Funding by the Fans
Crowdfunding is a revolutionary funding model that has reshaped the landscape for independent creators, especially in filmmaking. Instead of pursuing a single large investment from a traditional source like a film studio or a wealthy investor, a creator can appeal directly to their potential audience—the “crowd”—to collectively fund a project through small, individual contributions. This process is almost always facilitated by dedicated online platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
In the context of film, crowdfunding has empowered a generation of filmmakers to get their projects made without compromising their creative vision to suit the demands of a studio. It serves two crucial purposes simultaneously:
- Raising Capital: The most obvious goal is to raise the necessary budget for pre-production, principal photography, post-production, or festival distribution.
- Building an Audience: A crowdfunding campaign is also a powerful marketing tool. It builds a dedicated community of supporters who are financially and emotionally invested in the project’s success long before it’s released. This built-in audience can be crucial for generating initial buzz.
The Rewards-Based Model
The dominant form of crowdfunding for creative projects is rewards-based. Backers are not investors seeking a financial return; instead, they pledge money in exchange for tangible or experiential rewards, or “perks.” The perk’s value is tied to the contribution amount. For a film project, rewards might range from a digital download of the finished film for a small pledge, to a t-shirt, a signed poster, a “special thanks” credit, or even an invitation to the premiere or a walk-on role for a very large contribution. This model has been used to fund everything from short documentaries to full-length feature films, most famously the record-breaking campaign for the Veronica Mars movie.