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CROWDFUNDING FOR FILM HANDBOOK

Film Field Guide

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Page 1: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 131

7212019 Film Field Guide

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2

Inside this

handbook3 INTRODUCTION

4 Meet Indiegogo

6 CROWDFUNDING

7 What is crowdfunding

8 Why Indiegogo

9 HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

10 Preparing your campaign

12 Creating your campaign

21 Launching your campaign ndash and keeping momentum

25 Wrapping it up

26 DOS AND DONrsquoTS

28 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

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3

INTRODUCTION

7212019 Film Field Guide

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4

Meet

Indiegogo

In January 2008 Slava Rubin Danae

Ringelmann and Eric Schell traveled to the

Sundance Film Festival Frustrated by their

own inability to raise capital through traditional

means their arrival at the noted independent

festival heralded a new democratic era of film

finance There while camped out at the Red

Banjo on Main Street the trio of entrepreneurs

launched the very first crowdfunding platform

ndash Indiegogo

Six years later Indiegogo remains a truly open

and global platform enabling projects to run and

raise funds in over 200 countries and territories

around the world During that time Indiegogorsquos

platform has helped thousands of films earn

funding Wersquore available in four languages

(English French German and Spanish) and

capable of funding in five currencies (US

dollars Canadian dollars Australian dollars

euros and pound sterling) making Indiegogo

more accessible than any other platform of its

7212019 Film Field Guide

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5

kind We also retain offices in New York and

Los Angeles in addition to our San Francisco

headquarters

Through the power of our film community

filmmakers have premiered projects at

Sundance TIFF SXSW Cannes Tribeca Hot

Docs LA Film Fest and dozens more festivals

around the world Wersquove seen campaigners win

an Oscar and Best Documentary at Sundance

named a ldquoDirector to Watchrdquo by Variety and

receive Audience Awards at SXSW several times

over Even more were picked up for distribution

by Magnolia IFC HBO CNN Tribeca Film and

Lionsgate ndash the latter providing the largest

release for a crowdfunded film Dear White

People

This is Indiegogo Now letrsquos get started

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6

CROWDFUNDING

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7

What is

crowdfundingCrowdfunding is the process of raising money

online through contributions made by many

different people who share the same passion

for your project Crowdfunding may also often

involve a ldquoperkrdquo in exchange for contributing

THE BENEFITS OF RAISING FUNDS

THIS WAY INCLUDE

bull Increased access to social networks

bull Repeated engagement with fans amplifies

awareness

bull Feedback from early customers and followers

bull Access to insightful data

bull Retention of creative control

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8

Why

Indiegogobull Keep what you raise with Flexible Funding

bull Low fees (just 4 when you hit your goal)

bull Breadth of payment options (PayPal credit

cards)

bull Receive PayPal contributions right away

bull Accessibility (224 countries and territories 5

currencies 4 languages)

bull A Trust amp Safety team

bull More than 9 million unique monthly visitors

bull Comprehensive educational materials and an

exceptional Customer Happiness Team

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9

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

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10

Preparing

Your CampaignThe best way to start is to see what other

successful film campaigns have done For

inspiration you can browse current film projects

here

Have a blog of your own Write your thoughts

on the latest camera technology or post a

compelling list of movies that inspired you on

your own filmmaking path Anything that could

potentially open doors will help once yoursquore

ready to launch on Indiegogo

Tap into various film communities especially

on Twitter Two of the most supportive groups

for crowdfunding are supportindiefilm and

our very own gogofilm You can also find really

awesome filmmakers to follow and tweet with by

searching for indiefilm filmmaking and other

relevant hashtags

Be positive and personable with your online

persona Remember yoursquore building social

bridges that will lead those filmmakers and

enthusiasts to fund your next project

Gathering a following takes time As they say

Rome wasnrsquot built in a day ndash and theyrsquore right

Set aside a few months It will pay off in the long

run We promise

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11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

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12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

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14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

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15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

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16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

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17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

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18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

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19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

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20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

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21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

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22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

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23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

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24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

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25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

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26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

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27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

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28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

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29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

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30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

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START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 2: Film Field Guide

