Kadeem Wilson\u2019s viral trailer for his film concept \u201cIt Doesn\u2019t Exist\u201d fooled 65,000 viewers into thinking it was for an actual movie\u2014and garnered enough interest that he was able to turn that misconception into reality. Many independent filmmakers like Wilson are turning to crowdfunding to financially back their projects. Are you an Indiegogo-getter who wants to Kickstart your filmmaking career? Let\u2019s dive into the fundamentals of crowdfunding, from why you might want to take money from the masses to how to transform that into cinematic success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Creative control:<\/strong> Crowdfunding on sites like Kickstarter<\/a> and Indiegogo<\/a> gives filmmakers the rare opportunity to maintain complete creative control. As opposed to traditional financing routes\u2014in which studios, investors, or distributors might demand script changes or ask you to cut your favorite scene\u2014crowdfunding means you answer directly to a group of supporters who already believe in your vision.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Filmmaker-audience relationship:<\/strong> Beyond granting creative freedom, crowdfunding lets you connect with your audience long before your film is complete. Your backers become invested advocates who want to spread the news about your project, attend screenings and events, and follow any work you might produce in the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith traditional film financing increasingly out of reach, it\u2019s more important than ever for filmmakers to own their relationship with their audiences,\u201d explains Taylor Shaw, Kickstarter\u2019s senior outreach lead for film. \u201cCrowdfunding is one of the most direct ways to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additional support:<\/strong> Finally, a successful crowdfunding campaign provides valuable proof of concept that might just attract mainstream investors, distributors, and festival programmers to your project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Build a pre-launch foundation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before filmmakers take the plunge into crowdfunding, Shaw says they need to know exactly \u201cwhy they\u2019re running a campaign and how to communicate that in a compelling and urgent way.\u201d Most successful crowdfunding campaigns don\u2019t begin when they go live; they start weeks (or even months!) earlier with a strategic pre-launch phase.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n To build excitement for your upcoming project, set up a pre-launch page that shows potential backers what the project is about and why they should be throwing money at it (here\u2019s how to do it on Kickstarter<\/a> and Indiegogo<\/a>). Send it to your friends, family, and industry contacts, and post it on social media and in relevant communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPre-launch is the most important part of running an entire Kickstarter,\u201d says Wilson. \u201cIf you can get the pre-launch right, everything else is smooth selling from there.\u201d <\/strong>He should know: The filmmaker made the fake trailer for \u201cIt Doesn\u2019t Exist\u201d so that he could try to practice his editing, but he was soon surprised by its immense popularity that took his YouTube channel from 17 subscribers to 65,000 nearly overnight. Commenters were disappointed that the trailer wasn\u2019t actually a movie, so Wilson decided to start a pre-launch page on Kickstarter to feel out interest. This allowed the people who had been so impressed by the trailer to follow the page, learn more about the potential project, and get an email notification when he decided to launch a campaign, which earned him over $11,000 in funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilson reached out to viewers in the YouTube comment section, sent his pre-launch page to his friends and family, asked the project\u2019s cast and crew to share the page, and posted the trailer in various relevant Reddit groups. \u201cI found a Japanese horror group on Reddit, which had like 40,000 people,\u201d he says. \u201cI went from subreddit to subreddit. By the time I was ready to start my campaign, I had a pre-launch following of around 700 people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Create a project video.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the key aspects of successful film crowdfunding is the project video sharing your concept. \u201cYou really need a strong project video,\u201d says Shaw. \u201cKeep it under two minutes. Use it to tell a compelling story about your film and why it matters. Speak directly to your audience and show them what makes your project unique.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out Wilson\u2019s project video to see how he did it:<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to crowdfund for a film<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n