Making An Epic Documentary Film About Starting Gold And Crystal Prospecting Company

[Alex Burke]

When I set out researching this project I started with the premise of trying to find a place with amazing geology, minimal legal or major safety issues, and above all lots of placer gold. I continued trying to figure out the best ways to finance the first phase of my company which would be the riskiest no matter how I sliced it. I started to think of how I could document my exciting journey to this remote and wild locale and the more I thought about it documenting it, the more it became almost as fascinating as proving my theory on the gold deposits correct.

My first goal obviously as you'll see was to get a fellow experienced recreational or professional miner or best case miner/geologist to join me and finance it too, killing two birds with one stone and making things easier. Also for as little as phase 1 would cost it's almost not worth hiring lawyers to do the contracts etc. I could start a whole other thread on the estimating expenses and writing a real business plan for this, but for now I'd just like to get my idea out there and get some feedback or suggestions. I'll now insert my original business declaration for lack of a better phrase, minus my estimates to start the company. Remember! The new added concept is a documentary film about me starting this company or trying too:

I am starting a company, I am looking for help in implementing my plan, financially and physically. I am looking for a geologist or an experienced miner to join me in mid to late August on a trip to the area where the business will be primarily located. I am open to suggestions but ideally this person would be the investor too and be ok with contributing their sweat equity in early stages as I am trying to keep this affordable to start. I plan on filing 2 claims, possibly more in the area of interest.

We will be making videos of us working the material to prove the deposits are real; that no trickery is involved, to garner excitement, and to use as marketing material to raise the capital for the second phase. I have most the necessary equipment for the videos: goldcube, pans, tripods, etc. I'm working on backup systems for equipment should it fail in field. A strong work ethic and mutual excitement in making the company a success are a requirement and as noted these videos will also be used for marketing material so if you have personality for our videos that's a plus.

The 2nd phase has 2 different planned directions that are hard to discuss without giving away crucial information but I will be happy to discuss with those who are seriously interested.

The reason I am not raising money for all phases of the company now is: A) My priority is to secure mineral rights, prove the deposit and acquire the marketing materials as soon as possible, B) The discretion and fluidity of phase 2 referred to earlier. C) The obvious fact that its easier to raise --k than 100K on little more than good research. D) I strongly believe financing of phase 2 will not be a problem as I have a great plan for this phase.

I have over 500 hours of research into this project so far and I would love to share more, but I must protect the intellectual property until I have secured the rights necessary. If anyone is seriously interested in discussing this, preferably someone locally here in California so we could meet in person, I would be happy to show you my research and explain the business plan further after signing a non-disclosure agreement. Thanks, Alex.

Ok, so there it is, I think it would make a great documentary film, of course I know more details and that helps me conceptualize it easier, and I'm biased, but do you guys see the potential here too? I started to research production companies today, I also still need someone to go with me hopefully a fellow Tnetter mid to late August if I can get this plan financed. If anyone knows anyone that may be interested post or PM your ideas. Feel free to post questions, advice or good luck. Thank you, Alex.

Writers Guild of America West (Project) Registration Number: 1673609

 

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[Fullpan]

Alex, - can you tell me what continent you will be operating in? and what the native language is? I sent you a PM. - did you get it?

 

[Alex Burke]

I did thanks Fullpan, I started with the idea of going to Vic, but ended up finding a treasure legend in a South American country that my research confirmed. There's also probable corundum and small chance of beryl! Sent you links.

 

[rock]

If you can connect your adventure to helping out your community in some way you might qualify for a Grant. There are hundreds of Grants where you dont even have to pay the money back. I would suggest looking into it as a means of starting your business. Then if you find one you believe you can qualify for you will have to do the paper work. The paper work is the toughest part. Good Luck, rock

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Hey MM, I wish you a lot of luck and success with your new endeavor!
Just a thought, if you have never heard of it - Kickstarter (dot com).
It is a crowd source funding site. Create a project, set your goals, let others contribute to make your dream possible.
Perhaps in the future(next year or so), if you are wanting to head to Vic (I assume we are talking Oz), I may be up for another trip over there.
Again, good luck with all!

 

[Alex Burke]

If you can connect your adventure to helping out your community in some way you might qualify for a Grant. There are hundreds of Grants where you dont even have to pay the money back. I would suggest looking into it as a means of starting your business. Then if you find one you believe you can qualify for you will have to do the paper work. The paper work is the toughest part. Good Luck, rock

Thanks Rock, all good points no pun intended I know you collect artifacts lol. I agree a major component of my plan is public relations; being sustainable, profitable and a boost to the areas economy. I find it mind blowing how many big companies disregard the wishes of local governments or the local people and get shutdown, fined or just suffer awful PR for their actions.
As to your point about grants, the Chilean government is giving away land for free! They are interested in tourism and are looking to give land tenures to tourism companies. The grant idea is a good idea I looked at lots of funding options and I'm still working hard on it. Thanks for your support and reply maybe I'll get to quit my job and do it, you never know
Here's a couple of links about the land tenure:
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=vor5f4Lg2pA&desktop_uri=/watch?v=vor5f4Lg2pA

http://patagoniaopportunities.com/land-tenure/

 

[rock]

Thats some nice looking land. I wish I was able to develop the land but times are hard. There is always a reason when you see the word free. I wonder how much the taxes are for the property? It looks like it would be a good spot for a eatery of sorts.

 

[Alex Burke]

Hey MM, I wish you a lot of luck and success with your new endeavor!
Just a thought, if you have never heard of it - Kickstarter (dot com).
It is a crowd source funding site. Create a project, set your goals, let others contribute to make your dream possible.
Perhaps in the future(next year or so), if you are wanting to head to Vic (I assume we are talking Oz), I may be up for another trip over there.
Again, good luck with all!

Ha, great minds think alike, I was hoping to save that for later in the plan if needed. The best part is the new law passed under the jobs act that will let my company offer actual stock and equity instead of the concert tickets and T-shirts people offer now lol. The SEC needs to finish writing the rules but this will allow many different investment companies to enter the crowdsourced market. I sent you one link I was excited when I found. Here's an article about SEC taking too long to finish writing rules about equity crowdsourcing.
http://www.bankrate.com/financing/investing/sec-impedes-crowd-funding-revolution/

 

[Alex Burke]

Hey MM, I wish you a lot of luck and success with your new endeavor!
Just a thought, if you have never heard of it - Kickstarter (dot com).
It is a crowd source funding site. Create a project, set your goals, let others contribute to make your dream possible.
Perhaps in the future(next year or so), if you are wanting to head to Vic (I assume we are talking Oz), I may be up for another trip over there.
Again, good luck with all!

Well I hung in there kept plugging away and wasn't deterred! I did change change my plans a little and refined it down to an exciting adventure documentary film. My Kickstarter campaign has just recently started to try to fund the film, I would love you guys to check it out if you have time and share it on Facebook or however you prefer. The most popular projects are on the first few pages and I need all the help I can get with getting the word out about my film as it is tough to find among the others. Sometimes projects get picked as staff picks so I am hopeful maybe at some point they will pick mine I am kind of an underdog to mount a social media and internet campaign as I am working full-time and just started using social media but I am going to give it my best shot and hopefully..... Send me a Facebook friend invite so even if the campaign to finance the film isn't immediately successful at least I'll have way more friends!
Here is the project: Seeking Popper's Gold-A Journey of an Independent Prospector by Alex Burke ? Kickstarter
On the follow the journey page of my site you can check out the location in a little more detail if you'd like. The links to my website and Facebook are on the kickstarter page linked above and below. Thank you, Alex

 

[Fullpan]

WOW - I just got back from visiting the kickstarter.com site and your eco-prospector website. I have no idea how you did this in a couple months!

Lots of competition from fantasy video games, debut albums from wanna-be rock stars and such. Is there a strategy to gaining a prominent position amongst
all the entries?

Anyway, after reading your presentations, I wish I was 30 years younger, in good health, and a couple bucks to spend - I would be begging for a chance to be
part of the crew. The idea of filming a gold adventure in Patagonia makes the adrenaline flow. Good luck on your project, and keep us posted.

