Go-Fund-Max: Help Elbows Make The Music Video!

Hello friends and family! It’s me, Elbows. Or perhaps you know me as Max Schieble. Either one works. Welcome to the first, and hopefully only: Go-Fund-Max! As you likely know, I am a songwriter, singer, producer, guitarist, bandleader, illustrator, designer, wearer of patterned clothes, father of two cats, and most recently, and most importantly for the sake of this conversation: filmmaker.

For the last five years I’ve been working on my first album, 'Tales From The Old Mill.' More than just a collection of twelve songs, this album is my story – the story of who I am, why I am, and where I came from. It’s a musical autobiography, of sorts. The origin story of Elbows, you could say. As a creator I like to work across the different mediums of music, visual art, and video to fully tell the different parts of a story, so to accompany the 59-minute album I also created a fully illustrated thirty-page lyric book and an 18-minute short film entitled, 'Winterlude.'

After working on all of this since 2015 I am so ready to release the full body of work, however, there is one last thing I need to make to complete this project and finish the tale: a music video.


This video we’re creating is for a song called, “The Night.” It’s a nocturnal, disco-tinged song and will be the first single released from the album, later this year. The video is going to depict a full on dreamworld excursion, as Elbows falls asleep and is transported to an otherworldly dream room, full of surreal inhabitants such as a girl with a face made of glowing light, a dancer whose silhouette is made of animations, and a man whose head is a crescent moon. To create this dream world room, we’ll be building a full set complete with a geometric-patterned floor and velvet green curtains, and also using a green screen suit and mask for both the dancer’s body and the glowing face. 

Now, at this point you may be saying, “Gee, Max, this concept sounds super cool, but super intricate.” And you’re right! It is super cool – and super intricate. But these intricacies, the use of green screen suits and masks, and the visual effects and animation, while making our production more costly, are fundamental to achieving the surreal, dreamlike quality that this video calls for. 


I’m excited to be working with lots of new collaborators for this video. New York-based group, 90° Collective, will be helping me with the shooting, editing, and coloring. Behind the camera will be my co-director, Ameer Kazmi. Ameer is a Queens, NY-born filmmaker, and worked on some of my favorite music videos from the last couple years. With Ameer’s guidance we’ll be shooting on Super 16mm film, another pricey-yet-crucial element to the production that will provide a beautiful, professional look, as well as a retro, nostalgic feel which will better reflect the song. Film is also highly malleable and will help us to achieve some surreal effects.

Helping us create the patterned floor and moon mask will be one of my favorite painters, Ryan Bock. Ryan is an incredible visual artist who has exhibited around the world, and recently had a solo show at New York's Ki Smith gallery that was, fittingly, all about sleep and dreams. We've wanted to work together for a long time and this project is the perfect chance to collaborate. 


The money we raise here will go directly toward building sets, purchasing and developing film, compensating the members of 90° Collective, and everyone else involved with the shoot, renting gear and studio space, and creating the green screen visual effects. The exact cost breakdown looks like this:

•$2,500 – for 90° Collective’s work of filming, editing, color correcting, production, gaffing

•$1,500 – purchase of three (3) rolls of Kodak 500T film and film processing/scanning

•$1,000 – equipment rental, insurance, meals for crew

•$2,500 – set design including vinyl stickers for patterned floor, velvet curtains, studio rental, costuming, props

•$500 – visual effects/animation

Pre-production is complete: the team is assembled, the wardrobe and props are selected, and the storyboards are drawn. With our goal budget of $8,000 we’ll be able to jump into production: build our set, purchase film, and then shoot! And I mean jump into production: we're planning on shooting the weekend of April 9! That's why this fundraiser is limited to only two weeks. We've got to get our budget and get going!


For most of my life I thought that music was the centerpiece through which my different creative interests met. Creating a musical body of work, such as an album, allows me to also create the cover art, design packaging and merchandise, and style photographs. But while actually creating my first album and first short film, I discovered a similar passion for filmmaking and realized that all of these elements equally synthesize when making a film, as I can storyboard and draw each scene, create wardrobe for the characters, and ultimately score the footage with music. Now with the experience of one film under my belt – having learned in real-time what to do, what to not do but you do anyway, and what to definitely never do again – I am so excited to create this video and bring all of these ideas to life.

