Award-winning director and philanthropist Elizabeth Blake-Thomas will provide up to 350 jobs to freelance gig workers in the film industry after raising funds for her Project Phoenix pledge campaign, a collaboration with Elizabeth’s film production company, Mother & Daughter Entertainment, with the crowdfunding site Seed&Spark. The campaign will officially launch May 1st, 2020 and will run for 30 days to raise funds.
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Elizabeth Blake-Thomas has created and launched her Project Phoenix campaign as a solution to provide both financial assistance and a mental health boost to creatives in the entertainment industry. Gig workers are struggling to afford their next meal and to pay their rent; This may give them more hope that they will find and get work again. Staff will also have mentors to go to.
“I realized I couldn’t just sit helplessly in the background whilst my fellow creative freelancers struggled and lost hope. I knew I had a skill that could work with this “new normal” and I had to do something. To use my leadership skills and experience in the film industry to not only formulate but also execute a plan to bring hope back into the entertainment industry whilst creating more content to share. Project Phoenix was born for an immediate economic fix, as well as a long-term content solution.” Shared Blake-Thomas.
“The entire ethos at Seed&Spark is driven by creative sustainability; using creativity to make a living and to make work that matters, no matter what the conditions. It seems harder than ever to do that now and we’re so excited to support Elizabeth’s efforts to provide some light in the darkness.” states Emily Best, CEO of Seed&Spark
Project Phoenix consists of producing eight SAG ultra-low budget feature films. It will employ all department types, from directors all the way down to production assistants, in which all films will be in production simultaneously. Each film’s budget is $250K, with the pledging goal of Project Phoenix totaling to 2 million dollars to be raised in 30 days to fund all eight films. Elizabeth Blake-Thomas will oversee all projects, pro-bono, through her company Mother & Daughter Entertainment; while only using pledging funds to employ creative film staff, making the films from beginning to end, pre-production through post. Virtual pre-production will begin once funds are pledged, immediately providing paychecks to freelance gig workers, thus giving back to a society that is barely staying afloat.
Project Phoenix can only begin once half of the total pledge goal has been raised. 1 million dollars must be obtained to immediately begin pre-production on four of the eight feature films. To start, this will employ over one hundred workers; all to be paid fairly and equally, as opposed to a hierarchy of salaries, so everyone can begin to earn a living again. Project Phoenix is also a platform to produce new and needed entertainment content that brings hope, inspiration, and positive messages to all during these unsteady times.
Project Phoenix’s Board Members, a seasoned group of entertainment industry professionals include: Mother & Daughter Entertainment Team Elizabeth Blake-Thomas, Isabella Blake- Thomas, Taryn Kinney, and Chandler Kinney; Emmy-Nominated Director and Producer Sean McNamara; Film and Television Producer and Sales Agent Cindy Cowan; Film and Television Producer and Marketing Specialist Lauren Magura; Philanthropist and Fashion Designer Nancy Vuu; Film Producer and Sales Agent Elisabeth Costa de Beauregard; Humanitarian and Communications Manager Tracy Saunders; and Influencer and Philanthropist Alli Simpson.
ABOUT ELIZABETH BLAKE-THOMAS: Founder and resident director of entertainment company Mother & Daughter Entertainment, whose motto is “Making Content That Matters”, putting focus on each project starting a conversation amongst viewers. An Official Ambassador of Awareness Ties for Human Trafficking, Elizabeth hopes to raise more awareness to the horrific nature of human trafficking and help put a stop to it. Her award-winning short film UNSEEN, which addresses the role technology plays in the facilitation of child trafficking, was awarded “Best Short Film” by Film Threat’s Award This! and is currently available on all platforms. A regular on panels at Sundance, Cannes, and Toronto International Film Festival, Elizabeth mentors wherever possible, ensuring she sends the elevator back down to all other female directors and filmmakers.
ABOUT MOTHER & DAUGHTER ENTERTAINMENT: Production company MOTHER & DAUGHTER ENTERTAINMENT is spearheaded by two real life mother-daughter duos with the primary focus on “making content that matters”. From film to music to publishing, the team at Mother & Daughter Entertainment covers multiple aspects of entertainment from start to finish, resonating with viewers regardless of genre, scale or platform. http://www.motheranddaughterent.com
ABOUT SEED&SPARK: Best-in-industry crowdfunding company SEED&SPARK is headed by founder Emily Best with a passionate team of smart, creative and purpose-driven experts behind her. Seed&Spark’s crowdfunding platform has the highest campaign success rate in the world and is the foundation of a broader creative platform that supports creator sustainability and increases representation in all stages of storytelling — from audience building and funding all the way through many channels of high-impact distribution. “We stand together that all voices, stories and perspectives should be seen.” www.seedandspark.com
Project Phoenix, Seed&Spark
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