Hearts of Glass
Jackson, Wyoming | Film Feature
Documentary
"Hearts of Glass" will capture the drama of the 1st year of operation of Vertical Harvest, a cutting-edge greenhouse in the heart of Jackson, Wyoming. Can a vertical farm with a social mission nourish a community & become a model for others? Donations tax-deductible through Slow Food in the Tetons.
Hearts of Glass
Jackson, Wyoming | Film Feature
Documentary
1 Campaigns | Wyoming, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $27,756 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
169 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
"Hearts of Glass" will capture the drama of the 1st year of operation of Vertical Harvest, a cutting-edge greenhouse in the heart of Jackson, Wyoming. Can a vertical farm with a social mission nourish a community & become a model for others? Donations tax-deductible through Slow Food in the Tetons.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
The Story
NOURISHING COMMUNITY
Hearts of Glass, a feature-length documentary, will tell the story of the critical first year of operation of Vertical Harvest, an innovative multi-story greenhouse located in the heart of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In addition to providing a year-round crop of vegetables and fruits to community members, the project was developed to offer consistent, meaningful, fair-paying jobs to Jackson residents with disabilities. There is no other project like this in the world. It combines a vertical farming business, housed in a building specifically constructed for that purpose, with the social good of employing an underserved group in the community.
This high profile, expensive and untested project has faced many challenges, with more to come as it opens its doors to the public in June 2016. Will this hybrid – a vertical greenhouse with a social mission – become a functioning business model transferrable to other communities? Will the lives of a marginalized community be enriched? Will the two women behind the project achieve something amazing? With your support, we can find out.
PERSPECTIVES and CONNECTIONS
It’s exciting to step into the unknown with this innovative business. We have rich characters with a lot at stake personally and professionally. Hearts of Glass will feature various points of view – food producers and consumers both inside and outside of Vertical Harvest. We are excited to include the voices of some of the employees with disabilities and their family members. It’s an opportunity to allow some less-visible community members to tell their own stories and raise awareness about an underemployed population.
Heart of Glass will allow us to connect interest groups who, previously, may not have overlapped. For example, folks who are passionate about locally produced sustainable food may know nothing about the need for meaningful employment for individuals with disabilities. This film can deepen existing connections and create new ones.
COLLABORATION
JenTen Productions and Slow Food in the Tetons, a Jackson non-profit that is a local chapter of Slow Food USA, are teaming up to bring Hearts of Glass to fruition. Slow Food in the Tetons works to grow the Jackson, Wyoming and the surrounding areas’ economies in sustainable food by supporting producers, educating consumers and connecting them together in the spirit of good, clean and fair food. Hearts of Glass supports their mission by highlighting local food production and the relationships between producers and consumers. The film will also touch on the need for education around healthy, sustainable food choices and fair treatment of the individuals who grow our food.
CULTIVATING SUPPORT
We have worked hard to gather early local support for Heart of Glass and are immensely grateful to our initial donors for their contributions to pre-production and the start of production. The project is being supported through grant funding (Wyoming Humanities Council and the Center of Wonder), and by donations from businesses (First Interstate Bank, Conservation Energy Works, Prugh Real Estate and RE/MAX Obsidian Real Estate) and individuals.
Funds raised through our Seed&Spark campaign will go toward production expenses, specifically, paying crew members like our director of photography, sound recordist and loggers.
Seed&Spark allows us to get beyond the small valley of Jackson Hole and to invite others to participate in Hearts of Glass. Please note that we are also participating in The Untold Story Rally, which puts us in the running for additional funding and distribution!
INCENTIVES
We have great incentives ranging from shout-outs on social media to a pre-screening dinner at the director’s house. So whether you're a seed or a beefsteak tomato, we want you to be part of the harvest. We’re striving for sustainability, so we are focusing on incentives items that can be delivered and shared digitally. Because the film is under the fiscal sponsorship of the non-profit Slow Food in the Tetons, US donations are tax-deductible, less the value of goods and services provided to donors. For more information click on the WISHLIST tab.
