FILM PIONEER GEORGES MÉLIÈS'S LONG-LOST AUTOBIOGRAPHY

WE HAVE BOXES!
over 5 years ago – Mon, Aug 03, 2020 at 11:42:59 PM

The wooden boxes just arrived! Finally! Box sets are GO. Because they are two weeks later than the ‘they’ll definitely be with you by’ date, it makes things a bit tricky. This week we’re starting my daughter at nursery and my wife goes back to work AND I have a deadline on a job for 2 weeks time, so although we’ll be packing boxes in every spare minute, we have less spare minutes than the whole 2 weeks we’d put aside to do this.

We’ve decided that the most efficient way of doing this is to make up all of the box sets first, then package them up and post them. We have somewhere between 400 and 500 to do. So, it might take at least a couple of weeks to assemble them and then another week to get them all posted. With international mail being what it is right now, I have no idea about how long it’ll take to get to you but they are at least finally on the way! Please enjoy this photo of my living room...

Jon

Better News!
over 5 years ago – Wed, Jul 29, 2020 at 06:36:26 PM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

Another fun update!
over 5 years ago – Wed, Jul 29, 2020 at 12:54:10 AM

Hi Backers,

So.... Ugh.

Here was the plan - and it was a great plan; The wooden boxes, which house the box sets were due to arrive at my tiny house on July 15th. I spent two weeks in early July preparing the things to go into the wooden boxes. I packed these into cardboard boxes which filled my under-stairs area. I ordered all of the packaging materials - many huge bags of inflatated protective wrap, protectove paper and, of course, cardboard boxes - all to ship over 400 box sets out in. These would all arrive the day before the wooden boxes, which coincided with the first day of my wife’s two-week summer holiday from work. My family would join us and, within 10 crazy, hard-workin’ days, we would have assembled, packaged and shipped out all 400 box sets. We would then clean the house and make it ours once more (remember we still have a couple of thousand copies of the book stacked in boxes in various places around the - did I mention TINY -  f*cking house? We woukd then ise the last few days to go away and celebrate my wife’s 40th birthday (1st August) in a covid-related-disappointingly-low-key manner  and then return to our tiny house and enjoy the space and relaxation of this period of Post-Méliès satisfaction. I say relaxation, she has to return to work and I have to finish the edit of my next feature film. 

BUT IT WAS A GOOD PLAN, MY FRIENDS.

Until the wooden boxes didnt show up. After much strained communication with the manufacturers in China - who flat-out refuse to give me any information above a single, useless, tracking number - it SEEMS that the whole consignment of 22 crates is stuck in customs in the Netherlands due to their covid problems. I have little understanding of global shipping logistics but apparently it needs to get to Poland to get to UPS who will then deliver it to me. If anyone speaks Chinese and could explain the following screengrab... this is all I could get out of the manufacturer. 

So. Here we are. It sucks. I have no idea right now when you will recieve your box sets or when my house will no longer look like this:

If I have ANY news, I’ll let you know. If you need to contact me, send me a direct mesage, dont leave a comment. I get messages that youve left comments, but I can never find the comments. Also, it was a genuine plea - if anyone can translate the Chinese text in the image above, I’d very mich appreciate it.

Jon

Little strips of plastic.
over 5 years ago – Sun, Jul 05, 2020 at 11:20:31 PM

Hello Backers, 

In the attached photo, you will see some little strips of plastic. My life right now is little strips of plastic. They are the seal covers from the protective bags which I’m using to keep everything safe inside the box sets. They are very light and highly, highly charged with static - so they get everywhere and stick to everything.   Each box has two bags in it, meaning that currently I’m working up to 1000 of these plastic strips floating around the house. 

As you can imagine, my family are thrilled about this. I believe we’re about 10 days away from the boxes themselves arriving. These will take up even more space than the books. And there are still lots of books here. So I’m working hard to be ready for their arrival. This means having all of the contents ready to go.  I had the reproductions of the manuscript printed as separate pages rather than as a booklet because I felt that was more authentic. They look great. But individually collating them and getting them sealed into their bags was no small job. Now I’m bagging the prints up too.   Once the boxes arrive, each individual set will need to be assembled, numbered, packaged and posted. There are about 500 going out (upgrades or extra box sets still available on a very limited basis).  

I’m doing all of this by myself as one of us has to be looking after the baby, we’re also both juggling full-time work at the moment and desperately trying to eke our family-time too.   Why do I burden you with this sob story? Well, to explain why I haven’t been responding to messages recently. I’ve always rather prided myself on fast and meaningful responses but right now, I just don’t have the time or energy. I’m really sorry. Right now I am only receiving two types of message from you guys - the first, which is lovely, are compliments and congratulations and just really sweet messages about how happy you are with the finished book. I love these. Thank you. I will eventually reply to all of them! The second type, understandably, are “where is my book?” Messages.  

Quite simply, it seems that global shipping is f*cked up right now. I’ve had books reach Australia within a week and taking three weeks to reach France. More often than not, when I’ve replied to these messages, the package has turned up the next day anyway. Can I ask you all just to be patient? I think it’s valid to allow 6 weeks right now before we investigate. And the same will go for the box sets. I should begin dispatching them on the 16th, let’s allow six weeks for international delivery before we panic. Everything is insured and trackable.  

I just don’t want to appear rude by not answering messages but right now my priority (along with my full-time day job and family) is to get the box sets assembled, packed and despatched as quickly as possible. I’ll deal with correspondence after that time.   

Thanks so much,   

Jon  

PS - if you haven’t already, please do post about your book on social media and include the hashtag #georgesmelies and the URL www.georgesmelies.co.uk - it makes a huge difference to me!

Some fun news!
almost 6 years ago – Fri, Jun 19, 2020 at 09:23:02 PM

Hello Backers!

Thought you might enjoy this... Your names are about to land on the shelves of the world’s most serious movie collectors.

Arrow Films have just announced the website exclusive box set version of their upcoming Méliès A Trip To The Moon Blu-Ray. I’ve contributed a new video essay to the disc and the collectors edition comes with a copy of our book! It’s limited to 1000 copies only and it’s the same version of the book that you have. So you’re all named in it.

I’ve had to keep it a secret up until the announcement today. I believe a non-book version is on the way, so don’t worry about double-dipping.

Details are here: https://arrowfilms.com/product-detail/george-m-li-s--a-trip-to-the-moon---autobiography-blu-ray/FCD2003

In other news, The box set boxes are on the way and I’m assured I’ll have them by July 15th. We’ve been busy preparing all of the stuff that goes in them so we can start loading and dispatching them as soon as the delivery gets here.

Thanks so much to those of you who have received your copies of the book and sent lovely messages. I appreciate them all but posts on social media with the #georgesmelies hashtag really, really helps to spread the word. Thanks!

All the best,

Jon