Yay! Our Patreon is FINALLY UP!

So what is it?

Patreon is a bit like a busker’s hat. Instead of seeking producers at the start of a project or buyers for a finished product, the Patreon model is to allow our supporters to show their appreciation for what we’re doing while we’re doing it.

As we’ve all heard, the internet’s version of “cheap” is “free.” As consumers we have gotten used to the idea that while not every download is free, the sheer volume of stuff we CAN get for nothing means that we’re much more cautious about paying for anything.

The problem is, the only way content can be free is if no one who’s creating it is being paid to make it.

Creating BRASS requires a large and dedicated team of artists–writers, actors, audio producers, film technicians, scenic artists, costumers, prop-makers–and we do everything we can to pay them for each of the projects we do.  There are also the expenses of rehearsal spaces, venues, recording equipment, cameras–whatever the medium we’re working in demands. The cost of even a small black box production of a play can run $5,000 or more; recording Season 2 of BRASS cost us almost $9,000, and our film “The Lair of the Red Widow” had a budget of $13,000.

Crowdfunding these projects is a project all of its own, one that comes at a cost of time, effort and emotional energy. Patreon is our attempt to set up a way for our supporters to fund us at a regular pace, at whatever amount they feel like giving. There are a few perks and special offers for such supporters, including sneak previews of new material and essays, orginal artwork and recordings exclusively for our Patreon members.

Head over to our Patreon page here and take a look. It’s the earliest of days for this new endeavor, but we’re hoping before long our virtual hat will be filled with some real coinage in recognition of our industrious busking for BRASS.