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Last update: 2025-08-14 5:59pm

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 last summer. 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 the 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.

To-date there have been 70 location shoots featuring 69 interview subjects, resulting in over 120 hours of footage, plus dozens of hours of digitized home videos, restored films, and vintage news clips. Literally thousands of photos and documents have been scanned.

Interview subjects have included:

• Co-founder Dennis Hedberg, who rescued and installed the gigantic Wurlitzer pipe organ, continuously innovated and upgraded the instrument, and eventually became the owner.
• Co-owner Judy Hedberg, who spoke of the challenges of running a business 7-days a week, struggling to keep the doors open while also raising a family.
• Co-founder Jerry Forchuk, brother of co-founder Paul Forchuk, and manager of the Denver 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 shared stories of inspiration, amazing anecdotes, and tales of what it was like behind-the-scenes.
• Performer Paul Quarino (who unfortunately passed away recently) appears in the film via recent interview footage that we have acquired, and the consequences after his passing add an interesting twist to the story (which has not yet been fully revealed).
• Vicki (Bock) Buck, known by many as the “Monkey Lady” who cared for and performed with the live monkeys that were originally a regular feature at the Organ Grinder. Vicki was also a close friend of Paul Forchuk.
• Steve Spangler, current TV personality who as a teen was the house magician at Organ Grinder Denver.
• Technicians/builders Mike DeSart, Helene and John McGuire, Bob MacNeur, Mark Reed and Ed Zollman.
• Childhood fan Nathan Avakian, who was so inspired by his visits to the Organ Grinder starting at the age of four, that he made a career of being an organist and composer.
• Entrepreneur Tres Shannon, who was there to witness the final moments on the closing night in February 1996. (Tres went on to found some weird and wonderful businesses of his own that you may have heard of.)
• Influential fan Andrew Novick, artist/organizer/filmmaker in Denver.
• Stan Cadwallader, husband of actor/singer Jim Nabors (Jim was friends of co-founder Paul Forchuk and even sang at the Organ Grinder on occasion.)
• Popular UK-based YouTuber and musician Sam Battle, who’s 650,000 followers have watched him learn how to resurrect a discarded pipe organ using modern tech.
• Activist, author, and publisher Ron Buel, who worked on projects with both Paul Forchuk and architect Will Martin.
• Performers at other pizza/pipe venues: Zach Frame, Lance Luce, Dennis Peters, and Clark Wilson.
• Co-owner of Carma Labs (“CARMEX”) and pipe organ enthusiast, Paul Woelbing.
• Fans/patrons Brad and Debbie Avakian and Bret Goss.
• American Theatre Organ Society Vice-Chair Shawn Kenney.
• Multiple fans and young people who represent the next generation carrying this style of performance forward.

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 $163,000. I have logged an average of 160 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 this year 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:

Project Finances Overview as of 2025-08-14

Note: March-August crowdfunding platform expenses have not yet been entered.

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.

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:

California – High Priority

Bay Area

• Original (but now defunct) pizza/pipe locations, such as “Ye Olde Pizza Joynt”. Match current setting to historic photos.
• Granada theatre (demolished) location. (original home of Vollum Studio instrument, which was an important milestone in Dennis’s life before the creation of the Organ Grinder) Match current setting to historic photos.
• Other theatre locations relevant to pizza/pipe restaurants.

Los Angeles

• John West B-Roll – Organ Grinder Denver performer, one of only a relative few people of color in the Theatre Organ world. John’s interview was conducted in Portland in June, 2025, but his intro sequence and B-Roll should be recorded at his workplace – Walt Disney Concert Hall, in front of the famous Rosales “French Fry” Organ.
• Potential celebrity interviews of friends of Organ Grinder co-founder Paul Forchuk. [Names redacted at this point until participation can be confirmed.]
• Possible alternate location for (speculative) [Redacted – Colorado celebrities] interview if they are unavailable during the Denver return trip.

