Warne Marsh: An Improvised Life
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Documentary
A personal documentary seeking to capture the improvisational genius of saxophonist, Warne Marsh, considered by some to be one of the greatest improvisers of all time, as told by his son K.C. Marsh. It examines the price of genius while reconciling a man’s musical legacy with his personal failings.
Warne Marsh: An Improvised Life
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Documentary
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $26,095 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
184 supporters | followers
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A personal documentary seeking to capture the improvisational genius of saxophonist, Warne Marsh, considered by some to be one of the greatest improvisers of all time, as told by his son K.C. Marsh. It examines the price of genius while reconciling a man’s musical legacy with his personal failings.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
The Story
As the son of a great and underappreciated Jazz musician I feel duty bound to tell my father's story and compelled to explore our own relationship while doing so. I'm in a unique position to have easy access to the many great musicians he worked with and have had candid coversations with many of them about my father's personal qualities, both positive and negative.
I truly believe that it's my duty to present my father's talent to a larger audience. His was a unique talent and there are few artists who acheived his improvisational abilities which he spent a lifetime honing. That said I also feel strongly that there is an audience that will respond to this story on a completely different level than musical appreciation. That is the father/son story and my personal struggle with idolatry of my father while struggling with a sense of abandonment as he time and time again put music above all else. He could have been any work-a-holic father of any profession, putting work before parenting and family.
I also feel like the time is ripe for this story. On 10/31/14 the L.A. Jazz Institute is doing a 3 day concert series including a panel and tribute concert dedicated to my father. I will be there filming and capturing this historic event. More and more people are discovering his work and I have so many fantastic and insightful interviews to shed light on his musical legacy and very personal family interviews that shed light on the cost of supporting an artist in their pusuit of virtuosity.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Colorist
Costs $2,000
Fix white balance and create consistent visuals.
Editor
Costs $5,000
Piecing together the many hours of footage and creating a narrative structure.
Motion Graphics
Costs $1,000
Bringing life to stills and other effects to illustrate ideas and illuminate concepts.
Titles Designer
Costs $1,000
Create opening and ending credits and so we can thank everyone who helped!
Music Licensing
Costs $8,900
Licensing of music from publishers to be able to use Warne's music in the film. Critical!
Music Supervisor
Costs $2,150
Skilled negotiator who has music contacts and knowledge of music licensing for film.
Sound Editor
Costs $4,500
Correcting overall sound and cleaning up archival material to bring out best overall sound.
Translation Services
Costs $500
Transcription (actually) of all the interviews so everything said is in digital form for editor.
Festival Fees
Costs $600
Cost to enter multiple film festivals.
Laptop/Computer
Costs $3,500
Computer for footage preparation for editor. Transcoding, audio syncing and color grading.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Hard Drive
Costs $850
Essential for backing up footage and handing off current footage to various post production services
Share this update!
About This Team
K.C. Marsh, Director/Producer
K.C. has logged over 20 years experience working as a director, writer, actor, videographer and editor. Filmmaking proved to be in K.C.’s blood. His cinematic roots included his grandfather, Academy Award winning Director of Photography Oliver T. Marsh, his uncle Owen, a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from The Society of Camera Operators and his great aunt Mae Marsh, a silent film star. After graduating from UCSC with a BA in Theater Arts, he moved back to Los Angeles and started work in production. He was a personal assistant to television director, Victor Lobl, a producing assistant to Josh Donen, edited indie video projects, produced a cable access comedy series in which he worked camera, edited and was a principal actor, in addition to numerous production jobs where he has done everything from PA to Assistant Post Production Supervisor. He wrote and directed two short films including Blocked & Bothered, which screened at the 48hour Extreme Filmmaker Festival (nabbing a “Best Performances” nod) and Leading Ladies, which was submitted through the Sundance Shorts Lab feedback program. Combining all of his talents, K.C. currently works as an Associate Producer with Walt Disney Imagineering, Research & Development. His current project, Warne Marsh: An Improvised Life is a longtime dream of his, to tell the story of his father and his music while illuminating the struggles of living with a troubled jazz virtuoso as a parent.
EDDIE RICHEY, Jazz Consultant/Collaborator/Writer
Eddie Richey has been a working screenwriter for 21 years. During that time, Eddie has sold numerous scripts, writing assignments, and pitches including: "Little Lamb of the Cross" (Chestnut Hill), "Desperate" (RKO), "LA Stories" (Showtime), "Shadow of Death" (Universal), "Night of the Hunter" (Paramount), "Murder in Spokane" (TriStar), "36 Hours" (Warner Bros.), "Quality of Mercy" (Warner Bros.), and "Too Many Crooks" (Irwin Winkler), adapted from a Donald Westlake short story.
Produced credits include "Phoenix", directed by Danny Cannon, starring Ray Liotta and Anjelica Huston, Lakeshore, and a year spent in purgatory (television on a CBS show, The Client.)
