Tag Archives: kickstarter

Five Tips for Crowdfunding your Film

In today’s world, independent filmmakers often look towards fundraising to produce their films. With these five tips for crowdfunding your film you will have a better shot at getting your project out there.

What exactly is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is essentially fundraising for your project. There are many ways to do this but nowadays almost all crowdfunding happens online.

Something to take into account is that the payments made from patrons crowdfunding are usually small but many. So think a grassroots campaign to get an indie film produced. 

Here are five tips to crowdfunding your independent film successfully.

Research Platforms 

There are multiple different platforms to choose from to fund your film. A few of the best include: seed&spark, kickstarter, indiegogo, and patreon.

However, each of these platforms offer different benefits but ultimately serve the same purpose. Extra tip: take a look at the fees and caveats of each platform and determine for yourself which would be the best fit for your project.

Set Realistic Goals 

What do you hope to achieve with this platform? What is a realistic monetary goal? These are questions that you need to ask yourself going forward. It can be a slow process so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results right away. 

Share your Progress 

As you make developments on the film (casting, shooting, etc.) make sure to share them with your donors! People like to see what they’ve donated to and it may even influence them to send in a second donation. 

Avoid Over-contacting your Donors

No one likes being pestered for money. Try to limit your email blasts and contacts to only important updates on your film or other relevant information. Showing progress is more exciting than begging. 

Promotion

You want to confirm that your campaigns are reaching the right people. Utilize all of your connections and send information out to anyone and everyone who might be interested. Social media is a great way to promote your film and crowdfunding efforts. 

We know crowdfunding for a film isn’t easy, but it helps to have professionals in your corner. That’s where Digital Film Academy comes in! We offer lifetime access to our equipment, facilities, and an exclusive Jobs Board where you can network and get paid work.

If you are interested in learning more about Digital Film Academy, join our next Open House

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5 Rules of Successful Crowd-funding Campaigns

Everyone wants to crowd-fund to raise money for their film projects… but few people know how to put a good campaign together. Here’s everything you need to know!

Calendar

Set the Smallest Goal Over the Shortest Period of Time

Sorry if you want to raise a million dollars, but remember: $10k is the tipping point with crowdfunding. Asking for more than that gives you a drastically reduced chance of reaching your goal.

That being said, be realistic about how much money you need. As an indie filmmaker: what’s the smallest amount of money that makes this film possible?

Also, be realistic about the campaigning time-frame. This doesn’t mean leaving it open for six months, assuming that by then, it’ll all trickle in… the opposite is true.

Campaigns less than 30 days do better. Why? A campaign gets the most attention at the beginning and at the end. By keeping the campaign shorter, the buzz remains steady throughout and you keep excitement among supporters high – which leads to more shares, more likes, and more cash.

Another note about the time frame? Avoid launching when people have to pay rent or taxes. Aim to launch after they’ve gotten their paychecks.

Friends

Have Over 1000 FB Friends

Try to hit 1000 Facebook friends before crowd-funding. Success isn’t just based on how many people contribute, but also on how many people SHARE your story with others. A plea for shares often finds help when a plea for cash alone doesn’t – and the more FB friends you have, logically, the more shares you get.

Also remember, when deciding which crowd-funding platform to use: Kickstarter integrates with Facebook, making some things easier. However, Indiegogo will give you ANY funds you raise (minus a higher percentage) while Kickstarter will return funds to backers if your goal isn’t met. Carefully weigh your options.

Camera

Have a 50/50 Video

A no-brainer, but campaigns with video are 20-30% more likely to reach their goals. Videos shouldn’t go over 2 minutes and should be 50% about the project and 50% about the creator. When it comes to crowd-funding, people are as interested in the person behind the goal as anything else – so make your personal story a good one.

multitask

Keep Backers Posted and Respond to Activity

Keep backers up-to-date! This helps them feel appreciated and keeps them excited – and more likely to spread the word about your project.

They should receive a weekly email newsletter that contains a funding update, an update on any new content added to your page (announcements about new actors joining the cast, etc.), any mentions you’ve had in the press, and, most importantly, a call to action! Always ask them to share your page with others.

Hand in hand with this, respond to activity on your page in real time (read: within 6 hours.) This doesn’t just mean giving a ‘like’ to nice comments, but also dealing with any negativity in a professional way – especially when it appears publicly. Also, every time a donation is made, give the backer a shout-out on social media: an immediate reward!

medal

Post-Campaign Like a Champ

Thank every backer individually, and don’t screw up the delivery of rewards! These are the items you’ve promised in exchange for money. DVDs, posters, etc. – they should go out when you said they would, and be what you promised.

Finally, make good on your biggest promise – get this film made, and use ALL the funds you earned campaigning. If you earned more than your goal, don’t treat yourself to a spa day – put it toward this project. But hey, a bigger-than-expected budget? What a great problem to have!

By Digital Film Academy Blog Manager Sara McDermott Jain

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