This is a copy of the crowdfunding panel given at the Nordisk Panorama Outlook sessions on the future of film financing for documentary and short filmmakers presented by Manymade.
4. crowdfunding.
• Access to funds
• Public funding can be challenging to obtain
• May not share your vision
• Private investment in film and transmedia is difficult
• Requires you to give away rights and control
• Crowdfunding blends the best parts of public and
private financing: flexibility + control
• It’s “proof-of-concept” to other financiers
• You take your project directly to the audience
5. engage.
• Engaging & develop audiences early
• Before the project is completed
• Use their feedback
• Engage those that are interested in your topic
• Particularly important to doc makers
• Contributors are giving you more than money
• Giving you their time, attention, energy
• They are betting on you to succeed!
6.
7. manymade.
• Established 2012
• Majken Overgaard (DK)
• Olof Werngren (SE)
• Non-profit, curated crowdfunding platform for the
Nordic countries with a particular focus on film, art,
and creative technologies.
• Spring 2013 - FkN Call for projects
8. manymade.
• Non-profit
• Curated
• Nordic
• Focused on arts & design
• Rewards-based contribution
• Not equity financing
• All-or-nothing
9. curated.
• Projects submit proposals
• Helps ready projects for crowdfunding
• Preparation yields a higher chance of success
• Helps creators understand what they’re in for
• Visitors know projects have been vetted
• High degree of integrity for creators and supporters.
• We are not interested in maximizing the number of
projects on the website - we are interested in having
the highest quality projects
10.
11. local.
• Curators from within the arts communities we
service
• Manymade Meals
• Matchfunding initiative
• Focus on assisting the project creators, offering
more personalized service
12. manymade.
• Established 2012
• Majken Overgaard (DK)
• Olof Werngren (SE)
• Non-profit, curated crowdfunding platform for the
Nordic countries with a particular focus on film, art,
and creative technologies.
• Spring 2013 - FkN Call for projects
13. 103% - 15.520 Euro
129% - 25.955 Euro
12% - 600 Euro
45 Days
14. building your campaign.
• Business plan and funding goals
• What will you crowdfund?
• Project evaluation
• Are your fundraising goals realistic?
• What have you done so far to engage your
audience?
• Do you have something to offer your supporters?
15. hard work.
• Are you ready?
• Running a campaign is a full-time job
• Do you have the time and energy to run a
crowdfunding campaign while also working on your
project?
16. building your campaign.
• Pre-launch consultation
• Supporter development
• Refine your pitch
• What you should feature in your pitch video?
• Develop your tributes/perks
• Set a time table
• Determine launch date
• Launch
Manymade was developed to give creative artists a platform to fund their vision and help spread the word about their project to reach the broadest possible audience early in the development phase. We believe that a regional focus coupled with a curated, hands-on approach, is the most effective way to offer creators the greatest chance for success!
Manymade was developed to give creative artists a platform to fund their vision and help spread the word about their project to reach the broadest possible audience early in the development phase. We believe that a regional focus coupled with a curated, hands-on approach, is the most effective way to offer creators the greatest chance for success!
Access to funds Public funding has been on shaky ground for years, with no light at the end of the tunnel. Public funds may not share your vision. Particularly true if you’re new Also, if your project is outside the often strict boundaries of public financing Private investment in film and transmedia is difficult, if not impossible to find. Crowdfunding is a blend of the best parts of public and private financing.
Engaging audiences early Audience interest is established well before the project is completed. A big focus is placed on getting your film screened at festivals, but there is a greater challenge in finding an audience there, because while the attendees may be interested in film, they are less likely to be interested in your specific subject. Crowdfunding offer a process to engage those that are interested in your topic early, before you finished, maybe even in the development phase Connecting with your audience is particularly important in the world of documentary and short-filmmaking, as it can be that much more challenging to find an audience. Refine your project/Refine your message The process of crowdfunding is much more than standing on a streetcorner, begging for money; it is an opportunity for you to start connecting with your audience before the project is finished. A well-managed campaign will give you the opportunity to explore what your audience finds interesting about your project. It might be something unexpected! You will also have the opportunity to see what sorts of communication with your audience get attention and what don’t. This can help you as you continue to build interest, and it can even help in pitches to other funding agencies and private equity. This information will also provide you with valuable insights for after the project is complete to guide you in refining your pitch to audiences, to film festivals, to sales agents, to distributors, etc. Audiences are investing in you With even a small donation, contributors are giving you more than their money. They are giving you their time, their attention, their energy! They are investing emotionally in your project and not only are rooting for you to succeed, but guaranteeing you of their interest to see the finished product. It’s the ultimate in pre-sales, because instead of just being pre-sold to a distributor that is going to lump your film in with all of the other films they’ve purchased, you’re pre-selling to the very people that actually care about your work. In fact, they care so much, they are willing to bet on you. I’ll say it again, because it’s an important point - your funders are BETTING ON YOU to succeed. That is empowering, that is invigorating, that is inspiring. Some people see crowdfunding as an online version of passing the hat - throwing you idea out there and hoping that a few passers-by will take pity on you enough to toss you some coins. Filmmaking can be a lonely endeavor, and you often find yourself alone with your thoughts, wondering if you are on the wrong track, wondering if this project is all a big waste of time. Crowdfunding is a way for you to get reassurance from a big group of people that you are not alone – you have supporters – you have people (often strangers) that not only like what you are doing, but are willing to help. For anyone who has ever attempted a lengthy arts project, this is an empowering and uplifting feeling. You should consider crowdfunding as much for yourself, as a filmmaker, as for your project. The financial aspect is important, but don’t overlook the equally important non-financial elements.
