Showing posts with label kickstarter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kickstarter. Show all posts

Sunday, April 30, 2017

A CROWDFUNDING POST

I know that it has been awhile since we did this, but I have been busy with the release of my screenwriting book on audio.
Let’s get down to business a huge part of digital feature film making is fundraising.
There usually comes a time during production or in post that the money runs low and  you need to reach out for some more. thankfully Kickstarter and indiegogo are there to help. 

Yes, I know that there are other sites, but for today we are going to focus on campaigns that are live on these sites.

First up is a film titled INNER GHOST.

     

Remember that if you do not have money to donate that is fine. You can help by spreading the word. Share the campaign on Facebook or Twitter. Okay we are going back to back horror movies on Kickstarter. This one is titled The Black Gloves.



    

Over at Indiegogo we have a few campaigns that I believe are worth taking a look at. Remember the difference between the two sites is that at Indiegogo you get all the funds raised whether or not you hit your goal.

 This film is being prodced  by a seventeen year old. The coolest thing about micro budget film making is that it knows no age. You can be sixteen or sixty when you get started.  The title of
this film is A GUY, A GUITAR AND A GIRL.


 The next campaign is for the scifi film AGAIN.  This one has just started so you have almost two months to think about it and talk about it.





Anything that reminds me of Andromeda or Babylon 5 is a good thing and this next crowdfunding campaign does just that. Project Abaddon: Rise of the Destroyer




Back to Kickstarter for the last film on this list today. VOYEUR



I love to highlight crowdfunding campaigns, but to do so I need a little help.
If you have a indiegogo or kickstarter campaign for your project up and running please do not hesitate to contact this blog about it, just leave a comment and a link and I will do my best to help.
Thanks and good luck guys.


paperback on amazon



Sunday, July 27, 2014

Gotham City Sirens, Update

The campaign has reaches it goal of 900 dollars, but you can still donate..



Keep in mind that crowd funding campaigns are tricky. You should always aim for more than your goal. Even if you reach it with a day or two left you want to continue to push through to the end. There have been campaigns at kickstarter that hit their goal and then ended up falling short because someone backed out after the fact.

Visit kickstarter and indiegogo. Check out campaigns and if you see one that you really like then get involved.






That will be it for today. Good luck and have a nice day.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Crowdfunding Campaigns Worth Checking Out




    Indiegogo and Kickstarter have become huge parts of the indie film making landscape. Develop a kickass concept and trailer and you could be well on your way to getting the funds needed to complete your film.

Most of us have read the stories about films like the Veronica Mars’s movie raising millions of dollars. Many of us believed that the world did not need to have another moment of the Veronica Mars universe inflicted upon us, but what we believe does not matter if there were, and since it pulled in around five million dollars from its fans, thousands of people willing to donate their money to the cause.

    The pool of money out there to be dipped into is limited not by who ever else is at the pool at that time, but by our ability to find our core audience and convince them to become engaged with our projects.

    Crowdfunding is the best thing to ever happen to those of us who have zero interest in dealing with the Hollywood system. Hollywood had three things to hold over the indie film maker. Its distribution network. With the growth of VOD and theaters being equipped with digital projectors we can get our films out to the public without them. The second thing was money. Movies cost millions of dollars to make.
Now they can be done for thousands. Special effects cost millions and now you can do most of them yourself.  With crowd funding the money problem can be met and overcome. The last part is stars. They have access to quality actors while if your were a micro budget film maker you had access to retired clowns and sock puppets. I got news for Hollywood, there are some fantastic actors out here and they are starving for work.

Before I get to the campaigns I would like to do a bit of a follow up to one of the crowdfunding interviews that I did last year. It was perhaps my favorite interview and strangely the least read of all of them. Also it was the most successful campaign of them all. The interview was Me + You. If you would like to read the complete interview you can find it in my film making book. Available at the right side of this page.




    Now lets get to the campaigns. Some are ending soon so please jump in if you wish to help. Taking five minutes to share a campaign is the best thing you can do.  You reach a few hundred people with your social media and in turn they reach a few thousand. Somewhere down the line someone hears about a campaign and they will donate. This is powerful where campaigns are only seeking a few thousand dollars.

