Upon completing each newsletter I find myself asking the same question: what the hell am I going to write about in the next edition?  Fortunately there has been a lot to report each month and this one is no exception.

World Wide Webbing It!
My appearance on WFSB’s Better Connecticut caught the eye of animation historian and author Jerry Beck.  What captured his attention were the lengths to which we have been going to get the word out about Dear Anna Olson and our current fund-raising efforts.  He was so impressed with our approach that he went on to write a very supportive piece about Dear Anna Olson for the website he co-founded, CartoonBrew.com, and embed the video.  Thank you Jerry!

Then something unexpected happened.  A lively discussion ensued about Dear Anna Olson’s budget, its merits and my abilities as an animator/filmmaker.  To be honest, I really enjoyed hearing from both supporters and detractors as they formed their opinions about the film and myself.  Here is the link to Jerry’s write-up and the comments that followed:

The Cartoon Brew Discussion

More Television Exposure!
It was my hope after our television debut that there would be enough interest generated around Dear Anna Olson to lead to more interviews … and, indeed, it has.  Thank you to producer Jason Knight for inviting me to appear on WTNH News Channel 8’s Good Morning Connecticut. The interview was conducted by host Chris Velardi and ran for almost five minutes, allowing more time to share in-depth information about the production.  I would also like to thank Melissa Warner for doing an excellent job in getting me ready to go on-air.  Here is the link to the interview:

Good Morning Connecticut

An Uptick in Donations!
Obviously, this big push for exposure has been pursuant to one goal: drumming-up more financial support for the film.  I am very happy to report that our efforts seem to be paying off.  Thank you to the following new supporters for choosing to join the ranks of so many others that believe in the important message Dear Anna Olson has to share: Laurel Brown, Miguel Martinez-Joffre, Mike Owen, David Palmer, David Smith and Eric Weil.  And we can now boast international support as we welcome Sarah Knight from Oxford, England!  Along with these folks I would like to thank returning supporters Johnny & Phyllis Lennert (thanks Mom & Dad for continuing to support my dreams and ambitions!)  The production has also received a matching gift donation from The Ensign-Bickford Foundation, Inc.

Two More Sets of Helping Hands
As mentioned in the last newsletter, we have raised enough money to hire some additional artists.  Animator, Ilya Skorupsky, is now working on Shot 46 and returning Art Assistant, Zoya Baker, is adding color to Shot 16.  Needless to say, I am very grateful to have the funds to cover such expenses and get three times the amount of work done.  Thank you again to everyone who has made this possible!  And, of course, thank you to Zoya and Ilya for their excellent work!

A Long Overdue Thank You!
Since the beginning of our fund-raising efforts five years ago, there has been one person behind the scenes charged with the task of crafting various versions of Dear Anna Olson.  Our Assembly Editor, Tom Zukowski, is responsible for updating the story reel, pulling together customized samples for each and every grant application we submit and prepping our many clips for uploading onto the Internet.  Thank you Tom for all of your continued hard work on this project!

Shot 14 Backgrounds Finished!
With the completion of the backgrounds on Shot 14, I decided to replace the film’s first teaser with this updated version:

Dear Anna Olson - Teaser 1 Redux

Enjoy!

Release Date Abandoned!
This past April 1st was supposed to mark the completion of animation on Dear Anna Olson and the beginning of the post-production process, where we add the finishing touches to the film through editing, music and sound design.  Unfortunately, even with our big fund-raising push earlier this year, we have only been able to raise a little over 10% of the $41K needed to keep the production on schedule.  How does this effect our October 2009 release date?  Actually, it completely torpedoes it!  And a new date will not be considered until after we have secured the funds needed to complete the animation.

Over 1,000 Views on YouTube!
I am very happy to announce that “Dear Anna Olson” – The First Interview has passed the 1,000 views mark on YouTube.  It’s very exciting to think about so many people watching that clip.  But, I have to admit, when I see numbers like that the producer in me takes over and I can’t help but think, “If each of those people just made a $40 donation I’d have the rest of the animation budget taken care of!”

Perhaps one of the toughest challenges I face as a fund-raiser isn’t so much trying to secure that large individual contribution but convincing the vast majority of people, whose gifts may be more modest, that their support is just as important. The reality is that these smaller donations will play a more significant role in bringing this film to completion. The trick is convincing potential donors of this fact.

Are you one of those potential donors?

PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TODAY!

In closing, I hope that you and yours are enjoying good health and happiness as we continue to move into the later days of spring!

With Much Optimism (that we can raise these much needed funds … with you help, of course),
Dean Kalman Lennert
Director/Animator
Dear Anna Olson