Not sure if there were any particular Kickstarter videos you've come across that really worked for you and for the filmmaker, but if so, which ones were they? What are the dos and don'ts of creating a "successful" campaign video for funding a short or feature film? Or maybe the best ones aren't even film related?

Just doing some research before launching one and thought I'd field some opinions from the IT think tank.

Yo.

1.) Show your face. Get the principal crew all to contribute short, snappy interviews explaining their involvement in the project. Kickstarter is based on the human element and you need to show that you're a confident/competent human being.

2.) Keep it short. If I'm browsing on Kickstarter I'll give a campaign video about two or three minutes maximum to catch my attention. Remember that this is not your filmmaking manifesto, it is not documenting what you'll do with the money and it is certainly not a condensed version of your film. The point of the video is to attract investors and generate excitement about the project.

3.) Show some footage. Even if it's footage from previous productions which are in no way related to the one you're trying to sell, I want to see some footage that convinces me you aren't just a twelve year old with an iPhone trying to raise $20,000 to buy the RED. Personally I think that shooting teaser footage can work quite nicely but all you really need to show peoplemis that you know how to light and shoot. The rest can be explained in interviews.

4.) Be humble. You have to balance inspiring your investors with not coming across as arrogant or overly confident. Don't make promises you can't keep, don't over exaggerate anything about the film and certainly don't claim to be a better filmmaker than you are. People respond positively to honest, amusing requests rather than self involved pleas. Which brings me on to my last point...

5.) Be funny. No one wants to see your poker face in a campaign video. If you were pitching to a major studio you would want to be serious, but crowdfunding's a different game altogether. If you want casual investors, outside of your circle of friends and family, to invest then you need to come across as an appealing human being. 10,20 or 30 dollars isn't a huge amount of money so don't feel like you're convincing people to part with a huge amount of money- you're simply trying to get them to donate a small portion of their hard earned cash to your project. A smile and a well scripted joke can go a lot further than the best business plan. I would extend this point to say that your campaign video need not reflect the project. If there is a teaser trailer element then the tone should be the same as the finished film but even if you're makig a film about teenage abortion in flood victims you still need to come across as a decent person- just because the movie's depressing doesn't mean that everything you do in relation to the project needs to be a real downer.

These are just some thoughts I have :)

Very good points Nick. I'll keep them in mind for the future!

Excellent input, Nick! Thanks for chiming in. :D

Another question: are Kickstarter campaigns primarily geared toward just ONE project or can you pitch a few at the same time with the same video? I'm guessing it's best to create individual campaigns for each project, but since I have a handful of short scripts on deck I was wondering about making a catchall video and then letting people choose which project they want to fund.

Any thoughts?

Another question: are Kickstarter campaigns primarily geared toward just ONE project or can you pitch a few at the same time with the same video? I'm guessing it's best to create individual campaigns for each project, but since I have a handful of short scripts on deck I was wondering about making a catchall video and then letting people choose which project they want to fund.

Any thoughts?

Hmmm, that's a tough ask, Jeff.

I would advise you to do one campaign at a time, rather than a collective. Purely because, there are hundreds of other folk pitching passionately for a solitary project, if i where to see a pitch for three projects, I'd immediately ask, "Who does this guy think he is, Superman? What is he pitching for three projects at a time, has he got eight pairs of hands?"

It also belittles the biggest selling point of all. Sentiment. One project oozes sentiment, because that's all it's about, you see the guy talking passionately about this project, and you get excited...but with three, I wouldn't feel connected. It's too much of an ask.

.... I was wondering about making a catchall video and then letting people choose which project they want to fund.

Any thoughts?
I actually think this would be a good experiment, but only if you've (the artist) a record of , previous, successful works (which you DO have) to showcase your abilities. I like the idea of having a catalog of projects with which to choose from. I think this approach may be tailored for you, Jeff.

Here's a few of my favourite Campaigns.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jimbatt/i-have-your-heart-a-short-animated-film?ref=spotlight

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/838470061/bess-rogers-is-making-a-new-record?ref=spotlight

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/705847536/coffee-joulies-your-coffee-just-right?ref=live

Good points, PTP. That's kinda what I figured and will probably stick with creating individual campaigns. Thanks for the feedback.

