Searching for Cropsey

Hi. Welcome to the Searching for Cropsey GoFundMe page. The purpose of the page is to raise funds for the documentary "Searching for Cropsey" as well as funds to setup a database that will house as many Cropsey tales as can be gathered. 
Twitter: Searching for Cropsey Twitter 
Facebook: Searching for Cropsey Facebook 

Who is Cropsey?
Cropsey is a prolific campfire tale told mostly in the North East region of the United States. The name Cropsey has instilled fear in millions of people and will continue to as it is passed down from one generation to another. There are tons of variations to the legend, but generally all of the tales involve a man who goes crazy and takes vengence on unsuspecting campers. It is usually told as a cautionary tale to keep campers in line.  

The Documentary:
The documentary will follow my search for who Cropsey really is and the importance of oral tradition in society. Where and how did the story start? I believe I have a good idea of those answers, but will explore the subject of Cropsey to corroborate my hypothesis. I will be gathering and analyzing as many Cropsey tales as I can possibly collect.

Scholars will be interviewed to explore the importance of the oral tradition in society. Humans have been around for about 200,000 years and the written language has only been around for about 6,000 of those. We are a species that has spent most of our existence transmitting information through the spoken word. I am excited to explore this with the experts I bring in.

I have a deep personal connection to the Cropsey legend. It has helped my understanding of storytelling more than anything else I have been exposed to. So, part of the documentary will involve me going to summer camps and telling the stories I've heard.

By the end of the documentary, if my hypothesis is proven right, the man behind the legend will be revealed. 

The Database:
A website will be created as a free to use resource open to everyone. The goal for it is to be the largest source of a specific legend. People would be able to use it for whatever research projects they like. Hopefully, people will use the data to explore how folklore affects and is affected by society. How does the region a tale is told in change the telling of it? Are there major changes in a story during certain time periods, possibly as a response to global or cultural changes? As an example, there are some versions of the Cropsey legend that involve the introduction of female campers into male only camps. Cropsey targets the young girls. It would seem that these variations could possibly be a response to the early women's rights movements in an attempt to caution against integrating camps. 

How you can help:
1) Send me your Cropsey tales! Anyone who has ever heard a Cropsey story, please send them to me. The more I get, the closer we will be to knowing how this legend got started. There are a few ways to get me your stories. But please, always include your name, place you heard the tale, and approximate date you heard it.

      A) Go on the facebook page and post your story. 
            Searching for Cropsey Facebook Page 

      B) Email your story to me.
            [email redacted]

      C) Make a video of yourself retelling the tale you heard. I would love to include some in the actual documentary. If you would like to participate this way, please email me and I will send you instructions on how to frame yourself using your computer's webcam.
           [email redacted]

2) DONATE! DONATE! DONATE! Anything you can give will help make this film that much better.  

3) SHARE! Please share this project on your social media and with anyone you think might know a Cropsey tale. 

How the funds will be spent:
I have been working production in the NYC TV/Film industry for the past 15 years. One thing I have learned, making a film is expensive. I want this documentary to look and sound as good as possible, which means funds are needed. Where these funds will go can be seen in the pie chart below. This is all based off of a $24,600 budget, the goal of this campaign. If we can raise more money than the goal, even better. That means better equipment and more crew members that can be hired.



About Me:
I grew up in Long Island and developed a passion for filmmaking at an early age. It all stemmed from my love of horror movies, which developed from my love for the campfire tales I heard as a child. I mean, I really loved horror movies as a kid. My Bar-Mitzvah was probably the only horror themed Bar-Mitzvah ever. 
So, I went to Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Communications to study Television and Film. While there, I also learned I had a love for anthropology and made that my minor. Since graduating in 2003, I have been working in production within the NYC TV/Film industry. I've worked on everything from micro-budget shorts to $200 million blockbusters.

In 2010, I helped found the magazine Carrier Pigeon, a literary art publication.  With the success of a well thought out Kickstarter campaign we raised enough money to get the first issue off the ground. Since then, Carrier Pigeon has been an amazing creative outlet for myself as well as hundreds of other artists and writers. We just released our 17th issue and were just accepted into the New York Foundation of the Arts Fiscal Sponsorship Program! 

Carrier Pigeon's Website

In 2011, I released a web series called Death's Door. Death's Door was a great experience and showed me what it takes to produce your own project. 

Death's Door Web Series

Thank you for visiting the Searching for Cropsey GoFundMe page. I hope you can leave a donation to help support this monumental endeavor.

With help and guidance from:
New York Folklore Society Facebook Page
New York Folklore Society Website