The Beachcomber Inc Information

"We think Duke is one of the great unheralded voices in American music," says Wheeler. "We want to share Duke's story and his talents as a singer-songwriter with music lovers the world over. After 45 years, he's due." In 1957, young Bardwell heard Presley's version of "Old Shep" and was instantly moved by the raw emotion and unabashed sentimentality of the ballad. From that moment on, his life was changed. "That song about that old dog made me cry, and I knew that some day I would have to find a way to play music for a living," says Bardwell, who spent much of his life in Baton Rouge, but has lived in Santa Rosa Beach since 1989. Bardwell's destiny was set, but sometimes destiny has a cruel sense of humor. The film follows the journey that led Bardwell to his own failed shot at fame, and ultimately found him standing in the presence of the King. Two men-one who should've been famous, the other more famous than any who came before or since. This is the story of Duke & the King. Wheeler shares directing chores with fellow filmmaker Wayne Franklin, who had almost given up on independent film. Odd, considering Franklin was one of the founders of Birmingham's Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. "Indie film was supposed to be about getting around the gatekeepers of Hollywood, but we only created a whole new set of gatekeepers," says Franklin, referring to festival programming teams. "I talked to filmmakers who made their films specifically to appeal to Sundance programmers. Audiences were an afterthought." But then came Kickstarter. Wheeler and Franklin are among a growing number of filmmakers, writers, bands, artists, and other creative types who are turning to Kickstarter to raise money for their projects. Kickstarter is an online platform for "crowd funding" creative projects. Essentially, a minimum funding goal is set, offering different funding levels for those interested in contributing to the project. Rewards are offered for each of those levels. Franklin, pointing to industry developments such as self-distribution and crowd funding, sees the final barriers to true independent filmmaking coming down. "It's helped to restore my faith in indie film by leveling the playing field in some ways," he says. "Kickstarter is sort of like those NPR fundraisers, but the rewards we offer are way better than something like a Car Talk coffee mug. You can get everything from the DVD and autographed memorabilia to a private concert with Duke." But there is one crucial caveat to Kickstarter-no project gets funded unless it reaches the funding goal (which typically runs 30 to 60 days). "So, if we don't make our goal, you don't get charged a penny," Wheeler explains. "This is a great way for fans to share in the movie-making experience. Kickstarter has really exploded on the indie scene. It's a brilliant idea...just wish I had thought of it first."