Spike Lee, Zach Braff, and Ben Model?

Like some elite entertainment industry players whose names may be better known, Model, the Manhattan-based musician and composer, is using the crowd-funding website Kickstarter to finance a film release. But there are a few key differences between his efforts and those that have generated hyperbolic Hollywoodheadlines. Model’s projecthad a far more modest monetary goal – just $3,600, compared to the $1.25 million the DO THE RIGHT THING director is seeking for his next joint, or the $3+ millionBraff scored for his partially fan-funded follow-up to GARDEN STATE. Also: the movies Model is financing already exist – and have for nearly a century. And did I mention they’re silent?

The 50-year-old Larchmont, New York native, one of the most in-demand silent film accompanists working today, has launched Accidentally Preserved, a multimedia initiative to restore and release previously lost…