Director Jay Cheel Seeks Funds to Make Next Feature-Length Documentary 'How to Build a Time Machine'

Crowd-sourcing your project's budget has become all the rage, especially amongst indie-type creators. And why wouldn't it, what with all the success stories lately. Well Canadian director Jay Cheel is hopping on the bandwagon and asking for help to fund his second full-length documentary, How To Build A Time Machine. The movie will dig into the tale of John Titor, a supposed time-traveller from 2036, who travelled back to 1975 to obtain an IBM 5100 computer, then stopped off in the year 2000 and set off the imaginations of an Internet community of time-travel enthusiasts with details about the future and how his time machine works.

But you've already donated to several projects just in the last month or so and you feel plenty of warm-fuzzies having given to deserving endeavors; Why should you care about yet another? All you'd have to do is watch the simultaneously fascinating and hilarious campaign video after the jump, but I'll tell you why else you should.

Jay Cheel has only directed one feature-length documentary, Beauty Day, and I haven't gotten the chance to see it yet. But when I have some extra spending cash at my disposal, I'm going to be ordering the DVD online, because Jay has already proven himself as a talented filmmaker who tackles fascinating topics. Working with Canadian game-developer Silicon Knights he directed The Goblin Man of Norway, a short that imagines the actual discovery of a fictional ancient technology found in their game Too Human. Many attempts at viral marketing campaigns like that come off as cheesy, but he plays it off as completely serious and I was easily sucked in, even knowing none of it was real.

Then there are his Halloween shorts for FilmJunk.com, the site his friend runs. The Running Tunnel and Colore Non Vedenti are fun and very well done horror-inspired stories that set up the plot, build the tension, and then throw a curve ball that surprises and makes you smile. The ending of Colore still makes me laugh.

The intriguing story behind How To Build A Time Machine -- coupled with Cheel's filmography of shorts -- has me excited to watch the end result. If I've managed to excite you as well, consider tossing him some cash so he can get recording. For $20 you get a thank you in the film's credits and a digital download of the final product, and for $30 you can watch a sneak peek before it's out and get a special-edition DVD upon release. Perks go up from there, including coupons and tickets to the Hot Docs film festival, a limited edition poster for the film made by artist Jesse Philips, tickets to the premiere and after party, and a private screening with the director. It's up to you how much you want to give.

To donate, head over to the project page on the Hot Docs: Doc Ignite site. Here's the campaign's trailer for an idea of what the film would be like.