Palm Springs

• Rik DeRose – Long-serving staff organist for Ye Olde Pizza Joynt (widely credited as the first of the pizza & pipe organ restaurant format)
• [Redacted] – Close friend of Organ Grinder co-founder Paul Forchuk.
• [Redacted] potential interview – Popular TV actress and fan/patron of the Organ Grinder.

Southwest – High Priority

Las Vegas, Nevada

• Phil Maloof Residence / Estate – Current home of Denver instrument console. (Due to Phil’s recent passing, this may be difficult to arrange.)

Phoenix, Arizona

• [Redacted] – Person who purchased the Denver Organ Grinder instrument and who has an interesting story about the mystery behind the final 6 months of Denver ownership and closure.

Mesa, Arizona

• Organ Stop Pizza – One of two remaining pizza/pipe restaurants, and home to some major components (such as the 32’ diaphones) previously from the Organ Grinder.
• [Redacted] – Was a witness to a key argument between co-founders/brothers Jerry & Paul Forchuk, can recount story of shooting outside Organ Grinder Denver.
• [Redacted] interviews (not yet contacted) – Co-owners of Organ Stop Pizza
• Performer Interview – Interview appropriate performer at Organ Stop

Midwest Return – High Priority

The primary Midwest trip, covering five states, occurred in March and April of 2025. Due to a COVID infection in the middle of the trip, one critical shoot, which could provide an upbeat ending regarding a current event, needs to be rescheduled.

Suburban Wisconsin

• [Redacted] – Something currently in the works.

Rural Michigan

• [Redacted] Residence Organ – One of the larger home pipe organ installations in the country. (This was a low-priority shoot that was dropped for scheduling reasons during the original trip, but could be picked up the next time the Midwest is visited.)

Pacific Northwest – Medium Priority

Northern Washington

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

Gig Harbor, Washington

• Wurlitzer Manor – A place of musical education for those with special needs, which features a large Wurlitzer pipe organ.

Coos Bay, Oregon

• Gather footage of the theatre and organ which were taken care of by the recently-passed performer Paul Quarino, to augment footage we have acquired of Paul’s memorial service.

Southeastern Oregon

• [Redacted] – Friend of co-founder Jerry Forchuk, has fun anecdotes to share.

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.)

Northeast – Low Priority

• Atlantic City, NJ – The Boardwalk Hall Organ, arguably the largest pipe organ of any kind in the world, which has been in a continuous process of restoration and maintenance for decades. See what it takes to maintain this beast.
• Philadelphia, PA – The Wanamaker Organ in Macy’s Department Store. Also one of the very largest in the world, in this unique venue the organ fills multiple floors of the building, and has been seen in multiple feature films.
• Boston, MA – “Then & Now” shots of two locations critical to the early Organ Grinder story. The Metropolitan Theatre (now the Wang Theatre), where an instrument was rescued to be used in the Organ Grinder, and the Ritz Carlton around the corner, where an Organ Grinder co-founder and his assistant were kicked out for appearing grungy.
• Groton, MA – Shanklin Music Hall – The console and some of the pipes from the Portland Organ Grinder now reside here and can be enjoyed by the public at concerts and events.
• Brecksville, OH (*Leaving off the list for now) – Harold Wright house organ – Internationally famous theatre organist (deceased) with significant home installation available for tours.

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.)

• Interview 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. Some trips could be combined to save on expenses, although it’s difficult to be away from home more than 2 weeks at a time.)

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. Some trips may be combined or rearranged to reduce costs, but it is difficult to get away from home for more than two weeks at a time. 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 locations, free lodging has been offered in private homes, and others have offered to provide a local vehicle. This is reflected in the line items below.

For the Midwest trip, air travel and rental car are being covered by a generous supporter. Lodging at a private home in a central location is provided, but the budget includes hotel nights near the actual filming locations in various cities.

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.

You can help support the project by purchasing from the Crowdfunding Shop.