Bark by Steve Fauquier - Thriller - A man wakes up tied to a tree with no recollection of how he got there and must survive in the wilderness while being watched by a mysterious figure. 89 pages - pdf format

Writer interested in feedback on this work

Check out the Official Site



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Don't know how to review this. Enjoyed it very much. Read smooth like a novel but also was descriptive in what it showed. Liked both characters. They had natural dialog. Maybe some things The Outdoorsman said were just to move the story along and didn't sound natural to what he would really say (IMO). Not sure if Nolan would be so forgetful about the act that got him in this situation, but we don't know how much time has passed. Would think he'd have some clue. Final jab seems forced. Animal lovers should like this. All in all, truly an enjoyable read from start to finish.

Optioned.

Kickstarted.  

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/barkmovie/bark

If you have a few coins to toss Steve's way.

Looks and sounds like a great project. The goal is very ambitious (IMO) but you have my support, good luck with the rest of the Kickstater.

Giving this one bump, it looks like a really good project but it's going to need a lot of help to reach it's target.

This does sound like a pretty awesome concept! If I could afford it, I'd invest. Good luck, Steve!

Thanks for your support guys... and thanks to Don for putting this up on the front page.. (and putting up with my numerous attempts at trying to access my account lol)

I've been posting on this site since I was in my early 20's, 15+ years now, and have had 3 scripts optioned, all features. I don't post anywhere else, nor do I enter screenplay competitions. Simplyscripts is the only place I go after finishing a first draft and I value all the support/advice I get here - Everything from producers/directors contacting me to that random email at 3am by a reader telling me how much they enjoyed a script (or not lol) It all means so much to me.

I got really lucky getting a team like this to produce my screenplay; they are talented beyond belief and I know they're going to make an amazing film. Although crowdsourcing support has been slow-going, we knew it would be difficult in today's climate to raise ANY money, much less what we strived for. But we are surging forward, more determined than ever.

So if you want to help out a fellow writer, even just posting the link to your social media would mean a ton... The more eyes on it the better. (@bark_movie on Twitter and barkmovie on IG) Promote this however you can! I would really appreciate it. And if you have a screenplay of your own in development, or close to, I would love to return the favor.

I hope you guys keep following along with this project because I promise you, it's going to be a kick ass ride...

Thanks!

Steve, legit question here:

I often look at Kickstarter (seriously contemplate contributing) but then the target seems way out of reach and the 'all or nothing' approach seems self-defeating. Why not have campaigns with more conservative reach? Then I won't be disappointed when the target isn't met.

I've got to sign up, get a stream of emails, maybe get more spam because of it, unsubscribe, hope that works etc.

I'm playing Devil's Advocate here. I wonder how many people are put off by this stuff. I don't think it's just me.

I'd like to give a donation cause this looks terrific but the strings attached can be tedious.
I wonder how many people think yep, I'll give a bit, but then are put off by the third party sign-up, the social media encouragement (yes, I know how the world works). I quit FB aeons ago, not interested in Insta etc.

Give me a PayPal link, give me another option.
Get your backing by more than one route.

Or you can ignore this...

Quoted from LC Steve, legit question here: I often look at Kickstarter (seriously contemplate contributing) but then the target seems way out of reach and the 'all or nothing' approach seems self-defeating. Why not have campaigns with more conservative reach? Then I won't be disappointed when the target isn't met. I've got to sign up, get a stream of emails, maybe get more spam because of it, unsubscribe, hope that works etc. I'm playing Devil's Advocate here. I wonder how many people are put off by this stuff. I don't think it's just me. I'd like to give a donation cause this looks terrific but the strings attached can be tedious. I wonder how many people think yep, I'll give a bit, but then are put off by the third party sign-up, the social media encouragement (yes, I know how the world works). I quit FB aeons ago, not interested in Insta etc. Give me a PayPal link, give me another option. Get your backing by more than one route. Or you can ignore this...

Having run a successful Kickstarter campaign and with another on the horizon I think I have 2 cents to add...

Quoted Text I often look at Kickstarter (seriously contemplate contributing) but then the target seems way out of reach and the 'all or nothing' approach seems self-defeating. Why not have campaigns with more conservative reach? Then I won't be disappointed when the target isn't met.

The general idea is that the target is the minimum amount the creator needs to be able to achieve what they are setting out to achieve. It's not just "hey I need money and anything will do". So the idea should be that this particular project needs a minimum of  $37000AUD to be able to pay for actors, crew, and everything else it takes to make an indie feature. Setting a target of say $5000 might be more achievable but it wont meet their needs and will mean they will need to potentially self-fund the rest which might be just as unattainable.

But... this is a very high target for a first-time campaign and also from someone who has never backer another Kickstarter campaign. I think it can be a hard sell asking people for so much money when you have not supported indie creators yourself.

Quoted Text I've got to sign up, get a stream of emails, maybe get more spam because of it, unsubscribe, hope that works etc.

Well I mean there is obviously going to be some kind of investment  :P

The emails you will be get will be directly related to the projects you support. You will get any updates those particular creators post on the campaign, but the idea is that most backers like updates and like to know what is happening with their money. Kickstarter is not in the business of spamming people so that is not a legit concern. If you don't want any emails at all well then Kickstarter isn't for you. It's also a bit unrealistic.

I'm not sure why you would need to unsubscribe? Kickstarter has a lot of amazing projects, if you take a look you might be surprised at the things you might want to back. And again you wont be spammed so if you have an account it can just sit dormant until a project you like comes along.

