Filmmakers Share Their Crowdfunding Secrets

Dan Baker — February 5, 2015

I was invited recently to join the talented Melissa Sweazy, Joann Self Selvidge, and Sara Kaye Larson in sharing our experiences and thoughts on crowdfunding, be it Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, or some other flavor. Enjoy, and check below for a handy-dandy index of topics covered, plus links to the campaigns and resources mentioned in this video.

A huge thank you to Crosstown Arts and Indie Memphis for organizing Shoot and Splice. Their investment into the Memphis film community will pay dividends for years to come.

In Filmmaking, Fundraising Documentary, Indiegogo, Kickstarter

The Best and Worst of July 2012

Dan Baker — July 30, 2012

August marks big changes at Macedonia Films and the Fall is looking fantastic. Avarice premieres in November, we have BIG plans for the Memphis Comic and Fantasy Convention, and our first couple feature-length projects are well underway.

Before we get all carried away, let’s take a moment to look back at July. We wrote some amazing blog posts that we know you’ll love. Some did well, some never got their moment in the spotlight:

The Top Posts:

5. Why ‘Flexible Funding’ Campaigns on IndieGoGo are Dangerous

4. Why You Should Give John Carter a Chance

3. Open Forum: Best 4th of July Movie EVER!!!

2. Facebook Memes and Why I Hate Them

1. From the Film Vault: The Birds and The Time Machine

The Underdogs:

5. Dear Robert Pattinson, Stay Away From The Hunger Games

4. Guess the Plot: The Great Gatsby, Prometheus, and Skyfall

3. How I Became an Accidental Stalker

2. Open Forum: Should Johnny Depp and Tim Burton Break Up?

1. How I Turned a Crappy Day Into a Career

Stay tuned, we’ve got a fresh batch of awesome-sauce coming your way!

In News facebook, hitchcock, Indiegogo, john carter, johnny depp, Kickstarter, memes, The Hunger Games, tim burton

Why ‘Flexible Funding’ Campaigns on IndieGoGo are Dangerous

Dan Baker — June 18, 2012

Normally on sites like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo, a project is not funded unless it meets its fundraising goal. Even if it’s $1 short on the day of the deadline, everyone’s money is refunded. But, on IndieGoGo and other crowd-sourcing sites, a ‘Flexible Funding’ option exists where all funds pledged during the campaign are delivered, regardless of whether the goal is met.

There are obvious situations where ‘Flexible Funding’ makes sense (as was the case with our successful Avarice campaign), but for the average fundraiser, it should be a no no.

What’s so bad about it? Wouldn’t you want to keep the money you raised? Isn’t some money better than none?

Whether you’re a potential donor or hopeful fundraiser, here are three warnings against the dangers of ‘Flexible Funding:’

In Fundraising crowdsourcing, fundraisers, Indiegogo, Kickstarter, syndicate

How to Run a Successful IndieGoGo or Kickstarter Campaign

Rachel M Taylor — April 12, 2012

I recently had a short film, Avarice, on IndieGoGo to raise $3,000 for the post-production phase of the film. We raised it in a matter of days. What to know how we did it?

In Fundraising Budget, Filmmaking, Indiegogo, Kickstarter, Money, Social Media