Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about our film

What is The 1 Second Film?

What is the goal?

How did this start?

When will it end?

How is the film financed?

What is a producer?

How do I become a producer?

How long will the credits last?

How did you get all the celebrities involved?

How much money do you need to raise?

How are donations spent?

How can I be in the film?

How can I see the finished film?

Will there be sequels?

How can I help?

 

More Questions?

If you have a question not covered in any of our FAQ topics, please check our forum.

What is The 1 Second Film?

The 1 Second Film is a non-profit collaborative film and art project that anyone in the world can be a part of. The project is centered around the creation of one-second of animation composed of 12 giant murals. The animation will be followed by 90-minutes of credits that will include a documentary about the innovative collaborative process, as well as the inspiring journey of the project from start to finish. The film is being micro-financed by thousands of people around the world. Everyone who donates $1 or more receives a producer credit in the film (listed in order of amount). Producers range from well known celebrities to first-time filmmakers. All profits raised by the finished film will be donated to charity. The project marks the start of a 5 Phase Plan to bring the world together using collaborative art to create social change.

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What is the goal?

We have 5 Objectives for The 1 Second Film:

1. Produce a fun, innovative, and inspiring film with all profits benefiting a good cause.

2. Involve as many people as possible as participants.

3. Build an online community that can grow and participate in future collaborative works of art (5 Phase Plan).

4. Reach a 'tipping point' via guerrilla marketing and viral media.

5. Create a platform for the various sequels of the Collaboration Foundation's 5 Phase Plan.

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What is a producer?

In general, a producer is the person responsible for getting a film made. People who finance a film are often given producer credits in exchange for their investment, though traditionally it costs a lot more that $1 to get a producer credit! But we wanted to make a film that everyone could be a part of. While there is still some confusion in the film industry as to what a producer is or is not, we have created the following definitions for our production:

Associate Producers donate $1 -$9.99

Producers donate $10 - $99.99

Executive Producers donate $100 or more

Our producers will be listed in order of amount donated; the top 11 donors will get title-credits appearing before the film begins.

Producers of The 1 Second Film can collaborate in many ways besides donating (making referrals, submitting content, organizing events, etc.).

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How did this start?

The 1 Second Film began in 2001 as a student project by Nirvan Mullick. Nirvan designed the project as a collaborative way to bring his school (California Institute of the Arts) together to make one-second of animation; the concept then expanded into a 5 Phase Plan to bring people around the world together while addressing various social issues. After graduating, Nirvan began fundraising by making a simple flier and selling producer credits for $1 to people on the streets. With grassroots support, the project slowly began to grow. Read our full story

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When will it end?

We are still raising our budget to complete our documentary, (editing, post-production, etc.) We hope to finish the film by 2009, but the speed in which we complete the film depends on the resources we have available. The creative process of fundraising and marketing the project is part of our documentary.

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How is the film financed?

Our film is financed entirely by donations. Anyone can help produce our film by donating $1 or more. Our producers receive a credit in our film (listed in order of amount donated) and a producer profile allowing participation in our collaborative community. Any surplus donations, and all profits raised by our finished production will be donated to charity.

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How do I become a producer?

To become our producer, follow these 3 Steps:

Step 1. Register

Register on-line. It's free to register; all you need is a unique valid e-mail address.

Step 2. Donate $1 or more

After you register, you can donate on-line or by mail. Read our Donate FAQs for more info.

Step 3. Validate your e-mail

After you register, we e-mail you a confirmation e-mail. Click the link in this e-mail to activate your producer profile and start collaborating!

 

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How long will the credits last?

We estimate that the end credits for The 1 Second Film will last approximately 90 minutes and will include a feature length 'making of' documentary. The final length, size, and duration of each credit will depend on how many producers we end up having.

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How did you get all the celebrities involved?

To start raising a budget, Nirvan made a flier and began pitching the film to people on the streets of Los Angeles. He soon began crossing paths with various celebrities, at first by random. The first celebrity pitch was to George Clooney (met in a parking lot). Mr. Clooney liked the idea but hesitated to add his name to the producer list based on a pitch with a xeroxed flier. Nirvan made better fliers and improved his pitch. Soon, even celebrities began to donate.

Noticing an immediate difference in people's interest once celebrities were involved, Nirvan and crew began travelling to film festivals, sneaking into parties, and recruiting more celebrity producers. Since then, several celebrities have donated online and even contacted us to arrange donations. An absurd bidding war for top billing has since evolved between comedians Andy Dick and Tom Green. Visit our celebrity producer list and visit a specific celebrity profile to read how they got involved.

Here are some videos of Celebrity Sales:

@ Sundance (Kevin Bacon, Stephen Colbert, Pierce Brosnan, etc.):

Kiefer Sutherland

Celebrity Bidding War

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How much money do you need to raise?

Our goal is to raise a million dollars to finish the film. Check our budget overview to see what funds have been used for, and what we still need.

 

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How are donations spent?

Donations are used to make The 1 Second Film, which includes a feature-length documentary and developing our community web-site. Check our budget overview to see what funds have been used for, and what we still need. Our budget is overseen by The Collaboration Foundation. Any surplus donations, in addition to profits from the finished film, will be donated to charity.

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How can I be in the film?

There are many ways to be in our film. To have your name in our credits, simply become our producer by donating $1 or more. For a chance to appear in our documentary, submit footage of you helping to promote The 1 Second Film in your part of the world. We will also be making a montage of photos of our producers holding T1SF fliers around the world, so upload a pic to your profile. We will also be asking our producers to contribute their voice to our 1 second voice-over that will play during the actual one-second of animation. All Producers appearing in our documentary will get an 'appearing as' cast credit in our film as well as a producer credit. We think of this as an 'open source' film; not only can you help fund it, but you can also contribute to the content.

 

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How can I see the finished film?

Our premiere will be for cast and crew only; you must have your name in our credits to attend. Our premiere will be a red-carpet event and will be the only 70mm theatrical screening of The 1 Second Film...ever. Directly after the premiere, our 12 frames will be on exhibit and auctioned off for charity. For those who can't attend, we may broadcast the premiere and auction online or something high-tech like that. We eventually plan to distribute on DVD worldwide. We will offer tickets to our premiere after a date can be determined; space may be limited by venue size. Stay tuned for more developments- it's gonna be fun.

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Will there be sequels?

Yes! The 1 Second Film is just the start of a 5 Phase Plan to create a series of collaborative films that will address various social issues. And yes, our next film will be two-seconds long (The 2nd Second Film).

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How can I help?

The best way to help is to become our producer and tell friends. To get more involved, fill in the volunteer form in your producer profile and/or contact us to volunteer. Collaborate as much or as little as you want; every little bit helps. Just spreading the word by telling friends, family, and co-workers makes a big difference. Here are some more ideas for collaborating.

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