Uncle Bertie's Botanarium

By Duncan Sarkies

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NZ $8,006 pledged


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This campaign was successful and closed on 11/05/2012 at 9:23 PM.

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About

Uncle Bertie's Botanarium

Project 2012-03-28 23:43:08 +1300

Salutations
Greetings seafarers, city slickers, country types, historians, botanists and lovers of the ridiculous.

What we are trying to do
Help us to make our dream of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium Episode I: Cheese Dreams in the Gravy Isles come true. We are planning, come hell or high water, to make Episode I of a radio podcast, scripted by Duncan Sarkies and featuring the music of Lawrence Arabia and performances by Jemaine Clement and Nigel Collins. The podcast also features sound design by Nic McGowan and illustrations by Stephen Templer.

We need your help
We will be recording the podcast in May and we are determined to do a really good job of it. This Pledge Me campaign is an important way you can help us to raise the minimum funds we need, and you will get something cool in return.  

[International Pledgers ... please add $5 to the rewards up to and including The Super-Duper Supreme reward OR $15 to the Art, Literature or Music packages to cover additional postage costs.  Thanking you in advance]

A little bit about the story - Episode 1: Cheese Dreams in the Gravy Isles
Mr Banks is a famous aristocratic idle botanist who is a lord in the ugly squalor of Damprot-Upon-Tyne, the jewel of the Gravy Isles. A varicose vein cheese dream leads him to the secret botanarium of Bank’s Uncle Bertie. Uncle Bertie was a laughing stock amongst botanists due to his belief in the existence of ‘Heaven's Clover’, a plant on the other side of the Boiling Ocean rumoured to offer a lifetime of pleasure. He disappeared in search of the plant, never to be seen again.

Mr Banks announces that he will set sail to the Boiling Ocean and beyond, to restore his family name and to rid the world of pleasure. He selects a crew of untrustworthy seafarers, botanists and dandys. As the sailors leave the port for pastures unknown and probable certain death they sing a moving farewell dirge, I Left My Heart in the Gravy Isles.

A little about us
Lawrence Arabia is a splendid musician. In 2010 he won the APRA Silver Scroll with Apple Pie Bed.  He has written many other songs worth crowing about: Talk About The Good Times, The Beautiful Young Crew and Auckland CBD. He has toured with Crowded House, Feist and Okkervil River and will soon be jetting to the UK to promote his forthcoming album The Sparrow.

Duncan Sarkies is a writer who is mostly known for working with brother Robert on Scarfies and their highly anticipated film Two Little Boys. He has written two episodes for the Flight of the Conchords and his novel Two Little Boys has been warmly received in New Zealand and the UK.

Stephen Templer is an illustrator, artist and amateur shaman. He has illustrated for Fatcat and Fishface on their short animated film The Wreck of the Diddley and designed props for The Hobbit. His artwork can be seen all over the country and is always in hot demand. See his website to get an idea of his style. Also, we've displayed some of his artwork below.

Our other collaborators are a superb bunch. Jemaine Clement is extremely well known for his HBO TV Series Flight of the Conchords, Nigel Collins has toured extensively with the Flight of the Conchords, the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra and much-loved theatre show Wheeler's Luck. Nic McGowan has produced radio plays, albums by many prominent Wellington bands and created sound designs for film and theatre. He is a perfectionist; he can often be found in the wee small hours rustling trees and sloshing around on boats to capture soundscapes for his many projects.


Where we have been and where we are going

Uncle Bertie's Botanarium
is a project that we have been working on for three years and has so far resulted in a short film, and a rollicking ten episode synopsis that we will turn into more radio podcasts and a grapic novel. After that, who knows, but we do salivate a little at the prospect of eventually creating a feature film…


Some of the art you can purchase to help us

Below are some of Stephen Templer's artworks made specifically for Uncle Bertie's Botanarium. You can purchase an A3 limited edition of Discovery of the Botanarium in 'The Art Package' for $120. The other images you can get are a set of 8 postcards ($25), or as part of the 'Super-Duper Podcast Package' ($40).



