filmman launches GOLD DIGGERS on KickStarter.com

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filmman

filmman

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http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/felliniesque/gold-diggers
25450_385708439355_823769355_3633334_1569177_n.jpg

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/felliniesque/gold-diggers

Click on the above link and fund this feature film. You can contribute from $1 and up. There are some wonderful perks. And if you have some requests for additional or innovative rewards I can give my contributors, let me know, won't you?

-- Vic
 
Here is the brief synopsis of the GOLD DIGGERS:
Gold Diggers is a comedy about a group of girls with an ambitious project. They find a charming shyster and file an ipo. They are successful at first but then end up being investigated. Finally a Japanese entrepreneur bails them out.
 
http://kck.st/9RMqzg
This is the link to my video clip for GOLD DIGGERS. The video shows me working with a couple of actresses on BUTTERFLIES IN THE WIND. I shot the whole movie by myself with an Arri 2c -- mostly hand held, and all of it MOS (mit out sound LOL). I would shoot a scene and then have the actors dub the lines on the same location immediately. It was a great way to direct both the picture and the dialogue as director.

Hope you'll contribute a couple of dollars to my production. If you contribute $20, you will get a free DVD of the movie. That's my first reward. Check out the Kickstarter project website while you're at it; it's a good way to finance your movies. So far I like it -- even though the total contributions are still Zero -- but, hey, I just launched the project today.
 
I suggest you pull a preproduction sizzle reel together, explain who you are, what the film is about, have some of the actors talk, the girls (get some real cute actresses, that helps) and the guy playing the shyster, about why they wanted to do the movie and how good the script is, that sort of thing. Set up some lights and have someone hold up a bounce card and make it look like a live set then have Liv shoot a scene of you shooting (and directing not just shooting). If nothing else, make a really good poster. You have a movie about chicks and you have a bunch of grimy looking dudes on the poster.

-Nate
 
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Thanks Nate! You're absolutely right -- as always. I'm going to follow your advice on every point.
 
What you have is a guy with a camera on a beach pointing it at two girls.

This is not a trailer.

I was almost thinking this was a joke.
 
Well, thanks for taking a look. Even though you didn't like it, your comment will help me come up with a new teaser to promote my new project.
 
filmman said:
I actually direct and shoot simultaneously LOL as I'm shooting MOS, I'm also giving my actors direction. Watch the clip carefully :-) http://kck.st/9RMqzg
Click to expand...

The poster nor the video are something that will pull people in. Maybe talk to Zak. He knows how to do all that stuff. My advice is do things step by step.

1. First do a better poster, even if you have to use stock photos for now (someone on Craigslist will do this for $50, I'm telling you)
2. Do a casting call and get your actors in place
3. Do the preproduction sizzle reel or
better yet go out and shoot a proof of concept like El Director did. You have a DV/HDV camera right? And if you shoot a scene, shoot something that is attention grabbing, compelling and will make us want to see more. The two chicks on the beach wasn't it. We know what the shot is from, people who don't know about BITW, will see this and think "WTF?"

Seriously, this is when you make something like the "Red Queen" trailer. Hot chicks, odd stuff happening, Liv in a queen outfit with a sword checkin' fools (though I still don't know exactly what she did in the scene that made dude so scared), but either way, the trailer was interesting and had great music and managed to suck you in even though you really didn't know what you were looking at. You need something like that now. But my problem with this also is the story isn't strong. Maybe your synopsis gives too much away and too little. What's the project. We don't need to know they file an IPO, we don't care enough yet, nor do we need to know they're bailed out in the end. Never tell the end!!!!!!!

I assume these chicks find a gold mine based on the title and art. How about:

"Three ambitious women match wits with a charming shyster after finding a goldmine."

That's it. Nothing more needs to be said. You don't even need to tell us it's a comedy, the poster should.

If you want to show yourself directing, look at the BTS video of Crank 2. You want to be engaging the actor. Have close-ups and medium close up. And try to make it look big as possible.

filmman said:
Here is one of my favorite movies and trailers: Bob Fosse's ALL THAT JAZZ. It is one of the most felliniesque movies you'll ever see.
http://www.felliniesque.com/bob_fosse_all_that_jazz_trailer.html
Click to expand...
Okay, but what does this have to do with Gold Diggers?

And on a side note: You may want to think about making the women Black and Hispanic (or Black and Asian) and call this film "Gold Diggaz", you, may make some money in the urban market. LOL. But seriously, you have some work to do with this project.

-Nate
 
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Nathyn's right. Right now this isn't enticing anyone to donate. No questions are risen, nothing that leaves us wanting to know more. All we have are two girls that are just reading lines, somewhat unprofessionally shot (sorry) by what looks like a crew of one.

You need to show some professionalism, something to give confidence to people that they are investing in a movie they know will do well. The poster looks poorly made and needs to be done by someone with skill at making posters. Not to be mean, but the poster looks like it's from an old '95 geocities page, with the silly font, the low res pictures, the strange non-descriptive images blended awkwardly, the cheap photoshop filters, etc.

And as nathyn's right, give them something to strike curiosity, essentially something that raises questions, questions that people will want answered. It's not enough to give little information, people may not care, but give a reason for people to care.
 