OUR TEAM
The film will be produced and directed by Jennifer Tennican /JenTen Productions, LLC. The 2015 JenTen documentary, Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story, was recently accepted for distribution by American Public Television (APT). Wyoming PBS, the presenting station, and public television stations nationwide began airing the program in April 2016. The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads, another JenTen project, was also distributed by American Public Television. Both documentaries have won numerous awards at film festivals throughout the nation and both had sold out premieres at the Center for the Arts in Jackson. Many members of the creative team who worked on one or both of the previous films will return for this project. For more information click on THE TEAM tab.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Sound Recordist
Costs $4,500
15 days at $300/day for a sound recordist with equipment. It's a great rate and we need a dedicated sound person for shoots.
Director of Photography / Cinematographer
Costs $12,000
We need our DP/Cinematographer! She's a pro and she's giving us a great rate of $600/day (including camera package).
Logger
Costs $6,000
We are covering a year in the life of the greenhouse - we need to keep our footage logged and organized. This should cover 10 wks - yeah!
Transcriptions
Costs $2,500
Transcripts of interviews help our writer create our script. We're estimating 10 -15 interviews. Help our writer out!
Share this update!
About This Team
Jennifer Tennican, Producer/Director
Jennifer Tennican, a Jackson, Wyoming resident since 2002, has been making documentaries for over 15 years. Most recently she directed and produced, Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story, an award-winning documentary about 91-year-old Jackson Hole conservation icon Bert Raynes. The program is being distributed nationally by American Public Television with Wyoming PBS as the presenting station. Approximately 200 public television stations in 40 states and the District of Columbia began airing it in April. Ms. Tennican also directed and produced the award-winning The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads. This hour-long documentary was also distributed nationwide by American Public Television and presented by Wyoming PBS. Aired on 158 stations in 31 states and the District of Columbia, the film explores 70 years of cultural change in and around Jackson Hole. In 2011, she won the Wyoming Short Film Contest with Highway 22 Revisited, a comedic spin-off inspired by her work on The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads.
Melinda Binks, Director of Photography/Camera
Melinda Binks is a camerawoman, producer and director based in Jackson, Wyoming. For over 10 years, she has worked on independent documentary films and documentary television series. She has worked both nationally and internationally.
Ms. Binks television work includes A&E's Emmy-award winning Intervention, ABC's New York Med, and National Geographic's Southern Justice and Rocky Mountain Law. Much of her independent filmmaking, in collaboration with non-profit organizations, has focused on social justice issues. Ms. Binks is most proud of the awarding-winning film Africa's Daughters and the Right to Know/Right to Decide series produced for Oxfam America about the clash between extractive industries and indigenous peoples.
In Wyoming, she has worked closely with filmmaker Jennifer Tennican and writer Rebecca Huntington. This collaboration includes five years of short environmental news stories for PBS's This American Land and two independent documentaries: The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads and Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story. Both award-winning films were distributed nationally by American Public Television.
Trask McFarland, Editor/Graphics
Trask McFarland has extensive production and post-production experience in documentary filmmaking, having worked on various projects for National Geographic, PBS, NBC and RUSH HD. He has also worked on the award-winning feature length adventure films, Valhalla and One World. Over the last several years, Mr. McFarland has collaborated frequently with JenTen Productions. He edited and created graphics for the award-winning and nationally-distributed documentaries Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story and The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads. After years of living in Jackson, Wyoming, he and his family have moved to Kentucky. Mr. McFarland still has strong ties to the Jackson community and continues to work on Wyoming-based projects.
