When I was invited to a screening of The Space Between with director, producer and actor Amy Jo Johnson, I knew I was going to meet a superhero. Johnson was an original Power Ranger. (The first Pink Power Ranger to be specific.)
I ran into the Power Rangers once at Emerald City Comicon but they were cosplayers. Johnson is the real deal, both as a Power Ranger and an actress in general. Her dozens of TV and film credits include starring roles in Felicity, Flashpoint, and The Division.
The Superhero and The Space Between
She played a superhero in years past, and her long list of credits for this film suggest that she’s still an over-achiever:
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
- Actor
- Wrote and performed Crackerjacks in the soundtrack
Thinking about what to wear to the screening, I kept thinking “super hero,” so my own clothing choice was obvious: The Superhero shirt I was given as a blood donor. But that’s a story for another day.
The screening at the Chalet Theater in Enumclaw, Washington (near Seattle) was part of the film’s Super Host Tour. The “Super Hosts” in this case were musicians whose work was included in the film. In fact, the film showing was followed by a concert with three artists from the soundtrack:
- The Forgotten 45s
- Jeff Hamilton
- Amy Jo Johnson
The evening was surreal. When’s the last time you got to watch an award-winning movie, followed by Q & A with the writer / director/ producer all wrapped into one. While the credits are still rolling, you see your own name roll by. Then the director and two of the bands featured in the movie play sets that include their music from the film.
Crowdfunding and Cinema
Crowdfunding projects that involve technology are risky. In my experience, projects involving films are more likely to be completed. The Space Between is an example of a crowdfunding project that made it to the finish line. However, that finish was years away.
The crowdfunding project on Indiegogo was funded on November 23, 2014, but that was only the beginning. Producer and accomplished fund-raiser Jessica Adams shared with the supporters on 4/5/16:
We have just completed post production on the film – its looking great and we are so excited to share the film with you!
However we cannot publicly release the film until after we’ve completed our festival circuit. Which will most likely be January 2017. We will keep you all updated on our Festival premiere and circuit! It’s a bit of a waiting game and you never know which festivals will screen the film until a few months before.
World Premiere was at the Shanghai International Film Festival in June, 2016.
Temporary download codes were emailed to supporters on 9/20/17 so they finally got to see the film themselves. After showing at a dozen film festivals, the film was finally ready to be seen in theaters.
Seeing my name roll down the screen at the end, along with several hundred of my closest friends, was a reminder that this had been a good bet. (Actually my second solid bet on Amy Jo’s productions.)
Jessica snagged me in the lobby and sold me one of the film’s blue T-shirts. Crowdfunding means they never stop fund-raising. However, it’s got to be easier while the final product is on the screen.
What a super woman! Thanks for sharing this wonderful article.