Financing / Crowdfunding : To film or not to film? by Natalie Villa

It depends on how good a salesman your director is. The video is a key success factor in any crowd funding project. Make sure you nail it. It can't be some boring person asking for money. That dog won't hunt.

Thanks, Natalie, for posting! I'm in the exact same boat as you are and I had the saaaaaame question, lol. Good luck to you on your first film!

i am about to do my first short film.I guess we the same,Natalie

if you are looking for a producer or talent, I can provide. Message me please.

Hello Natalie, in regards to fundraising for a project, be it a short film or a feature length film, through crowdsourcing, so much of it depends on the audience that you have built. What are their reasons for investing in your project? Among those reasons is what they can expect: your filmmaking style and the kind of stories you create. For a truly successful crowdsourcing campaign, people outside of one's circle of family and friends have to invest, and that audience has to be first built. I myself have taken to heart something that Jean-Pierre Melville stated (he's one of my favorite directors and his Le Samourai with Alain Delon is my all-time favorite film). Melville said, "I think your first film should be made with your own blood" (http://bit.ly/12uxsP7). Take whatever approach necessary to making this first film, make it all yours, and present it to the world saying "This is what I can offer." Not only will you learn so much about what it takes to produce a film, but you will begin to grow your audience.

Something personal (as you said, a short video) and some facts about the story are usually things to make me think about (backing) a project. :-) Early Footage and perhaps even introducing the maincast is another plus.

Hi! You might want to check out "financial sponsorship". This involves getting a not for profit to act as an umbrella organizasion for your project. You'd apply to the not for profit for financial spponsorship. If they accept you, you can ask people for contributions for your project in return for which your donors would get a tax deduction.

Thanks everyone! All of these suggestions are really helpful and have really helped me and the director decide what to do for this fundraising!

Outside of indiegogo, another option you might want to consider is setting up a deal with a Restaurant. I can't recall the official term for this right now, but what you do is set up a deal with the Restaurant to have a night for supporting fundraising for your film. This website has a little more info on it. http://www.fundraising-newsletters.com/fundraising-with-restaurant-night... Good Luck with the fundraising!

Good Luck!

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Aside from some good comments above, I'd add the really successful campaigns I've seen are motivating on a deep level. Saying you want to make a movie isn't enough. Look at something like Inocente, which was partly made through crowdfunding. You watch that trailer and you feel compelled to give money to help get her off the streets. Likewise friends have done well tapping into certain movements, etc. Find some aspect of your project that will emotionally motivate people and you may find you'll create an effective campaign.

If you invest in film you have better have your ducks in a row; and your characters in place. We make a business in helping investors put money into viable projects. An investor does not care to pour over hundreds of pages of script; and if he does, your lack of improvements could bore him and run him away. Why not make a screen green low budget tape that will want him to see more. The demo will give the sharks a grasp of the potential; and you can more easy get the funding you need. We are set up with a green screen, sound room and studio broadcast w/streaming live broadband video In a limited time we can stream your shows around the planet! 310-919-8738

Great question! I've helped to fundraise a few film projects in the past. To organize, you can start an Indiegogo or Kickstarter to create a home base for the project and an easy way for friends, family and other filmmakers to contribute. If you'd like to get creative, you can consider selling related merchandise. More than a T-shirt or sticker, think outside the box to sell something that the public can use that will also aid in promoting the movie. For example, if you are a baker, you can sell cookies or candies that are labeled to promote the movie. You can use the funds for some jumpstart money. Good luck!

To pay for school lot of young girls are going on dates with older men. Just a date that's all. Oh how I wish I was a girl a pretty girl of course

You need to put a promo on demo tape; and promote it for $5.00 on http://fiverr.com/ as a souvenir and ad.I will help!

I would definitely consider doing a bit more than just a talking head video. Try looking at campaigns on IGG/Kickstarter that have very little time left in their fundraising windows and still need lots of money - you'll see what works and what doesn't. Best of luck!!

Hi Natalie. If you're going to go the KS or IG route, I'd say your pitch video has got to pop -- as some have already mentioned on this thread -- that's the most important thing. If you're doing the KS, 30 days is what's recommended, along with having a team (of at least 3) pulling 4-8 hours of outreach on a daily basis. You can PM me if you'd like some specifics on a recent KS experience I had. And best of luck!

Thank you all for the suggestions! I will definitely take into many of these suggestions. I think we have alot more to work with now. Jess Paul that was an awesome idea since our film it about food anyway! Thank you all. :)

Haha!! Bullseye XD