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Last update: 2026-05-30

Introduction

This page is intended to provide details about the project budget and expenditures to-date for our crowdfunding campaign contributors, as well as those who are considering making a contribution.

This documentary project is a serious effort to create a real theatrical movie, and with that comes associated costs and risks. I believe that it is important for contributors to know how the funds are being spent, and what tasks lie ahead.

A similar overview was provided on our Indiegogo campaign in the summer of 2024. That budget was pared down to a minimum at that time. The current budget reflects what it would take to make the very best film in terms of presentation, and to get it “festival ready”, including required licensing costs.

An additional pledge to major contributors: Supporters with contributions totaling $500 (Associate Producer tier) or more may receive a copy of a more detailed line-item budget. Those with contributions totaling $2,000 or more (Co-Executive Producer tier) may visit for an in-person inspection of the books, to ensure that revenue and spending align with what is stated publicly.

Background

Since January, 2024, I have had the privilege of interviewing many of the original Organ Grinder co-founders, performers, staff, and fans. I have been given unprecedented access to archives containing thousands of photos and documents, music recordings, and vintage 16mm film reels. People have generously supplied their home videos of precious moments. Volunteers have contributed services including professional film restoration, and Internet sleuths have contributed facts and tips.

Principal photography is approximately 95% complete, with the help of crowdfunding and the backing of friends & family.

This has become a nation-wide production, with the majority of founder/builder/performer interviews conducted in Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, with additional supplemental historical and contemporary interviews and historical site shoots in Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.


Long-form fan/patron interviews have been conducted, with plans for “rapid-fire” fan anecdotes to be collected at a central location in the future.

Production Statistics

• 102 Shoots
• 66 Locations
• 85 Interviewees
• 120+ Hours of footage
• 1,000+ Scanned photos
• 100’s of clippings & docs
• Dozens of home videos
• Dozens of hours of digitized music
• 5 Restored films
• 11 States, 2 Countries

Principal Interview Subjects Recorded

• Co-founders Dennis Hedberg and Jerry Forchuk.

• Co-owner Judy Hedberg and Dennis and Judy’s kids who were raised at the restaurant, Jay Hedberg and Stephanie Ray.

• Organ Grinder performers Justin Adams, Jim Calm, Don Feely, DeLoy Goeglein, David Lee, Jonas Nordwall, Donna Parker, Frank Perko III, John West, Patti (Simon) Zollman, plus monkey-handler Vicki (Bock) Buck and magician Steve Spangler.

• Technicians/builders Mike DeSart, Bob MacNeur, Helene & John McGuire, Mark Reed and Ed Zollman.

• Influential fans: Organist/composer Nathan Avakian, entrepreneur Tres Shannon, artist and filmmaker Andrew Novick.

• Detlef Mahoney, close friend and confidant of Organ Grinder co-founder Jerry Forchuk.

• Husband of actor/singer Jim Nabors, Stan Cadwallader (Jim performed at the Organ Grinder and knew co-founder Paul Forchuk)

• Popular UK-based YouTuber and musician Sam Battle. (Remote interview)

• Activist, author, and publisher Ron Buel.

Additional Subjects Recorded

• General Organ Grinder staff Steven Hawley, Paul Hebert, Tom Jensen, Donald Stanislawski, Scott Tice.

• Performer Paul Quarino (file footage, fresh interview was planned but unfortunately Paul passed away in December, 2024).

• Martin Meier, who purchased the Denver Organ Grinder Wurlitzer after the restaurant closed, and has a story of the mysterious people who bought the restaurant only to run it for a very short time.

• People close to the creation of the very first “Pizza & Pipe Organ” restaurant, Ye Olde Pizza Joynt – Mary Ann Henningsen Frankenfeld, daughter of the founders and later a co-manager – and Susan Langford – staffer at YOPJ and wife of legendary performer Bill Langford – and organist Rik DeRose.

• Performers from other Pizza/Pipe venues Zach Frame, John Ledwon, Lance Luce, Dave Moreno, Dennis Peters, and Dean Rosko.

• Young theatre organists Fabian Beltran, Jamison Colagrossi, Andrew Dunning, Ryan Giraldi, Jared Goldinger, Richard Gregory, Marco Ramirez, Leo Roth, Christian Schoop, Toby Washburn.

• Nathan Barr, a successful Hollywood film composer who purchased the Wurlitzer that was once housed at Fox Studios, and can be heard in many films from The Sound of Music and The Day the Earth Stood Still, all the way to the present day. Nathan has constructed a large recording studio that houses the organ and has room for a small orchestra.

• Fred Hermes, Jr. – Son of Fred Hermes, whose “Basement Bijou” movie palace houses the largest 5-manual Wurlitzer ever built. Fred Jr. is trying to find a buyer for the house or a sustainable venue that will keep the organ intact.
• Co-Owner of Carma Labs (“CARMEX”) and pipe organ nut, Paul Woelbing.
• Jeff Baas, who owns a defunct movie palace and is working to restore it.

• Filmmaker Henry Thong.