Discovery of the Botanarium


Postcard images

Your own line, guaranteed

These are some of the lines on offer:

'Ow! Ow! Stop it! Please! Ow!'
'Nathaniel! Nathaniel!'
'I would like a delicious piece of gorgonzola and a pint of melted cat cheddar.'
'What a load of claptrap.'
'There is nothing beyond the Boiling Ocean. I know this as well as I know the world is flat.'
'This book is a nonsense. Burn the book! Burn the book!'
'Even calling it a weed is xenophobic to the extreme.'
'Speaking of shrivel, you should see inside my breetches.'
'You may be a woman Sheila, but you always have such interesting botanical points.'
'Ow! I love queuing. Ow!'
'Okey dokey, but remember to thrash him three times daily.'
'That's me your honour. I saw him on bended knee. Drool was coming out of his mouthal regions, and I saw him havin' his way with the chrysanthemum.'
'I don't like his widow's peak.'
'There's no such thing as Heavens Clover. That's just a sailor's fancy.'

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why do you need an illustrator for a radio podcast?
A. Stevie will influence what is created with his illustrations, and his illustrations will become a focal point in the project in the future. For the radio podcast Stevie will inspire the sound design with his illustrations. Think of him as like Terry Gilliam in Monty Python.

Q. Yeah, but Monty Python was a TV show. You could see it with your eyes.
A. Okay then. Think of him as like Andrew Ridgeley in Wham. Or that guy that never sang or played an instrument and just danced a lot in Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
Q. Okay.
A. That wasn’t a question.
Q. Or was it?




Comments

Updates 2

Blimey ... Another NEW REWARD

08/05/2012 at 12:37 AM

Just added the opportunity for you to have Duncan Sarkies come and give a motivational speech! Aimed at Advertising Agencies ... but if the hat fits grab it quick as only one of these on offer.

NEW REWARDS

03/05/2012 at 5:04 AM

We've added a new reward ... the chance to be an Executive Producer.  It comes with some pretty cool opportunities so check it out.

And only one chance to secure an evening with Lawrence Arabia, Duncan Sarkies and Stephen Templer - the ultimate 'reward'!

    Pledgers 158

    Tanya Barlow
    08/05/2012 at 7:10pm
    Beka Whale
    08/05/2012 at 6:00pm
    Phillip Rendle
    08/05/2012 at 5:10pm
    Anonymous pledger
    08/05/2012 at 4:11pm
    Holly Cox
    08/05/2012 at 4:09pm
    Ally Jackson
    08/05/2012 at 2:53pm
    Steven Woller
    08/05/2012 at 1:52pm
    Hugh Davidson
    08/05/2012 at 1:41pm
    Fifi Colston
    08/05/2012 at 1:04pm
    Nik Chapman
    07/05/2012 at 9:29pm
    Sandy Jeffs
    07/05/2012 at 8:13pm
    Heather Galbraith
    07/05/2012 at 5:32pm
    Fiona Elwood
    07/05/2012 at 12:19pm
    Matt Powell
    07/05/2012 at 12:10pm
    Erin Harrington
    07/05/2012 at 12:00pm
    Anonymous pledger
    06/05/2012 at 6:14pm
    charles b
    06/05/2012 at 2:36pm
    Alexander Jon Finnigan Fergus
    05/05/2012 at 4:18pm
    Anonymous pledger
    04/05/2012 at 8:57pm
    Hannah
    04/05/2012 at 7:45pm
    Tracey Monastra
    04/05/2012 at 10:51am
    Kat Guard
    04/05/2012 at 10:33am
    James Burgess
    04/05/2012 at 9:24am
    Sylwia Rejs
    04/05/2012 at 8:11am
    Chris Kunz
    03/05/2012 at 5:21pm
    Murray Lynch
    03/05/2012 at 5:18pm
    Palantae
    03/05/2012 at 3:52pm
    John
    03/05/2012 at 12:46pm
    Nicole
    03/05/2012 at 10:37am
    kirsten johnstone
    02/05/2012 at 1:05pm

    Followers

    Followers of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium

    Uncle Bertie's Botanarium

    Project 2012-03-28 23:43:08 +1300

    Salutations
    Greetings seafarers, city slickers, country types, historians, botanists and lovers of the ridiculous.