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2

Inside this

handbook3 INTRODUCTION

4 Meet Indiegogo

6 CROWDFUNDING

7 What is crowdfunding

8 Why Indiegogo

9 HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

10 Preparing your campaign

12 Creating your campaign

21 Launching your campaign ndash and keeping momentum

25 Wrapping it up

26 DOS AND DONrsquoTS

28 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

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3

INTRODUCTION

7212019 Film Field Guide

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4

Meet

Indiegogo

In January 2008 Slava Rubin Danae

Ringelmann and Eric Schell traveled to the

Sundance Film Festival Frustrated by their

own inability to raise capital through traditional

means their arrival at the noted independent

festival heralded a new democratic era of film

finance There while camped out at the Red

Banjo on Main Street the trio of entrepreneurs

launched the very first crowdfunding platform

ndash Indiegogo

Six years later Indiegogo remains a truly open

and global platform enabling projects to run and

raise funds in over 200 countries and territories

around the world During that time Indiegogorsquos

platform has helped thousands of films earn

funding Wersquore available in four languages

(English French German and Spanish) and

capable of funding in five currencies (US

dollars Canadian dollars Australian dollars

euros and pound sterling) making Indiegogo

more accessible than any other platform of its

7212019 Film Field Guide

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5

kind We also retain offices in New York and

Los Angeles in addition to our San Francisco

headquarters

Through the power of our film community

filmmakers have premiered projects at

Sundance TIFF SXSW Cannes Tribeca Hot

Docs LA Film Fest and dozens more festivals

around the world Wersquove seen campaigners win

an Oscar and Best Documentary at Sundance

named a ldquoDirector to Watchrdquo by Variety and

receive Audience Awards at SXSW several times

over Even more were picked up for distribution

by Magnolia IFC HBO CNN Tribeca Film and

Lionsgate ndash the latter providing the largest

release for a crowdfunded film Dear White

People

This is Indiegogo Now letrsquos get started

7212019 Film Field Guide

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6

CROWDFUNDING

7212019 Film Field Guide

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7

What is

crowdfundingCrowdfunding is the process of raising money

online through contributions made by many

different people who share the same passion

for your project Crowdfunding may also often

involve a ldquoperkrdquo in exchange for contributing

THE BENEFITS OF RAISING FUNDS

THIS WAY INCLUDE

bull Increased access to social networks

bull Repeated engagement with fans amplifies

awareness

bull Feedback from early customers and followers

bull Access to insightful data

bull Retention of creative control

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 831

8

Why

Indiegogobull Keep what you raise with Flexible Funding

bull Low fees (just 4 when you hit your goal)

bull Breadth of payment options (PayPal credit

cards)

bull Receive PayPal contributions right away

bull Accessibility (224 countries and territories 5

currencies 4 languages)

bull A Trust amp Safety team

bull More than 9 million unique monthly visitors

bull Comprehensive educational materials and an

exceptional Customer Happiness Team

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 931

9

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

7212019 Film Field Guide

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10

Preparing

Your CampaignThe best way to start is to see what other

successful film campaigns have done For

inspiration you can browse current film projects

here

Have a blog of your own Write your thoughts

on the latest camera technology or post a

compelling list of movies that inspired you on

your own filmmaking path Anything that could

potentially open doors will help once yoursquore

ready to launch on Indiegogo

Tap into various film communities especially

on Twitter Two of the most supportive groups

for crowdfunding are supportindiefilm and

our very own gogofilm You can also find really

awesome filmmakers to follow and tweet with by

searching for indiefilm filmmaking and other

relevant hashtags

Be positive and personable with your online

persona Remember yoursquore building social

bridges that will lead those filmmakers and

enthusiasts to fund your next project

Gathering a following takes time As they say

Rome wasnrsquot built in a day ndash and theyrsquore right

Set aside a few months It will pay off in the long

run We promise

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11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

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12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

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14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

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15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

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16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

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17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

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18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

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19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

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20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

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21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

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22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

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23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

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24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

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25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

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26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

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27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

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28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

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29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

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30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

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START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 3: Film Field Guide

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3

INTRODUCTION

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4

Meet

Indiegogo

In January 2008 Slava Rubin Danae

Ringelmann and Eric Schell traveled to the

Sundance Film Festival Frustrated by their

own inability to raise capital through traditional

means their arrival at the noted independent

festival heralded a new democratic era of film

finance There while camped out at the Red

Banjo on Main Street the trio of entrepreneurs

launched the very first crowdfunding platform

ndash Indiegogo

Six years later Indiegogo remains a truly open

and global platform enabling projects to run and

raise funds in over 200 countries and territories

around the world During that time Indiegogorsquos

platform has helped thousands of films earn

funding Wersquore available in four languages

(English French German and Spanish) and

capable of funding in five currencies (US

dollars Canadian dollars Australian dollars

euros and pound sterling) making Indiegogo

more accessible than any other platform of its

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5

kind We also retain offices in New York and

Los Angeles in addition to our San Francisco

headquarters

Through the power of our film community

filmmakers have premiered projects at

Sundance TIFF SXSW Cannes Tribeca Hot

Docs LA Film Fest and dozens more festivals

around the world Wersquove seen campaigners win

an Oscar and Best Documentary at Sundance

named a ldquoDirector to Watchrdquo by Variety and

receive Audience Awards at SXSW several times

over Even more were picked up for distribution

by Magnolia IFC HBO CNN Tribeca Film and

Lionsgate ndash the latter providing the largest

release for a crowdfunded film Dear White

People

This is Indiegogo Now letrsquos get started

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6

CROWDFUNDING

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7

What is

crowdfundingCrowdfunding is the process of raising money

online through contributions made by many

different people who share the same passion

for your project Crowdfunding may also often

involve a ldquoperkrdquo in exchange for contributing

THE BENEFITS OF RAISING FUNDS

THIS WAY INCLUDE

bull Increased access to social networks

bull Repeated engagement with fans amplifies

awareness

bull Feedback from early customers and followers

bull Access to insightful data

bull Retention of creative control

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8

Why

Indiegogobull Keep what you raise with Flexible Funding

bull Low fees (just 4 when you hit your goal)

bull Breadth of payment options (PayPal credit

cards)

bull Receive PayPal contributions right away

bull Accessibility (224 countries and territories 5

currencies 4 languages)