* and to answer your questions... No, not Superman, more SpongeBob Squarepants. And yes, I actually did have eight pair of hands at birth, but my parents thought it best to have me grow up with just one pair. You know, like all you normal humans. ;)

Wow, PTP. Those campaign videos are SUPER slick. Dang. This gives me a production level to aim for. Thanks for posting.

No problem at all, bud.

There was a podcast that was extremely helpful that I can't seem to find. If I do, I'll post it here, or Tweet you the link.

Go through the T&C's of both Kickstarter, and Indiegogo, see what best fits your needs. Alot of people just think they're two of the same, and forget that they are competing businesses, they're constantly reworking and rejigging their policies to best fit the bill.

Awesome. I'll put you down as an in-kind supporter ;)

I'm going to have fun with the giveaways. :evil:

Awesome. I'll put you down as an in-kind supporter ;)

I'm going to have fun with the giveaways. :evil:

I can only imagine how inventive you're going to be with the giveaways.

You've got the right attitude for crowdfunding, Jeff. People will take to you for sure.

Here's a few of my favourite Campaigns.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jimbatt/i-have-your-heart-a-short-animated-film?ref=spotlight

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/838470061/bess-rogers-is-making-a-new-record?ref=spotlight

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/705847536/coffee-joulies-your-coffee-just-right?ref=live

All of these are awesome, hence the reason they've all smashed their targets...

I need some joulies... I wonder if they work with tea (aka boiled pennies)...

All of these are awesome, hence the reason they've all smashed their targets...

I need some joulies... I wonder if they work with tea (aka boiled pennies)...

I believe they do. They react to heat, not substance. Whether or not Coffee stays warmer than Tea given the consistency, I'm not so sure.

The campaigns are great. I think the musician's pitch was extremely clever, emphasising my point of "People invest in people, not ideas" her character really comes across, and it works. Plus, if you check out her "Giveaways", they're real neat.

P.S Tea does taste of wet pennies, and you know it.

P.S Tea does taste of wet pennies, and you know it.

You're speaking to someone who drinks about 15 cups of tea a day...

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01857/tea_1857786c.jpg

We can still be friends. But i'll never make you a cuppa.

Hi Flicker,

New to the forums, I'm branching out now that I'm pretty well in post on my first feature. Saw this Kickstarter question, while my video is far from the best I did have to do two videos to reign in my goal on the feature film KS. This is actually a sub-par example, but it pertains to raising money for narrative content, versus products or music.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2099062204/superseeds-a-super-powered-action-comedy

Learned some very valuable things going forward, would be happy to share them if anyone cares but I'll leave it out of the thread for now, as not to pollute it.

Hi Flicker,

New to the forums, I'm branching out now that I'm pretty well in post on my first feature. Saw this Kickstarter question, while my video is far from the best I did have to do two videos to reign in my goal on the feature film KS. This is actually a sub-par example, but it pertains to raising money for narrative content, versus products or music.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2099062204/superseeds-a-super-powered-action-comedy

Learned some very valuable things going forward, would be happy to share them if anyone cares but I'll leave it out of the thread for now, as not to pollute it.

Your production looks great and that's a really cool video (although I assume that this is not the one you used at the start of the campaign?).

Did I hear correctly that you got an individual person investing $10,000 in your film??? If so, that's amazing, whoever they are...

Your production looks great and that's a really cool video (although I assume that this is not the one you used at the start of the campaign?).

Did I hear correctly that you got an individual person investing $10,000 in your film??? If so, that's amazing, whoever they are...

Hi Nick,

Thanks for the compliments. Indeed, that was not the original video. Here is the original, in all of its horridness:

http://vimeo.com/15151674?ab

As you can see, it was definitely a very very low quality effort, and no matter which excuse I can dig up... I should've stepped out a bit cleaner.

The next time I do it, I'll probably have already shot some material to post on the kickstarter and really have a stronger go at it.

Also, yes, there was one person that kicked in ten thousand for an EP credit. It was very generous and it helped out tremendously, obviously. As of today, we're in post production and making every dime count.

Thanks Kholi. That's great about your movie! Looks like a slick production. Excellent about that "10 Grand Daddy/Mamma". Nice. All of these clips and links are giving me lots of ideas. Really appreciate the input. :D

Eureka! Got the campaign concept. :D Next up will be a little bit of scripting and some simple production. All of the input on this thread has been very helpful. Thanks for the tips, folks!

