Bucket List help requested
Donation protected
My name is Mike Schmidt. My wife encouraged me to ask for your help to enable me to experience a time-limited, once-in-a-lifetime bucket list opportunity. She knows what it is like to have your life’s dreams collapse around you. Nine years ago, she was finally diagnosed with a chronic condition that has dramatically impacted her life and reduced her ability to work or pursue many of her dreams. I have learned from my own experience and watching her that life can easily snatch or kill your dreams. However, my wife and I know hope and believe that dreams are important and should be pursued, and new dreams dreamed. As a part of her journey, my wife created a special room in our house filled with images and reminders to inspire us to dream and determine the next step we can take toward achieving our dreams. This campaign is my next step in achieving the last of the Star Trek goals on my bucket list.
I was introduced to Star Trek fandom in university not long before creating my first bucket list. I included 3 Star Trek goals on that list:
1. To own all the Star Trek episodes and movies. Check.
2. To “become Garak” for a day because he is my favourite character. I will tell you the story of how that came to be in my first update to this campaign. Check.
3. To be in an episode, preferably with the Deep Space Nine cast because that is my favourite series. A unique possibility now exists to do this.
Last summer I watched a fan film called “Renegades” that was released on YouTube. After many years of not having a regular source of new Star Trek episodes, this was announced as a web series that would continue the timeline after the events of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager with actors from the shows reprising their roles. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself…just ask my family!
As a result, I became an avid supporter, social media activist, and talked to everyone who came within 5 feet of me about this new show. This was an amazing stretching and growing experience for me. In addition to elatedly celebrating the successful Kickstarter campaign for the next Renegades episode (The Requiem), this new experience opened other doors in the fandom world. For example, I was able to help connect one of the actors with the convention organizers in Vulcan, Alberta, Canada, so he will now be one of their celebrity guests for the 50th anniversary this year. In addition, he may look at shooting part of the fan film he is currently working on in Vulcan as well. I am ecstatic about volunteering at Vul-Con this summer! For me, it has been exciting to help other people become successful and move forward towards accomplishing their dreams.
Now I have a unique opportunity to fulfill my dream too. The next episode of Renegades will include 4 cast members from Deep Space Nine, in addition to 2 from The Original Series and at least 2 from Voyager. In their fundraising campaign, there is a donation reward level for US$5000 called The Featured Extra:
“$5000 – The Featured Extra: All of the rewards at the $100 Blu Ray level, PLUS you will be a featured extra in episode #2. Your face will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people in episode #2. Maybe you’ll even get to die in true red shirt fashion! You’ll receive a character name, credited in the end credits and immediately on IMDB.”
This is where I need your help. I know that some of you reading this did support the recent Renegades Kickstarter and once again I want to thank you so much for doing that! I contributed what I could but the $5000 level was out of my reach. The bottom line is that the Renegades team still needs funding to make The Requiem episode even better than the last one, including the completion of post-production with excellence. Would you consider giving to help fund the next episode of Renegades? And in doing so give me a chance to appear on-screen with the characters I have come to know and love?
Have you ever been asked the question, “If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead, who would they be?” My guests would include a renegade crew.
With the Canadian dollar being so low right now, it will take about CDN$7500 to take advantage of this opportunity and further support the filming of the next episode of Renegades. Any funds raised over that amount will help with the costs of getting and being there. Any amount raised above the expenses of my trip will be donated to post-production of the episode, as will the money be donated should I miss my target goal.
I have hesitated to ask for help with this, but my wife and coworkers have been encouraging me to seize this opportunity. One coworker has offered their air miles for the flights to get me there and back. Four other coworkers have handed me money and told me to GO FOR IT! So I humbly put out this request for your help.
I would be very grateful for your support of the second episode of Renegades and, as a by-product, if you help me to achieve this last Star Trek goal from my bucket list while the opportunity still exists!
Since I already donated to receive the Blu-Ray of the episode during the Kickstarter, if this funding goal is met then I will draw from the names of all of you gofundme donaters to award the copy of The Requiem episode from The Featured Extra donation level to one of you!
Plus, I will offer other perks too. Everyone loves a good story. For every $500 donated I will provide an update to this campaign with a story from my many years of being a Star Trek fan (such as how I became Garak and why my wife kicked LeVar Burton in the behind). At the end of this campaign I will compile these stories into an e-book that every supporter will receive as my show of thanks. If there is interest, I will consider publishing a physical copy and making it available to all my supporters at cost.