bull A Trust amp Safety team

bull More than 9 million unique monthly visitors

bull Comprehensive educational materials and an

exceptional Customer Happiness Team

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9

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

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10

Preparing

Your CampaignThe best way to start is to see what other

successful film campaigns have done For

inspiration you can browse current film projects

here

Have a blog of your own Write your thoughts

on the latest camera technology or post a

compelling list of movies that inspired you on

your own filmmaking path Anything that could

potentially open doors will help once yoursquore

ready to launch on Indiegogo

Tap into various film communities especially

on Twitter Two of the most supportive groups

for crowdfunding are supportindiefilm and

our very own gogofilm You can also find really

awesome filmmakers to follow and tweet with by

searching for indiefilm filmmaking and other

relevant hashtags

Be positive and personable with your online

persona Remember yoursquore building social

bridges that will lead those filmmakers and

enthusiasts to fund your next project

Gathering a following takes time As they say

Rome wasnrsquot built in a day ndash and theyrsquore right

Set aside a few months It will pay off in the long

run We promise

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11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1231

12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1431

14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

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15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

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16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

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17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

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18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

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19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

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20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

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21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

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22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

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23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

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24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

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25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

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26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

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27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

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28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

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29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

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30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

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START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 4: Film Field Guide

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4

Meet

Indiegogo

In January 2008 Slava Rubin Danae

Ringelmann and Eric Schell traveled to the

Sundance Film Festival Frustrated by their

own inability to raise capital through traditional

means their arrival at the noted independent

festival heralded a new democratic era of film

finance There while camped out at the Red

Banjo on Main Street the trio of entrepreneurs

launched the very first crowdfunding platform

ndash Indiegogo

Six years later Indiegogo remains a truly open

and global platform enabling projects to run and

raise funds in over 200 countries and territories

around the world During that time Indiegogorsquos

platform has helped thousands of films earn

funding Wersquore available in four languages

(English French German and Spanish) and

capable of funding in five currencies (US

dollars Canadian dollars Australian dollars

euros and pound sterling) making Indiegogo

more accessible than any other platform of its

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5

kind We also retain offices in New York and

Los Angeles in addition to our San Francisco

headquarters

Through the power of our film community

filmmakers have premiered projects at

Sundance TIFF SXSW Cannes Tribeca Hot

Docs LA Film Fest and dozens more festivals

around the world Wersquove seen campaigners win

an Oscar and Best Documentary at Sundance

named a ldquoDirector to Watchrdquo by Variety and

receive Audience Awards at SXSW several times

over Even more were picked up for distribution

by Magnolia IFC HBO CNN Tribeca Film and

Lionsgate ndash the latter providing the largest

release for a crowdfunded film Dear White

People

This is Indiegogo Now letrsquos get started

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6

CROWDFUNDING

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7

What is

crowdfundingCrowdfunding is the process of raising money

online through contributions made by many

different people who share the same passion

for your project Crowdfunding may also often

involve a ldquoperkrdquo in exchange for contributing

THE BENEFITS OF RAISING FUNDS

THIS WAY INCLUDE

bull Increased access to social networks

bull Repeated engagement with fans amplifies

awareness

bull Feedback from early customers and followers

bull Access to insightful data

bull Retention of creative control

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8

Why

Indiegogobull Keep what you raise with Flexible Funding

bull Low fees (just 4 when you hit your goal)

bull Breadth of payment options (PayPal credit

cards)

bull Receive PayPal contributions right away

bull Accessibility (224 countries and territories 5

currencies 4 languages)

bull A Trust amp Safety team

bull More than 9 million unique monthly visitors

bull Comprehensive educational materials and an

exceptional Customer Happiness Team

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9

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

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10

Preparing

Your CampaignThe best way to start is to see what other

successful film campaigns have done For

inspiration you can browse current film projects

here

Have a blog of your own Write your thoughts

on the latest camera technology or post a

compelling list of movies that inspired you on

your own filmmaking path Anything that could

potentially open doors will help once yoursquore

ready to launch on Indiegogo

Tap into various film communities especially

on Twitter Two of the most supportive groups

for crowdfunding are supportindiefilm and

our very own gogofilm You can also find really

awesome filmmakers to follow and tweet with by

searching for indiefilm filmmaking and other

relevant hashtags

Be positive and personable with your online

persona Remember yoursquore building social

bridges that will lead those filmmakers and

enthusiasts to fund your next project

Gathering a following takes time As they say

Rome wasnrsquot built in a day ndash and theyrsquore right

Set aside a few months It will pay off in the long

run We promise

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11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

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12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

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14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

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15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

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16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

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17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

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26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

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27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

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28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

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29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

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30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

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START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 5: Film Field Guide

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5

kind We also retain offices in New York and

Los Angeles in addition to our San Francisco

headquarters

Through the power of our film community

filmmakers have premiered projects at

Sundance TIFF SXSW Cannes Tribeca Hot

Docs LA Film Fest and dozens more festivals

around the world Wersquove seen campaigners win

an Oscar and Best Documentary at Sundance

named a ldquoDirector to Watchrdquo by Variety and

receive Audience Awards at SXSW several times

over Even more were picked up for distribution

by Magnolia IFC HBO CNN Tribeca Film and

Lionsgate ndash the latter providing the largest

release for a crowdfunded film Dear White

People

This is Indiegogo Now letrsquos get started

7212019 Film Field Guide

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6

CROWDFUNDING

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7

What is

crowdfundingCrowdfunding is the process of raising money

online through contributions made by many

different people who share the same passion

for your project Crowdfunding may also often

involve a ldquoperkrdquo in exchange for contributing

THE BENEFITS OF RAISING FUNDS

THIS WAY INCLUDE

bull Increased access to social networks

bull Repeated engagement with fans amplifies

awareness

bull Feedback from early customers and followers

bull Access to insightful data

bull Retention of creative control

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8

Why

Indiegogobull Keep what you raise with Flexible Funding

bull Low fees (just 4 when you hit your goal)

