Alethic - Crowdfunding for PhD Films

by Ben Warburton in Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

We did it
On 29th September 2021 we successfully raised £1,130 with 27 supporters in 27 days

Smell bull? The internet is rife with fake news, misinformation, and fabrication. Alethic is part of a wider PhD thesis, support us today!

by Ben Warburton in Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom

 New stretch target

As most of our cast will be participating voluntarily and only receive travel expenses, this extra money will help us reimburse the talent that helps this project come to life on-screen.


About the Study

Alethic is a practice-as-research PhD thesis, primarily focused on consumer behavioural manipulation via social media, interrogating the mechanisms utilised through the lens of ancient myth, and its relationship to modern fake news.

To do so, Alethic also takes another form: a series of five short documentaries. However, there is a catch - some of the documentaries are fabricated. Can you decipher the factual from the fictitious?

Why are we Crowdfunding?

In three words: filmmaking is expensive. To produce the best possible films for this research, a lot of crew, cast, locations, equipment (and maybe a few celebrities) will be vital to the authenticity, look, and feel of the "documentaries".

Any and all donations will be hugely appreciated, and 100% of the money donated will go towards the creation of these vital films. We've even included a few perks for top donors, so please do take a look at those!

Can I take part in the research?

Absolutely! We're hoping to present these films to audiences across the North West of England. 

All you have to do as participants is watch the films presented, and when prompted, complete a short survey regarding the material. You will be able to do this by accessing the survey application available to download through the QR code presented on the day. Please note: it is a requirement of your participation that you bring a web-enabled mobile device to the screening.

To find out more about the academic side of this study, please visit the Alethic website.

About the Researcher

Ben Warburton is a current PhD researcher at the University of Salford, studying the relationship between fake news, ancient myth, and modern perceptions of truth, via research-by-practice.

With five years of experience working within the television and online media sectors, Ben has a wide variety of projects under his belt: ranging from production assistant on Ian Brown music videos, to short form producer for BBC Music Day, and APC on high-end television dramas Endeavour and Victoria.

In his spare time, Ben enjoys writing and collaborating on scripts, working on VFX for short films, and rum. Katya Zamolodchikova stan.

Twitter: @benwarbs
Instagram: @benwarbs
www.benwarbsmedia.co.uk

Thank you for reading, and I hope you consider donating!

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£50 or more

Your name on the big screen!

Donate £50 or more, and you'll appear in the "Benefactor" section of the final credits of the films.

£10 or more

A little thank you

Donate £10 or more, and your name will be printed in the programme available at the screenings!

£25 or more

Exclusive digital access

Donate £25 or more, and you'll receive a digital copy of all five films once the study has finished - no spoilers! This will be an emailed reward, so make sure you fill out your details.

£100 or more

0 of 10 claimed

Executive Producer

Donate £100 or more, and you'll be recognised in the credits & programme as an Executive Producer of the films.

£250 or more

0 of 5 claimed

Cameo appearance!

If you donate £250 or more, not only will you get all of the above rewards, but you'll get the chance to have a cameo in the film. We'll be in touch during the production process to organise this.

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