Curation helps the process of getting projects that are ready, in a stage where they are ready. To give projects the greatest chance for success. We require that projects submit their project proposals, creators’ backgrounds, and work with individuals to determine if they are on the right track for a successful crowdfunding campaign. Helps ensure that the project creators understand what they’re in for. Ensures that visitors to the site know that the projects have been vetted. Ensures a high degree of integrity for the site both for creators and supporters. Other sites will place as many projects out there as possible, ready or not, in an effort to increase their numbers. A high number of projects for them translates to a high level of traffic for advertisers, and a higher number of projects that might possibly yield a percentage for them. As a non-profit, we are not interest in generating the maximum number of projects possible on the website, we are interested in having the highest quality, so that our efforts go to promoting projects that will not only succeed in the fundraising efforts, but more importantly, succeed in achieving their artistic vision. Non-curated sites are also experiencing an increasing number of cases of fraud. Due to their high volume, they cannot ensure the intentions of every project creator. Kickstarter recently experienced another high-profile case of fraud: http://qz.com/94597/kickstarter-almost-enabled-a-120000-fraud-and-its-not-the-first/ Kickstarter, by it own admission, does not vet projects and relies entirely on site users to police the projects.
Manymade was developed to give creative artists a platform to fund their vision and help spread the word about their project to reach the broadest possible audience early in the development phase. We believe that a regional focus coupled with a curated, hands-on approach, is the most effective way to offer creators the greatest chance for success!
These are the 3 projects that were chosen from the submissions, as we thought they had the best proposals, and the greatest chance for success. They also represented a variety of different project types.
So, you’re ready to crowdfund your film - what do I do next? How to get on and use the site: 1) Contact me: [email_address] We’ll evaluate your project: Are your fundraising goals realistic? What have you done so far to engage your audience? Do you have something to offer your supporters Pre-launch consultation: Supporter development Refine your pitch Outline what you should feature in your pitch video. Help develop your tributes/perks. Set a time table
Engaging audiences early Audience interest is established well before the project is completed. A big focus is placed on getting your film screened at festivals, but there is a greater challenge in finding an audience there, because while the attendees may be interested in film, they are less likely to be interested in your specific subject. Crowdfunding offer a process to engage those that are interested in your topic early, before you finished, maybe even in the development phase Connecting with your audience is particularly important in the world of documentary and short-filmmaking, as it can be that much more challenging to find an audience. Refine your project/Refine your message The process of crowdfunding is much more than standing on a streetcorner, begging for money; it is an opportunity for you to start connecting with your audience before the project is finished. A well-managed campaign will give you the opportunity to explore what your audience finds interesting about your project. It might be something unexpected! You will also have the opportunity to see what sorts of communication with your audience get attention and what don’t. This can help you as you continue to build interest, and it can even help in pitches to other funding agencies and private equity. This information will also provide you with valuable insights for after the project is complete to guide you in refining your pitch to audiences, to film festivals, to sales agents, to distributors, etc. Audiences are investing in you With even a small donation, contributors are giving you more than their money. They are giving you their time, their attention, their energy! They are investing emotionally in your project and not only are rooting for you to succeed, but guaranteeing you of their interest to see the finished product. It’s the ultimate in pre-sales, because instead of just being pre-sold to a distributor that is going to lump your film in with all of the other films they’ve purchased, you’re pre-selling to the very people that actually care about your work. In fact, they care so much, they are willing to bet on you. I’ll say it again, because it’s an important point - your funders are BETTING ON YOU to succeed. That is empowering, that is invigorating, that is inspiring. Some people see crowdfunding as an online version of passing the hat - throwing you idea out there and hoping that a few passers-by will take pity on you enough to toss you some coins. Filmmaking can be a lonely endeavor, and you often find yourself alone with your thoughts, wondering if you are on the wrong track, wondering if this project is all a big waste of time. Crowdfunding is a way for you to get reassurance from a big group of people that you are not alone – you have supporters – you have people (often strangers) that not only like what you are doing, but are willing to help. For anyone who has ever attempted a lengthy arts project, this is an empowering and uplifting feeling. You should consider crowdfunding as much for yourself, as a filmmaker, as for your project. The financial aspect is important, but don’t overlook the equally important non-financial elements.
So, you’re ready to crowdfund your film - what do I do next? How to get on and use the site: 1) Contact me: [email_address] We’ll evaluate your project: Are your fundraising goals realistic? What have you done so far to engage your audience? Do you have something to offer your supporters Pre-launch consultation: Supporter development Refine your pitch Outline what you should feature in your pitch video. Help develop your tributes/perks. Set a time table
The Manymade website focuses on simplicity. The layout and toolset are designed to be simple and straightforward. The Manymade site does not require registration, separate from project creation, for either project creators or potential contributors, streamlining the process for both getting your project online, and making a contribution to a project.