The first campaign is also a preview of my next interview. It is an Anthology shot by four French film makers in Japan. They are looking for money to help finish the film. Check out Tokyo Grand Guignol.










Next is one of my favorite topics being tackled as a live action film. The genre is Anime.





Next up is an actual horror anthology. Yeah, I know, two in one post. I have to admit that I wish that anthology was as popular as Found Footage.  This one is titled THE MORTUARY COLLECTION and can be found at kickstarter         .


The next is a sort of throwback to tradition kind of horror. The movie is titled
The Uncanny Alley.




The last film is sort of a Viking Epic that will be shot in Norway. I may have to interview these guys. I have to know how this kind of medieval film making is done. The movie is titled From Ashes To Embers.




     


Okay that will be it for today. My next post will be my interview with the film makers behind Tokyo Grand
Guignol. Good luck with you film making and remember to share this post and the films mentioned in this post. If any of you have a crowdfunding campaign leave me a message as a comment or on google plus and I will see if I can highlight it here.

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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Throwback and Other Updates

                    Throwback and Other Updates

    This is a quick update on the Canon HV 20 feature film Throwback. The film has been selected to screen at the Famous Monsters Film Festival in San Jose, California. Below you can seen the new poster art of the film.



    I think far too many film makers rush their trailers out there and do not take the time to get a great poster done. Which is part of the overall marketing campaign you should have in place before you start shooting. Stills from your film along with the poster can be used very effectively to market your film on sites like Pinterest. There are tens of thousands on film buffs and fans on that site and their reach has yet to be fully exploited by film makers. Something to think about.





    The found footage series of post is not done. There are at least three more interviews still to be posted. After that we are probably going to be looking at digital film making and shooting a web series. A lot of film makers are going the web series route rather than shooting a feature. Also the web series can get you access to acting talent who may not want, for what ever reason, to shoot a feature with an unproven film maker.

Now I would like to show a few trailers that I find interesting. Two of which are from active Kickstarter campaigns.



  
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Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Me + You, Interview Part 2



Me + You, Interview Part 2

The is the second part of my interview with Iyin Landre, the film maker behind Me + & You.
If you would like to help with her Kick starter campaign you can do so by  clicking here .



Q8. You wrote the script. There are a lot of ways to write a script. Some start from a outline or even a narrative story and then craft the script. Others just sit in front of a blank screen and do not stop writing until the rough draft is done. How do you approach the screen writing process and how long did this script take to write?

A8: I actually finished writing my first draft as a result of taking a screenwriting class. The first week we went in with a logline – mine was, “An American girl travels to Brazil and some f**ked up sh*t happens.” After that, I wrote 10 pages a week and in a couple of months I finished the script. I would say that my writing style is to have a basic outline in terms of major story arcs, but I usually just write according to how I feel the scenes should flow.


Q9: Hollywood prides itself on diversity. Film makers looking at the industry town from the outside would point out that they may achieve diversity in the form of cast and or crews at times, in thought and content it is still a industry built upon types and type casting. There are films that will never get made, stories that will never be considered and actors never hired because they do not fit the world view of what they believe will sell.

For the first time since Jackie Chan did Rush Hour (and his part in that film fit perfectly with the type casting that the Industry does) a major studio summer release had an asian actress, Rinko Kikuchi, as the co-lead and that movie was Pacific Rim. A film directed and produced by one of the world’s greatest film makers, Guillermo del Toro, who has never officially worked inside the Hollywood system so he did not get the memo saying that casting choices like that are not done around here.
You are an Asian actress in Hollywood, would someone from your background ever had been considered for the lead in a film like your's even if it was specified in the script?

A9: I think if I were an already established actress with some clout, then yes, my name maybe would’ve been thrown in the mix. But since I’m not, the possibility of me being cast in my own film was probably slim to none. But to be frank, there just aren’t many Asian or Asian-American actors playing lead roles in films outside of Asia. I remember reading an article where Lucy Liu (our most notable actress) said that she’s not approached to play the lead in romantic comedies because people don’t see her in those roles, like they do Julia Roberts or Sandra Bullock for example. In my opinion, I think we need more Asian-American filmmakers, more people behind the scenes writing, directing, producing films in order to see change. You can’t just complain of seeing stereotypical portrayals in the media and not do anything about it – because to instill change, you actually have to go out there and create new images, stories to replace the old ones.

