Fri Jul 14 '17 Announcement
over 7 years ago
– Fri, Jul 14, 2017 at 04:46:00 PM
We did it! Our Flowers of Battle fundraiser ended early this morning, and from an initial ask of $8K, we raised just over $38,000 -- 468% of the original goal! That far and exceeded our hopes ($12k) and dreams ($20k). OK, it shattered them completely! Here is what your support achieved:
- 1. As soon as the funds release, Volume One will go off to the printers, no further pre-selling required.
- Volume One will now be not only a full-color facsimile, but full-color throughout.
- Image rights are funded.
- There is now sufficient money in the bank to launch Volumes Two and Three as soon as the manuscripts are completed. (This is HUGE as the idea here was to raise enough to get Volume One funded, then use it to fund Volume Two, Two to fund Three, etc.)
- There is now clearly enough interest in the project to expand Volume Four into TWO Volumes, allowing us to do a revised edition of Filippo Vadi's De Arte Gladiatoria AND to include the relevant images and analysis of the German branches of the "Dei Liberi Tradition", bringing the entire (currently known) corpus of work together in one series for the first time.
Here's What Comes Next
I am completing the set-up for Backer-Kit, which is the largest crowd-funding management tool on the market. Backer-Kit will send you a "survey" that confirms your mailing address, how you want your name listed in the book (for those of you who pledged "anonymous", we'll assume you want your name listed in the book, unless you tell us otherwise here). You will then have the choice of a series of optional add-ons. You want an extra copy of Volume One? This is where you do that? Want one of the awesome Florius Ms t-shirts? Same place. Everything is already good and ready to go? Just skip ahead and confirm.
When Do I Get My Stuff?
Surveys are collected over a week, and then Backer-Kit will begin to process orders. Digital files will automatically become available by link at that time. Posters, sala-edition training guides and the bastoncelli will ship with Volume One, so those of you who bought the higher packages will get everything besides the additional books at once. (Bling items will ship separately as orders are placed.)
Finally, Backer-Kit stays live until we fulfill EVERYTHING, so if you want to add something during that time you still can!
Again, thank you all from the bottom of our heart. As someone who has breathed, slept and sometimes dreamed about Fiore dei Liberi and his art for the past two decades, this is the realization of a dream.
Wed Jul 12 '17 Announcement
over 7 years ago
– Wed, Jul 12, 2017 at 10:29:00 AM
Two days to go, and I have good news!
We have broken our $32K barrier, which means that contributors will now receive a digital copy of a unique short story (from Fiore dei Liberi's point of view) by renowned historical fiction writer Christian Cameron!
As of this writing we are just two subscribers short of $33K, which would totally blow away our original expectations (and even our wildest hopes), and there are still chances to contribute and be listed as a "subscriber" in volume one. Well, for the next two days, anyway! After that, there will be chances to preorder books, add to your contribution, and buy some sexy Flower of Battle bling courtesy of Antiqui-tees, derived from the gorgeous imagery in the Florius manuscript.
We are in the final countdown! Next update, we'll tell you what everyone's contributions achieved, what comes next, and how to work with your Backer-kit surveys!
Fri Jul 7 '17 Announcement
over 7 years ago
– Fri, Jul 07, 2017 at 12:11:16 PM
Well, that was fast!
Eight hours later, we hit our $30K goal! (Well, we're $9 short, but I'm going to call that unlocked.) We've done so well with the campaign that Indiegogo is featuring us in their Arts & Film Collection.
Now just the $32K goal remains to be reached. (And there is just one "Rival Masters" perk left!) We are working with BackerKit to develop the Add Ons shop, which will allow you to add additional volumes of the book and some cool Fiore-bling courtesy of Antiqui-Tees. We'll be back with examples in our next update!
Have a great weekend!
Greg
Thu Jul 6 '17 Announcement
over 7 years ago
– Thu, Jul 06, 2017 at 01:08:04 PM
Greetings!
Eight days remain! With the end in sight, we thought it a good time to tell you where we're at, and where we hope to get in the final stretch.
Our original goal -- fund Volume One and cover art costs for Volume Three -- is long met. Better, we have already ear-marked the funds for production and printing costs for Volume Two. But we are very, very close to raising enough money to fund the first three volumes right now, meaning that as each manuscript is completed, it goes directly to the printers. To help in these final goals, a few
Final Stretch Goal: $32K - See a Swordfight the Through Fiore's Eyes
We're just over $1k away from the $30K goal, and with it the upgrade from Mastering the Art of Arms, Volume One to the complete Mastering the Art of Arms, three volume Series, courtesy of Guy Windsor.
In publishing delays can be death of a project, so the less roadblocks to getting all four volumes out of our computers and into your hands, the better! We are now very, very, very close to having enough funding to finance Volume Three, and have a professional, outside proof-reader do a final read through of each manuscript before printing, meaning that the moment the manuscript is finished, it goes to the printer. Looking at this, we are creating one final stretch goal of $32K, and as of this writing we are only a little over $3k away.
It seems wrong to ask for more money without something in return, so...
Inspired by Guy's generosity, renowned historical novelist (and one of our backers!) Christian Cameron thought he'd lend his own talents to help us reach our final goals. Christian is a devoted practitioner of armizare, so much so that in his novels The Ill-Made Knight, The Longsword, and the about-to-be released The Green Count, a young Fiore himself appears as a companion-at-arms and martial instructor to the series hero, William Gold, and is seen through his eyes. Inspired by Guy Windsor's generosity, Christian has offered to pen a short story from Fiore's point of view. Ever wonder what was going through the master's mind when he fought his five, famed duels? This is the closest we'll ever get to finding out.
ADD-ONS
We have been asked about this A LOT! The short answer is, yes, both books and bling the long answer is -- stay-tuned for tomorrow's update! Here's a teaser:
Remember, there are still four Rival Master reward levels available, AND a dozen Magistro rewards, so several of the higher perk-levels remain. One of them can be yours today!
Tue Jun 27 '17 Announcement
over 7 years ago
– Tue, Jun 27, 2017 at 07:41:48 AM
Hi everyone,
OK, we are just about half-way there! 17 days remain, and we can't wait to get the first volume off to the printers. (We have to wait for the final subscriber list so that we can make sure their names appear in lights...er...print.)
Meanwhile, we are getting *thisclose* to $30K, so we thought it was time to open another stretch goal. This one comes courtesy of armizare researcher and teacher Guy Windsor. Starting at the Magistro donation level, contributors receive the first volume of Guy's Mastering the Art of Arms series. If we unlock our goal, you will instead receive digital copies of ALL THREE volumes in the series. So if you have been debating whether to contribute now or to upgrade your pledge, there's no better time than the present!
That's all for now, but here's a sneak peek at another passage from the forthcoming Pisani-Dossi translation:
The cover of my Master is the best;
A mezza volta, and take it in the chest!
Through th’ Master’s cover ‘n mezza volta outside
I’ll strike and bind you and from your steel divide.
With my left hand your strike I do defend,
My honor with this counter sure to mend.
This left-hand action’s bound to make you turn
Or open up where t’counterstrike I yearn.
If you’re in armor, use this good defense;
And in the middle key take him from hence.
The middle key, where fights come to the end
And against which plain nothing can defend.