    What we are trying to do
    Help us to make our dream of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium Episode I: Cheese Dreams in the Gravy Isles come true. We are planning, come hell or high water, to make Episode I of a radio podcast, scripted by Duncan Sarkies and featuring the music of Lawrence Arabia and performances by Jemaine Clement and Nigel Collins. The podcast also features sound design by Nic McGowan and illustrations by Stephen Templer.

    We need your help
    We will be recording the podcast in May and we are determined to do a really good job of it. This Pledge Me campaign is an important way you can help us to raise the minimum funds we need, and you will get something cool in return.  

    [International Pledgers ... please add $5 to the rewards up to and including The Super-Duper Supreme reward OR $15 to the Art, Literature or Music packages to cover additional postage costs.  Thanking you in advance]

    A little bit about the story - Episode 1: Cheese Dreams in the Gravy Isles
    Mr Banks is a famous aristocratic idle botanist who is a lord in the ugly squalor of Damprot-Upon-Tyne, the jewel of the Gravy Isles. A varicose vein cheese dream leads him to the secret botanarium of Bank’s Uncle Bertie. Uncle Bertie was a laughing stock amongst botanists due to his belief in the existence of ‘Heaven's Clover’, a plant on the other side of the Boiling Ocean rumoured to offer a lifetime of pleasure. He disappeared in search of the plant, never to be seen again.

    Mr Banks announces that he will set sail to the Boiling Ocean and beyond, to restore his family name and to rid the world of pleasure. He selects a crew of untrustworthy seafarers, botanists and dandys. As the sailors leave the port for pastures unknown and probable certain death they sing a moving farewell dirge, I Left My Heart in the Gravy Isles.

    A little about us
    Lawrence Arabia is a splendid musician. In 2010 he won the APRA Silver Scroll with Apple Pie Bed.  He has written many other songs worth crowing about: Talk About The Good Times, The Beautiful Young Crew and Auckland CBD. He has toured with Crowded House, Feist and Okkervil River and will soon be jetting to the UK to promote his forthcoming album The Sparrow.

    Duncan Sarkies is a writer who is mostly known for working with brother Robert on Scarfies and their highly anticipated film Two Little Boys. He has written two episodes for the Flight of the Conchords and his novel Two Little Boys has been warmly received in New Zealand and the UK.

    Stephen Templer is an illustrator, artist and amateur shaman. He has illustrated for Fatcat and Fishface on their short animated film The Wreck of the Diddley and designed props for The Hobbit. His artwork can be seen all over the country and is always in hot demand. See his website to get an idea of his style. Also, we've displayed some of his artwork below.

    Our other collaborators are a superb bunch. Jemaine Clement is extremely well known for his HBO TV Series Flight of the Conchords, Nigel Collins has toured extensively with the Flight of the Conchords, the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra and much-loved theatre show Wheeler's Luck. Nic McGowan has produced radio plays, albums by many prominent Wellington bands and created sound designs for film and theatre. He is a perfectionist; he can often be found in the wee small hours rustling trees and sloshing around on boats to capture soundscapes for his many projects.


    Where we have been and where we are going

    Uncle Bertie's Botanarium
    is a project that we have been working on for three years and has so far resulted in a short film, and a rollicking ten episode synopsis that we will turn into more radio podcasts and a grapic novel. After that, who knows, but we do salivate a little at the prospect of eventually creating a feature film…


    Some of the art you can purchase to help us

    Below are some of Stephen Templer's artworks made specifically for Uncle Bertie's Botanarium. You can purchase an A3 limited edition of Discovery of the Botanarium in 'The Art Package' for $120. The other images you can get are a set of 8 postcards ($25), or as part of the 'Super-Duper Podcast Package' ($40).



