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Trip to Library of Congress (2018)

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Hello! My name is Joss Hoskinson and I have another favor to ask.

Last year, I created this campaign to raise funds for a trip to Washington DC to visit the Library of Congress in order to research a video project about the musical Little Shop of Horrors.

Then I decided to use it to raise funds to get copies made of the paper material, which would have allowed myself to focus on the recorded media.

Then I switched it back.

Thanks to a few wonderful donations, I was able to pull off the trip without a hitch, though, due to time problems and lack of foresight, I had to leave a few stones unturned and plan to go back to finish my research.

The list of materials I still need to look into is as follows. . .

PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCES. During my research trip last year, I turned my attention to Howard's correspondences focusing entirely on Little Shop. However, I wasn't able to find too much usable material about the development of the film. I've decided that, once I go back, I will delve into Howard's personal correspondences, focusing on the years 1979-1988, to see if I can flesh out the film's development a bit more.

AUDIO TAPES. During my first trip, I was able to take notes on roughly 20 audio tapes in the library's collection focusing on Little Shop, including early demos and work sessions. However, there are roughly 15 tapes left in the collection, as well as a radio interview with Howard about the musical, that I was unable to listen to. The bulk of the trip will be focusing on these audio materials.

During the trip, I will also be looking into the development of the score to Howard's second (full) collaboration with Disney, Beauty and the Beast. This will include looking into the scripts in the library's collection, as well as other audio materials.

GOAL. The goal for the same as my original goal for last year, $500. (Listed as $822, this is to offset the amount, $322, raised last year). All funds raised will be used to help cover the trip, production on the video, and my YouTube channel.

TIMEFRAME. As it stands now, the trip is planned to start on May 20 and end on May 26. The campaign will end the week before.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T MEET THE GOAL? The trip will, hopefully, continued as planned. (Though possibly scaled down.)

Any little bit would be appreciated and I will be forever grateful to whoever helps out.

If you've read this far, I thank you so much. I will never be able to thank you enough.

DFTBA,
Joss

ORIGINAL POSTING: Hello! My name is Justin "Joss" Hoskinson and I have a favor to ask.

In 2010, I discovered the work of writer and director Howard Ashman and soon fell in love with his work. The wit and humor of his lyrics, and the way he used the English language to convey feeling and emotion, has inspired me unlike any other writer, director, or lyricist has, Though his work with Disney, primarily the films "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast," showcased his talent for characters and lyrics, in my eyes, there's no better showcase of his genius for storytelling than "Little Shop of Horrors".

Recently, I began work on "Off the Cutting Room Floor," a planned YouTube and possible podcast series analyzing the development process of various films, television shows, and stage musicals, tracking the evolution of the material and taking a look at what was cut, what was replaced, and how the production came to be. I chose to focus on "Little Shop of Horrors" for the first episode, due to my love of the material and love for Howard Ashman's writing, and I've decided that I need materials housed at the Library of Congress in the Howard Ashman Papers to help in the research.

That's why I'm asking for help. 

I need to be able to cover the cost of ordering copies of various script drafts, outlines, and other story materials from the collection, and I likely won't be able to do it myself.  So far, the breakdown of what I'm interested in is as follows...

SCRIPTS. 17 drafts in total, dated between 1982 (from the development of the original musical production) to September 27, 1985 (about a month before the film began filing). Four drafts are undated and likely come from early work on the musical. (Also included are a set of script fragments, likely coming from early work on the musical and the development of the final "happy ending" of the film.)

DEVELOPMENTAL MATERIALS. Howard's research materials he used during development, as well as his notes and outlines.

DRAWINGS / SKETCHES.

CORRESPONDENCES.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Also included are three unrelated items for other episodes of "Off the Cutting Room Floor," including Howard's original treatment to "Aladdin," the script for an unproduced musical adaptation of "The Honeymooners" (written by David Spencer, with a score by Alan Menken), and the unproduced screenplay  "Mary Poppins Comes Back" (written by Brian Sibley and P.L. Travers).

GOAL. I currently have the goal set to $2000, which should hopefully cover the cost of having everything copied. If not, the money will be used for a trip to DC instead to gather as many materials as I can.

TIMEFRAME. I need the money to cover the costs by (around) May 20. That's when I'm expecting the final sales quote and when I need to decide to go through with the order.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T MEET THE GOAL? The campaign will remain up for a little while longer. All funds raised will be used to support various aspects of a trip out to DC to visit the LOC in person and various supplies needed.

If you are able to help and pitch in $10, you'll get access to an exclusive Tumblr blog, where I'll be posting updates on the production of "Off the Cutting Room Floor," and sneak peeks at what's in store. I'll also be posting small snippets of what I find and going in depth into the what it tells about the musical's developments. You'll also receive a Special Thanks credit in the credits of the video.

For  $100, if the goal is reached, you'll get a companion guide that goes along with the video, that will go in-depth into the history of the original film, off-Broadway production, and film musical, as well as the aborted Broadway production as well as the original Broadway production, as well as an in-depth analysis of the musical's cut songs. The book will likely also include original illustrations by a selection of artists. (Due to copyright concerns, the guide may end up being a bit bare-bones in terms of excerpts and quotes.) It will be sent as a PDF file. And, as I've NEVER created anything close to this, it may be sent long after the video itself comes out. You'll also receive an Executive Producer credit, and I'll reach out to you for your input during the outlining, scripting, and production of the video.

Any little bit helps, and every cent from this campaign will go towards making "Off the Cutting Room Floor" possible. Any extra will be put directly into my YouTube channel.

It's always been a dream of mine to look into the Howard Ashman Papers and look at the creative process of a man I admire so much. Any little bit would be appreciated and I will be forever grateful to whoever helps out.

If you've read this far,  I thank you so much. I will never be able to thank you enough.

DFTBA,
Joss

Organizer

Joss Hoskinson
Organizer
Ravenna, OH

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