That leads me to today. The founder of TOMS shoes, Blake Mycoskie, spoke at our chapel today. Big event, Moody was packed. As he spoke about how giving was at the heart of his business and how it produces success, I hatched an idea. After he spoke, I ran back to my dorm and typed up this letter.
Dear Blake,
My name is Ben Weaver, and I'm a student at Abilene Christian University, where you just spoke at our chapel. You're talk made me think a lot, about the nature of giving and how, if it is at the root of whatever you do, crazy stuff will happen. I am majoring in Multimedia (which is the closest thing this school has to Film Production), and your talk made me consider the industry I'm planning to enter into, about what it is at its core. Essentially, movies are giving, the sharing of stories and people and events from one person to another. But it seems that the giving that filmmakers do is only for their profit. They exploit audiences for our desire to be entertained and receive a huge income. But what if there was a film that changed the way Hollywood shared its stories?
My idea is to make a documentary about TOMS shoes. Not a small video clip played on a web site or before a TV show; I'm talking playing in the theater beside the next George Clooney thriller or the new Sarah Jessica Parker romantic comedy. Never mind giving audiences a quality film to enjoy, but this documentary will give audiences the one thing they otherwise cannot experience--a chance to watch a complete shoe drop. As a TOMS customer, I love the concept of giving a shoe to someone who needs it. But I soon forgot about the thrill of doing good for someone else because I had no mental reminders (save the actual pair of shoes). I didn't get to put the shoes on the feet of the kids. Most people can't. But if we make a documentary showing the experience, both customers and non-customers will be able to see the smiling child that you said changed your life.
But the film comes with a twist--the film is only made if we give 50 percent of the ticket sales to the production and distribution of TOMS shoes. Let's put this in perspective. You guys are about to give away your 1,000,000 pair of shoes next week. If we make this film and only 1/4 of the people who bought a pair go to see the film, that would be 250,000 people. For argument's sake, say that half of a ticket costs $4. TOMS would bring in $1,000,000. But that's not what's going to happen--everyone loves TOMS, so they'll get everyone and their mom to go see the film. Let's compare it to the 8th top grossing film of last year, "The Blind Side." The film sold 27,796,809 tickets. If we sold that many tickets, it would be an income of around $55,600,000. This would not count the numerous other ways that a film makes money. That's insane.
But why do this? Isn't the idea of giving a child shoes enough? Well Blake, you talked about sustainability today, doing something that will last and turn and continue. If we make a documentary with this 1/2 income mindset, we could change the reasons why people go to the movies. Before, we go to be entertained, to be temporarily taken out of the world we live in that so often hurts and breaks us. But if we make this film, people will go not to be entertained, but to help. To love. To give. That is the deepest and greatest reason to go to movies, to do anything. This film would be in direct line with the ideology of your shoe company.
If you decide you want to talk more about this idea, my cell phone number is 8177292944, and you have my email. If not, then just know your talk made me rethink the ways I can influence the world through the work I want to do.
For that, and for everything, thanks,
Ben Weaver
(I wrote my email address here.)
After I typed it, I ran to find if he had already left, trying to chase him down from one building to the next, when I finally found that he was speaking in Hart Auditorium. I raced over there and sat in on the Q & A that was for COBA students. After he finished, he signed autographs for 10 minutes then made his way up the stairs to the exit of the room, which is at the back. I was standing in the hallway leading to the door, letter in hand. I called out "Blake!" He looked over. I said "if you want an idea that will earn $55 million for your company and change the film industry, read this. If not, throw it away." I placed it in his hand, and he more or less laughed at me. I assume he gets that a lot. After I handed it to him, I walked away and didn't look back.
I don't think anything will come of it. He has probably had hundreds of people come up to him with the same idea. But, I don't know. It was worth a shot. Better than living, not knowing what could have been.
My name is Ben Weaver, and I'm a student at Abilene Christian University, where you just spoke at our chapel. You're talk made me think a lot, about the nature of giving and how, if it is at the root of whatever you do, crazy stuff will happen. I am majoring in Multimedia (which is the closest thing this school has to Film Production), and your talk made me consider the industry I'm planning to enter into, about what it is at its core. Essentially, movies are giving, the sharing of stories and people and events from one person to another. But it seems that the giving that filmmakers do is only for their profit. They exploit audiences for our desire to be entertained and receive a huge income. But what if there was a film that changed the way Hollywood shared its stories?
My idea is to make a documentary about TOMS shoes. Not a small video clip played on a web site or before a TV show; I'm talking playing in the theater beside the next George Clooney thriller or the new Sarah Jessica Parker romantic comedy. Never mind giving audiences a quality film to enjoy, but this documentary will give audiences the one thing they otherwise cannot experience--a chance to watch a complete shoe drop. As a TOMS customer, I love the concept of giving a shoe to someone who needs it. But I soon forgot about the thrill of doing good for someone else because I had no mental reminders (save the actual pair of shoes). I didn't get to put the shoes on the feet of the kids. Most people can't. But if we make a documentary showing the experience, both customers and non-customers will be able to see the smiling child that you said changed your life.
But the film comes with a twist--the film is only made if we give 50 percent of the ticket sales to the production and distribution of TOMS shoes. Let's put this in perspective. You guys are about to give away your 1,000,000 pair of shoes next week. If we make this film and only 1/4 of the people who bought a pair go to see the film, that would be 250,000 people. For argument's sake, say that half of a ticket costs $4. TOMS would bring in $1,000,000. But that's not what's going to happen--everyone loves TOMS, so they'll get everyone and their mom to go see the film. Let's compare it to the 8th top grossing film of last year, "The Blind Side." The film sold 27,796,809 tickets. If we sold that many tickets, it would be an income of around $55,600,000. This would not count the numerous other ways that a film makes money. That's insane.
But why do this? Isn't the idea of giving a child shoes enough? Well Blake, you talked about sustainability today, doing something that will last and turn and continue. If we make a documentary with this 1/2 income mindset, we could change the reasons why people go to the movies. Before, we go to be entertained, to be temporarily taken out of the world we live in that so often hurts and breaks us. But if we make this film, people will go not to be entertained, but to help. To love. To give. That is the deepest and greatest reason to go to movies, to do anything. This film would be in direct line with the ideology of your shoe company.
If you decide you want to talk more about this idea, my cell phone number is 8177292944, and you have my email. If not, then just know your talk made me rethink the ways I can influence the world through the work I want to do.
For that, and for everything, thanks,
Ben Weaver
(I wrote my email address here.)
After I typed it, I ran to find if he had already left, trying to chase him down from one building to the next, when I finally found that he was speaking in Hart Auditorium. I raced over there and sat in on the Q & A that was for COBA students. After he finished, he signed autographs for 10 minutes then made his way up the stairs to the exit of the room, which is at the back. I was standing in the hallway leading to the door, letter in hand. I called out "Blake!" He looked over. I said "if you want an idea that will earn $55 million for your company and change the film industry, read this. If not, throw it away." I placed it in his hand, and he more or less laughed at me. I assume he gets that a lot. After I handed it to him, I walked away and didn't look back.
I don't think anything will come of it. He has probably had hundreds of people come up to him with the same idea. But, I don't know. It was worth a shot. Better than living, not knowing what could have been.
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