Quoted Text I'm playing Devil's Advocate here. I wonder how many people are put off by this stuff. I don't think it's just me.

Obviously not just you, but there are more than enough people on Kickstarter to ensure that projects are funded to insanely high amounts (depending on the project).

Quoted Text I'd like to give a donation cause this looks terrific but the strings attached can be tedious.

I really don't think so, this is more of a personal opinion.

Quoted Text I wonder how many people think yep, I'll give a bit, but then are put off by the third party sign-up, the social media encouragement (yes, I know how the world works). I quit FB aeons ago, not interested in Insta etc.

No way around the third-party signup. But yes every creator is going to ask you to promote their projects, they would be stupid not to, that doesn't mean you have to. It's in everyone's best interest though. If you really want the project to succeed then telling as many people about it as you can will make that more likely to happen. So the creators get to make a dream come true and you get whatever it is you supported the cause for... win/win.

I can see how that might not be of interest if you are just giving money for the sake of giving money and there is no actual interest in the project. I had a look at this film and thought it looked like a great idea with a great crew and cast behind it, so I'd like to see the final product.

Quoted Text Give me a PayPal link, give me another option. Get your backing by more than one route.

You can definitely do more than one route, but this is a way to centralize your effort and a platform to highlight everything you have to offer. Again, just asking for money may get you some money but potentially nowhere near what you need. Also, if you give money by PayPal and they only make $100 (for arguments sake) there is no guarantee you will get your money back and you more than likely wont see a finished film.  If the Kickstarter doesn't hit its funding goal then you lose nothing, if it does reach it you potentially get some rewards.

Side note... Indigogo, another crowdfunding site, does offer flexible goal amounts so even if you don't hit your goal you can chose to take what you got. You will get hit with a higher fee and then are still left with the issue of not really having the amount of money you actually need.

A lot of websites and projects seem to have moved on to the "subscriber" style of funding where you sign up and donate like $5/month or such. Most people think, well I can afford 5 bucks! That's less than a BigMac. That won't make a dent in my finances...

I used to contribute to Kickstarter and the like a LOT, but haven't in the last few years. Main reason is that I wanted my money to go to a film not trinkets. That's just me though.

Quoted from Grandma Bear A lot of websites and projects seem to have moved on to the "subscriber" style of funding where you sign up and donate like $5/month or such. Most people think, well I can afford 5 bucks! That's less than a BigMac. That won't make a dent in my finances... I used to contribute to Kickstarter and the like a LOT, but haven't in the last few years. Main reason is that I wanted my money to go to a film not trinkets. That's just me though.

Going to take a lot of subscribers at $5 a month to hit this goal.

Interested to know what you mean by "trinkets"?

Quoted from Warren Going to take a lot of subscribers at $5 a month to hit this goal. Interested to know what you mean by "trinkets"?

Yes, but some people are doing it...

When I donate, I do it because I want to see the film/project to happen. I don't want a T-shirt/mug/or the like.

Quoted from Grandma Bear Yes, but some people are doing it... When I donate, I do it because I want to see the film/project to happen. I don't want a T-shirt/mug/or the like.

Gotcha...

I think a well structured campaign will have reward options for everyone. If a film is the main purpose of a campaign I definitely think one reward should offer just that and nothing else.

But, their are differently a large group of people who like "trinkets" so I also think having some quality options for people to chose from is wise.

On my first campaign I sold out of many of my "trinkets", so for me personally they were an excellent incentive.

It's definitely a balancing act.

Quoted from SteveFauquier Thanks for your support guys... and thanks to Don for putting this up on the front page.. (and putting up with my numerous attempts at trying to access my account lol) I've been posting on this site since I was in my early 20's, 15+ years now, and have had 3 scripts optioned, all features. I don't post anywhere else, nor do I enter screenplay competitions. Simplyscripts is the only place I go after finishing a first draft and I value all the support/advice I get here - Everything from producers/directors contacting me to that random email at 3am by a reader telling me how much they enjoyed a script (or not lol) It all means so much to me. I got really lucky getting a team like this to produce my screenplay; they are talented beyond belief and I know they're going to make an amazing film. Although crowdsourcing support has been slow-going, we knew it would be difficult in today's climate to raise ANY money, much less what we strived for. But we are surging forward, more determined than ever. So if you want to help out a fellow writer, even just posting the link to your social media would mean a ton... The more eyes on it the better. (@bark_movie on Twitter and barkmovie on IG) Promote this however you can! I would really appreciate it. And if you have a screenplay of your own in development, or close to, I would love to return the favor. I hope you guys keep following along with this project because I promise you, it's going to be a kick ass ride... Thanks!

You definitely lucked out with the team involved! Really hoping this picks up some steam. Good luck!

Steve, I really like the look of this and would love to see it made. Wish I'd read the script. You snooze, you lose.  :D

Anyway, turns out I already had a Kickstarter account from previous projects I liked. And, they did not spam before, so....

I pledged an amount. I like the 'streaming' reward.
I hope a big investor/Producer comes up with a decent chunk of change so that this meets its target.

All the best, fingers crossed.

Always enjoyed this script. Glad to see it has been optioned.

Check out the Official Site

And follow Bark on Twitter and Instagram

Bark is a Fantastic Fest Official Selection for this year and will have its world premiere in Austin, Texas. September 21-28.

Awesome, congrats!

Congrats from me too!