Anyone successfully funded a short film through Kickstarter?

M

mrl72

Well-known member
I'm currently in pre production on a short film I'll be producing/directing in the coming weeks and had originally planned on fully funding it myself (I own about $10k worth of gear already and was going the route of lo/no/defer for crew and non-union actors). A friend of mine asked why not just fund it but I always thought it would be harder to fund a short rather than a feature just because a short is just less appealing. Looking on Kickstarter though I do see a few shorts that have raised their budgets so I'm thinking heck why not! Increasing my budget will definitely yield a better picture and allow me to hire better talent and crew etc. I'm aware of what's involved in the networking aspects of managing the project and I have quite a few wealthy connections that would get me started, just would like to hear if anyone has successfully raised the money for their short, not feature?

Cheers.
 
I don't remember the stats but there's a very large number of films that go unfunded. To make it work you really need to work on it full time. There's a lot of good posts over at http://nofilmschool.com about crowd funding and Koo himself just finished a successful kickstarter campaign.
 
I have a friend who raised $850 in two weeks for her film (and met her goal). She did everything she could to get money, and it worked.

Indiegogo/Kickstarter won't generate the money for you.
 
According to Kickstarter's 2011 stats 47% of projects were successful (11,836 out of 27,086) and those projects raised $100M. Those are wonderful odds. Of course those stats are across all project types, but the project's I've tracked in the film categories are as successful as others on the site if their creators actively work on them and they have an intelligent marketing campaign. It's absolutely required that your short is about something that people care about and want to see made.
 
Snazzy Flapper said:
It's absolutely required that your short is about something that people care about and want to see made.
Click to expand...

I'd say that's true if you are making a doc and you tap into people who are fans of the subject or engaged with the social issue you're tackling. But for a fictional narrative, the crux of a crowdfunding campaign is giving people a reason to back YOU. Assume no one cares about the movie you want to make. Because they don't.
 
I think fan films would be another exception as well Zak. There are those Fans who have always wanted to see their favorite property filmed. I generally agree with you though that people bet their money on you not the film.
 
About to kick on off next month to try and fund the pilot episode of a web series ($2000 range). A multi pronged attack is the way to go. Leverage anything you can, genre, personal credibility, promises of sexual favors, anything.
 
Hi everyone, not really sure if this is the right place to ask but.... :shocked:

Here it goes: I'm kind of new to Kickstarter. I started a project so I could be able to finish funding a documentary that I've been working with a group of people, that like me, want to get this message across through a medium that we know and love, which is film. The message, inhumane treatment to immigrants.
The reason I'm here (and again I apologize if this is not the forum is to ask for help) is not for funding (although that would certainly help) but as a critique.

You see, I've been up over 5 days now and can't seem to get much traction, and frustratingly enough, I get no feedback whatsoever. So I'm asking you guys humbly, to criticize my Kickstarter project and tell me where you think it lacks. --- Or whatever your thoughts might be. I'm looking for honest, deep-to-the-bone frank answers, and I don't know where to turn.

Thank you again for the help and support.

The project's name is:

Never Forgotten: The Film. http://kck.st/z2wrNN

Best Regards,
Juan
neverforgottenfilm@gmail.com
 
jpasalagua said:
Hi everyone, not really sure if this is the right place to ask but.... :shocked:

Here it goes: I'm kind of new to Kickstarter. I started a project so I could be able to finish funding a documentary that I've been working with a group of people, that like me, want to get this message across through a medium that we know and love, which is film. The message, inhumane treatment to immigrants.
The reason I'm here (and again I apologize if this is not the forum is to ask for help) is not for funding (although that would certainly help) but as a critique.

You see, I've been up over 5 days now and can't seem to get much traction, and frustratingly enough, I get no feedback whatsoever. So I'm asking you guys humbly, to criticize my Kickstarter project and tell me where you think it lacks. --- Or whatever your thoughts might be. I'm looking for honest, deep-to-the-bone frank answers, and I don't know where to turn.

Thank you again for the help and support.

The project's name is:

Never Forgotten: The Film. http://kck.st/z2wrNN

Best Regards,
Juan
neverforgottenfilm@gmail.com
Click to expand...

I think I can help with some of your issues. My Kickstarter campaign for my doc was very successful.

1) Your project video. You need re-work it. The youtube video in the description is far better than the main video. I'd use that whole soundbite up to 0:47. It catches you immediately, but looses momentum after 0:47". Some of your clips in the main video have some audio of people talking, but the audio quality is so bad that I can't understand what they are saying, which says to me (a dumb ignorant non-filmmaker) that it is a poorly made film. If the audio isn't audible, cut it out, use a clip that can get away without audio, preferably without people talking right in front of the camera (makes me want to read lips).

2) The pitch video NEEDS to be in the actual KS video. But you need to do that one again too. The jump-cuts take you out of the moment. This doc is your baby, your passion project, and it needs to come from the heart, but the jump cuts make it seam insincere. Go back and re-shoot the video with no cuts, and from the heart, 1/2 - 1 minute of what the film is about (immigration issues, ¿who is Enrique Morones?, etc.) why it is important to you and, most importantly why its important to the viewer, and finally what they need to do to help. I spent two 10 hour days shooting my 45 second "message" to get it right. Once you have reshot it, place it at the beginning or the end. of the main video

3) Facebook is your greatest tool. Ever. This should be priority number one for you after you fixed your video. Think in FB terms. Your main goal for the video (the main video) is to have it shared on FB. That is why you need it punchy, to the point / short, emotionally moving, and ASK PEOPLE TO DONATE in your main video. That way, when a potential donator sees your video on FB, s/he will know that s/he needs to follow the link to your KS page and donate. Also, remember that whenever someone "likes" your KS project, it is displayed on their "Wall" and in their friends' "News Feed." Assume that ten people "like" your page, and that each person has an average of 100 FB friends. 10 x 100 = 1,000 exposed. This is why Facebook is so powerful for Kickstarter projects. But you need to design your video so that someone who has never heard of your project will by the end of the video understand what you are doing and what they can do.

4) Ask, no, tell, people to share it on facebook. And once you have asked them, ask them again. And again. It costs them nothing. Ask them in your updates, on your facebook fanpage (hope you have one for the doc), on your fb page, and then ask them again in an update.

5) You need to emphasize Enrique Morones. Hes interesting, a crusader for the cause. Sell him more. This doc is about a man about a cause.

6) Make a press release and use your networks (Border Angels, etc.) to email your press release to as many organizations as possible, and in the press release ask them to, you guessed it, share it on their FB org pages.
 
Good stuff sir, going to make sure I think about those points on my own campaign. I already planned on most of that, but a good list of things to remember.
 
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