    Discovery of the Botanarium


    Postcard images

    Your own line, guaranteed

    These are some of the lines on offer:

    'Ow! Ow! Stop it! Please! Ow!'
    'Nathaniel! Nathaniel!'
    'I would like a delicious piece of gorgonzola and a pint of melted cat cheddar.'
    'What a load of claptrap.'
    'There is nothing beyond the Boiling Ocean. I know this as well as I know the world is flat.'
    'This book is a nonsense. Burn the book! Burn the book!'
    'Even calling it a weed is xenophobic to the extreme.'
    'Speaking of shrivel, you should see inside my breetches.'
    'You may be a woman Sheila, but you always have such interesting botanical points.'
    'Ow! I love queuing. Ow!'
    'Okey dokey, but remember to thrash him three times daily.'
    'That's me your honour. I saw him on bended knee. Drool was coming out of his mouthal regions, and I saw him havin' his way with the chrysanthemum.'
    'I don't like his widow's peak.'
    'There's no such thing as Heavens Clover. That's just a sailor's fancy.'

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q. Why do you need an illustrator for a radio podcast?
    A. Stevie will influence what is created with his illustrations, and his illustrations will become a focal point in the project in the future. For the radio podcast Stevie will inspire the sound design with his illustrations. Think of him as like Terry Gilliam in Monty Python.

    Q. Yeah, but Monty Python was a TV show. You could see it with your eyes.
    A. Okay then. Think of him as like Andrew Ridgeley in Wham. Or that guy that never sang or played an instrument and just danced a lot in Frankie Goes To Hollywood.
    Q. Okay.
    A. That wasn’t a question.
    Q. Or was it?




    Comments

    Blimey ... Another NEW REWARD

    08/05/2012 at 12:37 AM

    Just added the opportunity for you to have Duncan Sarkies come and give a motivational speech! Aimed at Advertising Agencies ... but if the hat fits grab it quick as only one of these on offer.

    NEW REWARDS

    03/05/2012 at 5:04 AM

    We've added a new reward ... the chance to be an Executive Producer.  It comes with some pretty cool opportunities so check it out.

    And only one chance to secure an evening with Lawrence Arabia, Duncan Sarkies and Stephen Templer - the ultimate 'reward'!
      Tanya Barlow
      08/05/2012 at 7:10pm
      Beka Whale
      08/05/2012 at 6:00pm
      Phillip Rendle
      08/05/2012 at 5:10pm
      Anonymous pledger
      08/05/2012 at 4:11pm
      Holly Cox
      08/05/2012 at 4:09pm
      Ally Jackson
      08/05/2012 at 2:53pm
      Steven Woller
      08/05/2012 at 1:52pm
      Hugh Davidson
      08/05/2012 at 1:41pm
      Fifi Colston
      08/05/2012 at 1:04pm
      Nik Chapman
      07/05/2012 at 9:29pm
      Sandy Jeffs
      07/05/2012 at 8:13pm
      Heather Galbraith
      07/05/2012 at 5:32pm
      Fiona Elwood
      07/05/2012 at 12:19pm
      Matt Powell
      07/05/2012 at 12:10pm
      Erin Harrington
      07/05/2012 at 12:00pm
      Anonymous pledger
      06/05/2012 at 6:14pm
      charles b
      06/05/2012 at 2:36pm
      Alexander Jon Finnigan Fergus
      05/05/2012 at 4:18pm
      Anonymous pledger
      04/05/2012 at 8:57pm
      Hannah
      04/05/2012 at 7:45pm
      Tracey Monastra
      04/05/2012 at 10:51am
      Kat Guard
      04/05/2012 at 10:33am
      James Burgess
      04/05/2012 at 9:24am
      Sylwia Rejs
      04/05/2012 at 8:11am
      Chris Kunz
      03/05/2012 at 5:21pm
      Murray Lynch
      03/05/2012 at 5:18pm
      Palantae
      03/05/2012 at 3:52pm
      John
      03/05/2012 at 12:46pm
      Nicole
      03/05/2012 at 10:37am
      kirsten johnstone
      02/05/2012 at 1:05pm

      Followers of Uncle Bertie's Botanarium

      This campaign was successful and got its funding on 11/05/2012 at 9:23 PM.