The bad news is that it's a non-speaking part.

One of the best things to come out of the Internet is the concept of crowdfunding.  Looking for working capital for that new indie game that you want to develop?  Trying to put together enough money to record your first album?  Need some money to shoot a new season of your YouTube series?  Pick a platform like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, assemble your sales pitch, create some incentives for contributors, and away you go.

But when it comes to incentives, it's hard to beat the one that director J. J. Abrams - or perhaps more accurately Disney Inc. - is offering to supporters of its new Force For Change UNICEF charity:

Yes - a chance to be in the next Star Wars movie, currently in production.

Seriously, how cool is this?  The joke is that on paper, it's actually pretty cheap as prizes go - two round trip tickets to London and a hotel room for two nights. But in reality, it's spectacular if you're even slightly a fan of the Star Wars universe.  You and your guest get to go backstage for filming at Pinewood Studios and meet the cast members, and the winner will appear as an extra in a scene for the movie.*

The system is very simple.  Contribute ten bucks, get one entry in the contest and the title of Star Wars: Force for Change Founding Member.  Contribute $50,000, get 5000 entries and an advanced private screening of Episode VII for you and 20 guests.**  Obviously there are some levels in between these two extremes.  You probably won't be surprised to hear that I've made a contribution at the hundred dollar/ten entry Advocate level, which is the most popular category for contributors (most likely because you get a t-shirt).

So, if you're at all a fan, or just want to help a good cause, you can enter here. In fact, you don't even need to contribute - A Force For Change is happy to accept entries from non-contributors via snail mail.  But let's face it, ten dollars isn't a lot, and hey, it only takes one entry to win. The campaign is running until July 18th, 2014.

And may the Force be with you.

- Sid

*  There's a small print disclaimer that acknowledges the unfortunate fact that not every scene filmed makes it into the final cut of a film, but which also says that "the Star Wars Team is taking every measure possible to ensure that your scene makes it into the movie!"

** This is not as crazy as it sounds.  I can easily imagine 20 hardcore fans chipping in $2500 each for an advanced screening.