Producer Launches Kickstarter Campaign For Swampscott Schools Documentary

SWAMPSCOTT, MA – In order to chronicle the life and fate of the two Swampscott schools facing development, Producer Jason Stadtlander has launched a Kickstarter online fundraiser.

Stadtlander's company, Brickwaters Productions, is looking to raise $8,000 to finish developing "The Heritage," a documentary on the old Swampscott Middle School and Machon Elementary. He plans to release the film to Netflix or Amazon.

Stadtlander is joined by New England native Jordan Lewis on the project. Lewis is a media composer working on an original score for the film. "The Heritage" seeks to tell the history of the schools through former students, teachers, and administrators, and their futures.

"In a town with a total of just under 7 square miles and a population of almost 15,000 people, space is a commodity and every ounce of land must serve a purpose," read a statement announcing the fundraiser. "These buildings have been taking up unused space for nearly 10 years and the controversy over what to do with the old schools has been a battleground."

Stadtlander, a Swamscott transplant, learned that his elementary school in Ohio has been razed, and decided to tell the stories of the two schools facing development in Swampscott.

According to the fundraiser, the money will go toward production value, including an original score, sound and recording equipment, lights, and camera and vehicle rentals.

The film has a tentative fall release date, and will continue filming through the spring.

Related: Documentarian Seek Swampscott Alums

Image of former principal Ronald Landman via Jason Stadtlander