Financing / Crowdfunding

Helpful article by Sky Moore, well respected Hollywood entertainment attorney.

Filmmakers need to be aware of the scammers out there trying to take advantage of our enthusiasm.

Here are a few of my tips:

1. Never pay upfront for a financing opportunity. This is a red flag.

2. Do your due diligence. Know...

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My name is Julia Messick, I am a senior at Pratt Institute studying Film. I am asking for guidance on crowdfunding my senior thesis film, Funnel Cake. Pratt suggests that we have $3,000 set aside to fund our thesis project, so I am crowdfunding for the first time using Kickstarter: http://kck.st/3Og...

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Some more information about the film: Funnel Cake is a whimsical tragedy about a misfit little girl who finds temporary solace with the help of an emerald ring.

Janie is a 9-year-old girl whose big imagination and glittery style cause her to be a misfit amongst her family and community. Between the overwhelm of her social anxiety, her struggle in appeasing her parents, and her teasing older brothers, Janie yearns to escape from it all. One day, her wish is granted when she receives a magical ring from a vendor at a flea market. With the ring on her finger, Janie becomes the only person in the world. At first, she revels in her newfound freedom. Janie enjoys uninterrupted tea parties and indulges in all the junk food she wants. However, she soon realizes that being alone is not as fulfilling as she thought. Amidst all the fun, she loses track of time and forgets to take off the ring. Now, Janie must find a way to reverse the magic and be reunited with her family. Through her journey, she discovers the true value of human connection and the importance of family.

The Kickstarter has 30 days to go, with 7% funded. With every donation there are levels of rewards, such as your name in the film credit, copy of the storyboard and poster, or a funnel cake logo hat. Please check out my Kickstarter page for my developing senior thesis film, Funnel Cake, and support with a donation if possible. Even if you cannot support right now, please guide me to other platforms to share my kickstarter page, or share advice on how you have successfully crowdfunded a short film.

Thank you in advance for all of your help,

Julia Messick

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Ashley Renee Smith

3
3 people like this
9 months ago

Thank you, Jack Binder! This is such a helpful article!

Sam Sokolow

2
2 people like this
- Jack Binder
- Maurice Vaughan
9 months ago

Excellent post and share. If it's not in the deal in writing it isn't happening. Great for all community members to read!

Morne Patterson

So simple but powerful. Its the basics which people often overlook getting them into trouble later down the line

Christian Cujovic

2
2 people like this
- Jack Binder
- Maurice Vaughan
8 months ago

Thank you for sharing this.

Some of the advice in the article might sound like no brainers but I know from personal experience that once you get your hopes up too much you just might stop thinking clearly and forget those rules. Therefore you can not be told often enough about this.

Sara Joyce

Yeah really good article, I wish i had read it 23 years ago when i first started meeting investors. Lots of really important bits of information in this article thank you!

Stephen Folker

5
5 people like this
9 months ago

Most crowdfunding contributions come from friends and family, not other filmmakers. I'd reach out to your parents, immediate family, friend / co-worker network, and whoever is in the cast / crew and a...

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Jane Sanger

4
4 people like this
9 months ago

Good luck with your film. Ask everyone of your cast and crew to ask their friends and family. Divide your total by the number and ask them to help find x amount. Perhaps that might be $200 each. At yo...

2
2 people like this
- John Michael German
- Maurice Vaughan
9 months ago

Thank you so much for your advice and kindness, John German.

Bal Samra

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
9 months ago

My take on crowdfunding. I have a project Sinners Buffet. I have looked into various Crowdfunding platform that uses Equity Base. They want you to have USA base Limited Liability Company. There are so...

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
8 months ago

Janie's story sounds very interesting. What an exciting premise!

Laurie Ashbourne

I was asking for the link because the one provided doesn't work and I wanted to verify the date range of the top 10. Point being, Kickstarter and Indiegogo and even industry darling Seed and Spark are...

This is fascinating and I would imagine that as independent distribution grows - as TikTok and such move to longer formats - crowdfunding may grow as an independent avenue. Thanks for sharing, Jack Bi...

Laurie Ashbourne valid point. That's cool you raised so much! Impressive! I may have to pick your brain - as I'm gearing up for a crowd equity campaign.

Thanks Jack Binder for this - I think Brandon Sanderson who raised $41.7 million on kickstarter deserves a mention even though not for film it was for 4 fantasy novels. I have been pretty successful a...