I’m excited to announce that we’re finally able to start releasing the episodes of “Hitwomen”. This has been one of the most life-changing, inspiring, exhausting, and exhilarating experiences I’ve had thus far. I learned…basically…how to shoot guns and kick ass. I worked with amazing people who are amazing at their craft. I formed what I can only assume will be lifelong friendships with some of the most amusing freaks in the world. I wouldn’t change a goddamn thing. I only wish I had better documentation of the bruises and scabs I accumulated during filming. Them shits was gnarly.
Here it is, the first episode of our three-part (so far) series. Enjoy and pass around if you will! Post it on FacePlace, Tweet it, Plus One it (or whatever the hell Google would have you do), burn it to DVD and throw copies at passers-by, just help us get it out there!
I’d love it if you’d subscribe to the Hitwomen website and keep checking up for more videos, photos, and information about future endeavors. A thousand-and-one thanks to the people who donated to the Kickstarter fund, without them this wouldn’t have been possible.
It being the new year and all, I’ve been thinking a lot about what, exactly, I’d like to do with this site and my business. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out what I can bring to the table, business and entertainment wise. I think I have an interesting voice in the belly dance world…I am at least mildly funny and I find my personality disorder to be entertaining, if nothing else. I am also in a position to offer online classes and support, which I don’t tend to see a lot of in the tribal belly dance world. I’d love to create and offer more content, but I simply cannot with the set up I have right now.
My computer is dying. It can’t keep up with the type of video editing I need to do, and it wheezes and whines when I open photoshop. I can’t get to where I need to be with the machinery I have now. I can get a refurbished Macbook Pro for $1300.
I need a decent video recorder. I have an alright webcam for private lessons via Skype, but it won’t do for pre-recorded online classes. I’ve been looking around, and HD cameras with good ratings tend to be around $400-500.
The last piece of the pie is marketing related. I plan on doing a predominately grass-roots marketing plan, as I generally hate marketing myself, but I still would like to have the cheddar to put a couple of ads in belly dance magazines and local Tucson-based magazines, too. For this, I have estimated $200 right off the bat, but I’m sure it will cost more.
I always feel weird about reaching out for help, as I am fiercely stubborn and wildly independent, but I have absolutely no means to do this myself at this point in time. I have it a lot better than 99% of the world’s population, but I still live on a diet of, predominately, potatoes and eggs and don’t have health insurance. I am reaching out to you all in the hopes that you might do me a solid and I’ll hope to be in a position to do you a solid in the future.
Even $5 towards this goal is appreciated, but if you hit these marks, I’ll have little prizes for you:
$25 – A shout-out on my website and Facebook. If you have a website you’d like me to link (safe-for-work content only, jokers), I will link it, as well.
$50 – A signed 8×10″ print of my “Playing Card” image. Not just a wimpy headshot, you could frame this baby and impress your friends.
$100 – A month of online classes. If you don’t particularly care to take online classes, you can gift it out.
$500 or more – My undying devotion and three months of online classes for yourself or a friend.
$1000 or more – A year of online classes for yourself, or you could split it up as much as you want for gifts.
Here are the things I plan to offer on my site if I get the funding I need:
Ask the Belly Dancer – A vlog where I answer user-submitted questions.
Monthly full-face makeup tutorials (for members)
Monthly Skype interviews with fellow dancers, designers, and entertainers.
3-4 online dance classes per week.
I will keep you all in-the-know about where I am with my goals. You can also support me in my goal by booking me for performances, taking my classes, or scheduling private lessons with me. Thank you all so much for your interest in my little site.
You read it, Hitwomen was fully funded!!! A huge, massive, hugs-and-sloppy-kisses thank you to all the people who donated their hard-earned cash to see this project go through. I hope it’s not weird to say we’d probably drunkenly make out with each and every one of you and regret it in the morning, that’s how much it means to us to have your money.
The Hitwomen comic!!!
We want to start this thing up, like, now-ish, but the director, Chris Sato, is currently finishing his epic film “Heaven is Hell” so we’ll have to wait a couple of months. In the meantime, you should check out the photos and videos from that FB page and get all twitterpated about it…I know I am. Also, you *might* get to see me get shot in the face (I hope…chest is kinda lame) in “Heaven is Hell” during one of the fight scenes. It’s worth a watch for that alone, I think. ;)
We did a little fundraiser to try to get the rest of the money we needed for the show, and Bob of Nichnet was nice enough to give us some of the footage from the show! If you didn’t come out during that perilous (tornado and golf-ball sized hail filled) night, put a drink in your hand, sit down in an uncomfortable wooden chair, watch this video and pretend you were there.