Q10: If the parts are not being written or casting directors are not willing to consider all types as being equal options for any given role is it going to be up to actors to create roles for themselves?

A10: I can’t speak for other actors, but for me it’s always been the case. I wanted to do more than play the Asian masseuse with an awful pan-Asian accent, or even play the doctor or lawyer – I wanted to be play dark gritty characters with depth, complexity, characters that dove head first into danger, action. And seeing as how I was rarely called in for roles that excited me to that length, I realized I had to write them myself, for myself.



Q11: Have you decided on the camera and the equipment that will be used on this production? Have you settled upon a DP?

A11: Have been looking into cameras that will fit my budget – may do the Red Scarlet, and also have a Black Magic 4K or Mark III in tow for scenes in the favela, for better motion and movement. Have not decided on a DP, will most likely crew up in Brazil this way I can save on production/travel costs. But the style of cinematography I’m looking for is a cross between City of God/Y Tu Mama También/Elite Squad – fluid motion mostly steadicammed or hand-held.

Q12: How much of the movie will be shot here and how much in Brazil?

A12: All of it will be shot in Brazil!

Q13: Since you are an actor by trade I think that the film makers out there would like to
know what is it that actors expect from them? There are going to be productions where there is no pay or the pay will have to be deferred. Where the film maker is just starting out and all that they have is a good script and a borrowed Dslr camera. Should they approach who they believe to be the best possible actor or actress available or should they lower their expectations?

A13: Yes I say always approach who you want first. I read an article where Hugh Jackman did some student shorts not too long ago. As an actor, I expect the director to know what he/she wants, to have a very clear vision but also be able to collaborate and listen to those around him/her. But I think most of all, it’s to foster a safe environment for the actors, where you gently shape their creative expression into how you see fit for the story.

Q14: When starting work on a new project what are the things that are going to impress an actor and what sends signals that the film maker is not up to the job?

A14: I would say wishy-washiness and lack of preparation. If the film maker isn’t sure of what he/she wants, or doesn’t have a plan when we get on set – it makes me doubt the final product.

Q15: Okay back to the subject of your project. You have set a goal of seventy five thousand dollars. If you do not reach your goal the first time around will you press forward? Will this move get made no matter what?

A15: Yes we are making this film no matter what. With Brazil set to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, timing will be an important factor to the degree of “heat” on our movie – so we’re plowing full steam ahead.

Q16: It is said that you know that you are doing what you were meant to do when you feel a kind of freedom that goes beyond words. That the thing that you are doing is effortless. When you were in a foreign land, surrounded by people who spoke a language that you did not understand yet, shooting scene for your trailer, did you find that kind of effortless freedom?

A16: I hadn’t thought of the word freedom to describe what I felt, but I think that’s a very astute description. Because there were so many unknowns – the city, the language, the culture, not having a cast or crew – I really had to believe in what I was doing or else I had absolutely nothing. And in starting from zero and building from the ground up, I had to slough off any pretensions, any fluff and ask myself whether or not I could do it at all. I think in being so single-minded, it helped me to realize that I was doing exactly what I was meant to do.



Again, thank you for doing this interview Iyin. I wish you the best of luck with your campaign and the production of the film. I look forward to posting the trailer for the finish film.

http://www.twotwelveprod.com/


Okay guys I am going to be taking a few days off from posting. I have a ebook to edit. I think that the up coming posts will be about using your own social media to help market you work. The other post will be on the topic of how many independent film makers narrowly define being indie as having to fit into certain categories. By far the most success indie film maker of the last eight years is not mention much or show much respect by the larger indie universe. Think about who I could be talking about, I bet that no one guesses right.


That is it for today guy, thank you for visiting and please take a moment to share this post with a friend and to stumble us on stumbleupon.



Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Crowdfunding, The Revenge Of The Devil Bat

Crowdfunding, The Revenge of The Devil Bat

I would like to start by saying that this film has a truly modest crowdfunding campaign goal of 750 dollars. Please take a moment to drop by their page and see if you can contribute something. This will be my interview with one of the film makers behind the making of the sequel to the public domain film The Devil Bat. I have just done a post on public domain films so I will not cover much about the subject here except to say that public domain films are films that were not properly copyrighted or the copyright has expired. Here is a quick look at what their campaign is about before we begin the interview.

 

The first part of this interview will be conducted with Cedric Crouch, I hope to ask the Director a few questions before the campaign ends. And here is a link to the campaign before we begin.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1586906037/revenge-of-the-devil-bat

First question. Is the goal to just produce the best possible sequel to The Devil Bat or are there any dream of bringing back PRC?

-We are pretty much just concentrating on Devil Bat. Our company Swamp Picnic Productions, has plans to do movies with a variety of themes and genres. We don't plan on just working with/relying on ideas from PRC. The PRC stuff is great but we don't want to become "a trick pony" solely basing our projects of past ideas.-

Did you consider trying to shoot your movie using a similar time table to the original film? Shooting it in under a week?

-That would be nice and quick but it's not really possible with the other actors schedules. In fact production is stretching out over many months due to actor availability and filming many important scenes in different states. We are probably going to wind up spending a week just in travel time to Maryland, West Virginia, Texas, etc.-

Would you ever attempt to shoot a movie with the kind of time restrictions that were in place back in the PRC days?

-Yes we would. Director Ted Moehring and myself did the last movie "Invasion of the Reptoids" in approximately 7-9 days. We had a few delays due to bad weather effecting the filming of the outdoor scenes but the total shooting time was pretty close to what PRC had.-

You are doing a sequel to a public domain film that you seem to love. Would you have gone the fan film route if the film was not public domain?

-I can't speak for Ted but I myself wouldn't want to do a fan film. There are too many issues with releasing something like that. The copyright owners are usually not receptive to something like that getting released. Our chief crew member Ron Fulmer (Captain Ron Productions) actually worked on some fan films that were removed from youtube due to copyright issues.-

You mentioned that this film established the rules for most of the horror movies that followed it. What do you think of modern horror films? The wave of torture porn horror like Saw and Hostel? The endless series of found footage films and haunted house, haunted kid, haunted box from a yard sale movies?

-I myself like some of the newer movies but mostly those with interesting plot elements. I'm pretty tired of seeing lost footage and torture porn. I think those are pretty played out by now. Some more recent movies I enjoy include El Superbeasto, Cabin In The Woods and the Hatchet series. To me they bring some freshness to the horror genre yet still pay tribute to the past. I'm sure Ted will have a lot to say on this matter.-

People who read my blog know that I am the biggest Hitchcock fan. He said that the problem with most horror movies was that they were all about walking props that showed up every fifteen minutes to kill someone. He said that he had never done a horror movie, I would argue that if The Birds is not a horror movie then what is it. What directors do you look to? Who do you pattern you film making style after?

-This is another question geared more to Ted. I myself appreciate directors such as Lucio Fulci, John Carpenter, Ed Wood and Ray Dennis Steckler (who Ted and myself had the opportunity to meet before he passed away). Carpenter is a big inspiration since he also does a lot of his own soundtrack music (I myself am a musician and have done soundtrack work for most of Ted's movie projects). I also like Stecklers "no budget, just make it anyway" approach to film making. If he could do it, we can do it!-

What are your goals concerning this production?

-Our goal is simply to make the best movie we can. No self aware humor or intentional cheesiness just a good tribute to a movie we used to watch on tv horror programs like "Doctor Shock" when we were young and impressionable.-

The thing that I find most impressive about your production is the cast that you have put together. Finding a quality cast for a low budget film is right up there with funding as the hardest thing that most film makers have to deal with. How did you pull your cast together?
 

-I have to credit that all to Ted. He is an expert at networking and seeking out talent.-

A question about the original film. Bela Lugosi is an icon, is it a bit intimidating to write and direct a sequel to a film that he carried?