Marni Walsh, Production Manager / Post Supervisor
Marni Walsh has over 20 years of production and post-production experience in film and video. She has worked with National Geographic, BBC, Discovery Channel, PBS, NBC, Terra Mater Factual Studios and Outside Television. Her projects range from commercials to adventure sports series to documentaries. Ms. Walsh excels at managing budgets, field and post-production teams and thrives on the logistical challenges of moving crews and equipment across dangerous and remote locations. She has collaborated with Jennifer Tennican/JenTen Productions on several documentaries that have been distributed nationally by American Public Television. She calls Jackson, Wyoming home.
Lori Roux, Co-Producer
Prior to moving to Jackson, Wyoming, in 2001, Lori Roux worked as a producer and director for one of the nation’s largest broadcast corporations, ESPN. After moving to Jackson, she worked for KJWY NBC2, a local NBC affiliate. Her experience ranges from producing and directing to reporting and filming. Ms. Roux's work on a documentary about Howard Head is a Telly Award winner; the film is currently on exhibit at the Colorado Ski Museum and is in the Smithsonian Institute's archives. Recently, Ms. Roux has focused her attention on documentary-style work for private clients and non-profits. She has been a contributor on several JenTen Productions including Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story and The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads.
Blake Ciulla, Camera
Blake Ciulla is an independent filmmaker who was born and raised in Jackson, Wyoming. After receiving his BA from Montana State University in Media and Theatre Arts, Mr. Ciulla returned to Jackson to work for Brain Farm Digital Cinema. At Brain Farm, he focused on post-production for clients such as MTV, RedBull Media House, NBC and National Geographic. Mr. Ciulla recently worked as a cameraman on the official music video for country artist Dylan Scott and on a commercial for Mazda. He has collaborated frequently with Ms. Tennican and was a cameraman for the award-winning and nationally distributed JenTen Productions’ documentary, Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story. He is passionate about stories originating in his hometown and is thrilled to be working on Hearts of Glass.
Rebecca Huntington, Writer
A multi-media journalist, Rebecca Huntington writes for film, radio and print. She lives and works in Jackson, Wyoming and is a frequent collaborator with JenTen Productions. Most recently, she wrote the award-winning and nationally-distributed documentary film Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story, produced by JenTen Productions. Prior to that, she co-wrote The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads, another award-winning, nationally-distributed documentary produced by JenTen Productions. Ms. Huntington has written and produced segments for the environmental series This American Land, which was broadcast nationally on PBS stations. She was also a writer and producer for Assignment Earth, a series that was broadcast on Yahoo News and NBC affiliate stations.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
The Story
NOURISHING COMMUNITY
Hearts of Glass, a feature-length documentary, will tell the story of the critical first year of operation of Vertical Harvest, an innovative multi-story greenhouse located in the heart of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. In addition to providing a year-round crop of vegetables and fruits to community members, the project was developed to offer consistent, meaningful, fair-paying jobs to Jackson residents with disabilities. There is no other project like this in the world. It combines a vertical farming business, housed in a building specifically constructed for that purpose, with the social good of employing an underserved group in the community.
This high profile, expensive and untested project has faced many challenges, with more to come as it opens its doors to the public in June 2016. Will this hybrid – a vertical greenhouse with a social mission – become a functioning business model transferrable to other communities? Will the lives of a marginalized community be enriched? Will the two women behind the project achieve something amazing? With your support, we can find out.
PERSPECTIVES and CONNECTIONS
It’s exciting to step into the unknown with this innovative business. We have rich characters with a lot at stake personally and professionally. Hearts of Glass will feature various points of view – food producers and consumers both inside and outside of Vertical Harvest. We are excited to include the voices of some of the employees with disabilities and their family members. It’s an opportunity to allow some less-visible community members to tell their own stories and raise awareness about an underemployed population.
Heart of Glass will allow us to connect interest groups who, previously, may not have overlapped. For example, folks who are passionate about locally produced sustainable food may know nothing about the need for meaningful employment for individuals with disabilities. This film can deepen existing connections and create new ones.