Dare to dream…
Live long and prosper
Mike Schmidt
P.S. - I think my face would be a good addition to the group below who will all be seen in The Requiem! Don't you?
I was introduced to Star Trek fandom in university not long before creating my first bucket list. I included 3 Star Trek goals on that list:
1. To own all the Star Trek episodes and movies. Check.
2. To “become Garak” for a day because he is my favourite character. I will tell you the story of how that came to be in my first update to this campaign. Check.
3. To be in an episode, preferably with the Deep Space Nine cast because that is my favourite series. A unique possibility now exists to do this.
Last summer I watched a fan film called “Renegades” that was released on YouTube. After many years of not having a regular source of new Star Trek episodes, this was announced as a web series that would continue the timeline after the events of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager with actors from the shows reprising their roles. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself…just ask my family!
As a result, I became an avid supporter, social media activist, and talked to everyone who came within 5 feet of me about this new show. This was an amazing stretching and growing experience for me. In addition to elatedly celebrating the successful Kickstarter campaign for the next Renegades episode (The Requiem), this new experience opened other doors in the fandom world. For example, I was able to help connect one of the actors with the convention organizers in Vulcan, Alberta, Canada, so he will now be one of their celebrity guests for the 50th anniversary this year. In addition, he may look at shooting part of the fan film he is currently working on in Vulcan as well. I am ecstatic about volunteering at Vul-Con this summer! For me, it has been exciting to help other people become successful and move forward towards accomplishing their dreams.
Now I have a unique opportunity to fulfill my dream too. The next episode of Renegades will include 4 cast members from Deep Space Nine, in addition to 2 from The Original Series and at least 2 from Voyager. In their fundraising campaign, there is a donation reward level for US$5000 called The Featured Extra:
“$5000 – The Featured Extra: All of the rewards at the $100 Blu Ray level, PLUS you will be a featured extra in episode #2. Your face will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people in episode #2. Maybe you’ll even get to die in true red shirt fashion! You’ll receive a character name, credited in the end credits and immediately on IMDB.”
This is where I need your help. I know that some of you reading this did support the recent Renegades Kickstarter and once again I want to thank you so much for doing that! I contributed what I could but the $5000 level was out of my reach. The bottom line is that the Renegades team still needs funding to make The Requiem episode even better than the last one, including the completion of post-production with excellence. Would you consider giving to help fund the next episode of Renegades? And in doing so give me a chance to appear on-screen with the characters I have come to know and love?
Have you ever been asked the question, “If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead, who would they be?” My guests would include a renegade crew.
With the Canadian dollar being so low right now, it will take about CDN$7500 to take advantage of this opportunity and further support the filming of the next episode of Renegades. Any funds raised over that amount will help with the costs of getting and being there. Any amount raised above the expenses of my trip will be donated to post-production of the episode, as will the money be donated should I miss my target goal.
I have hesitated to ask for help with this, but my wife and coworkers have been encouraging me to seize this opportunity. One coworker has offered their air miles for the flights to get me there and back. Four other coworkers have handed me money and told me to GO FOR IT! So I humbly put out this request for your help.
I would be very grateful for your support of the second episode of Renegades and, as a by-product, if you help me to achieve this last Star Trek goal from my bucket list while the opportunity still exists!
Since I already donated to receive the Blu-Ray of the episode during the Kickstarter, if this funding goal is met then I will draw from the names of all of you gofundme donaters to award the copy of The Requiem episode from The Featured Extra donation level to one of you!
Plus, I will offer other perks too. Everyone loves a good story. For every $500 donated I will provide an update to this campaign with a story from my many years of being a Star Trek fan (such as how I became Garak and why my wife kicked LeVar Burton in the behind). At the end of this campaign I will compile these stories into an e-book that every supporter will receive as my show of thanks. If there is interest, I will consider publishing a physical copy and making it available to all my supporters at cost.
Dare to dream…
Live long and prosper
Mike Schmidt
P.S. - I think my face would be a good addition to the group below who will all be seen in The Requiem! Don't you?
Organizer
Mike Schmidt
Organizer
Calgary, AB