bull Breadth of payment options (PayPal credit

cards)

bull Receive PayPal contributions right away

bull Accessibility (224 countries and territories 5

currencies 4 languages)

bull A Trust amp Safety team

bull More than 9 million unique monthly visitors

bull Comprehensive educational materials and an

exceptional Customer Happiness Team

7212019 Film Field Guide

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9

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

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10

Preparing

Your CampaignThe best way to start is to see what other

successful film campaigns have done For

inspiration you can browse current film projects

here

Have a blog of your own Write your thoughts

on the latest camera technology or post a

compelling list of movies that inspired you on

your own filmmaking path Anything that could

potentially open doors will help once yoursquore

ready to launch on Indiegogo

Tap into various film communities especially

on Twitter Two of the most supportive groups

for crowdfunding are supportindiefilm and

our very own gogofilm You can also find really

awesome filmmakers to follow and tweet with by

searching for indiefilm filmmaking and other

relevant hashtags

Be positive and personable with your online

persona Remember yoursquore building social

bridges that will lead those filmmakers and

enthusiasts to fund your next project

Gathering a following takes time As they say

Rome wasnrsquot built in a day ndash and theyrsquore right

Set aside a few months It will pay off in the long

run We promise

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11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

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12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

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14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

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15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

7212019 Film Field Guide

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16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

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17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

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18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

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20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 6: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 631

6

CROWDFUNDING

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 731

7

What is

crowdfundingCrowdfunding is the process of raising money

online through contributions made by many

different people who share the same passion

for your project Crowdfunding may also often

involve a ldquoperkrdquo in exchange for contributing

THE BENEFITS OF RAISING FUNDS

THIS WAY INCLUDE

bull Increased access to social networks

bull Repeated engagement with fans amplifies

awareness

bull Feedback from early customers and followers

bull Access to insightful data

bull Retention of creative control

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 831

8

Why

Indiegogobull Keep what you raise with Flexible Funding

bull Low fees (just 4 when you hit your goal)

bull Breadth of payment options (PayPal credit

cards)

bull Receive PayPal contributions right away

bull Accessibility (224 countries and territories 5

currencies 4 languages)

bull A Trust amp Safety team

bull More than 9 million unique monthly visitors

bull Comprehensive educational materials and an

exceptional Customer Happiness Team

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 931

9

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1031

10

Preparing

Your CampaignThe best way to start is to see what other

successful film campaigns have done For

inspiration you can browse current film projects

here

Have a blog of your own Write your thoughts

on the latest camera technology or post a

compelling list of movies that inspired you on

your own filmmaking path Anything that could

potentially open doors will help once yoursquore

ready to launch on Indiegogo

Tap into various film communities especially

on Twitter Two of the most supportive groups

for crowdfunding are supportindiefilm and

our very own gogofilm You can also find really

awesome filmmakers to follow and tweet with by

searching for indiefilm filmmaking and other

relevant hashtags

Be positive and personable with your online

persona Remember yoursquore building social

bridges that will lead those filmmakers and

enthusiasts to fund your next project

Gathering a following takes time As they say

Rome wasnrsquot built in a day ndash and theyrsquore right

Set aside a few months It will pay off in the long

run We promise

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1131

11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1231

12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

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14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

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15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

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16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

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17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 7: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 731

7

What is

crowdfundingCrowdfunding is the process of raising money

online through contributions made by many

different people who share the same passion

for your project Crowdfunding may also often

involve a ldquoperkrdquo in exchange for contributing

THE BENEFITS OF RAISING FUNDS

THIS WAY INCLUDE

bull Increased access to social networks

bull Repeated engagement with fans amplifies

awareness

bull Feedback from early customers and followers

bull Access to insightful data

bull Retention of creative control

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 831

8

Why

Indiegogobull Keep what you raise with Flexible Funding

bull Low fees (just 4 when you hit your goal)

bull Breadth of payment options (PayPal credit

cards)

bull Receive PayPal contributions right away

bull Accessibility (224 countries and territories 5

currencies 4 languages)

bull A Trust amp Safety team

bull More than 9 million unique monthly visitors

bull Comprehensive educational materials and an

exceptional Customer Happiness Team

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 931

9

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1031

10

Preparing

Your CampaignThe best way to start is to see what other

successful film campaigns have done For

inspiration you can browse current film projects

here

Have a blog of your own Write your thoughts

on the latest camera technology or post a

compelling list of movies that inspired you on

your own filmmaking path Anything that could

potentially open doors will help once yoursquore

ready to launch on Indiegogo

Tap into various film communities especially

on Twitter Two of the most supportive groups

for crowdfunding are supportindiefilm and

our very own gogofilm You can also find really

awesome filmmakers to follow and tweet with by

searching for indiefilm filmmaking and other

relevant hashtags

Be positive and personable with your online

persona Remember yoursquore building social

bridges that will lead those filmmakers and

enthusiasts to fund your next project

Gathering a following takes time As they say

Rome wasnrsquot built in a day ndash and theyrsquore right

Set aside a few months It will pay off in the long

run We promise

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1131

11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1231

12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

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14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1531