Two stills from my campaign video.

http://www.indietalk.com/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=164

http://www.indietalk.com/picture.php?albumid=10&pictureid=165

I settled on the make it personal and keep it humorous approach, even though the script isn't personal nor is it a comedy. With any luck it will entertain. Just depends on who's watching I suppose. ;)

With crowd funding you're asking people to invest in the process not just the film, so don't worry if your campaign video is nothing to do with the film.

The stills look mighty cool Jeff, particularly the axe... :devil:

hee hee. While it will be a Kickstarter video first and foremost, I'm trying to make it a stand alone piece, something that isn't just about me asking for money. If it comes together as planned, I think it might get some giggles. And if it produces a budget as well, even better!

Brilliant, Jeff!

Can't wait to see it, bud.

Nice stills, Jeff! I look forward to your pitch video. Lookit that sparkling smile!

But behind every sparkling smile...

The beginning of something... :)

http://flickerpictures.com/kikstrtrbeta.html

Contains a Flash video. Sorry iPads.

Sweet!

Kickstarter campaign video ROUGH is up on Vimeo

http://vimeo.com/23919915

PM me if you'd like to check it out and I'll reply with the password. :)

Needs a few audio tweaks and additional bits, but it's just about there.

Learned some very valuable things going forward, would be happy to share them if anyone cares but I'll leave it out of the thread for now, as not to pollute it.

Congrats on achieving your goal, Kholi!

I'm in process right now of putting together a KS bid for finishing funds, and so would definitely be interested to hear what you learned.

I'd also be interested to know if most of your contributors were friends/family as opposed to people who just happened across your project. What about the $10K angel, did you know him/her?

Congrats on achieving your goal, Kholi!

THanks, greatly appreciated sir.



I'm in process right now of putting together a KS bid for finishing funds, and so would definitely be interested to hear what you learned.

I'd also be interested to know if most of your contributors were friends/family as opposed to people who just happened across your project. What about the $10K angel, did you know him/her?

At first, it definitely was friends and family, then came film friends and enthusiasts after a lot of pushing, and lastly the ten thousand and three thousand were from people who had their eyes on my progress for a few years. I sent the kickstarter out at the last minute to show what we were up to and how many people were showing up to pledge, then they helped out.

What really helped was redoing the video. So, I'd say make sure to start out with something strong first. if possible, even shoot some material that's very representative of what you're going for if you don't have an existing reel to help out.

Thanks for that.

Just to clarify, it sounds like you're saying that you had most of your contributors before you actually began the KS campaign, but I'm unclear on whether you mean that the KS contributors were the same people or new ones who found your project there. What was the ratio of known/unknown contributors on KS?

Thanks for that.

Just to clarify, it sounds like you're saying that you had most of your contributors before you actually began the KS campaign, but I'm unclear on whether you mean that the KS contributors were the same people or new ones who found your project there. What was the ratio of known/unknown contributors on KS?

It was definitely about 30/70 split. With 30 being people I knew and the 70 people I didn't know. The largest sum was from someone I knew of indeed, the rest was from pushing the link around. A few total strangers put up 300+

It was definitely about 30/70 split. With 30 being people I knew and the 70 people I didn't know.

Good to know, since most of my friends are starving artists like me. :yes:

(wow, 1000th post for me -- maybe I talk too much)

From 7:30 minutes down to 5:00 and I'm sure it is bound to get shorter.

http://vimeo.com/24051899
Password: 5minutes

I don't know what the hell will happen with this project, but we had fun putting the video together. :D

Great job Jeff, it's funny!

Glad it tickled the funny bone. : )

The blood didn't look great but the video as a whole was pretty funny :) i enjoyed it

Yeah, the blood was too magenta, maybe I can tweak the color a bit, make it darker. I mixed red Tempura paint (non-toxic, washable, for kids) with some corn syrup. Should have added a touch of dark chocolate syrup. Thanks for watching!

Funny stuff, Flicker! Agree that it could be a bit shorter, especially since we know what's coming. :D

Thanks 2001, glad you got some laughs. What parts should be cut? It's gone from 7:30 min to 5:00. Let me know which parts you think need trimming. I've taken just about everyone's input on this thing. For this campaign, shorter is better. Cheers.

Early on you establish jump-cutting as a stylistic choice - one that works very well here. I would do more of that. Keep all the meat of the thing, but tighten up the pace. Once we see the ax and hear the nagging wife we know immediately where this thing is headed, so get us there a bit quicker. 5 minutes is kind of a long time to keep us waiting for the inevitable.

