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Broommaking Traditions Documentary Film

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Join me in preserving a unique part of Alabama's history.

     BROOMMAKING TRADITIONS- A DOCUMENTARY FILM


Hello, my name is George Jones, Jr. and I am from Florence, Alabama.   There have been four-generations of broommaking in my family and I want to tell our story.   My goal is to create an hour long documentary that can be seen on your local APT/PBS station. I also wish to use this video to archive my family's story for future generations and to further market my story and my brooms.



'George Jones, Jr. -  Arts Alive Festival 2014 in Florence, Alabama leaning on an antique (circa 1895) broom sewing clamp.'


My film will take the viewer back to the origins of this tradition. We will then travel through 80+ years of the history and broommaking in my family.  And finally we will see how I now approach brooms as “Functional Pieces of Art.”

In life, I believe that family is very important.  The traditions developed in families help provide a common link between generations.  Some of these traditions are born from the love of a common idea.  Others are born from necessity.  The broommaking traditions in my family began four generations ago.  This tradition was one of necessity.

In 1931, the broommaking tradition started in my family.  My great-grandfather, George M. Jones, made his first broom and many, many more that year.  The money generated from the brooms helped to save the economy of a tenant farm that my great-grandfather managed. This tenant farm supported 50 families that both lived on and worked the farm.  The farm was located in West Lauderdale County, Alabama.  In 2009, the brooms helped to save me by giving me a focus point through my cancer diagnosis, treatment, and remission.

I want this documentary filmmaking journey to be one that we can all share.  Each donation will further this journey.  I also believe that with each donation, you are becoming part of an event.  This event will help share a unique part of Alabama's history.

The history!   This is where it all began.  How was the economy of the farm affected by the Great Depression?  We will travel to the old "home place" where the first broomcorn was planted and where the first brooms were made.  We will walk along the banks of the "river" which provided transportation for the first tools, equipment, and supplies used that first year.  We will also talk about the early "Red Rose" brooms!  

The present!  You will see me harvesting the natural stick broom handles in the winter.  We will head to the field and till the soil for planting broomcorn in the spring.  We will watch broomcorn grow and all the steps to getting the broomcorn ready to make brooms. I will show you some of the processes I use to make these "functional pieces of art."  We will travel to festivals and see the reactions to my work when someone sees my brooms for the very first time. We will meet some new friends and talk with lots of friends that I have made throughout the past 25 years traveling around to festivals.   I encourage you to come by and see me at a festival. You never know, you might end up in the film.

The monies donated here will help fund my documentary.   I have reached out to several contacts in the Movie/TV industry and have narrowed their suggestions to just the basics to get this project moving forward.  I have also contacted the local university that has a film studies program.  Their input will be a valuable resource for the project.  Hopefully, I will be able to benefit from the knowledge of a few graduate students from the University of North Alabama during the production process.

I have the majority of the documentary written.  I know at this early stage that I have missed a few scenes.  I will add these as the film progresses.  Also, I have a time goal.  It must be a certain length to fit in a one hour PBS time slot.

I have set my goal at $5000.00.  This is based on the current budget for the movie.  Some of you may wonder "Why is he asking for donations to this project?"  The answer is simple...I want to embrace as many people as want to be connected with this project. GoFundMe sites create a sense of "community" for this types of documentary film.  This helps build a marketing base for the documentary.  It also demonstrates that there is an interest in the documentary when it comes time to reach out to APT/PBS. Every time this page is shared, it creates a new market for the film.  My goal of $5000.00 is considered a micro-budget for filmmaking.  I have stripped it to the bare bones to get a finished product.  Any donations received above this amount will just enhance the production and make it easier and quicker to produce.  Any extra will also help me market the documentary to a larger audience.  

The following is a basic list of where the money will be used.

First things first....Camera!   I have a consumer grade HD camcorder that will serve some purpose, but to get that true cinematic look, a DSLR will need to be purchased.  The use of the DSLR has brought filmmaking to just about any individual.   The video captured with these cameras is amazing.  This will be the first item purchased along with a lens kit and a prime lens.  There will also be a few items that will make the use of the DSLR camera work better for shooting video.  Sound is also a very important part of the filmmaking process.  Sound options, including a mountable microphone and a handheld sound recorder, will help capture what I am saying.  These will be the next items purchased.

Once I have video and sound, it will need to be synchronized together and edited.  Large HD video files need all the processing power of the newer computers. I have already purchased a new computer for this purpose.  Next is the video editing software.  There are several options.  I am currently researching the best one for what I want to produce.  After the movie is complete, it will need to be transferred to DVD.  I have researched the duplication and packaging of the completed movie.  I will use a production company for this.  It is less expensive than purchasing the required equipment for home production.  

There are other items that will be purchased to help this project to completion.  I will also have some marketing and legal expenses involved in the production.  These include WEB site production and Copyright certifications.  I can provide you with the most current list of items/budget that I have and a list of items already purchased for this project upon request.  I am treating this like a Grant from the State Arts Council.  I will send each contributor a "Final Report" of how and what the monies were used for.

I have a name for my movie, but until I have all of the copyrights in place, it will be known as "Broom Traditions - A Documentary Film."

Each contributor will be listed in the Production Credits of my film.  

              Your help will be greatly appreciated.


As an artist, I will leave you with the quote:

“He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”
                -  St. Francis of Assisi


Thank you for taking your time to read my proposal!  

George Jones, Jr.
4th Generation Broommaker
Alabama Fellowship Artist

Organiser

George Jones Jr
Organiser
Florence, AL

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