The Beginning – by Amy Walker: Exec. Director of the CF Project

When I moved to Philadelphia in the winter of 2007, I kept in touch with friends and family via email, cell phone and Skype. I didn’t even have a landline.

As an actor/singer aiming to break into the film industry, I began posting videos on YouTube to make my work visible to the public.

One day, I made a video called "21 Accents" to show casting directors some of my vocal range. In the 2 1/2 minute video, I introduce myself in 21 different accents in a single take. The video suddenly went "viral", getting millions of views worldwide.

Thousands of people started watching my other videos as well, and there was a flood of contact from viewers who were deeply moved and inspired by my work. I was connecting to millions of people around the world whom I’d never met, all from this little box in my little room in a big city where I knew practically no one!

On the one hand, I felt incredibly connected to people through this new technology, but at the same time, I’d find myself entirely frustrated trying to have meaningful conversations with my family and friends through a delayed cell phone signal or the sterility of email.

I started thinking about the effectiveness of our myriad forms of communication technology: internet, cell phones, social networking sites…When does technology unite people? When does it make us feel more isolated?

The Script

The initial idea for Connected fell into my head one day – instant download.

I wanted to make a film that could enable us to look at the incredible technology we’ve created and become more intentional about how to utilize it – ways that it can enable new modes of collaboration, and times when it cannot substitute for true life interaction.

These are personal decisions; and the film aims to present its story in a way that allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions.

With the help of my dear friend and incredible script advisor Marilee Jolin, I wrote the screenplay for Connected in the Spring of 2008. When we began, Marilee was living in China and I was still in Philly, so we would Skype and email our initial ideas in these spastic, impassioned pleonasms.

We both felt like the story of the Russel family already existed; like we were just peeking through the windows of their house, rubbing the fog away so we could describe what we saw as truthfully as possible.

I soon moved to Seattle to focus entirely on the screenplay, while Marilee focused on her family. The script was birthed so swiftly, it seemed to come through me, rather than me "creating" it.

Once we had a script, the next step was to figure out how to get the film produced!

The Production Company: SoulFire Films

Marilee and I joined up with my business-savvy Manager, Sander Kallshian, to form SoulFire Films, LLC. Our goal was (and still is) to co-produce the film with a veteran production company.

I contacted the Executive Producer of a production company in Southern California, who had approached me previously to star in one of their films.

The company ran a "Green-Light Study", which tests the film’s projected marketability, and the film was Green-Lit (projected to do quite well)! The company offered to co-produce the film with SFF, but in order to maintain creative control, we needed to come up with the money ourselves. Otherwise, Connected would be dictated by whoever wrote the paycheck.

Thus began the process of procuring private investors in a downward-spiraling economy. Fun times!

It has always been important to us that the funds come from wonderful people who believe in the film, and aren’t just looking to make money at the expense of the project’s integrity We longed to find a way for everyone who believes in the project to help us fund the film, whatever their current income situation.

The Connected Revolution of Micro-Giving

In the summer of 2008, a thoughtful woman suggested we accept dollar donations online to help fund the film.

We realized that we could make a film about connecting by connecting to people around the world, thereby demonstrating the power of our global community’s soulfire.

We created The ConnectedFilm Project to utilize the talents of like-minded individuals to promote our Connected Revolution of micro-giving. We’re starting with Connected, but our goal is to build on this global community and eventually create The SoulFire Project, for people like You. To learn more about how to join us, click here.

The SoulFire Project

Once the film Connected is released, we will use the proceeds to help others realize their soulfire dreams!

We aim to create SoulFireProject.com, an empowering community website where anyone can present a project fueled by their own soulfire. In the same way CF is funding Connected, SFP.com will enable people to gather support and funding, spread awareness about their project, and connect to others with common goals. Read more

Feeling Inspired?

YAY!

Join the Connected Revolution! To donate your dollar toward the film, please visit the Join Us page.

Utilize your talents and passions for a global goal:
Contact Us to find out how you can join the ConnectedFilm Team!