COLLABORATION
JenTen Productions and Slow Food in the Tetons, a Jackson non-profit that is a local chapter of Slow Food USA, are teaming up to bring Hearts of Glass to fruition. Slow Food in the Tetons works to grow the Jackson, Wyoming and the surrounding areas’ economies in sustainable food by supporting producers, educating consumers and connecting them together in the spirit of good, clean and fair food. Hearts of Glass supports their mission by highlighting local food production and the relationships between producers and consumers. The film will also touch on the need for education around healthy, sustainable food choices and fair treatment of the individuals who grow our food.
CULTIVATING SUPPORT
We have worked hard to gather early local support for Heart of Glass and are immensely grateful to our initial donors for their contributions to pre-production and the start of production. The project is being supported through grant funding (Wyoming Humanities Council and the Center of Wonder), and by donations from businesses (First Interstate Bank, Conservation Energy Works, Prugh Real Estate and RE/MAX Obsidian Real Estate) and individuals.
Funds raised through our Seed&Spark campaign will go toward production expenses, specifically, paying crew members like our director of photography, sound recordist and loggers.
Seed&Spark allows us to get beyond the small valley of Jackson Hole and to invite others to participate in Hearts of Glass. Please note that we are also participating in The Untold Story Rally, which puts us in the running for additional funding and distribution!
INCENTIVES
We have great incentives ranging from shout-outs on social media to a pre-screening dinner at the director’s house. So whether you're a seed or a beefsteak tomato, we want you to be part of the harvest. We’re striving for sustainability, so we are focusing on incentives items that can be delivered and shared digitally. Because the film is under the fiscal sponsorship of the non-profit Slow Food in the Tetons, US donations are tax-deductible, less the value of goods and services provided to donors. For more information click on the WISHLIST tab.
OUR TEAM
The film will be produced and directed by Jennifer Tennican /JenTen Productions, LLC. The 2015 JenTen documentary, Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story, was recently accepted for distribution by American Public Television (APT). Wyoming PBS, the presenting station, and public television stations nationwide began airing the program in April 2016. The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads, another JenTen project, was also distributed by American Public Television. Both documentaries have won numerous awards at film festivals throughout the nation and both had sold out premieres at the Center for the Arts in Jackson. Many members of the creative team who worked on one or both of the previous films will return for this project. For more information click on THE TEAM tab.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Sound Recordist
Costs $4,500
15 days at $300/day for a sound recordist with equipment. It's a great rate and we need a dedicated sound person for shoots.
Director of Photography / Cinematographer
Costs $12,000
We need our DP/Cinematographer! She's a pro and she's giving us a great rate of $600/day (including camera package).
Logger
Costs $6,000
We are covering a year in the life of the greenhouse - we need to keep our footage logged and organized. This should cover 10 wks - yeah!
Transcriptions
Costs $2,500
Transcripts of interviews help our writer create our script. We're estimating 10 -15 interviews. Help our writer out!
Share this update!
About This Team
Jennifer Tennican, Producer/Director
Jennifer Tennican, a Jackson, Wyoming resident since 2002, has been making documentaries for over 15 years. Most recently she directed and produced, Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story, an award-winning documentary about 91-year-old Jackson Hole conservation icon Bert Raynes. The program is being distributed nationally by American Public Television with Wyoming PBS as the presenting station. Approximately 200 public television stations in 40 states and the District of Columbia began airing it in April. Ms. Tennican also directed and produced the award-winning The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads. This hour-long documentary was also distributed nationwide by American Public Television and presented by Wyoming PBS. Aired on 158 stations in 31 states and the District of Columbia, the film explores 70 years of cultural change in and around Jackson Hole. In 2011, she won the Wyoming Short Film Contest with Highway 22 Revisited, a comedic spin-off inspired by her work on The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads.
Melinda Binks, Director of Photography/Camera
Melinda Binks is a camerawoman, producer and director based in Jackson, Wyoming. For over 10 years, she has worked on independent documentary films and documentary television series. She has worked both nationally and internationally.
