It looks like one of our favorite horror sites, Dread Central, is needing our help. After decades of independently serving fans, independent filmmakers and studios, Dread Central is shifting its operations to the publicly funded service Patreon in March 2017.
And here's what they had to say about it: "Due to sweeping shifts in studio advertising dollar allocation and the ever-shifting landscape of horror, if we are to survive, we need to make this change," said Dread Central Editor-in-Chief and horror pillar Steve Barton. "Over the past ten years, we’ve supported filmmakers and their projects by sharing their films with our extensive readership free of charge. We don't want to sell out to a conglomerate or shut down the site so we are joining with crowdfunding platform Patreon to keep our independent voice. We need everyone’s support."
For those of you that are new to Dread Central, here's a bit of history on it. Dread Central was founded in 2006 by Barton and (long time collablrator) Jon Condit. Dread Central has been staffed
with some notable horror journalists like Staci Layne Wilson, Sean Deacker, Andrew Kasch, Debi Moore, Buz Wallick, and countless other contributors (many of whom have gone on to filmmaking careers of their own). Dread Central has strived tirelessly to provide objective and all-inclusive coverage of horror cinema and culture in all its forms: from on-set visits to red carpet premieres and everything in between – all with an historic and keen eye on independent cinema.
Dread Central Media, LLC, provides one of the leading, most well respected horror news sites on the Web (DreadCentral.com) and offers the most up-to-date information on the latest horror projects, including trailers, stills, video interviews, and audio podcasts. In addition to films, Dread Central covers all aspects of the genre including television shows, video games, music, literary offerings, live events and other gatherings, and collectibles; and it also houses one of the largest horror review databases found anywhere. Along with working with all the major studios, Dread Central is a champion of independent filmmakers, and many of them have chosen the site to premiere their efforts. As a result, Dread Central has been instrumental in assisting them with gaining exposure and procuring distribution. If it has something to do with the dark and horrific, you'll find it at DreadCentral.com.
So, now you know how Dread Central came to be, what they do for (us) the horror community and why we (as horror fans) need to support Dread Central so they can keep doing what they do best.
How can I help you ask?
Well, here's how! Through a monthly subscription of just $1.00 a month, or $12.00 a year, via www.patreon.com/dreadcentral, Dread Central will be able to provide a new, ad-free experience with cutting-edge and exclusive content to horror enthusiasts and subscribers. This move will ultimately allow the site to continue to support the unique voices of genre filmmakers worldwide.
Still wondering if it's worth $1.00 a month, or $12.00 a year to help Dread Central keep doing what they do? John Carpenter thinks so, and here's what he had to say about it.
"In order to survive, Dread Central must now become a publicly-funded service, and WE absolutely NEED to subscribe," said Halloween director John Carpenter. "$12.00 a year. $1.00 a month. That’s it, and Dread Central will remain able to continue to support the filmmaking community and horror audiences alike, with the love, care, and voice that they historically have."
Apparently, even Patreon is looking forward to working with Dread Central.
"Patreon is all about making it easy for websites like Dread Central to connect with patrons and share exclusive content," said Jordan Cope, Patreon Creator Talent Lead. "We're excited to partner with such a renowned horror website and can’t wait to be a part of the next decade of incredible work."
So, if you're wanting to give a helping hand to a horror site that's been there keeping us up on all things horror, then here's some links to check out.
To subscribe to Dread Central, visit www.patreon.com/dreadcentral, and for more information visit www.dreadcentral.com.
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/dreadcentral
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/dreadcentral
HASHTAG: #SaveDreadCentral