A lot of your interaction with the wife is redundant - "get a job", etc. Don't lose all that, necessarily, but crunch it together a bit more. Even if you cut her off halfway through a line I think it would play out well. The pace can increase as your frustration increases. Same with the wallpaper bit, etc. That's funny stuff and well-played by the two of you.

This is just my opinion, of course. I think you've got some good stuff there so feel free to ignore me. :)

Thanks, Mick. I never ignore feedback. I consider it all and if it makes sense for the project I do my best to incorporate it. Otherwise I wouldn't ask for your time or anyone else's. Appreciate it. :)

Maybe I'll aim for a 4 minute version. It's a work in progress.

* 50 projects for Bill in 3 years. http://twitgoo.com/2andlk Busiest guy in Hollywood? Could be!

I too would go with 4 minutes. 3 even. One sequence I wouldn't cut is the part where you talk about the backdrop. I was wondering why you used what you did, that scene ties your set to the narrative, without that little exposition (which is kinda funny btw) it might just look like a bad set.

I agree too that the blood didn't look right. It's too much. I don't know how to make blood splatter look real. I've tried and I hate working with cornsyrup. How about if it's like a spray mark? Would it work if you were first off cam and we hear the thumping and THEN you come back to cam, give your lines, then go off cam to chop again? Wouldn't need so much blood that way.

I like the tone and wit though, whoever sees it will know their money is in skilled hands and that it won't be another exploitative chop 'em up.

^^^^^
Or, last (jump) shot you could be finishing wiping your bloodied face with one of Rebecca's favorite monogrammed tea towels. :D

OK, will be aiming for a shorter version.

I was trying to keep as many of the remote turn-offs instead of just using the jump cuts, but I may have to say goodbye to a few of those.

Cat fabric sequence is a keeper. That seems to be a favorite of folks.

Wiping blood from my face with her tea towel? My goodness, Bird. Diabolical! ;)

Finally got around to checking it out, Jeff.

You have such presence on screen. I'd have never have thought you could be so composed. This is going to do very, very well.

Not alot to add upon the length what hasn't already been offered above. It needs shortening. It's your material, it's all funny. But it needs to bite, and snap. So go through it with a fine tooth comb. Cut it as fine as you can.

There's a definitive balance to all successful campaigns. You've got half of it. I want to watch more. You're interesting, and you have my attention. But, be it that the pitch is so personalised, and stylised, I felt I had to go back and watch it again to find out what the movie is about. It's an easy amendable problem. You've got our attention. Now we need to know the details. We need to know exactly what's going to happen.

Tell us why YOU are making this movie, where our money will go to, why it is important that YOU are making this movie and nobody else.

I'd lose the showing of the quotes, and the picture of the actor. You can clarify all of this in a punchy brief of your intentions. Like I said, just tell us your plans, show us your enthusiasm. Mention the actor, perhaps point to a link on the screen, and just mention a few things he's been involved in. Tighten the strings.

Think of your pitch as the bridge between you and each member of your audience. Not to your audience as whole, although when marketing your campaign, that's exactly what you need. However, right now, think of it as a personal message, one by one. I'm your main focus. Mentioning that another guy loves it isn't important to me. The reason I'm going to break my bank of pennies to contribute to your funds is because I've connected with either yourself, the material, or both.

It has to be all about that one person reading the pitch. Because the few dollars in their back pocket doesn't belong to the screenwriter, or film exec you're quoting, it belongs to them, and it's often overlooked at the campaigners peril. It's the dealbreaker.

Cover the business side!

Just give us a quick and snappy run down on the plans for the budget. Where it's going to, why it's important. Seeing as you're already covered in blood, end it with something that leaves us with you, because you're the selling point. Something simple like...

"Anything beyond the budget will go to...clean up. Hmm. I probably shouldn't have--She'll be okay."

Tighten the strings, brush up the details, and you're onto a winner.

All good, man. Thanks for the eyes! I think I've hatched a new plan of attack. Stay tuned. Maybe this campaign will end up on the DVD. For now, something new, something super short, too! Under 1 minute. K.I.S.S. (Keep It Short, Stupid) ;)

Sounds fantastic.

Always happy to help if I can, bud.

Sure thang.

I lied. New concept will probably be 2:30min but definitely under 3 minutes.

Stay tuned...

http://www.jumpstarterkickoffagogogreenlightscameraaction .info