reported by Edward Strong, CyberScreenwriter.com

Independent filmmaker Kevin Mcgue announced plans to seek $25 donations from patrons to raise funds for an independent feature film. Mcgue hopes to raise a net amount of $350,000 by May 31, 2007, in order to begin preproduction for a film shoot in the fall of 2007.

In a posting on his blog, the filmmaker notes the difficulties of finding investors in the $25,000 range for an English-language film set in Tokyo. Instead, he will seek $25 dollar donations from sponsors. "Basically, I have been reduced to begging for money for my next film project," reads a statement on the site's blog.

According to site, a shooting budget of $350,000 is needed before moving the film project into the "preproduction" stage, when actors and technical staff are hired, locations and costumes selected, etc. A posting on the site mentions that this is a fraction of a percent of the budget of big-budget Hollywood productions. "I believe my experience with making films funded from my own pocket has taught me a lot about how to shoot cheaply," the filmmaker writes on his website, "I think I can make a film that looks like it had a $3-4 million, but actually costs just a fraction of that." Filming is scheduled to begin in autumn, 2007 on the project, a fictional look at Western actors and models living in Tokyo.

Contributions are being accepted through the filmmaker's site at www.pleasefundmyfilm.com. The filmmaker is offering links to sponsors' websites or a site of their choice on the site and will give credit to each individual or corporate sponsor on the site's blog. Sponsors will be place on an optional mailing list that will keep them updated on the project and give details on the film's production.

"People involved with film production really do enjoy what they do," reads a statement on the site's blog. "And I hope this project will not only help my dreams of producing this project come true, but will get a new group of people interested in film production and possibly make films of their own."