I've got two good friends who have had successful kickstarter campaigns for $25k and $30k. take a look at their page, deconstruct and use as a guide. I think what's working against you here Vic is the lack of information on your page and the fact that your pitch video has nothing to do with the project you're raising funds for. This could be interpreted as a lack of true commitment on your part.

This is how you run a successful campaign...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grking/how-do-you-write-a-joe-schermann-song-a-feature

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gregorybayne/jens-pulver-driven-a-documentary-film-about-a-le
 
I tried the kickstarter thing myself, and I "thought" I had something interesting enough up there for people to want to donate. I even had a video of me explaining the project, what my goals were, and a pre teaser I made up. It still wasn't enough to garner enough attention to get any real contributions. I had some local people contribute, but they would have done so with or without the "rewards" associated. I was on the right track, and still couldn't garner any interest (and I blasted my page everywhere, and promoted it like crazy.) I later learned that in order to gain any interest on kickstarter from people outside your local area, you have to do something unique and "viral". Its almost like trying to get people to watch a youtube video. Unless its something cool and different, they don't care.

I'm no professional, but the first thing that popped in my head when I saw the poster was...
"I don't get it, a bunch of panners?" The poster also looks like it was made in windows paint. I'm not trying to knock it, as everyone can't be photoshop guru's but there are plenty of people that are who will do this kind of stuff for cheap/free. As has already been mentioned.

As for the video, again.. coming from someone who doesn't know you, and hasn't seen any of your previous work.. I just kind of had a "wtf" moment as I watched it. All I saw was two women walking down the beach. Not very interesting for a perspective investor. I'd say do a proof of concept for the actual project or at least do a sit down "interview" type video where you explain what the project actually is. Because I honestly couldn't tell you, if you asked me what it was about.. just from watching that.

Not trying to be harsh, just trying to share my own experiences with kickstarter and what did and didn't work for me.
 
Zak Forsman said:
I've got two good friends who have had successful kickstarter campaigns for $25k and $30k. take a look at their page, deconstruct and use as a guide. I think what's working against you here Vic is the lack of information on your page and the fact that your pitch video has nothing to do with the project you're raising funds for. This could be interpreted as a lack of true commitment on your part.

This is how you run a successful campaign...

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/grking/how-do-you-write-a-joe-schermann-song-a-feature

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gregorybayne/jens-pulver-driven-a-documentary-film-about-a-le
Click to expand...

These two, especially that first one, is what I'm talking about. The first one has all the elements.

-Nate
 
Wow...not much more to be said than has already been stated...

But, I'd rethink this a bit. I mean, do you honestly think that "Poster" looks...good?
 
First let me say thank you to all who responded to this thread so far -- keep it coming; I'm really appreciative of the feedback. I can't succeed without your help.

Nathyn wrote: I suggest you pull a preproduction sizzle reel together, explain who you are, what the film is about, have some of the actors talk, the girls (get some real cute actresses, that helps) and the guy playing the shyster, about why they wanted to do the movie and how good the script is, that sort of thing. Set up some lights and have someone hold up a bounce card and make it look like a live set then have Liv shoot a scene of you shooting (and directing not just shooting). If nothing else, make a really good poster. You have a movie about chicks and you have a bunch of grimy looking dudes on the poster.
Click to expand...

Agreed, every point is right on the money. I desperately need a teaser for this project -- also a poster.

As for actors, I don't have any cast yet; but I know what you mean.
 
Nathyn wrote: 3. Do the preproduction sizzle reel or
better yet go out and shoot a proof of concept like El Director did.
Click to expand...

I researched "proof of concept" and I found out it was a very valuable term. It is becoming a standard practice these days. I just heard yesterday from someone at the Showbiz Expo going on at the LA Convention Center now that James Cameron shot a proof of concept for Avatar before getting funded -- $400 million. So I'm convinced proof of concept works. LOL
 
Nathyn wrote: Seriously, this is when you make something like the "Red Queen" trailer. Hot chicks, odd stuff happening, Liv in a queen outfit with a sword checkin' fools (though I still don't know exactly what she did in the scene that made dude so scared), but either way, the trailer was interesting and had great music and managed to suck you in even though you really didn't know what you were looking at. You need something like that now.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Nate! I appreciate that. The RED QUEEN trailer was done after I had the film completely finished. I will look into the possibility of shooting a trailer before making the movie, which is another way to do a teaser-trailer.
 
Nathyn wrote: If you want to show yourself directing, look at the BTS video of Crank 2. You want to be engaging the actor. Have close-ups and medium close up. And try to make it look big as possible.
Click to expand...

I used to DP movies like that. I'm glad I'm not doing it anymore. I don't like "action movies" like that anymore -- been there, done that. They didn't do anything for me. But I know there is an audience for them ... especially in the foreign market. If I was starting out again, I might do action movies again; but ... nah, I would skip that step. I'd rather not make movies if that's all I'm going to do.

But thank you for posting that link, Nate, because it reminded me of those times when I had fun doing action movies. I'd do it for you as a favor; but I'm not in Chicago unfortunately ... not that you'd ask me even if I were there.LOL
 
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