D ig i tally yo u rs
Crowdfunding Turns the Audience into the Gatekeepers By E r ica Ha r gr eav e
D
id you hear the one about
ever raised was $900,000.
gap, and removes the middleman,
your goal clearly and then make a
the dude who jokingly
Rob raised $1 million in the first
so you don’t have to deal with net-
stellar video.”
posted about potato sal-
4 hours! By the twelve hour mark,
works or other publishers to reach
ad on Kickstarter? Here’s what he
he’d raised the $2 million he needed
your audience.
wrote. “I’m making potato salad.
to shoot. The campaign continued
Steve’s advice to others who want
For success you need to ask anyone
Basically, I’m just making potato
on to raise a total of $5,702,153, un-
to crowdfund their projects: “First,
who you can to take part. You need
salad. I haven’t decided what kind
locking a variety of the campaign’s
mature the product you are offer-
to sell yourself and your campaign
yet.” And here’s the punchline. He
stretch goals.
ing to the community. I think it’s
24/7 to ensure success. Also, build
Part-Time filmmaker Kemp Edmonds advises that, “It’s like politics.
raised $55,492. Whether you just
I hear a few mutters of “Well …
important to establish your brand
partnerships and have others fea-
laughed or exclaimed “WTF” maybe,
Veronica Mars is a big American enti-
before asking people to invest in
ture what you are doing. Think PR.
just maybe, you should be paying a
ty with a pre-existing fan base.” True
you. Also, I primed the pump. I did a
Think unique hook. Why does your
little more attention to this crowd-
enough, but our Canadian creators’
small private campaign to get some
story matter to the greater audi-
funding thing.
campaigns are nothing to scoff at.
activity in my account before asking
ence? How can you get a newspa-
What was Zack Danger Brown’s
Take Indie Game: the Movie, by Mani-
the general public to support me. I
per or radio reporter to jump on the
intention with his potato salad cam-
toba filmmakers James Swirsky and
think if people visit any online prod-
story? Then use every social media
paign - aside from a good chuckle?
Lisanne Pajot. With two Kickstarter
uct and hear crickets you will have
channel you can to reach, engage
He’d publicly hoped to raise $10.
campaigns, they raised $94,676 for
a difficult time converting them
and converse with folks, especially
Secretly his goal was $60. Never in
the documentary. Their goal had
into supporters.”
those with places to amplify your
his wildest dreams did he expect to
been $50,000. In the process, they’d
Sarah Keenlyside of Inkblot Media
raise over $50,000. Who would?
inadvertently marketed their docu-
has both crowdfunded her own films
And novelist Doreen Pendgracs
As a creator, this excites me.
mentary, creating a fan base and
and invested in the crowdfunding
suggests you study the algorithm
Whether you’ve long been a fan of
anticipation for its release. Win -
campaigns of others. From this ex-
of the crowdfunding platform you
crowdfunding or have been skepti-
Win!
perience, she thinks it’s important
are on so that you benefit from their
made
to ask yourself, “Why should people
help in marketing your campaign.
this past year has carried some
$285,840 on Kickstarter (see story
care about my project? What are
She also advises you keep the video
telling examples for creators. Such
on page 24).
investors getting out of the invest-
that you are using to promote your
cally watching from the sidelines,
examples
suggest
Corner
Gas: The
Movie
message about your campaign.”
crowdfunding
I interviewed a number of other
ment? Even $5 and the time it takes
campaign short. She learned this
may indeed be a viable alternative
Canadian creatives who have suc-
to donate $5 is a big ask based solely
the hard way, having created one
to play with in the Canadian film
cessfully crowdfunded their own
on your word that they will enjoy the
8-minute video that should have
and tv funding game, opening the
projects, and here’s what they
film when it’s finished.”
been two shorter videos.
playing field up to creators who
learned form their campaigns:
What got Sarah to invest in other
Final words: Don’t get greedy
are willing to put in the work to
Past radio and tv producer, host,
people’s campaigns? She was famil-
with your crowdfunding campaign,
experiment with a new model of
and now YouTube publisher, Steve
iar with the people behind the cam-
but do be realistic in your budget-
funding that sidesteps traditional
Dotto’s reasoning for crowdfund-
paign and admired their previous
ing. Make sure that you are not
gatekeepers.
ing is that it creates a direct con-
work. She cared about the subject
overselling and can deliver what
nection between his viewers and
matter featured in the film. She was
you’re promising.
himself, the content creator. He was
curious about the subject matter.
When you start your crowdfund-
2013 saw a revival of the cult tv
looking to recapture some revenue
She liked their technical approach
ing campaign be sure to tell us —
hit, Veronica Mars. After seven years
from his community. With 40,000
and wanted to see it realized. Or the
and tweet us — @reelwestmag. We
off network television, Director Rob
subscribers on his YouTube chan-
rewards were just so rewarding that
love seeing what our Canadian cre-
Thomas made one last ditch at-
nel, a small contribution from each
she couldn’t resist.
atives are up to! n
tempt to raise financing for a film
one would make for a very healthy
and started a Kickstarter campaign.
income. Community support allows
tal editor at Air Canada’s enRoute
Erica Hargreave gets her kicks out of
He was skeptical as to whether or
him to create more compelling con-
magazine) Daniel Baylis’ advice
weaving stories across platforms, and
not it would work. You see, he need-
tent that isn’t focused on pleasing
from crowdfunding his memoirs is,
teaching
ed $2 million to go to camera, and at
advertisers instead of viewers. Ul-
“Don’t rush into it. Take the time to
and digital media at BCIT and around
that time the most Kickstarter had
timately, crowdfunding closes the
plan out your attack, communicate
the world!
After all, it’s not just potato salad that’s getting funded.
Writer, adventurer
(and
digi-
cross-platform
storytelling
@reelwestmag 8
Reel West Fall 2014