
Help Bring This Project To Life.
YOUR SUPPORT MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
This documentary feature has been a heartfelt passion project, involving years of extensive research and personal investment. And while we’ve already done a great deal of filming, there is still much work ahead of us.
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Your support can help make this project a reality, and help preserve the legacy of an artist we lost all too soon.
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AMSEL: ILLUSTRATOR OF THE LOST ART is a sponsored project of FRACTURED ATLAS, a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts service organization legally registered as a charity to fundraise in all 50 states. Donations through this page are fully tax-deductible under the law, unless otherwise noted.
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...and your support recently helped us cross the $45k fundraising milestone! Thanks so much to everyone who contributed thus far!


Ways to Contribute...
FULLY TAX-DEDUCTIBLE vs. REWARDS PERKS
Our donation page on Fractured Atlas allows donors to contribute in two different ways:
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Give through a fully tax-deductible contribution.
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Give and receive a special THANK YOU PACKAGE, as well as a partial tax-deductible contribution.
Fully tax-deductible contributions can be done either through a single, one-time donation, or ongoing monthly donations of your choice.
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To receive one of our THANK YOU PACKAGES, select the ONE-TIME button under "Choose your donation frequency". A full list of packages will be available. Please note that these are subject to change, based on ongoing printing costs and availability.
See the screengrab below that illustrates this:

$40 donation package: 9 postcards.
Designs vary by availability. Let us know if you have any preferences!
Only amounts over $30 tax-deductible.

ABOUT ART PRINTS
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Do you have a favorite Richard Amsel illustration, and would be interested in getting a print? Please inquire regarding availability, as not all images are suitable for large printing.
These prints are not poster reproductions, but print on demand pieces especially made from high definition source images of Richard Amsel's original artwork. Each print is made specifically for each donor, and are not mass produced. They are provided exclusively to donors supporting the project, and are not available for private purchase.
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Exact sizes vary by art, but each large print will be approx. 20" wide.
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These prints are intended as THANK YOU REWARDS only, exclusively for fundraising incentives for the documentary, and are not intended for commercial sale or private resale. Recipients must agree to not sell any of these thank you/rewards items.

$125 donation package: 9 postcards & 6 prints.
Designs may vary. Only amounts over $80 tax-deductible.

$225 donation package: 1 large print
Only amounts over $125 tax-deductible.
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$235 donation package: 1 large & 1 small print
Only amounts over $140 tax-deductible.
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$400 donation package: 2 large prints
Only amounts over $250 tax-deductible.

About Contributions...
WHY FRACTURED ATLAS?
Fractured Atlas is a nationally recognized service organization benefiting the needs of arts groups as well as individual artists in all disciplines. Founded in 1998, their fiscal sponsorship will allow the documentary to receive tax-deductible donations through individuals, grants, and crowdfunding campaigns. All monetary donations to the project through Fractured Atlas, where no goods or services have been exchanged, are fully tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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CAN I DONATE ONLINE?
Yes! The Fractured Atlas website can accept online donations by credit card through this link.
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Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Fractured Atlas takes an 8% fee (which is typical for such services), but it does not assess any additional fee to cover the credit card processing expense.
CAN I DONATE BY CASH OR CHECK?
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Checks are accepted, and should be made out to "Amsel: Illustrator of the Lost Art c/o FRACTURED ATLAS".
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Please mail to:
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c/o Adam McDaniel
CINEMALAD PRODUCTIONS
930 Ocean View Ave.
Unit D
Monrovia, CA 91016
USA
NOTE: Please do NOT make checks payable to Cinemalad Productions or Adam McDaniel. Fractured Atlas is our fiscal sponsor, and all financial contributions to the project should be through them. This ensures complete transparency, accurate tax filings, and that your donation is 501(c)(3) tax-deductible where applicable by law.
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WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
As grateful as I am for all the generous donations received thus far, the simple truth is that most of the project’s financing has come out of my own pocket. This documentary has been a longtime passion project, involving years of work and research. It also represents a significant monetary investment, as I’ve funded most of the production myself. (One of the major reasons why the documentary has taken me so long is because I need to work at “day jobs” to support it.)
Even when working on a razor-thin budget, anyone who has ever made a film independently can understand how “razor thin” is just a relative term. Personal projects can easily break personal bank accounts. You have to call in every possible favor from friends and family; you max out credit cards; withdraw from (or delay your investments in) retirement savings; put in overtime at your day job, etc., etc. You get the picture and the sob story.
Probably the most expensive part of the project involves travel. Many interview subjects live on the east coast, so arranging that involves airfare, ground transportation, hotel accommodations – you get the idea. Even with every cost-cutting measure in place (including calling personal favors and couch-crashing in friends' living rooms), a single trip of a few days can easily run into the thousands.
There are also operating and running costs, such as software licensing and subscriptions, as well as web site maintenance (I design and run the websites and social media entirely on my own), digital storage, equipment, mailings, and printings. The reward “perks” we offer, such as prints and postcards, also eat up a significant percentage of the donations we’ve received. There are professional services, too, that I've paid for, including legal and PR consultants.
Over the years, many others, including some animators, researchers, and transcribers, have worked for free on this project. Some have worked at either very discounted rates or for deferred pay. I’m grateful to every one of them for all their help and time on this project.
But there’s one important caveat I want to make clear: Never have I paid myself a salary.
This project has fiscal sponsorship for non-profit 501c3 status through Fractured Atlas, so every penny donated to the project is formally accounted for, and is itemized at tax time. Every expense I’ve personally made can only be reimbursed after I’ve submitted all the receipts and itemized costs. The film is still in the editing stages, and I’m looking to film even more interviews. We'll need all the help and resources we can get. Further animation, post production editing, color correcting, sound editing and mixing, clearances – all of these add up over time. Your continued support can help make it happen.
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CAN I MAKE A NONCASH DONATION?
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Any item or service can be donated in-kind. Donations of tangible goods are considered noncash donations by Fractured Atlas. They can accept almost any type of donated noncash item for the purposes of the project, and issue a receipt to the donor for the item. The notable exceptions are vehicle donations, airline miles, and airline tickets, as Fractured Atlas does not have the facilities to process such donations.
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Noncash donations will require a completed NONCASH DONATION LETTER in order to qualify as tax-deductible. Donors should complete this letter and send it either by email to richardamselproject@gmail.com, or by direct mail. Donation letters will be forwarded to the Fractured Atlas team for proper reporting and tax records.
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WHAT ABOUT DONATIONS OF SERVICES?
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We would strongly value any contributions of services toward our project, from those willing to donate their time, talents, and efforts. Please be aware, however, that such donations of services (such as pro-bono accounting/legal help) are considered in-kind donations by Fractured Atlas. These donations are undoubtedly valuable, but they are not tax deductible under the law, so Fractured Atlas cannot issue receipts for them.
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CAN I VOLUNTEER TO BE A PART OF THE PRODUCTION?
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Yes yes yes! We'd always value people's help!
Those looking for crewing or volunteer opportunities may inquire by email to richardamselproject@gmail.com.
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