No, seriously. Here are my veins, please put this release into them.
Earlier today, Pied Pier, Inc. launched its IndieGoGo campaign for Skip Beat! The company aims to raise $210,000 to fund the production and a dubbed adaptation, which will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Funding tiers include:
- $1: Thanks from the team
- $10: Behind-the-scenes updates, wallpaper download
- $15: Behind the scenes video updates, plus all bonuses at $10 tier
- $30: Season 1 DVD, Production booklet, plus all bonuses at $15 tier
- $60: Seasons 1 & 2 DVD, Vinyl sticker, plus all bonuses at $15 tier
- $80: Season 1 Blu-Ray, Vinyl sticker, Production Booklet
- $100: Seasons 1 & 2 Blu-Ray, Vinyl sticker, Production Booklet, name in insert
- $150: Seasons 1 & 2 Blu-Ray, Chipboard Box, Art booklet, Poster, other bonuses
- $300: 1 Hour chat with dub cast, plus all bonuses at $150 tier (Limited 5)
- $500: Skype sit-in on dub session, crew jacket, plus all bonuses at $150 tier (Limited 5)
- $600: Dub workshop, crew jacket, plus all bonuses at $150 tier (Limited 3)
- $900: Private voice class and coaching via Skype, crew jacket, plus all bonuses at $150 tier (Limited 1)
- $2,000: On-site visit to dub session, signed crew jacket, Special Thanks credit, plus all bonuses at $150 tier (Limited 1)
- $5,000: Speaking part in Skip Beat! dub, flight to attend dub session, plus all bonuses at $2,000 tier (Limited 1)
As of press time, the campaign has raised $9,981 across 80 contributors, with an average spend of $124.76 per contributor.
We reached out to Pied Piper president Ann Yamamoto for comment on the campaign. In her reply, Yamamoto stated that her goal was to open up the dub and localization process as much as possible to fans.
She also mentioned that [her] biggest fear is fans will think Skip Beat is a major title and doesn’t need their help. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This campaign is a rescue operation. We are taking a title that otherwise would NOT have been released and together we can make it shine.
Skip Beat! is based on Yoshiki Nakamura’s manga of the same name. The 25-episode series originally hit Japanese TV in the Fall 2008 broadcast season. Kiyoko Sayama (Princess Tutu, Vampire Knight) helmed the project at Hal Film Maker, with Tetsuya Kumagai (Log Horizon Season 2, Slayers Premium) providing character designs. Mayori Sekijima (Saber Marionette J, CLAMP School Detectives) was in charge of series composition, while Akifumi Tada (Tokyo Underground, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo Ohki) scored the soundtrack.
Pied Piper announced that they acquired the series on February 16. In an interview with Otaku Review, Yamamoto commented on the company’s crowdfunding effort:
How to identify and evaluate unlicensed titles? I’d been having conversations with Time of EVE backers and talked with several of them about my predicament. Five of them joined me as Project Curators to scout out new titles, and so they sent me a stream of ideas. My next step was to contact the rightsholders. I got many, many rejections, which gave me the chance to refine my pitch. So I was in a much better position when I met with TV Tokyo. I saw “Skip Beat!” in their catalog, and my jaw dropped.
To be honest, it wasn’t my ideal title simply because 25 episodes increases the costs on all fronts – licensing, dub, authoring, and manufacturing. It is a huge risk. I was looking for a smaller-scale title. But, Kyoko is all about guts. I love the title, and decided to go for it.
The TV Tokyo licensing team was open to letting me use crowdfunding, and I am profoundly grateful that the production committee allowed me to license the title.
[…]
We are bonded by our love of “Skip Beat!,” and I hope that comes through in the campaign.
Source: Anime Herald
