What number of instances this month have you ever already been requested to donate to crowdfunding campaigns? One may simply go broke donating to each play, quick movie, or web-series that buddies are starring in! I’m pondering of beginning a crowdfunding marketing campaign merely to assist replenish my checking account for the entire campaigns I’ve contributed to.
Right here’s the factor. Crowdfunding is standard for a motive—it’s a useful gizmo for actors who wish to create their very own tasks with out coping with the effort of buyers and sponsors (or begging their households). It’s palms down the best and most reasonably priced solution to get a mission off the bottom. As a substitute of ready round for auditions, we are able to self-produce, write dream roles for ourselves, and lift cash for tasks we’re really enthusiastic about. As a substitute of asking our lengthy misplaced Aunt Cathy for $10,000, we are able to ask all of our buddies (actual and digital) to chip in small quantities, and provide signed posters and social media shoutouts in return. Sounds straightforward, proper?
However lots of us are affected by “crowdfunding fatigue,” and admittedly can’t afford to assist each mission on the market. As a creator, you now you must go above and past to create a profitable crowdfunding marketing campaign, one that basically grabs the viewers and stands out from the group.
Just a few months in the past, I raised $17,000 on Indiegogo for a marketing campaign I did for my quick horror movie “Cover/Search”, which I directed and is now on the pageant circuit. Our authentic aim was $10,000, and we had been in a position to elevate 178% of our aim, which is taken into account very profitable. At present I’m in the midst of my second marketing campaign for a brand new webseries I’m directing referred to as “Fairly Individuals, Inc,” utilizing the identical platform. I’ve discovered quite a bit about this course of, have accomplished lots of analysis, and I’m right here to go alongside some tricks to you.
1. Select the appropriate platform on your mission.
Enormous platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter are used for every little thing from movies to bodily product launches, whereas different, smaller websites like Seed and Spark are extra particularly focused to funding movies. All of them take a share of your whole quantity raised. Do your analysis. Some provide versatile funding (the place you retain the cash raised irrespective of how a lot), and a few provide mounted funding (the place you solely hold the cash should you attain your aim).
2. Resolve on a funds.
You need to be sensible right here. In the event you ask for an excessive amount of, individuals will assume you’re loopy. What’s sensible? It’s at all times good to get a line producer to present you an concept of what your mission will price earlier than you determine on a marketing campaign funds. Are you doing a check pilot for a web-series, or a full-scale function movie? In your marketing campaign, clarify to your viewers precisely the place that cash goes, be trustworthy, and break it down into line gadgets. With these campaigns, belief is every little thing, and it’s essential let your viewers know you may have accomplished your analysis. Don’t overlook so as to add in post-production prices, like sound mixing, enhancing, and pageant submissions!
3. Know your viewers.
Who’re you advertising this to? Associates? Horror followers? Is your viewers area of interest or are you reaching out to a extra various group? Once you begin to market your marketing campaign on social media, you wish to be particular and provide perks that cater to that viewers. To encourage engagement, I stored a weblog the place I posted behind the scenes pictures and wrote articles on the casting course of, manufacturing, in addition to publish manufacturing.
READ: “Learn how to Get Solid in a Horror Movie”
4. Provide particular perks.
Once you ask your viewers for cash, you get to supply nice perks in return. These can vary from “particular thanks” on the finish of the movie, to a downloadable hyperlink to the completed mission, to dinner with the artistic staff, and even an affiliate producer credit score for the highest donators (often reserved for individuals who donate $1000 or extra). These perks get your viewers excited, and extra invested within the mission.
After I created the marketing campaign for my quick horror movie “Cover/Search,” I catered to horror followers, in addition to my appearing college students at MN Appearing Studio. In return for his or her funding, I used to be in a position to provide perks that will be engaging to this group akin to personal appearing teaching and enterprise consultations.
Figuring out who your viewers is and providing perks that relate to them is essential. Hold it private, and join! And as soon as the movie is over, make certain to ship in your perks! In the event you don’t, they are going to by no means donate to your tasks ever once more.
5. Make an awesome video.
The marketing campaign video is every little thing. The standard of the video is immediately associated to the manufacturing worth of the mission. In the event you spend the time and power to make an thrilling, top quality video describing your mission, why you’re enthusiastic about it, and who’s concerned, your viewers will probably be extra prone to donate. I’ve seen too many individuals do that incorrect, and never spend sufficient time on this.
6. Hold the momentum.
In the event you create a 30-day marketing campaign to boost funds, chances are high the preliminary pleasure of donating will put on off after a number of days. That is the place you wish to get savvy, and proceed to publish about it on social media in fascinating methods, so to maintain curiosity as you get nearer to your finish date. Hold your viewers excited, remind them how a lot you may have left to boost, what number of days, and provide them thrilling tidbits into the pre-production course of.
Good luck! I look ahead to donating to your mission.