15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

7212019 Film Field Guide

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16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1731

17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

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18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

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19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

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20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

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22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

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23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

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24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

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25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

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26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

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27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

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28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

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29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

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30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 8: Film Field Guide

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8

Why

Indiegogobull Keep what you raise with Flexible Funding

bull Low fees (just 4 when you hit your goal)

bull Breadth of payment options (PayPal credit

cards)

bull Receive PayPal contributions right away

bull Accessibility (224 countries and territories 5

currencies 4 languages)

bull A Trust amp Safety team

bull More than 9 million unique monthly visitors

bull Comprehensive educational materials and an

exceptional Customer Happiness Team

7212019 Film Field Guide

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9

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

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10

Preparing

Your CampaignThe best way to start is to see what other

successful film campaigns have done For

inspiration you can browse current film projects

here

Have a blog of your own Write your thoughts

on the latest camera technology or post a

compelling list of movies that inspired you on

your own filmmaking path Anything that could

potentially open doors will help once yoursquore

ready to launch on Indiegogo

Tap into various film communities especially

on Twitter Two of the most supportive groups

for crowdfunding are supportindiefilm and

our very own gogofilm You can also find really

awesome filmmakers to follow and tweet with by

searching for indiefilm filmmaking and other

relevant hashtags

Be positive and personable with your online

persona Remember yoursquore building social

bridges that will lead those filmmakers and

enthusiasts to fund your next project

Gathering a following takes time As they say

Rome wasnrsquot built in a day ndash and theyrsquore right

Set aside a few months It will pay off in the long

run We promise

7212019 Film Field Guide

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11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1231

12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

7212019 Film Field Guide

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1431

14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1531

15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1631

16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1731

17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 9: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 931

9

HOW TO LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1031

10

Preparing

Your CampaignThe best way to start is to see what other

successful film campaigns have done For

inspiration you can browse current film projects

here

Have a blog of your own Write your thoughts

on the latest camera technology or post a

compelling list of movies that inspired you on

your own filmmaking path Anything that could

potentially open doors will help once yoursquore

ready to launch on Indiegogo

Tap into various film communities especially

on Twitter Two of the most supportive groups

for crowdfunding are supportindiefilm and

our very own gogofilm You can also find really

awesome filmmakers to follow and tweet with by

searching for indiefilm filmmaking and other

relevant hashtags

Be positive and personable with your online

persona Remember yoursquore building social

bridges that will lead those filmmakers and

enthusiasts to fund your next project

Gathering a following takes time As they say

Rome wasnrsquot built in a day ndash and theyrsquore right

Set aside a few months It will pay off in the long

run We promise

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1131

11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1231

12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1331

13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1431

14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1531

15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1631

16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1731

17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 10: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

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10

Preparing

Your CampaignThe best way to start is to see what other

successful film campaigns have done For

inspiration you can browse current film projects

here

Have a blog of your own Write your thoughts

on the latest camera technology or post a

compelling list of movies that inspired you on

your own filmmaking path Anything that could

potentially open doors will help once yoursquore

ready to launch on Indiegogo

Tap into various film communities especially

on Twitter Two of the most supportive groups

for crowdfunding are supportindiefilm and

our very own gogofilm You can also find really

awesome filmmakers to follow and tweet with by

searching for indiefilm filmmaking and other

relevant hashtags

Be positive and personable with your online

persona Remember yoursquore building social

bridges that will lead those filmmakers and

enthusiasts to fund your next project

Gathering a following takes time As they say

Rome wasnrsquot built in a day ndash and theyrsquore right

Set aside a few months It will pay off in the long

run We promise

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1131

11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1231

12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1431

14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

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15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

7212019 Film Field Guide

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16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

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17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 11: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1131

11

Putting Together

Your Team

The Team of We Love Paleo a feature documentary exploring why the

Paleo diet is believed the best for optimal human health

As with putting together the right film crew

having a proper campaign team is key

Interestingly teams of two or more people

typically generate 94 more funding than

projects run by a single campaigner Find

people who can help you with specific aspects

of the campaign ndash for example a friend who

specializes in social media or graphic design

Itrsquos also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with

photos bios Facebook and email verificationand contact info The more transparent you are

the more the crowd will trust you to use their

money wisely

For even more ldquobefore the campaignrdquo advice

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1231

12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1331

13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1431

14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1531

15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1631

16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1731

17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 12: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1231

12

Creating

Your CampaignOnce you establish your community and team

itrsquos time to take the next step and create a

campaign While it may seem daunting fear not

The process is simple

AN INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN HAS

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

1 The Pitch Video

2 The Pitch Text

3 The Perks

Letrsquos start with the video

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1431

14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1531

15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1631

16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1731

17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 13: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