-Ted is a huge fan and said the script practically wrote itself. I'm sure he will be able to elaborate more on this.-

Of course I am assuming that this a direct sequel to his film and not to the follow up film?

-It is intended to be a sequel to both the original film and the sequel "Devil Bats Daughter".-

Okay I suppose the last question should be about post production. Post is the most over looked part of film making. Should you reach your goals did you plan how you would market and release the movie before you started to shoot?

-Some though was given to that because distribution is very important. You could make the greatest movie in the world but if no one sees it it doesn't matter. Swamp Picnic has several other movies already released so that track record combined with the great cast should ensure that some company will put it out.-

Thank you Cedric for taking time out of your schedule to answer my question. I look forward to interviewing Ted before your campaign ends. Now I would like to take a moment to highlight some of the cast members that you have assembled for this production. Gary Kent, Lynn Lowry and George Stover.

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Monday, May 20, 2013

Fan Films, Joker Rising Interview


  Fan Film, Joker Rising Interview



I promised that I would try to get an interview with the maker of a fan film and
Alek Gearhart the writer/ director of the fan film Joker Rising has agreed to answer a few
questions about his film. Before the interview begins I would again like to remind you guys
that Alek is running two crowd funding campaigns for this movie. One at Indiegogo and the other at Kickstarter. So please take a moment to visit kickstarter at
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/834459535/joker-origins-film-dc-batman-universe and or the indiegogo campaign at http://igg.me/p/399595

In the world of crowd funding every dollar counts and as little as a dollar can make you part of a special project. If indie film makers do not support each other then we will always be at the mercy of the big studios. If you can not donate money, then share a campaign through what
ever social media that you use. Stumble it, post it on your google plus, use twitter. Telling a few
friends about a crowd funding campaign can help more sometimes than making a donation yourself. You never know. Okay, lets get to the interview.


Thank you for your time Alek. This will be basic question and answer style.

Most of the fan films from the Batman universe seem to be based upon
Batman or Darkwing with an occasional Cat Woman short thrown in, but you
decided to go back to the beginning with the Joker. Was this a choice because he has
been over looked or because he is the character that you are most interested in?

-The idea for this Joker film came from looking at the sadness that seemed to be in the Joker's eyes, especially in Heath Ledger's version. Like there was something horrible that happened to him to make him go the way he did. In this we are elaborating on that. Another idea that inspired this was the idea that he might not have been funny in the first place but was driven to it somehow. Also you hit the nail on the head. The Joker has been overlooked as a lead character and even in The Killing Joke we don't really get to know much about him. Every villain should have his day.


You also decided to included the very popular character of Harley Quin in the film.
How big a part does this character play in the film?


-She is very much the glue of the story. The both of them are societies outcasts so really they only have each other. She is a prostitute in this working for a pimp named "Riddles". She is easily the most important supporting character in the film. Another important character not seen in the teaser is Black Mask who also provides a very important piece to the puzzle of the Joker's origins.

There are the comic books, the graphic novels, the movies and the animated series to
look to draw from. When writing the script did you use them as a guideline or is this
going to be something new?

-No, I drew mostly from other films and books like Drive, The Departed, Blood Meridian and Shame. This is from a criminal's point of view so we want it to really feel like you are in the underbelly of Gotham.


Since the reader of this blog are interested in the film making process let’s talk about the
making of the movie.


The first question that comes up from other film makers is what kind of camera did you
use on the trailer and will you be using it to shoot the feature?


-We used a Sony Nex 100 UK for the trailer and will use it for the film as well. Great for anything at night and looks a bit more like film.

The sound is great, what did you use to record it?


-The sound is recorded with the mic that came with the camera. No boom was used for that teaser. The only alteration was that a high pass filter was added in final cut.


I have read comments about your cast and how great they are. One of the hardest parts of indie film making is finding actors who can handle the basics yet alone lift your production to another level. How did you find your cast?