• Fans/Patrons Brad and Debbie Avakian, and Bret Goss.

• American Theatre Organ Society Chair Shawn Kenney.

• Misc. fans/patrons dining at Beggars Pizza and Organ Piper Pizza

Revenue and Expenses To-Date

The following represents actual expenditures and revenue used solely for the production of the film.

Not included is my own labor, now in the range of $244,000. I have logged an average of 140 hours per month working on the documentary. (I have been tracking every hour that I’ve worked on the project using an app, with categorization and notes. The labor value is equivalent to me working for clients at my lowest discounted educational/nonprofit rate, conservatively it’s the minimum amount of revenue I have lost since January, 2024 by focusing on the documentary, and turning down new client work.)

Also not included is the cost of the new camera and lighting equipment purchased at the start of this project, as that will benefit my business going forward after the completion of the documentary, but the debt service on that equipment adds a current burden to my finances.

Crowdfunding

The primary source of revenue for the production comes from crowdfunding, including via the original Indiegogo campaign, the crowdfunding shop on the web site, an event vendor table, and in-person contributions.

There have also been contributions of equipment, and in-kind contributions of services and travel.

Equipment contributions have been mostly in the form of hard drives / storage media, computer peripherals, and camera batteries.

In-kind contributions include radio advertising in exchange for a web site sponsor banner, plane fares, hotel stays and rental cars using contributed miles/points, and use of private homes and vehicles.

All sources are tracked in a central database. The latest statistics from the database are below:

Grant Funding

In addition to crowdfunding, sponsorships and direct contributions, the project has been seeking grant funding from sources that traditionally assist documentaries, as well as those that are specific to Portland and Denver topics.

Thus far, no grants have been awarded, but applications continue to be submitted as various application windows open.

Project Finances Overview as of May 30, 2026

Note: May, 2026 crowdfunding platform expenses are not fully updated.

Any net project deficit shown above (none currently) is covered by the filmmaker’s video production company (a single-member LLC) and classified as a current liability for the documentary’s own LLC. There are additional reimbursable expenses incurred by the video production company (maintained in a spreadsheet) which periodically become invoices to the production, meaning the positive Project Net shown is actually lower.

What’s Needed

To complete the film, there are a number of shoots that need to be completed across the country. Then, there are additional needs for post-production, including licensing expenses.

The Road Trips

I have roughed out plans for trips to to multiple locations that are relevant to the story, ordered by priority:

Northeast – High Priority

Groton, MA (42 miles NW of Boston by car)


• Shanklin Music Hall – Current home of the console and some pipework from the Portland Organ Grinder.

• May become the new permanent home of the American Theatre Organ Society and will provide a true happy ending for the film.

• Interview a representative of the foundation

Boston, MA


• Metropolitan Theatre (now Wang Theatre) – Source of Organ Grinder instrument components

• Ritz Carlton – Relates to Dennis Hedberg’s story of their stay in Boston to dismantle the Metropolitan instrument.

Pacific Northwest – Medium Priority

Northern Washington


• The remnants of the original Organ Grinder “monkey sign” live on in front of a closed cafe in a rural town.

California Return – Low Priority

Los Angeles or Palm Springs


• [Redacted] potential interview – Popular TV actor and fan/patron of the Organ Grinder – Agent is asking for an appearance fee.

San Diego


• A former DJ from Earthquake Ethel’s who knew the Forchuks well.

Denver, Colorado Return – Low priority

The primary Denver trip was completed in May, 2025. The following are “loose ends” which could enhance the production, but aren’t necessary to tell the main story.

• Additional B-Roll and Drone Footage
• Additional Fan/Patron Interviews including Organ Grinder Auction Attendees
• [Redacted] – Person who attended Organ Grinder auction and purchased mirror ball and other items. [Redacted] also says that owner of popular Denver nightclubs was at auction. Attempts to contact that individual unsuccessful so far.
• [Redacted] – Was the mouse mascot at Organ Grinder Denver, has two of the mouse heads.
• [Redacted] interview (yet to reach) – Bookkeeper at Organ Grinder Denver, may have insight on timelines and financial problems that developed.
• [Redacted celebrities] interview – May have attended Organ Grinder Denver when young. (Speculative – Agent contacted by no reply yet.)

Florida

(Not included in the travel budget at this time, as there may be an opportunity for a remote interview using the interview subject’s own setup.)

• Aaron Fechter – Founder of Creative Engineering. Developer of original “animatronic” systems for ShowBiz Pizza, which merged with Chuck-e-Cheese and left him stuck with inventory. Chuck-e-Cheese and establishments like it were a major factor in the decline of the Organ Grinder.

(Notes: While these are the trip plans, not everyone has yet agreed to an interview, and specific locations may not be available at times or may have filming restrictions.)

Additional Needs

First, there is the issue of music. I want to feature as much Organ Grinder music in the film as possible, and I’ve been given access to a large archive of recordings. However, one of the things that made the Organ Grinder special is that they played contemporary music – pop songs and movie themes – and these are subject to copyright.