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13

Creating

Your Pitch VideoThe pitch video is the single most important

element of your film campaign Itrsquos essentially

the elevator pitch yoursquod give to Harvey Weinstein

while traveling from the lobby to the penthouse

Yoursquove got that much time to get across who

you are what your film idea is and why people

should care about your project enough to help

you fund it

The truth is that not many people will give

money if you only post a set photograph or a

film trailer A trailer is a sales tool not a pitchtool Itrsquos designed to make people want to see

your film not fund it In other words Do Not Use

A Film Trailer or Scene as your video

People give to other people not necessarily to

projects Many filmmakers make the mistake of

not appearing in their pitch videos Be In YourPitch Video Say a few words to your potential

funders be as personable as possible and

chances are yoursquoll be rewarded

Looking for statistics Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average of 114 more than

campaigns that donrsquot In other words have a

pitch video And donrsquot make it too long Itrsquos a

pitch not a dissertation Keep your video fun

loose informative and from 2 frac12 to 3 minutes in

length

WHAT A COMPELLING PITCH VIDEO

SHOULD INCLUDE

1 Introduction

Tell us about yourself

2 Pitch

Tell us about your film project and include the

following

bull Logline ndash Whatrsquos your story in one

sentence Be succinct here and feel free to

add details later

bull Purpose ndash Whatrsquos the point of the

campaign Is it for production Post-

production Theatrical distribution

bull Perks ndash Whatrsquos something unique yoursquore

offering in return Entice your funders

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httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1431

14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1531

15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1631

16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1731

17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 14: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1431

14

3 Showcase

Show us what you can do as a filmmaker Maybe

share a few clips of your past work or some

footage from the project at hand

4 Call to Action

Donrsquot leave your crowd hanging You need to tell

them what to do next ndash and thatrsquos to contribute

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1531

15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1631

16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1731

17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 15: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1531

15

Writing

Your Pitch Text

Wong Fu Productionsrsquo First Feature Film a campaign financing the first

movie based on the filmmakersrsquo popular YouTube channel shows its plans

to use funding

The pitch textmdashthe area of text below your pitch

videomdashis where yoursquoll fill in additional details

about the project such as a breakdown of the

budget a synopsis and castcrew bios

Keep it concise and clear and answer a few

simple questions Who are you What are you

raising these funds for How else can people

support your project Yes we know you covered

much of this in the pitch video but sometimes

the best bears repeating Now is also the time

for details Before you were pitching to HarveyWeinstein in an elevator Now hersquos reading the

script Ok ndash not really Hersquos reading coverage on

your script Either way he needs to know more

As crowdfunding has gained in popularity more

campaigns are creating dynamic campaign

experiences to make the lsquopitch textrsquo morevisually pleasing Custom headers infographics

and additional embedded video content tell a

more complete and exciting campaign narrative

Whether you go the visual or verbal route strive

to make your pitch text as personal as possible

Tell a compelling story of why yoursquore passionate

about your film project and present it in a way

that makes others want to be a part of the story

too

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1631

16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1731

17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 16: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1631

16

Building

Your Perks

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

1 Standard Definition (SD) ndash

ldquoThe Mandatoriesrdquo

bull Social Media Shout Out

($5 - $10 to start)

bull Digital Download of the Film

($10 - $20)

bull DVDBlu-ray of the Film

($25 - $50)

2 Hi-Definition (HD) ndash

ldquoThe Unique Experiencerdquo

bull Livestream a Film Festival Premier

(Life Itself $25)

bull SkypeGoogle Hangout with the

DirectorCast

($100+)

bull AssociateExecutive Producer Credit

($1000 - $5000+)

As with televisionrsquos varied picture quality

perks ndash the rewards offered in exchange for a

contributorrsquos support ndash also vary in quality

3 Three-Dimensional (3-D) ndash

ldquoThe Personal Touchrdquo

bull A One-off Ukulele Song for the Funder

( Around Here $20)

bull Postcards written from Paris

(The Last Beat $100)

bull Call ldquoActionrdquo on Set

($500+)

Perks small and large are a great incentive for funders to support

your project with a set contribution

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1731

17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 17: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1731

17

Setting

Your GoalFirst make sure you understand the main

difference between Indiegogorsquos two fundraising

models ndash you wonrsquot be able to switch once your

campaign goes live

bull Flexible ndash You keep your contributions

whether or not you hit your goal

bull Fixed ndash You only keep your contributions if

you hit your goal

Now just because your film will cost $50000 toshoot doesnrsquot mean that $50000 should be the

amount you set as your goal

ASK YOURSELF THESE THREE

QUESTIONS FIRST

1 How big is your email and social media in-

fluence If you have a wide following all the

better

2 Do you know how yoursquoll collect the first 30

of your funds Ideally this portion should

come from your friends family and inner

circle

3 If so can you get that 30 within two to

three days of launch Yoursquoll need momen-

tum early on Strangers on average do not

contribute to your campaign until they see

itrsquos reached the 30 mark In the same way

no one enters an empty restaurant no one

contributes to an empty campaign

Based on your answers you should set your goal

to a number yoursquore confident you can hit For

instance if you know you can get $15000 from

your immediate family friends and supporters

and yoursquore relatively certain you can convince

them to contribute within the first couple of

days setting a $50000 goal should be all right

If therersquos any doubt though then lower that

amount to a number yoursquore sure you can get

30 of from the people you know

A key thing to remember is that you can

always overfund and many do In fact 89

of campaigns on Indiegogo do just that and

by an average of 30 The philosophy is

simple ldquoShoot low aim highrdquo ndash set a goal at an

achievable amount look to hit that number in

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 18: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1831

