Firefly

Folks, it’s about time we spring the Big Damn Plan. There is a team of about 15-20 people that have been working around the clock (and around the world!) the last few days to figure out how we can make something happen, how we can make this work. To all those volunteers and to the fans who have supported us: Thank you. So many of you have been so excited and positive, and we’ve had so many amazing suggestions roll in, that we almost didn’t know where to begin. And certainly it bears saying that we’ve only been so cautious because doing it right matters more than doing it fast.

The first and most important step is one we must make out of respect. This whole movement was built on a dream of Nathan Fillion’s. We share the dream, but ultimately that dream is his. He may not feel comfortable with his off-the-cuff remark inspiring people to come together and plan to pool their resources to bring that dream to life. He’s also probably feeling a little stitch in his neck because all this is being done, quite literally, in his name. So we want to respond to his concern through one simple act- We’re going to change what we call this merry little band of Firefly fans. We’re changing it to Unstoppable Signals to give poor Nathan some relief. But with that done, there are two more steps before the ball really gets rolling. The Business Stuff

First off, most of the volunteers behind this venture are businessmen, and we see potential here. Being that you’re here, we’re sure you see it too. People all over the world are talking about pooling the resources of the many to fund large, successful, projects. For a while now, some people in the film industry have been proposing fan-funding as a way to fund TV and movie productions, but no one’s been able to pull it off on a massive scale. What it boils down to is this – we believe that you can be the ones to make it work. Call it what you want… democratic entrepreneurialism, populist production or just plain crowdfunding, we believe it is possible to create the first film company that is owned by the fans and for the fans. And why not? The many are mighty.

Crowdfunding has not been done on this scale before, and we do not expect it to be an easy journey. We do think it is realistic, though, and many in the industry have voiced support for the general idea over the years. The Firefly following has continued to grow over the past 8 years, and the tools available for organizing have expanded exponentially. It’s important to remember that when Firefly was cancelled, Facebook and Twitter didn’t even exist! And we will use them to our full advantage. Either way, the project will work like this:

The idea here is to create a limited partnership to be owned by the fans. Anyone who invests in the company has a voice. The purpose of this partnership will be to enable what everyone has been hoping for all these years: the production and distribution of more of our favorite show. Obviously, there are a lot of things to figure out before we actually get to that point. We’re going to create a system through which anyone can invest in the organization. If we can’t raise enough money, or if we can’t acquire the rights we’re after, we return the remaining funds. No hassle, no questions, no worries. There might be expenses like hiring a veteran negotiator, but we’re going to keep expenses minimal. We’re fans and will be investing too, so we will make it as safe an investment as we can for all involved. Also, we’re looking for a few good Browncoats to serve as a board for oversight. We have some ideas of who we want to contact for that, but if you know of any smart, well-known Browncoats who might be interested, share them below!

Now you’re probably saying to yourself “that’s crazy talk! Nathan said don’t do it!” We say: Nathan specifically told fans not to buy the rights for him, but he didn’t say anything about fans buying the rights for themselves. Our team has discussed this at length, and though we’re really cautious, we just plain feel its worth a shot – crowdfunding could be the way of the future for film.

The system will be safe and the partners protected by any legal means possible, and if we can’t pull it off together, no harm will come of it. However, If we can pull it off, you’ll own part of the only fan-funded production company in the world. It’s an idea that is so full of possibility that even we don’t know where it would take us. But we’re getting carried away, and there is a second part to this.

The Fun Stuff

Here is the fun part; whether you buy into the company or not, the second half of the plan is open to everyone.

We want to create a social network of fans around the world with a singular mission: to spread the word about why Firefly needs to return. If enough of us speak out, if enough of us come together, and if enough effort is put towards it, we could be virtually unstoppable. We propose this – a social hangout where we can gather to share ideas about how to spread the word or where we can organize to do things together. Together we could run street art sticker campaigns, we could write letters to studios, we could host Firefly parties with our friends. We’ll share art, share letters, share ideas, and we’ll send out signals across every network there is. We’ll do it together to see how mighty we really are and see where it ends up taking us.

The group that is currently working on this don’t know each other any better than you know us. This was not originally planned, it just sort of happened. Suddenly, we were all thrust into a situation where we were working tirelessly to deliver on a promise. The two guys who had the initial idea are the most surprised of all. The beauty is, that’s a way to keep everything honest (we’ve had more than one person involved say “if you try and screw anybody, I will bury you.”). In the end, it’s an opportunity. An opportunity to do something new and different. An opportunity to make something truly unique happen.

We’ve reached the tipping point. We have to know if the the fans out there are in the foxhole with us. We could come up with all the best laid plans in the world, but without the support of the people, they would all be for naught. This will take time, determination and patience from us all. But that time and energy could create an extremely powerful force, unlike anything before seen in Hollywood or around the world.

In the end, it is all about you. Is it possible for so many people to come together under one outrageously idealistic goal?

Will you make sure the signal never stops?