Post on 07-Feb-2018
7212019 Film Field Guide
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 131
7212019 Film Field Guide
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 231
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
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 331
3
INTRODUCTION
7212019 Film Field Guide
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 431
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
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 531
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
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
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
7212019 Film Field Guide
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 231
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
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 331
3
INTRODUCTION
7212019 Film Field Guide
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 431
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
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 531
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
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
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
7212019 Film Field Guide
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 331
3
INTRODUCTION
7212019 Film Field Guide
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 431
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
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 531
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
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
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
7212019 Film Field Guide
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 431
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
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 531
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
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
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
7212019 Film Field Guide
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 531
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
7212019 Film Field Guide
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullfilm-field-guide 3131
START YOURCAMPAIGN TODAY INDIEGOGO COM