Why You Should Crowdfund Your Film (Even If You Don’t Have To)
One topic I get asked about all the time is crowdfunding:
“Why do it if you don’t HAVE to?”
“Doesn’t it make you look cheap?”
“Isn’t it just begging your friends for money?”
I’ve been on every side of it.
I’ve supported projects where the creator ghosted. I’ve spent years delivering on my promises for indie projects. And I’ve finally landed on what I feel is an essential strategy for creators in the modern film and art ecosystem.
Our last film drove almost $500,000 on Kickstarter—primarily by pre-selling our film to an audience of under 2,500 people. Pretty crazy, right?
So what have I learned, and what are the secrets?
1. Use Kickstarter
Everything else is second rate.
If you just want people to send you money, use Venmo. Crowdfunding is about building undeniable momentum for your project, which means you can’t be afraid of missing your goal.
Kickstarter’s all-or-nothing structure forces urgency and commitment. Your audience knows you’re serious. You’re putting yourself on the line.
2. Unless You Absolutely CANNOT, Crowdfund at the End
The biggest factor that helped our last campaign succeed?
The film was basically finished when we launched the campaign.
Rather than asking supporters to blindly believe in us, we were pre-selling a real product. It’s better for your supporters, and it opens up a much bigger market beyond your family and friends.
If you can avoid crowdfunding to start your project, do it. Instead, use crowdfunding to finish and deliver.
3. Use IP to Your Advantage
In our case, we made a doc about a known figure. But there are many ways to use IP without paying a royalty fee.
My current favorite idea is using the public domain.
Most of human history occurred before 1900, and many of our most beloved and cherished stories are completely free for you to adapt. Not harm in getting creative.
4. Pick a Reasonable Goal
What is reasonable varies on every project, but you need to do a true assessment of your reach and your concepts actual audience. If the audience is just not there, maybe you need to try a different idea.
My first crowdfunding project way back in 2012 raised $5k
5. The Goal Cannot Be Only Money
Of course money makes the world go round, but in the creator economy your real value and currency is your audience.
Building fans and loyalty takes time, and you have to consistently deliver. If you're launching a crowdfunding campaign, well, this is your first opportunity to prove yourself.
6. No One Works Harder Than You
Same goes for all filmmaking, really.
Success in crowdfunding comes from planning, not “just launching.” You need a strategy for marketing, PR, community engagement, and content, and then you need to execute.
if you want all the glory, you have to stop hiding. That means paying for marketing, paying for PR, taking the gamble, and putting everything on the line.
Run your campaign until you have nothing left.
Does This Guarantee Success? Hell No.
But these best practices will stack the deck in your favor.
What Are You Working On Right Now?
I’d love to see it. Share your projects or campaigns, and I’ll help amplify your work.
🎥 P.S. Love This? You’ll Love the YouTube Channel.
I also run a YouTube channel about the art and science of filmmaking. Similar to this newsletter but a bit more technically oriented—and I bet you’ll enjoy it.
A recent video breaks down the process of making a movie on 16mm. Subscribe today and help support what we do:
