Definition of film crowdfunding

Film crowdfunding means that the film project fund-raiser initiates project crowdfunding on the crowdfunding platform, and it is successful to reach or exceed the target amount within the preset time. For projects that fail to meet the target, the support funds will be fully returned to all supporters. After the fund-raising project is completed, netizens will get the rewards promised by the sponsors in advance, either movie tickets or works engraving.

elements of film crowdfunding success

the first step: relying on IP/ star effect

director Xiaogang Feng can say that he doesn't know IP, but those who mix film and television investment circles can't help but know IP. Almost all the well-known crowdfunding projects in the domestic market are supported by IP. The Return of the Great Sage consumes China's super IP "Qi Tian Da Sheng the Monkey King" and 1, Cold Jokes consumes its own animation IP.

the greatest charm of p>IP lies in its connectivity with potential consumers. Twilight, The Hunger Games and Divergent anchor the youngest movie consumers in America, while Tiny Times and other youth films anchor the post-8s, 9s and s. The crowdfunding platform measures the size of IP, and it can also predict the fiery degree of the project after it goes online.

the second is the star effect, which is also a change of IP. There are several famous films in the history of Hollywood film crowdfunding: David? The animated film "Desperate Thug" produced by Finch, Spike? Li Zhongchou's black movie "Sweet Blood of Jesus" (directed by Steven? Soderberg donated ten thousand dollars. CERF's animated short film "Dream Heroes" (SideKicks, Lala Anne? Hathaway) and Christine? Bell's veronica mars. Once these films stepped onto the crowdfunding platform, they were immediately publicized by major media, and there was almost no need to worry about the crowdfunding platform, ensuring that they could overfulfil their tasks and even break the crowdfunding record.

from the investor's point of view, stars are linked to the box office in a straight line, and it is not difficult to know their worth. You can estimate them directly by checking the box office of previous works of stars. For example, Melissa, the popular comedy queen in Hollywood? McCarthy's box office value in North America is $8 million, even the worst quality "Mommy" has this income; Little Robert? Donnie's Iron Man is worth 3 million to 4 million in North America, which is about 5 million for ordinary characters, and the performance of Judge Daddy in North America is about 48 million. In Hollywood, ordinary stars are willing to promote themselves through movies, unless they are particularly unreliable and only recognize the money but not the script, which is an affirmation of the project and an invisible endorsement.

Step 2: Make more names

Investing in crowdfunding projects on Kickstarter will generally not get a monetary return, and most crowdfunding people are out of true love for the project. However, domestic film crowdfunding is more like a new financial management product, which has a yield and additional benefits. Some people will buy crowdfunding simply for the yield without considering the value of the project itself. There is an essential difference between the two.

if there is no monetary return, is it not conducive to project crowdfunding? In fact, the answer may not be. Many crowdfunding projects are very careful in their gameplay. For example, veronica mars, which broke the shortest time record for Kickstarter to raise millions of dollars, is divided into 26 gameplay methods. Among them, the first few are similar to the routine of a domestic real treasure crowdfunding, such as:

funding 1 dollars: you can get a PDF version of the script (about 1 thousand investors bought the project).

grant 25 dollars: you can get a script and a commemorative t-shirt.

Grant $2: You can get an extra poster signed by the protagonist.

The tricks mainly focus on large-sum games, such as:

Grant 4 dollars: You can ask the leading actors to record a greeting video specially for you, or let the director Thomas and the leading actors follow you on Twitter for a whole year.

Grant $1,: Fans will have the opportunity to go to the filming set of "veronica mars" and act as extras, and they will definitely have the opportunity to appear in the film, such as having lunch with the main actor on the roadside, but these scenes may be cut, and the participants' round-trip travel expenses must be reimbursed by themselves.

Grant $6,5: You will get a chance to be called out by the protagonist, and the director guarantees that this scene will not be cut. If you spend more money, you can get a role named after yourself in the movie.

Grant 1, USD (the maximum amount is only one, and it will be killed if it goes online): The sponsor will play a role with lines in the movie. However, this role and scene have been decided, everyone can do it, and there is only one line.

for domestic investors, it's not the best of both worlds to have both monetary returns and additional benefits. Imagine that the movie version of "Cyclone Girl" is engaged in crowdfunding, so that Yang Yang, a small fresh meat, and Weibo, a fan, can stay together for even one day. Does anyone want it?

Step 3: Creativity is king

I have to admit that in terms of creativity, there are various shortcomings in China, from movies and TV dramas to reality shows. The situation in Hollywood is much better, especially in independent films. Kickstarter has cooperated with Sundance and Tribeca, the most important independent film festivals in the United States. At Sundance Film Festival in 214, more than one-third of the films exhibited were financed through crowdfunding. Zach? Bluff and Kate? Hudson's "The Heart Is There" raised half of the shooting cost from Kickstarter and sent it to Sundance Film Festival that year. On the first day, it was bought by Focus Film.

Another feature is that there is no fixed standard for Kickstarter to select films. On the film list, many avant-garde and experimental films are among them, but it has a screening mechanism. To qualify for entry, ordinary projects should at least prove to Kickstarter that the film is "interesting and unconventional". This screening mechanism not only ensures that the film has a successful fund-raising rate of more than 4%, or that projects that meet Kickstarter's "interesting" standards can stand out.

The most successful example of the screening mechanism was in 212, when a live-action short film about a 15-year-old illegal immigrant girl who firmly believed that she could become a painter was pushed to the Top position through the screening system of the website and won an Oscar, which filled a gap in the history of crowdfunding.

In addition, Xiao Bian introduced the most insane, wonderful, dazzling and dazzling film in Swedish history before. The movie "Anger of Work" that blew up the sky also benefited from Kickstarter. There is no fixed standard for the screening mechanism, as long as you can conquer others.

Step 4: Be sincere

If you say that your movie can't attract a big star and has no IP background, creativity seems to be just like that, but if you still want to make a movie dream, the only way is to impress investors with your true feelings.

since its establishment five years ago, kickstarter has helped more than 3, short films, and 5, films have succeeded in crowdfunding, most of which are unknown. The reason why the website can contribute to its crowdfunding success is to sell feelings. Kickstarter is very fun. It tells the story of independent game makers' game development (search WeChat WeChat official account's crowdfunding platform focusing on cultural and creative fields). The filming of the documentary "Indie Game Movie" only costs 1, US dollars, and the average support amount of 1,6 supporters is 62.5 US dollars, which is not too much burden, but I feel that I am supporting those young people with dreams to develop games, and my sense of accomplishment is bursting.

The story of the short documentary film Mudbloods is also very simple. Do you like watching Harry? The high school students in the Quidditch Competition in Porterie invented a land Quidditch game, which recorded the small friction story in the usual training and the process of the last two teams' competition. Almost a self-entertainment crowdfunding project was supported by 54 passers-by. It can be said that Quidditch feelings overcame everything.

in addition, there is another key point, that is, investors' sense of participation. On the crowdfunding website, every project that investors participate in will be notified to investors online as soon as there is progress. Even if the movie has already been released, it is necessary to "harass" the investors by making a Blu-ray disc. Supported movies can also be watched through iTunes, which will never give investors a feeling of sinking into the sea.

in the end, every crowdfunding person can realize his dream, and every investor can receive the ideal income, which is the most wonderful thing in the development of the film industry.