Currently raising financing for "Three Rivers," co-written with Emily Skopov, who will direct. The original TV pilot "Bay City" is out to directors via UTA, Maria Crenna, Stun Originals producing.
He also taught screenwriting at the California Institute of the Arts from, 2005 - 2010, where he learned a lot more from the students than they learned from him.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
The Story
As the son of a great and underappreciated Jazz musician I feel duty bound to tell my father's story and compelled to explore our own relationship while doing so. I'm in a unique position to have easy access to the many great musicians he worked with and have had candid coversations with many of them about my father's personal qualities, both positive and negative.
I truly believe that it's my duty to present my father's talent to a larger audience. His was a unique talent and there are few artists who acheived his improvisational abilities which he spent a lifetime honing. That said I also feel strongly that there is an audience that will respond to this story on a completely different level than musical appreciation. That is the father/son story and my personal struggle with idolatry of my father while struggling with a sense of abandonment as he time and time again put music above all else. He could have been any work-a-holic father of any profession, putting work before parenting and family.
I also feel like the time is ripe for this story. On 10/31/14 the L.A. Jazz Institute is doing a 3 day concert series including a panel and tribute concert dedicated to my father. I will be there filming and capturing this historic event. More and more people are discovering his work and I have so many fantastic and insightful interviews to shed light on his musical legacy and very personal family interviews that shed light on the cost of supporting an artist in their pusuit of virtuosity.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Colorist
Costs $2,000
Fix white balance and create consistent visuals.
Editor
Costs $5,000
Piecing together the many hours of footage and creating a narrative structure.
Motion Graphics
Costs $1,000
Bringing life to stills and other effects to illustrate ideas and illuminate concepts.
Titles Designer
Costs $1,000
Create opening and ending credits and so we can thank everyone who helped!
Music Licensing
Costs $8,900
Licensing of music from publishers to be able to use Warne's music in the film. Critical!
Music Supervisor
Costs $2,150
Skilled negotiator who has music contacts and knowledge of music licensing for film.
Sound Editor
Costs $4,500
Correcting overall sound and cleaning up archival material to bring out best overall sound.
Translation Services
Costs $500
Transcription (actually) of all the interviews so everything said is in digital form for editor.
Festival Fees
Costs $600
Cost to enter multiple film festivals.
Laptop/Computer
Costs $3,500
Computer for footage preparation for editor. Transcoding, audio syncing and color grading.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Hard Drive
Costs $850
Essential for backing up footage and handing off current footage to various post production services
Share this update!
About This Team
K.C. Marsh, Director/Producer
K.C. has logged over 20 years experience working as a director, writer, actor, videographer and editor. Filmmaking proved to be in K.C.’s blood. His cinematic roots included his grandfather, Academy Award winning Director of Photography Oliver T. Marsh, his uncle Owen, a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from The Society of Camera Operators and his great aunt Mae Marsh, a silent film star. After graduating from UCSC with a BA in Theater Arts, he moved back to Los Angeles and started work in production. He was a personal assistant to television director, Victor Lobl, a producing assistant to Josh Donen, edited indie video projects, produced a cable access comedy series in which he worked camera, edited and was a principal actor, in addition to numerous production jobs where he has done everything from PA to Assistant Post Production Supervisor. He wrote and directed two short films including Blocked & Bothered, which screened at the 48hour Extreme Filmmaker Festival (nabbing a “Best Performances” nod) and Leading Ladies, which was submitted through the Sundance Shorts Lab feedback program. Combining all of his talents, K.C. currently works as an Associate Producer with Walt Disney Imagineering, Research & Development. His current project, Warne Marsh: An Improvised Life is a longtime dream of his, to tell the story of his father and his music while illuminating the struggles of living with a troubled jazz virtuoso as a parent.
EDDIE RICHEY, Jazz Consultant/Collaborator/Writer
Eddie Richey has been a working screenwriter for 21 years. During that time, Eddie has sold numerous scripts, writing assignments, and pitches including: "Little Lamb of the Cross" (Chestnut Hill), "Desperate" (RKO), "LA Stories" (Showtime), "Shadow of Death" (Universal), "Night of the Hunter" (Paramount), "Murder in Spokane" (TriStar), "36 Hours" (Warner Bros.), "Quality of Mercy" (Warner Bros.), and "Too Many Crooks" (Irwin Winkler), adapted from a Donald Westlake short story.
Produced credits include "Phoenix", directed by Danny Cannon, starring Ray Liotta and Anjelica Huston, Lakeshore, and a year spent in purgatory (television on a CBS show, The Client.)
Currently raising financing for "Three Rivers," co-written with Emily Skopov, who will direct. The original TV pilot "Bay City" is out to directors via UTA, Maria Crenna, Stun Originals producing.
He also taught screenwriting at the California Institute of the Arts from, 2005 - 2010, where he learned a lot more from the students than they learned from him.