Monday, October 7, 2013

The truth behind the right-wing media machine that changed a father - and the nation


When the filmmaker's parents moved to a place where her father had a long solo commute to work and started listening to Talk Radio to alleviate the boredom, her family saw him change from a non-political Democrat to a radicalized, angry Right-Wing Republican. What happened to Dad?
As filmmaker, Jen Senko, tries to understand the transformation of her father from a mild mannered life-long Democrat to an angry, Right-Wing fanatic, she uncovers the forces behind the media that changed him completely: a plan by Roger Ailes under Nixon for a media by the GOP, The Powell Memo and the dismantling of the Fairness Doctrine, all of which would ultimately misinform millions, divide families and even the country itself.
Remember when Hillary Clinton got pilloried for blaming a “vast right-wing conspiracy” for the relentless attacks against her husband? Maybe you weren’t around then. Well, she said it. Some thought she’d gone off the deep-end. We all know that “conspiracies” mean that you think that we really didn’t land a man on the moon, or that Bigfoot stalks the North - not that there’s anything wrong with that!
But really, was Hillary right? If you think about it, the country has changed dramatically within the last 30 years. During the 1960s and 70s America was moving in a much more socially minded direction. One could say, “liberal”. Then, slowly the country began to shift. What was once considered “right” is now “center-left”. It can’t be denied that corporations play an ever-increasing role in every facet of our government and the media has been instrumental in this development. We are now so divided that the Left will argue that President Obama is to the right of Reagan while the Right labels him a “Socialist”. Hmm. How did that happen?
This documentary will look at the changes that happened to a dad (and many others) when he changed his media habits. Then we look at how the media itself changed and the effect it had on our country. The media has a powerful influence on the American mind – so much so that  one could argue: if you control the Media, you control the American Mind. Media Commentaries by a few of the extraordinary minds we've interviewed so far:

 Edward S. Herman

Professor of Sociology and Author, Johnny E. Williams
OUR Kickstarter funds will be used in the following ways:
1. Archival footage, graphics and animation
2. Feed camera crew to shoot the remainder of the interviews
3. Travel. We must go out of state for a few of the interviews.
Our goal is to raise a minimum of $15,000. Our ideal goal would be to raise $75,000. The extra amount would enable us to finish the film by paying for ALL of the editing and sound and color correction. We would also be able to pay for some of the marketing, film festival submissions, and media promotion for a theatrical release. We want you to join us in our endeavor to get the truth out there! Many thanks for making a pledge!  We love you!


STRETCH GOALS:
20,000 – 4 solid weeks of editing and transcription of new interviews
30,000 – 8 more weeks of editing or 6 full months of editing and transcription
40,000 – Evaluation and collaboration with experts/fact checking, legal fees and insurance and final editing
75,000 – Lock picture and sound, color correction, mastering. Finish the movie
You can be a great help by spreading the word and sharing the Kickstarter link on Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social media. Share the trailer and the link to this Kickstarter campaign with your real and virtual friends. Word of mouth even, works best.
Here's a link to our Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/thebrainwashingofmydadmovie
Here's a link to Jen's most recent documentary:
http://www.thevanishingcity.com/
Some quotes about THE VANISHING CITY:
"The Vanishing City," a gripping new documentary, reveals ominous trends that could forever change the city's neighborhoods and communities, and not for the better." - Joe Neumaier, THE DAILY NEWS
"The Vanishing City" is a sober look at what happens when greed and bureaucratic underhandedness are allowed to run rampant over a city and destroy its neighborhoods and cultural identity." - Bernie Mooney, THE EXAMINER
Click on Jen's name by her picture in the upper right to read her bio.


The really cool Brainwashing Tees
The really cool Brainwashing Tees

Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter

There are always challenges when creating a film. It is a collaboration. You depend on others. If a parent or child gets sick there could be delays. Sometimes it's as simple as you can't schedule someone you want to interview when you would like to. But you persevere when you believe in something. All of us have a track record that shows we come through. And along the way, you need the support of others who believe in you and want you to succeed.

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