KS and IG are the 2 largest crowdfunding sites.
This means more people know, use and visit them.
You'll have to read and compare.
One thing you will need to understand:
crowdfunding is only a lottery (you will probably loose) if you put no effort in your campaign.
Otherwise it is just hard work that will reach it's goal or not.
A few things are essential:
- a network/crowd/fanbase you can reach even before you start the campaign
- a strategy to reach your crowd and beyond (by 'activating your crowd') through social media and media
- have some press releases prepared
- a great video that makes people want to participate*
*some requirements:
- show you have the technical skills to make a good video: a crappy one will make people move on
- show great storytelling: a boring video will make people move on (and if you can't make a compelling campaign video, why would we trust you can make a good movie?)
- show you are a filmmaker: this is the hard part if you never made a video before. (So my recurring advice keeps coming back like a mantra: make something smaller first.) Having a great experienced DOP on board can help to compensate that a little bit.
- end with a call to action
In short: the video needs to give people convidence you know what you are doing and that you are able to finish the project. It needs to inspire people to help you in either making donation and/or by spreading your campaign.
A big part of the crowdfunding campaigns fail because:
- the video is bad (technically bad, or boring as hell)
- the campaign wasn't prepared very well (tweeting it 3 times to 5 followers won't be enough)
- people tend to forget normal press still exists: you need to use more than social media
- people don't do the effort the campaign needs to spread and stay top of mind (this means making updates, blogging, sending press releases with updates during the campaign as well
- they are inexperienced with big ambitions and talk only about themselves
- the rewards are not attractive (but mind you: make calculations most rewards cost time and money to give, so if the rewards are to big, you'll lose money instead of raising it. If the rewards are too small, nobody cares about them.)
- people try to crowdfund to buy gear. (Most people don't want to buy a stranger's new toys)
And last but not least:
- the projects don't sound interesting or doable
Another interesting read about crowdfunding experiences from IT-members:
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=39742