18

half the time and then ldquoaim highrdquo and surpass it

by the time the campaign closes

But before all of this be sure to research the

expenses associated with making andor

finishing your film Also take into account any

physical perks yoursquore offering their costs (plus

domestic and international shipping) and any

fees associated with Indiegogo and payment

processing Add it all into the amount yoursquore

setting as your goal

For larger film projects you might want to

consider funding in stages and running multiple

campaigns each with a modest goal Or you can

fund various separate aspects of the film the

way the Austin filmmakers did for Zero Charisma

and Yakona Each won Audience Awards at

SXSW in 2013 and 2014 respectively

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 19: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 1931

19

Building a Host

CommitteeA host committee is a group of people you are

certain will contribute to your Indiegogo film

campaign Most likely this group will primarily

include your closest friends family members

and any supporters of your prior work

About a week in advance reach out to these

individuals Let them know yoursquore launching an

Indiegogo campaign to help fund your next film

and you ldquowant them to be among the first to join

the teamrdquo

Notice there was no mention of making a

contribution Thatrsquos for the launch date By

having these people on board they will be an

extension of your ldquoteamrdquo and could prove your

strongest advocates as share your campaign

with others

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 20: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2031

20

Setting the Duration of

Your CampaignLonger campaigns donrsquot necessarily mean yoursquoll

raise more money The longer the campaign the

harder it is to sustain the needed momentum

Statistically speaking campaigns that run

between thirty and forty days raise the most

money

Be sure to leave about three weeks between

the end of your film campaign and the date

you need your funds by since processing and

disbursement can take up to that long

For even more campaign creation advice check

out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 21: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2131

21

Launching Your Campaign

ndash And Keeping MomentumLaunching a campaign is just the beginning The

next step is maintaining your campaign and to

do that you need to keep momentum going for

the duration of its lifecycle

The First ActAct one of any film is always the same ndashndash itrsquos the

set up We are introduced to the main character

with whom wersquoll spend the next two hours of

our lives and we get a sense of the dramatic

question That question is will you get the

funding for your film Herersquos how you answer

ldquoyesrdquo

SOFT LAUNCH VS HARD LAUNCH

A soft launch is when you launch your

Indiegogo film campaign by quietly reaching

out to your inner circle and securing their

contributions within the first 48 hours This

is done so that when you announce a hard

launch (telling EVERYONE you know article

and blog placement etc) people will see your

campaignrsquos existing momentum and be quick to

contribute

The Second ActAct Two of an Indiegogo film campaign is when

the real hustle and flow begins Gone are the

opening night jitters Here you execute yourplanned strategy

First activate your outer network All the Twitter

followers whose lives your tweets have enriched

every Facebook friend you regularly interact

with that email list of contacts yoursquove compiled

over the years Get to them and get to them

BIG

Start with email outreach Instead of sending

out a single email ldquoblastrdquo to your contacts

compose a more personal and direct message

(or use a mail merge) It should explain the

project succinctly and not necessarily solicit a

contribution but rather elicit a reaction in your

reader to want to be a part of your team and

make this film with you

Always include the link to your campaign at the

end but focus on the invitation not the ask You

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 22: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2231

22

will quickly see the impact

Keep being social How do you do this

HERE ARE A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR A

MORE SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCE

bull Find a balance between sharing your

campaign and other informative content

bull Tweet and post photos and videos as some of

your promotional material

bull Always include your Indiegogo link

bull Donrsquot go nuts with hashtags ndashndash Nothing spells

newb like hashtageverything

bull And again do not spam people Screaming

the word ldquohelprdquo in your posts is desperation

No one supports desperation

Try to land traditional press and PR Yoursquoll want

to draft a press release and compile a list of

bloggers and influencers in the film space who

have an audience that might be interested in

your story and your film campaign You can also

reach out to newspapers TV and radio Please

note press only gets you more attention and

should not be relied on to convert page views to

contributions Thatrsquos your job

PRESS WILL WANT TO SEE TWO

THINGS

1 Therersquos a certain amount of money already

raised (momentum)

2 Therersquos a story to tell besides ldquofilmmaker

launches a campaignrdquo

This is why itrsquos important to seek out press and

PR at the proper time in a campaignrsquos lifespan

usually once the 30 mark is hit

Try to bring your campaign offline Think of

ways to spread the word in the real world You

could attend meetups or other events armed

with a pocketful of campaign cards to hand out

each complete with your campaignrsquos short URLAlways start a conversation first then share

your campaignrsquos information

Another way to further engage your crowd is

a referral contest where each of your funders

shares your campaign to their networks either

through tweets a short link or the IndiegogoldquoSharerdquo tool Whoever brings in the most people

or better yet the most funding is awarded a

perk

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 23: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2331