-The cast was really a pleasant surprise. My partner on this project, Manuel Eduardo Ramirez and I had a one day casting call and almost immediatly great talent started to come in. Katie Young, who plays Harley, blew us away as soon as she walked in. At the end of the day tho we didn't think we we're going to find a guy who could pull off Joker and him before he turns into the Joker but right at the end Dylan Hobbs walked in and stole the show. A few other actors have come aboard later who we knew or heard about through friends. Ski Carr will play Black Mask, Dominic Marsell will play Riddles and Manuel Ramirez, who is also the guy who got gunned down in the street in the teaser will play Killer Croc or just Croc in this. God was looking out for us.

 
Last film making question before we get to crowd funding. Who inspires you? For me
it is Takashi Miike who does every kind of movie under the sun and does them well.
Who is it that you hope to be compared to or mentioned in the same breath with someday?


I am inspired by filmmakers like Terrance Malick, Chuan Lu (for City of Life and Death a film that everyone should watch), Steven Spielberg, Nicolas Winding Refn, and Alfonso Cuaron. Mainly Terrance Malick. Also inspired greatly by the 2004-2009 show Battlestar Galactica for taking something that is usually campy and grounding it in reality.


You are crowdfunding on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Do you have links to these campaigns?


-We are doing both at the moment.
Indie go go is
http://igg.me/p/399595
Kickstarter
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/834459535/joker-origins-film-dc-batman-universe

Are you determined to make this film whether you reach your goals or not?

-
The film will be made, it will just be a bit harder without help. But once it is done regardless of how we got there it will be something to behold.


When is production going to start and how many days do you plan to shoot?

- We start in June and plan on going for 2 weeks.

Any final words?

-We hope that this movie will usher in a new era of fan films and even comic book films that will surpass just action or sci-fi and enter into the realm of character pieces and hard dramas like the Place Beyond the Pines and Crash.






Friday, May 17, 2013

Digital Film Making, The Fan Film

Digital Filmmaking, Fan Films

Many of us became film makers because we are fans of a series or a movie that we wanted to be a part of in some way. Perhaps the show ended before its time and we wished to finish it our way or the universe that the movie built had room for many more stories. The king of the fan film universe is Star Wars.

 You could build an online network that showed nothing, but Star Wars short films and that network would not run out of content for days. I am not going to pick the best Star Wars fan film, this Sith lord does not look forward to being hunting down by angry Jedi knights (although if Ahsoka wants to turn to the dark side I am here for her). What I am going to do is look at the one that has done best in the world of crowd funding and that is the Pink 5 series of short films. These short digital comedy films show that if you find a compelling character, do quality special effects and build a loyal following the sky is the limit for how popular your films can become.  Understand that fan films can not generate you money directly. You can not sell them. However they can generate money indirectly through building a name and following. You can use the fan base that a fan film can create to market your original digital production. Have you seen the spin off fan films from the Scream series. The Stab movies. Look at fan films also as a way to limit your options in a good way. Having to create a world that has strict rules will focus your work. Making a fan film will make you have to do the most important thing as a film maker. You will have to establish a reality. The fan film has to establish the world the characters exist in before it can alter or subvert that world. There are many great films based upon the batman universe. Below is a video from a kickstarter campaign. They have the modest goal of 1,000 dollars. Some of us know that this amount can go a long way when making a micro budget film. If you like the trailer please take a moment to visit their kickstarter page and even if you can not afford to donate tell someone about their project. There will come a day when most of us will find ourselves running a kickstarter or indiegogo campaign. Down the road we are going to get into how to run a successful campaign. Okay why not look at your favorite movie or series and shoot something based upon it. Even if all you use is your iPhone. The great thing about fan films is that they are fun to shoot. They maybe the most fun because there is not pressure to make money with them. It is just shooting something you love and having a good time doing it. At least that is the way it should work. That is it for this post. I am going to try to get an interview with someone who has done a fan film to understand the process more. I would like you guys to check out my crowd funding page. I have added three new campaigns that I find interesting. Thank you for visiting. Please take a moment to share this post with someone and to stumble us on stumbleupon. Here is a fun bonus fan animated film. SPECIAL OFFER! Save 50%* on New Web Hosting Plans

Monday, March 18, 2013

Crowd Funding On Mars

Crowdfunding On Mars

Most of your know what crowd funding is. For those of you who do not it is basically raising money through donations from fans and followers by using sites such as Indiegogo and Kickstarter. These sites have helped thousands of independent artist and film makers to get funds to help with their projects. Some times it is for money to start a production and others it is to cover post productions and or distribution.

