Fund This: ‘The North Pole’ Remarks On A Changing City In Its Own Terms

Welcome to the Fund This column! Each week, we’ll look at a planned web series or other online video project currently in search of funding on crowdfunding sites. We’ll tell you what the series is all about and explain why it is worth your money. Do you have a project that’s currently being crowdfunded? Contact us to let us know and we may feature it in upcoming installments and check out previous installments right here.

Project Name: The North Pole

Asking For: $25,000 through Kickstarter

Amount Raised Thus Far (At Time Of Post): $3,104

Days Remaining In Campaign (At Time Of Post): 27

Description: A proposed web series is looking to tackle the “three G’s” that are currently affecting the Bay Area: Gentrification, global warming, and gluten-free donuts. The show in question is titled The North Pole, and it is hoping the raise the Kickstarter funding it needs to explore the changing nature of North Oakland.

The North Pole‘s title refers to the local nickname for North Oakland, whose long-term residents are referred to as “polar bears.” In recent years, as a wave of Silicon Valley money has swept through the Bay Area, the makeup of North Oakland has shifted dramatically, and The North Pole hopes to explore those changes through a series of characters who have watched their home change before their eyes.

The goal of The North Pole is to be both poignant and funny. The project’s pitch video begins to touch on some of the issues its creators plan to explore; it also features a talking polar bear.

Creator Bio: Josh Healey, the writer and producer of The North Pole, is also a regular performer on Snap Judgment, a podcast that consistently ranks as one of the most popular audio offerings in the United States.

Best Perk: All of the backers who pitch in at least $25 will be able to attend The North Pole‘s premiere, which will take place — where else? — in Oakland.

Why You Should Fund It: The creative team behind The North Pole has put together some creative and politically-conscious work in the past. In particular, its members thought up sketches alongside an organization known as the Movement Generation, with 2014’s “Brother Earth” serving as one of the most clever entries. The latest web series on their docket seems like it will be smart, witty, and relevant, and I am curious to see how it turns out.

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