23

TWO REMINDERS FOR A REFERRAL

CONTEST

1 The referrer must be logged into their Indi-

egogo account

2 They need to use the campaignrsquos short link

or the ldquoSharerdquo tools below your pitch video

The Third ActA filmrsquos third act is when we start to question

whether or not our hero will overcome

The same holds true with an Indiegogo film

campaign People are watching To convert

those who havenrsquot contributed try creating a

sense of urgency This should occur when you

have one week or less left in the campaign If you

push urgency with over a week remaining you

may be crying wolf

Itrsquos also in your best interest to add new perks

Twenty percent of repeat contributions are for

perks that were added after the campaign went

live You can also remove old perks that havenrsquot

sold to help keep the campaign looking fresh

Donrsquot forget to use the update feature on your

campaign On average you should update

every THREE days Otherwise you risk people

forgetting about your project Feed the beast

Updates get posted to your campaign and

are emailed to everyone who has already

contributed or is currently following your

campaign Post about campaign progress

new videos ndash anything your audience might

be interested in Be sure to call out any major

funding milestone $25K $50K $100K

Always think outside the box Running a

ldquoroutinerdquo campaign is boring Donrsquot be boring

Try a stunt in the closing days or hours of your

campaign such as dance-a-thons live streams

or event parties Often spending a little extra

for an event will deliver many times over The

Young Turks raised nearly 100K in their 24-hour

stream-a-thon Maybe you can too

What do you do when you hit your goal If yoursquove

played your cards right yoursquoll hit your goal

quickly When you do itrsquos good to have stretch

goals ready These are additional goals detailing

what you can do with more funding which will

entice your crowd to continue contributing

Be modest though Hitting $50000 and

then stating you want to go for $200000 to

complete the film doesnrsquot work Instead after

you hit $50000 set your first stretch goal at

an easily reachable number like $60000 Then

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 24: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2431

24

set the next one at $75000 and with your third

one go long and go for $1000000 Of course

this all depends on how many days you have left

in your campaign

For even more advice on running a campaign

check out the Indiegogo Playbook

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 25: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2531

25

ROLL CREDITS

This is the end Your campaign has ideally

reached its goal If not regardless of your

funding model you should update your crowd

and thank them again Remember people get

excited about perks If you believe there will

be delays in fulfillment let them know People

are surprisingly patient as long as they know

theyrsquore going to have to wait and that yoursquore

making progress Itrsquos of paramount importance

to continue nurturing the relationships yoursquove

established with your contributors and followers

through email and social media as theyrsquore

now your community Indiegogo is all about

community

Wrapping it

up

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 26: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2631

26

DOS AND DONrsquoTS

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 27: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2731

27

Do have a $25 perk

Itrsquos the most claimed perk level

Do your research

Search the site Find films similar to yours and

look at their results Figure out what they did

right and what they did wrong Keep in mind

that well-funded campaigns take many funders

not just a high amount of funds raised $50000

raised from only 4 funders is not a well-run

campaign

Do host online events

Reddit AMAs Tweetchats Google Hangouts on

Air or even a YouTube live stream hosted by the

Indiegogo video player

Do seek out potential large sponsor-

driven contributors

Think of a brand or business that might go in for

that 10K+ ldquoexecutive producerrdquo perk just to havetheir name mentioned

Do keep updating your campaign page

It exists in perpetuity and will allow you to

continue updating your contributors all the way

to the filmrsquos release

Donrsquot overuse the words ldquohelprdquo and

ldquomoneyrdquo

Remember no panhandling You donrsquot want to

come across as desperate

Donrsquot spam via email social media or

updates

The more you nag the less you bag

Donrsquot forget to encourage your crowd to

share tweet post and email

Donrsquot send passive messages

Each tweet or Facebook post should either

inform or be a direct call to action Ambiguity

breeds nothing worthwhile

Donrsquot be a stranger

Stay in touch with Indiegogo Wersquore here to

support you through the full lifecycle of your

project We also want to hear your success

stories

Do Donrsquot

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 28: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2831

28

ADDITIONAL

RESOURCES

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 29: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 2931

29

Additional

Resources

Partners

INDIEGOGO HAS MANY GREAT FILM

PARTNERS

bull IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

bull IDA (International Documentary Association)

bull Austin Film Society Twitch Film

bull Columbia University

bull Indiereign

Partnering with one of these groups BEFORE

YOU LAUNCH YOUR CAMPAIGN gets you

a source of added promotion and support

thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo

You can either be a current member of these

organizations or an alumnus If the organization

is a 501c3 you will receive a 25 discount on

your fees If itrsquos a standard partner you will

receive a 10 discount on fees

Keep VHX and Slated in mind

VHX is a self-distribution site that offers free

digital download fulfillment among many other

services In other words if you have a digital

download perk for $25 someone would be able

to download it using VHX on your own website

Slated is a partner that introduces filmmakers to

angel equity investors The majority of feature

filmmakers on Indiegogo should only seek 10-

25 of their overall budget through a campaign

Successfully raising these lower amounts on

Indiegogo while gaining creative validation iswhat will afford you the opportunity to raise the

rest of your budget via traditional equity

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

bull Dr Professorrsquos Thesis of Evil

Indiegogo Resources

bull Indiegogocom

bull Playbook

bull Blog

bull Facebook

bull Twitter

bull Start your campaign

bull Browse film campaigns

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM

Page 30: Film Field Guide

7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3031

30

Crowdfunding NewsResourcesA growing variety of film and digital news sites

have created their own crowdfunding columns

When reaching out to these sites keep in mind

that yoursquore not the only one Be direct and

personable and make the sitersquos editor realize

your project is special

bull Twitch Film

bull Indiewire (see their ldquoProject of the Day

WeekMonthYear)

bull Tubefilter

bull Bloody Disgusting

bull io9

Pitch Video Examples

bull The Body

bull Coatwolf

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7212019 Film Field Guide

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7212019 Film Field Guide

httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131

START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM