Academy Award-Nominated Filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy Launches Kickstarter Campaign for FAME HIGH

Campaign aims to raise $125,000 for the national theatrical release of FAME HIGH

Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy is taking his MAKE FAME HIGH FAMOUS Kickstarter campaign on the road and providing almost daily updates, photos, and videos as a way to really show the power of seeing his latest documentary, FAME HIGH, in the movie theater.

Scott shot his pitch video vérité-style at the Loft Filmfest in Tuscon on 11/11, then hosted two screenings of FAME HIGH at the St. Louis International Film Festival on 11/17, and another at San Francisco’s DocFest 11/18. He is meeting with audience members and press in each city to produce a dynamic in-person crowdfunding campaign.

FAME HIGH captures the in-class and at-home drama, competition, heartbreak, and triumph that students experience during one school year at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), also known as Fame High. Talented teenagers reach for their dreams of becoming actors, singers, dancers, and musicians. LACHSA alumni include Josh Groban, Fergie, Jenna Elfman, and Corbin Bleu, among others.

FAME HIGH had its initial theatrical release and NYC and LA, where Kenneth Turan of the
LA Times raved:

“Fame may be fleeting, but the kids in Fame High will stay with you. Try as they might, fictional kids (Fame/Glee) can’t compete with the real thing, they don’t compel us like these earnest, hopeful and winning young people, bound and determined to devote themselves to their art… Kennedy manages to make their problems feel piercingly real and individual, not teen generic.”

Building on this early success, Scott Hamilton Kennedy intends to roll out FAME HIGH on a national theatrical release, with the ultimate goal of changing the conversation about arts education. According to Scott, “It’s a pretty straightforward message: At LACHSA, 83% of the graduating class goes on to college, versus the national average of 63%. Most importantly, FAME HIGH shows that playing an instrument, learning to act, and perfecting dance moves are not just after-school activities, they are lifelong skills that help students to think creatively, experience focused attention, and embrace risk—all necessary skills for the 21st century.”

However, FAME HIGH is not your typical medicinal social issue film; it is a coming-of-age, documentary-musical that follows a group of novice freshman and seasoned seniors struggling to find their voice—not only in their art but in life—with the help of, and sometimes in spite of, their passionate and opinionated families.

Between now and December 18th, Scott is doubling down on the power of crowdfunding by building on his first Kickstarter campaign’s success with a more robust grassroots canvassing campaign, live from the road. After his first campaign raised $28,000 toward finishing funds and expenses for the initial screenings in New York and Los Angeles, Scott was amazed at the power of crowdfunding. He wants to use the funds raised by the MAKE FAME HIGH FAMOUS campaign by releasing and promoting FAME HIGH independently and taking it to at least 15 cities across the country. “As an independently produced documentary, we can’t compete with big Hollywood marketing campaigns to drive audiences to seats. Studios spend on average $35 million marketing one film. Where we think we can compete is through word-of-mouth campaigning and leveraging our online community.”

While the dollar amount is much higher for his second campaign, $125,000, Scott and his team see this number as an exciting outreach challenge; they figure it will take over 800 backers to hit the goal. Rather than spending millions on advertising, MAKE FAME HIGH FAMOUNS is leveraging social media, powered by fans who love FAME HIGH, to hit this Kickstarter goal. But, Scott is clear about the long-term mission, noting, “We don’t want to buy an audience, we want to build a community that will work together for arts education. Engagement is a two-way street, and if an arts-based school we have never heard of is doing something incredible, we want to hear about it. If an advocacy group is close to changing legislation, we want to know about it, If an art teacher or mentor is changing your life, we want to meet them through this campaign.”



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