Ms. Binks television work includes A&E's Emmy-award winning Intervention, ABC's New York Med, and National Geographic's Southern Justice and Rocky Mountain Law. Much of her independent filmmaking, in collaboration with non-profit organizations, has focused on social justice issues. Ms. Binks is most proud of the awarding-winning film Africa's Daughters and the Right to Know/Right to Decide series produced for Oxfam America about the clash between extractive industries and indigenous peoples.
In Wyoming, she has worked closely with filmmaker Jennifer Tennican and writer Rebecca Huntington. This collaboration includes five years of short environmental news stories for PBS's This American Land and two independent documentaries: The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads and Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story. Both award-winning films were distributed nationally by American Public Television.
Trask McFarland, Editor/Graphics
Trask McFarland has extensive production and post-production experience in documentary filmmaking, having worked on various projects for National Geographic, PBS, NBC and RUSH HD. He has also worked on the award-winning feature length adventure films, Valhalla and One World. Over the last several years, Mr. McFarland has collaborated frequently with JenTen Productions. He edited and created graphics for the award-winning and nationally-distributed documentaries Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story and The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads. After years of living in Jackson, Wyoming, he and his family have moved to Kentucky. Mr. McFarland still has strong ties to the Jackson community and continues to work on Wyoming-based projects.
Marni Walsh, Production Manager / Post Supervisor
Marni Walsh has over 20 years of production and post-production experience in film and video. She has worked with National Geographic, BBC, Discovery Channel, PBS, NBC, Terra Mater Factual Studios and Outside Television. Her projects range from commercials to adventure sports series to documentaries. Ms. Walsh excels at managing budgets, field and post-production teams and thrives on the logistical challenges of moving crews and equipment across dangerous and remote locations. She has collaborated with Jennifer Tennican/JenTen Productions on several documentaries that have been distributed nationally by American Public Television. She calls Jackson, Wyoming home.
Lori Roux, Co-Producer
Prior to moving to Jackson, Wyoming, in 2001, Lori Roux worked as a producer and director for one of the nation’s largest broadcast corporations, ESPN. After moving to Jackson, she worked for KJWY NBC2, a local NBC affiliate. Her experience ranges from producing and directing to reporting and filming. Ms. Roux's work on a documentary about Howard Head is a Telly Award winner; the film is currently on exhibit at the Colorado Ski Museum and is in the Smithsonian Institute's archives. Recently, Ms. Roux has focused her attention on documentary-style work for private clients and non-profits. She has been a contributor on several JenTen Productions including Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story and The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads.
Blake Ciulla, Camera
Blake Ciulla is an independent filmmaker who was born and raised in Jackson, Wyoming. After receiving his BA from Montana State University in Media and Theatre Arts, Mr. Ciulla returned to Jackson to work for Brain Farm Digital Cinema. At Brain Farm, he focused on post-production for clients such as MTV, RedBull Media House, NBC and National Geographic. Mr. Ciulla recently worked as a cameraman on the official music video for country artist Dylan Scott and on a commercial for Mazda. He has collaborated frequently with Ms. Tennican and was a cameraman for the award-winning and nationally distributed JenTen Productions’ documentary, Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story. He is passionate about stories originating in his hometown and is thrilled to be working on Hearts of Glass.
Rebecca Huntington, Writer
A multi-media journalist, Rebecca Huntington writes for film, radio and print. She lives and works in Jackson, Wyoming and is a frequent collaborator with JenTen Productions. Most recently, she wrote the award-winning and nationally-distributed documentary film Far Afield: A Conservation Love Story, produced by JenTen Productions. Prior to that, she co-wrote The Stagecoach Bar: An American Crossroads, another award-winning, nationally-distributed documentary produced by JenTen Productions. Ms. Huntington has written and produced segments for the environmental series This American Land, which was broadcast nationally on PBS stations. She was also a writer and producer for Assignment Earth, a series that was broadcast on Yahoo News and NBC affiliate stations.