As an independent artist, 100% of what I create – from my full album, to my short film, to my illustrated book – I fund myself. Until now. With this project: I really need your help. Through your love and generosity, whether we’re friends, family, you’re a fan of my music, or merely a kind passerby here on the web, we can transform these outlandish ideas and colorful storyboards into an incredibly beautiful and surreal music vi— no, more than a music video, it’ll be a mini film. Like a short film, but smaller. Truly, any amount is so appreciated, whether it’s $10, $50, $100, or even… *looks at the goal amount*… $8,000!


The creative journey, while full of collaboration, can often be a lonely path, with months and years spent refining a singular expression. With this video I’m so excited to bring you into my creative process, to not only share these initial ideas and goals with you, but to have you here alongside me as we create this mini film. By supporting this video you are helping me complete five long years of nonstop work, and for that, let me remove this cat from my lap, stand up from this sofa, and exclaim: Thank you!

For some extra incentive, here are a few gifts you will receive from donating:

$10 "The Digital" – Receive a digital download of the first two Elbows releases, 'Corduroy EP,' and 'Sycamore EP,' plus previously unreleased instrumentals!

$25 "The Merch" – Receive an Elbows enamel pin & 'Corduroy EP' cassette tape (plus digital downloads of 'Corduroy EP' and 'Sycamore EP')

$35 "The Ticket" – Similar in concept to Willy Wonka And Whatever He Was Making In That Factory, this level of funding gets you one (1) free ticket to the Elbows "Afraid To Leave Home" tour stop on April 13th at Brooklyn's Baby's All Right venue (must be in NYC to claim ticket) (plus digital downloads, enamel pin, and cassette) (Limit 10 tickets) 

$50 "The Hand-Drawn" – A one-of-one, hand-drawn, original Elbows "Thank you!" card can be yours! It's the Max Schieble illustrations you know and love – on a card! (plus digital downloads, enamel pin, and cassette tape, and ticket while supplies last) (est. delivery July 2020)

$75 "The Shirt" – Oh, this is a good one. You will receive an extremely limited edition Elbows t-shirt, designed by me and printed here in NY. I know you love t-shirts. Especially in the summer? Summer's coming up. Get a shirt. (plus hand drawn card, digital downloads, enamel pin, and cassette tape) (Limit 10) (est. delivery June 2020)

$150 "The Art" – At this level of funding you will receive a high quality print of one of the illustrations found in the 'Tales From The Old Mill' illustrated lyric book. There are twelve songs on the album, and each song has its own illustrated companion piece. One could be yours! Will look great on your wall, next to that one picture. You know the one. Yeah right there. That'll look great (Limit 24 prints) (est. delivery July 2020)

$250 "The Listener" – You are invited to an exclusive, intimate, once-in-a-lifetime listening party where you will have the chance to hear, at last, the mythical Elbows album, 'Tales From The Old Mill,' before it's released later this year! (plus a card, enamel pin, cassette, and digital downloads, and shirt and art print (while supplies last)) (Limit 10) (est. delivery July 2020)

$1,000 "The Producer" – Wow, $1,000, thank you – and congrats! You are now an official producer of "The Night" mini-film. Your name, or the name of your choice (as in, if your name is Aunt Delaney, but you prefer to go by George Clooney Jr.) will be seen in the credits! (Limit 4)

$8,000 "The Whole Shebang" – Man.... $8,000. Sheesh, you funded the whole video! I... I can't believe it! Thank you! Let's see, well you definitely get all of the above perks, but in addition... hmm, if we're in the same city, like if you're in New York, or I am wherever you live, we should definitely take a walk, and get some popsicles (on me, of course). We could also make a song together? I'd be into that. Yeah, we could write a song together! And definitely get popsicles. Or if you've got something else in mind, let me know. $8, 000, wow. Thank you so much!