 

[Alex Burke]

Thank you for the kind words Fullpan! My strategy to get hits to the page and increase visibility is to hope you guys share it with your friends lol. I need 4400 $25 pledges which gets the person pledging a copy of the film and uploaded content, it's seems crazy but it's not impossible if a couple of hundred thousand people see it and only 2-4% actually pledge, it could happen. Or if 11 wealthy people donate 10k Spike Lee has a movie on there and he's raised over 700k so far so if I can get the exposure the money is there. Thanks again for the compliments I have a lot of work into it and it makes me so happy a pro miner like yourself appreciates the potential of the project. Alex

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...ng-poppers-gold-a-journey-of-an-independent-p

 

[Alex Burke]

Hi guys, based on a couple of comments I received through my site I wanted to clarify a couple of points: I have always been in favor of small time prospecting in all states. I chose a eco friendly name in hopes of correcting some fallacies about dredging and recirculating sluices. I personally feel like a criminal just using my Gold Cube (if you want to buy one http://www.goldcube.net/) in California and this was a major factor in my research of other places in the world to prospect. The website name and my project are directed towards enlightening people as to the science and fun behind modern small-scale mining including small dredges and correcting the misconceptions that have been spread as fact. I also wanted to make clear I'm not a production company or a reality series producer. I am just a normal (I use this term loosely) guy who decided he wanted to go to Patagonia and check out a deposit and it somehow evolved into a crazy idea to make a realistic documentary film. It all started with this link about 6 months ago, please read it and you'll understand how I got started researching the area and eventually this film idea. The Gold Diggings of Cape Horn: Chapter 1 Thanks for reading, Alex.

 

[joetoilet]

I'm with you...just made a pledge...good luck on your adventure....

 

[Alex Burke]

I'm with you...just made a pledge...good luck on your adventure....

Awesome, thank you Donnie! I realize it looks a little daunting when you look at the page and the distance to go but that may be misleading in a weird way... For the amount of people who have actually visited my site the percentage of people that have emailed me has been incredible. I have met some great people via this project so far and received a lot of interest via email and PM's here and on other sites. Thanks again for your support Donnie! If I somehow have to finance privately I am planning to honor all the campaign rewards and the name of your choice even "joetoilet" lol will be in the credits.

Also if your a Tnetter that thinks this idea is not going to work you should support it too! If I get eaten by a Puma, hit by a rogue wave, or my sound guy gets kidnapped you can post here and say "see I told you guys that MeteorMiner was no Magellan."

 

[joetoilet]

I think it will work....and I support your effort/adventure. Seems like you have thought it through...and I would like to see something like this on the television.

 

[Alex Burke]

I think it will work....and I support your effort/adventure. Seems like you have thought it through...and I would like to see something like this on the television.

Thank you Donnie me too. I crave exactly this kind of film and web-content personally. I started planning a short adventure and it looked so fun and interesting it ended up my idea for a doc film/web-coverage. If I couldn't go due to family or other obligation I would want to watch something exactly like what I am trying to produce. Got a $500 pledge today from another Tnetter thank you so much! Goes to show if I can gain the correct exposure anything is possible. Alex

 

[donb0078]

Howdy MM! Now you got me excited I just posted for a partner/s to go to Colorado today hope some of these guys on here will check it out....anyway I would scrap that idea to join you if you'd like. I'd be more of the sweat equity type you were talking about LOL, Not that I'm not serious about Colorado but does it really matter where I am as long as I'm finding something? I've been prospecting off and on again for over 8yrs when I can afford it I go whole hog, camping and such to maximize the funds to my hands on experience. I've already spent over 14k (probably more) on trips equipment for cutting and polishing gemstones, some stuff I make or convert from something else to use. So far I've focused on gem material and started last year learning the gold equipment and how and what not to do along with reading about and watching everything on TV they come out with. To everyone else that's has made a post here thanks for the info! Its much appreciated! If he's not interested in bringing me along I will still be going to Colorado hehe.

 

[donb0078]

Wow is all I can say. I hope you gave yourself enough time to raise the money for that trip. I wish you all the best in that adventure and hope you make it back alive from the looks of it, it will be very dangerous but I'm up for it...as for poppy's demise, dude probably got hit in the head with a rock or exposure.

 

[Alex Burke]

Hi Don thank you for your interest and kind words. Your right about the tight deadline on the fundraising but I wanted to try crowd funding first for all the benefits of an inspired supportive audience and it would help get my project out there to more people. I estimated my own chances of success on the kickstarter site at 40-50% assuming better navigation and that I would get a few random hits. I have had a couple of parties contact me regarding privately funding the project and based on the statistics of people that have called me with money vs visited the site I like the odds of someone or a group of people funding the project. I do continue to promote the kickstarter though just in case I catch lightening in a bottle with a good reddit thread or I somehow became a staff pick! I'm a little slow responding to threads as I'm working full time but I am interested in talking to you about being on this crew or a future crew if you'd like, I probably won't have much time until Friday but I'd be happy to discuss this and future projects I have planned with you. As for Popper, I think he got poisoned in Buenos Aires! I'll send you a pm.

 

[Alex Burke]

Hi guys, unfortunately I failed to raise the money for the doc on Kickstarter.com. A sincere thank you to everyone that pledged or just posted being supportive I really do appreciate your comments and support. I have met several people as passionate as me about making this project happen and I am confident this film will be funded privately; possibly even as a feature film after the documentary, so I am quite happy with where things are at so far 33 days since launch.

I wrote a long post on my Facebook page after the campaign that seemed to sum up what it was like to try and raise 110k in 30 days, here it is

"Well it's been easily one of the craziest month of my life, for those new friends I have just recently met, which is most of you here is a long synopsis Over several months I wrote a documentary film about a lost gold deposit at the end of the world, in a place known as the "Land of Fire." I built an awesome website with some help with my uncle, my sister helped me make a short video and I put together a business plan. I consulted Argentine, Chilean & US lawyers, wrote an outline/"treatment" for the film and set out to make "Seeking Popper's Gold." So having put it all together and planned it perfectly I set out to raise 100k plus fees on a crowdfunding site, no problem right?

Well right off the bat I realized I had problems, I was unable to find my own project on the crowdfunding site and quickly realized the navigation was an obstacle. I set out to publicize it on different forums but I got little public support from small-time miners possibly due to the eco-friendly branding and a saturation of "strange" or "unrealistic" shows in the marketplace as perceived examples of a gold doc. I also got no love from the crowdfunding site

When someone did visit my site they often sent me an email volunteering to drop everything and come but most of them have no money like me lol, so I started to and kept gaining awesome contacts regardless of the fundraising status. I continued to come home from work at 1am and post links to my site in different film production and prospecting groups throughout FB. At one point I didn't have the heart to post my film and bump a 7 year old Indian girl child actor off the top of the page and just went to bed, but overall I hung in there posting it daily lol.

I had incessant spam and other attacks on my website from a specific governmental province of China, I took it as a compliment, tracked their IP and well I won't say why but they stopped for now Strange people have sent me crazy private messages on Facebook even pretending to be hot girls! I even received borderline hate mail from a couple of guys that didn't read the whole project and sent colorful emails lol. After reading the details and my email reply I'd say we're now friends? Although they're style of introduction was a little abrasive.

I have recently made some great gains as far as industry contacts and it's seriously looking like this will really happen despite the failed Kickstarter campaign! Thank you to everyone that shared it and thanks to my family: Layla, Dylan, Mom, Bob and of course my copy editor my awesome grandmother Colleen! I'm sending out a batch of invites to like the eco-prospector FB page if you guys would be kind enough to like it please do. As the Kickstarter page will be down in a few days I will be making a couple of changes to the eco-prospector.com site when I get the time but the facebook page will still be the same promoting the film. Thanks everybody for reading my random thoughts and update. Your random thoughts are always welcome and thanks for having me as a friend. Alex"