Need fundraising advice

I can tell you are very enthusiastic about this film and that you really want to make it.
My suggestion would be to change the video you have. Having a still image with dramatic music doesn't make me get excited. I think it would be way more effective if actual filmed yourself talking about the film, and maybe some cast and crew members? I think people will get more emotionally connected to wanting to donate because they will see you and how you want to make the film.

And maybe put some pre production up? Like storyboards or set designs? Get people to understand your vision

The copy is fine. I think the 10% donation is a nice idea. But are
all donations actually tax deductible? Is SDCT a legally
registered nonprofit?

The video on the indiegogo page is pretty bad. Showing that you
can set a few lights and use a mic on a boom (even in an
interview) goes a long way to showing professionalism, dedication
and attention to detail. It’s too long and you tend to ramble.

Watching you for nine minutes in a badly lit monologue with poor
audio does not inspire me to donate. I wonder if you would donate
to a complete stranger after watching a presentation like this.

In your video (and I did watch the entire thing including the
inadvertent cameo by your child) you bring up the usual “pitch” -
if everyone who watched (or listened to your podcast) donated only
one dollar...

So I ask my usual question: how many times have YOU donated one
dollar to a filmmaker on indiegogo?

I like the way you've structured the donations rewards, I think that's a lot better than most of the IndieGoGo pages that I've seen....

However, I'm going to agree with directorik that the video is no good. I would much rather see a trailer (if you've start filming), or perhaps some well edited behind the scenes footage from production or even pre-production interviews with a bunch of different people involved in the film. Seeing one, poorly filmed, guy talking about the film for nigh on ten minutes is not going to sell. I went to that page in order to look it over and I only watched the video for about 45 seconds. Imagine how long someone who's just flicking through will take.

I want to thank everyone

Our first camera just came in the mail. I slapped this one on here today, as embarrassing as it may seem it is better than nothing at all. With that being said, Jeff is currently in the works of making a second video. I am a stickler on sound as well, but until we can afford the boom mics we'll have to use the tools at our disposal.

Which leads me into my second thing. We are currently working on an animatics trailer. Obviously we have not yet filmed and I would like to have something to show for the work we have done as of yet. My question here is this- would a professionally produced animatics trailer inspire or turn off the target? On one hand- it kind of points out the obvious that we currently don't have the funding to produce a trailer that says what we wish- on the other hand it may make us not look serious when pushing this as the most tangible video we have.

You have excellent reasons for using the content you provided. But
I believe that people who may be enticed to donate aren’t
interested in the very valid reasons you offer poor production
value.

With no boom and mic you can get better audio by recording in a
more controlled environment. You could have found a lamp and a
couple of work lights among your friends and family and controlled
the lighting. And you could have written out some nice copy and
read that instead of rambling on for 9 minutes. A well lit,
clever, funny, informative 2 minutes using the on camera mic would
show more professionalism, talent and attention to detail than you
offered here. Sometimes nothing is better.

If you had taken the time to make your limited resources look and
sound great then a potential donator might believe that with
$5,000 you can make something truly amazing.

I look forward to seeing the new and improved video you make with
your new camera.

wtstephens said:

My question here is this- would a professionally produced animatics trailer inspire or turn off the target?

Click to expand...

It's gonna confuse them, I'd bet.

Also, why spend a tonne of money on a professionally produced animatic when you're only trying to raise 5K to start with? (I'm assuming that you actually mean professionally produced, when you say professionally produced)

Imo, animatics are not for the public nor for dollar-at-a-time piecemeal "investors".

I haven't watched your video yet. Doing so now.

Edit: watched video. Used "uh" & "umm" about 90 times (didn't count "you know" at all, but that was significant, too), terrible videography & audio, rambling dialogue with no clear objective, and video invaded by little noisy kid. How did you even get the $135 you've raised so far?

I don’t know what you are looking for, but as a 1st impression I echo what has already been said.

Being a bit too casually lit and audio with a hum in to doesn’t seem the best foot forward in confidence inspiring pitch.

Those things aside, the death blow is me taking time to watch something only to have you suggest that I have to go click on something else to seek out information to educate myself for the privilege of giving money away.

I understand that you have more info and that you are making it readily available, but who doesn’t?

An introduction and little background is great, but when you have my attention it’s either go-time or it’s no-time. When it’s go-time, tell me, show me, let me see and hear and bring me into the world of your vision efficiently. Make me curious, give me something to want to believe in and something to want invest in, reward me for taking the time to watch with the rare and exciting opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this project. Make me want to learn more, not have to.

If you can’t creatively win me over in a few minutes, or at least try, then in the back of mind I’m saying “What makes you think you can creatively win me over in an hour and half, and why should I pay to try to let you?”

Hope this can be of some help.

-Thanks-

Thank all of you for your input. I really took it all to heart and we are working hard to make this a reality. We've been lucky enough to have contributions outside of Indiegogo and now this project is greenlit, as we now have all of our cast, crew, and (almost) equipment. Once again, huge thanks to all of you, I appreciate all critique given. We decided to nix the animatics trailer idea and beef up what we had to show a more narrowly tailored level of professionalism within our means.

Congrats! We always love to hear a success story. Since IndieGoGo
didn't work where did you get the contributions?

BTW: I liked the new video you put on on the IndieGoGo page.

Thanks much!

Pretty much, we underestimated the power of the networks that we had already built upon with movie reviewers and those whom have had roles to play via our podcast. Also, we've established good relationships with almost everyone whom has donated via the indiegogo page- they have helped tremendously. For instance, one guy from Negative Equity in the UK is taking on the production of a mandatory 45 second segment in the film, other donators have also given tangible donations as well.

I especially learned two things through Indiegogo. First, a seeming-majority tend to be uncomfortable with Paypal. Second, there is little reason as to why someone would donate money to somebody they do not know, no matter the cause, as they do not know what, if anything that money is going to go towards. Hopefully this will be less of an obstacle when we have the finished product and an actual trailer to show for the planned second-round of fundraising for post-production.

As of now, I plan on making use of every minute of the 40 days left on the Indiegogo campaign as we still need to raise the money for the DIY rigs, travel, and feeding the staff.

Once again, thanks to each of you for your advice!