of great. Really. As you can see, at current rates, that is not entirely likely to happen – but the whole point of challenges is to be challenging.

In terms of the documentaries themselves, that is, the actual content, I am going for very wide subject scatter like the previous films. GET LAMP covered not just text adventures and interactive fiction, but the nature of writing, the creating of reality through text, the meaning of story. BBS covered not just bulletin board systems and technology, but the nature of community, friendship and understanding, as well as the viciousness of politics and organization.  Even though a LOT of people really love 6502 (believe me, I have heard a lot about it), I am sure folks will find the resulting works of Tape and Arcade, and 6502 to be more than just the name on the box (or the download file).

All these ideas are swimming in my head now, recreating those moments of five and ten years ago when I started the previous two projects – new filming technology, new places to explore, weird ideas becoming reality, and the knowledge there will be a lot of pain, a lot of sleeplessness, a lot of stress here and there… but, eventually, watching boxes go out the door, letters coming in, and sitting at the back of a lot of theaters and auditorium hearing the laughs.

So there you go. Please spread the word about the Kickstarter in its last days – the short URL is http://kck.st/jasonscott and takes people right to the page. I have found people coming to me telling me they had no idea this was happening, so getting out to places that might not occur to me to visit would really help.

Thanks again. This is going to be amazing.