I question whether or not that it was indented for what has recently happened. The producers of the cancelled series Veronica Mars, in order to make a feature length film from the series, went on kickstarter with the goal of getting a full production budget of two million dollars. Yeah, can you hear doctor Evil saying “Two Million dollars”? Most are using these sites to get anywhere between a thousand dollars up to a high end of one hundred thousand dollars. In other words well with in the budget of the average low to micro budget digital film. They gave themselves a thirty day window to hit the two million dollar mark and within three days they are well over three and a half million dollars.

This could end up being something that benefits all of us in the micro budget world or it could be a disaster. It could benefit those who use the site by the simple fact that this massive event has gotten kickstarter and indiegogo like sites a great deal of attention and those who donated to the big project may be willing to donate to other projects in the future.

Then again it could mean the start of a flood of Hollywood types who do not need this venue, but look at it as a way of funding their over blown vanity projects. Well I am one of those people that believe there is no level to low for the Hollywood elite to sink to and I see this more as a negative than a positive.

You doubt that huh?

Have you watched the independent Spirit Awards lately? It use to be a venue where little films got recognition. Where film makers made their bones. Lately it is the place where Bruce Willis hangs out to pick up chicks and free drinks.

I doubt that any of us will be able to fight this trend once it gets rolling, but we can survive it.

How do we as digital film makers manage to use Crowd funding to our advantage?

Look first to how Veronica Mars managed to pull this off.

 It was a cancelled tv series with a loyal following. (If it was Babylon 5 or Andromeda or even Heroes, I would not have written this post.) The producers of the show used this following to get the word out and then to get the cash to pour in.
The loyal following is something that has to be considered. If you are going to do well with crowd funding then you are going to need either a great product with a great trailer in hand or you are going to need a loyal and focused fan base for the project you are looking to have funded. Not all of us can have two seasons of a network series to generate press for our future crowd funding project, but we can have a active web series to generate a loyal following. We could have a series of short projects behind us that have introduced us to the world. If your work is good people will talk about it. Fans of your work will want to support you in the future if your feature length project appeals to them.

I am not much for constantly being on facebook and twitter (social media) to grow my brand name. This is very time consuming and I have always believed that if you do great work others will do the social marketing for you. I have not decided about Google Plus yet. The circles that it provides could come in handy when you have a project or wish to start a conversation with those who follow you. It may be a great place to do some branding and I get a lot of information from followers on Google plus about their projects and in return I tend to write about them and or post them on one of my blogs.

If you have a blog it is good to reserve a page for crowdfunding notices. Not just for your own, but for others who you believe in. This can be a way of giving back to the digital film making community. I admit that I have not done this, but I am going to add a page to this blog for Crowdfunding announcements. If most of us who have Blogs and websites with a decent following did this we could create an atmosphere where it would be possible for someone like me or you to launch a campaign with a fresh new project that could pull a million dollars in donations. Some of the best film makers on earth are making web series and digital shorts with no budgets. They are out there and if given the chance they could and would make amazing features. Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi and Christopher Nolan were low budget film makers who were given big breaks by the big studios. It would be great in the next great film maker was given a big break by a crowd of fans.

Please take a moment to share this post with someone. To stumble us on stumbleupon and to add me to your google plus. The next post will be part two of my interview with Travis Bain the maker of Throwback. I am a writer by nature which means that I fall into the category of being a creative type, so I have always loved learning from those who are technical in nature. Ask me about writing a script or working with actors or even the financing of a project and I am your guy, but the behind the camera aspects of film making and or editing and I am still a novice. I am learning as I go. Mr. Bain has given a great deal of insight into an area of film making where I am by no means an expert.


Okay that is it for today. See you guys soon.