Licenses are required to use music in the film, and they aren’t cheap. I am in contact with a firm that specializes in negotiating licenses for films, which will help manage the process and help keep the prices under control, but there is only so much they can do.

Speaking of music, someone who was inspired by the Organ Grinder and who is now a film composer, has made a generous offer to score and perform incidental music for the film at a very low cost-per-minute. You can hear their music in the teaser trailer on the home page of this site, which is a blend of Organ Grinder recordings and their original music, custom-made for the trailer.

Next, there is a goal of constructing a small standing set which will resemble a table and surrounding walls from the Organ Grinder. There are dozens of fans with short anecdotes to share, and it isn’t practical to schedule formal shoots at varying locations just to grab a few words. (Plus, people don’t always want a camera crew coming to their home or workplace.) With a standing set, people can come in at their leisure, with everything all set up to record them, and be in and out in a few minutes. Think of it like the “confession booth” on a reality TV show.

The project incurs periodic equipment expenses including shipping (such as shipping films for restoration), storage media, batteries, rental of equipment that is only needed occasionally, licensing of relevant stock footage and vintage media, and appearance fees when working with an agent representing an interviewee.

Finally, there are the needs for premiering the film for backers and at festivals, including securing a venue, and paying the aforementioned music licenses.

Budget Overview

These figures are based on a more detailed line-item budget that is reviewed and updated multiple times per month.

Trip Budgets

Each “Road Trip” is budgeted separately. Trip budgets are based on air travel, car rental, fuel, lodging, meals, and incidentals – as appropriate for each location. Also included is shipping of supplemental equipment (when less costly than baggage fees), and return shipping of footage backup drives, to prevent loss of footage due to lost bags, theft/accident, etc.

At several previous locations, free lodging has been offered in private homes, and others have offered to provide a local vehicle. If this works out again in the future, the budgeted amounts can be reduced.

Upcoming Production and Post-Production Needs

(These figures include the trips listed above.)

Funding Goal

Not included: Post-premiere promotion, distribution, music licensing, and merchandising costs. It is planned to use festivals and film marketplaces to secure a distributor, and additional costs may then be incorporated in a distribution contract.

Important Note

The Funding Goal above does not include cost of crowdfunding platforms / perk-production & fulfillment, which have an approximate 40% overhead. Thus, the Expenditures line item will increase as a proportion of the Funding To-Date item, causing the Remaining Funds entry to decrease more slowly. If a supporter makes a direct contribution, rather than purchasing a perk, then the overhead is significantly lower (for example, approximately 3.25% when paid via PayPal or WooCommerce on the web site, or none when paid via check).

Fall-Backs

Should the crowdfunding campaign (and other possible grant opportunities) fail to bring in the budgeted total, the film can still be completed at a lesser scale by progressively eliminating items in the “Secondary” categories, however this will result in the film not achieving its true potential.

Risks & Challenges

As with any film production, there are risks. I’ve tried to consider as many angles as possible to mitigate risk, but risk cannot be completely eliminated.

• Something could happen to me. That goes with being a solo filmmaker. I have given instructions to my spouse that in the event I am physically unable to work on the film, that a qualified filmmaker with a similar passion be given the materials so that the project can be completed.
• Something could happen to my spouse. My husband has a good, steady job, and that’s what’s been keeping our household afloat while I chase this dream. If for some reason he can’t work full-time, then I will have to resume my regular business to make up for the lost income. This doesn’t mean the film won’t get completed, but it does mean that the process will take much longer, since I will have to squeeze in production on weekends.
• Something could happen to the footage. I have been keeping three separate backup copies of everything. As a set of 3 drives fills up, one is taken to off-site storage, to mitigate the risk of fire or theft. Nonetheless, an earthquake or nuclear blast in the vicinity might cause problems!
• People who have not yet been interviewed may become unavailable due to health reasons. Already during this production, four separate individuals have been in the hospital (not due to the production!), and one has sadly passed away before he could be interviewed. The Organ Grinder was founded 50 years ago and many of the principal subjects have gotten older along with the rest of us, and that comes with greater health risks.
• People may back out at the last minute. I may travel all the way to another state, only to discover that someone no longer wishes to participate (as is their right). While the number of nights stayed in a particular area will decrease, the expenses of getting to-and-from will still be incurred.
• As mentioned earlier, it is necessary to negotiate and secure licenses to use copyrighted music which was performed at the Organ Grinder. If a major publisher decides to say “no”, then the amount of genuine Organ Grinder music in the film will be limited, and substitute music will have to be purchased or commissioned.
• There could be legal challenges. Although it is not anticipated – I’ve been very careful about licensing and release forms, it is possible that a person or entity may contest what is depicted in the film. Additionally, some old footage and clippings are being used under a “fair use” context, as provided for in the copyright law. However, “fair use” can be contested, and even if I am in the right, the cost of a lawsuit could sink the production.
• The crowdfunding campaign fails to reach its goal. I have contingency plans to cut various aspects of the production, and get something out with just the core story. However, it won’t be the best film it can be. The goal set in this campaign represents a realistic middle ground – not extravagant, not dull.

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