Cottonwood Update #17: Meet the Sponsors

With the low budget we have it is extremely important to get sponsors to help you financially and in other ways. I was extremely happy to get some amazing sponsors for Cottonwood. Without them this film would never happen and so I feel it is important to thank them and tell you a little bit about them.

BARC:

BARC stands for Business, Arts, and Recreation Center. It is located in downtown Windom. The building was actually the old Windom School building and was very close to getting torn down until a group of people bought it and turned it around. Today it is like a community center with events, clubs, churches, and businesses utilizing it 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I developed a relationship with the BARC a couple of years back and since then it has been like a giant studio for us. Greg down at the BARC has been a mentor to me and the whole crew and I cannot thank the entire BARC staff enough for their continued support in everything we do. We try to give back and help at the BARC as much as we can, but it is small compared to what the BARC has done for us.

River City Eatery:

Mari down at the River City Eatery has supported me and my films since the first one, Mousetrap, back in 2013. She has been there to help us time and time again from letting us film in the restaurant to offering catering for the film crew. River City Eatery opened in the old bakery a couple of years back and has been getting more and more successful every year. Mari seems to keep adding on to the place and making it bigger and better. River City Eatery has some of the best food you can get and a great staff. We really cannot thank Mari and everyone at River City Eatery for their support.

McDonalds of Windom:

My dad and grandpa, Rick and Wes Clerc, have not only supported me since I started making films back in 2010, but have gone above and beyond to act in the films and take on crew positions. They own 5 McDonald's in SWMN including Fairmont, Windom, Blue Earth, Marshall, and St. James. They know with owning a very successful business comes the opportunity to give back to the community, and that they do. My dad and grandpa try to give to all kinds of community events from sponsoring little league teams in Windom to road races in Mountain Lake. McDonald's of Windom recently helped the Windom Area High School fund their brand new scoreboard which is in the New Gym. I need to thank my dad and grandpa for supporting me, but also supporting events all over the communities in which they have restaurants in.

Extra Touch Auto:

I did not know Paul Porath, the owner of Extra Touch Auto in Windom, that well until we became good friends with his son Tylan. After multiple times of stopping by his shop to talk to Tylan we started to talk to Paul about the movie and our ideas. Paul soon jumped on board and helped us out big time with the car crash scene from lending us equipment to spending hours and hours getting the car to roll. Paul did not have to come down and help us for hours, but he chose to and that is something I can never repay him for. Extra Touch Auto is located off of Highway 71 in Windom and is a great spot to get your car fixed. From oil changes to mechanical issues and vehicles for sale, Extra Touch Auto is the place to go. Quality service without burning a hole in your pocket!

First Floral Hallmark:

First Floral Hallmark located in downtown Windom has been a staple of the community since 1978. David and Marilee Strom, the owners, used to be my neighbor when I was younger. I remember going over to David's studio and checking out his amazing art. David paints grain elevators and silos and has a very unique style that has brought him all over Minnesota with his art. I cannot thank David and Marilee for their continued support in all I do. It is not too often that small town businesses give back like they do. Go visit First Floral Hallmark for all of your floral needs and much more!

Enspired:

I got to know the owner of Enspired in Windom, Hilary Mathis, from our time working together at the Haunted House at the BARC in Windom. Her energy and excitement made her easy to talk to fun to be around. It came down to the last couple of hours in our funding campaign when Hilary came out and helped us big time. Enspired is a small business in small town. She came forward and supported me when there was no need to. We need more people like Hilary in this world. People who will do good and support local events and people in the community. Enspired is a gift shop in downtown Windom that sells a large variety of items. We love the big bar from Enspired. It truly is the only stuff that works! Thanks Hilary for everything you do!

Cottonwood County Citizen:

The Citizen has been covering me and my films since Mousetrap. Rahn, Dave, Trevor, and everyone at the Citizen have been so supportive of the films and everything we do. For Cottonwood they opened up their office to us so we were able to film in an actual Newspaper Office. Rahn has done some amazing stories, keeping the community caught up with what we are doing. I will never forget the first newspaper article Rahn did on me. Exposure is huge in this industry and I cannot thank the Citizen for getting the word out there about my film making career.

Fulda Area Credit Union:

I had the opportunity to talk to Wayne from Fulda Area Credit Union of Windom at Riverfest. He was interested in the film and told me to stop down and talk about a possible sponsorship opportunity. I went down and talked to him about the film and college. After a great conversation he decided to hop on board the project and make Fulda Area Credit Union a sponsor. Thanks to Wayne and everyone down at Fulda Area Credit Union for their support for this film. It really means a lot to me and the whole crew!

Lens Pro To Go:

LensProToGo.com is a rental website for cameras, lenses, and everything related to film and photography. It started off as a small rental site ran out of a garage and now is a fairly large company shipping all over the world. I was able to get a hold of Paul, who is the owner LensProToGo and have a good conversation on the phone with him. Lens Pro To Go jumped on board to sponsor the film. Thanks to Paul and everyone at Lens Pro To Go for making this happen. Check them out for lenses, tripods, lights, and even cameras. Honestly if you want to test a camera before you by it, this is the place to go. http://www.lensprotogo.com

Matthews:

Matthews is the industry standard for lighting stands, lighting equipment, and many other film making gear. I was able to get in touch with Matthews asking for a possible sponsorship. I went into it with little hope of coming away with a sponsorship as this is top notch gear used in your favorite Hollywood Movies. But I ended up getting in touch with the Vice President, Tyler, and he was very excited to help us out. It is awesome to see such a huge company work with young filmmakers like myself. If you take the time to ask, there are always going to be people there to help. I cannot thank Tyler and the whole crew at Matthews for supporting me and the film. It means a lot! Check out Matthews here: https://www.msegrip.com/

Well there they are. The sponsors of Cottonwood. I really owe everyone at these companies and businesses so much. Investing in young people is one of the greatest things you can do. Thanks for believing in me and the whole crew!

Until next time!

Ethan Clerc