LET'S TALK CROWD FUNDING ETIQUETTE

In the past 10 years or so, people have been using crowd funding websites such as Kickstarter, GoFundMe, Indiegogo and Seed & Spark, to name a few, for a variety of business and personal endeavors. It's not easy to find rich people to fully fund a film so crowd funding allows the film maker to get many people to make smaller donations that add up. You can't go a single day on social media without seeing at least one campaign post raising money for movies, music, art, books, medical bills, funerals, inventions and those who believe it's other people's responsibility to pay for their rent, utilities and vacations among many other things. My involvement with crowd funding has mainly been films so that's what I'll focus on in this post, though the information would apply to anyone who uses crowd funding.  

Many years ago when I first started helping young first time film makers raise money, we didn't have crowd funding websites... or the internet for that matter (yes kids there was a time when the internet didn't exist). We actually had to call people on the phone or meet people in person to discuss it... they would write checks and we'd have to physically go to a bank and deposit them... and believe me, it was very time consuming. I would constantly have to network and meet new people because you can only hit up the same people for money just so many times before they start telling you no. 

People are hesitant to give away their hard-earned money if there isn't something in it for them. Face it, a very small percentage of people who aspire to be film makers reach the level where their films are profitable. I had to convince people that they weren't investing in that film per se, they were investing in the film maker so they could get a foot in the door of the entertainment industry and hopefully grow from there. Knowing you helped a young person achieve a dream is a reward in and of itself. 

Once the film is funded and production wrapped, what happens to it is up to the film maker. Some are accepted into film festivals, most aren't. Some get distribution deals, most don't. Once the door has been opened, some film makers are able to continue making films, most don't. Some people just have more drive and determination than others, but, because they were able to get the funding they needed, they all had an equal chance of success. 

As I've written about in other posts, the 2008 recession took me out of the film game for a few years. Some time in 2011 I was able to start getting back into it, but a whole lot changed in those few years. The entertainment industry moves at a rapid pace sometimes and I'd lost contact with just about everybody. 

I opened a Twitter account while I was unemployed hoping it would lead to job offers... it didn't. Still, it was a useful tool. There was a time when Twitter was used productively instead of the non-stop bullying and cruelty we see now. I noticed many film makers using Indiegogo and Kickstarter to raise money for their projects. I had never heard of these websites before, so I educated myself. Once I figured out what it was all about, I couldn't donate much money because I was still struggling hard to get back on my feet, but I offered to help as many as I could in other ways.  

For a while, these crowd funding websites were great. But as time has gone on, I don't care much for them anymore, but, what are you going to do? The days of cold calling are gone because nobody answers their phones anymore. As a whole, we're becoming more and more anti-social because we have all these neat electronic devices now where we can go long periods of time never having to interact with people. Also, I, as many of you have I'm sure, have been burned by making donations on crowd funding platforms, the project never happened and the money was never returned. 

So, let's break down the crowd funding process. 

You are a brand. We are all professionally a brand... no matter what we do for a living. In order to succeed at whatever you do, you need to promote your brand (you) as strongly, positively and honestly as possible. It's up to you if you want to be taken seriously and have backers who continually support your work, or if you want to screw your backers and they'll never support you again. Believe me, I have a list of film makers I'd happily support any day of the week and an even longer list of film makers I'll never support again. If you screw me over and leave me feeling negative about your brand, I won't hesitate to let everyone know it. On the flip side, if you are the consummate professional and leave me with a positive experience, I won't hesitate to tell everyone that too. The choice is yours. 

You've made the decision that you're ready to make your film. You decide which crowd funding website you want to use:

Kickstarter is the most difficult for the film maker because it's an "all or nothing" site. You have to raise the full amount you specify in the limited time or you get none of it. Kickstarter does get a percentage of what you raise. It's the best site for the backers because if the campaign doesn't succeed, then backers don't have to pay. 

Indiegogo is simple for the film maker to use. You raise as much as you can in the limited time and even if you don't raise it all, you get what you did raise minus the percentage Indiegogo gets. It's not the best for the backers when there are people who don't follow through with their projects and don't return the donations. 

GoFundMe has no time limit which many people like. GoFundMe is a bit more strict with their rules on what they allow people to campaign for. Funding a film on that platform depends on what the subject matter is of your film. I've known a number of people who tried to fund their films on GoFundMe but the pages were shut down because someone thought the subject matter went against policy. This is another site where it's common for people to abandon their projects and not return the money to the backers. 

I'm not very familiar yet with Seed & Spark. I know two people who recently successfully funded their projects on that site; one is already on the festival circuit and the other is near completion in post production. 

I've noticed it's becoming more and more common for film makers to create their own web pages for their films to collect PayPal or other electronic donations without having to pay fees or have time limits. Since they've invested so much time an effort into it, they're not likely to abandon their project. 

Before you launch a crowd funding campaign, do your research and be professionally prepared. Remember, you're asking people, some who personally know you as well as total strangers, to invest in you and your dream. 

• You will need to write a summary of your project and post a video or some kind of graphic for your film. Make it eye-catching, relevant to the topic of your film and appealing to your potential backers.
• If your cast and crew are in place, write about them too. Most of the films I back are because of actors or directors I know.
• Know EXACTLY how much money you will need and write a detailed breakdown of where every penny you're hoping to raise will go; actor salaries, crew salaries, hair & makeup, costume designer if necessary, craft services, location fees, permit fees, music license fees, composer salaries, equipment rentals, post production color correction and sound, etc. You'd be surprised at how many people just start a crowd funding page with ridiculously high dollar amounts and no details of how the money is to be spent. If you come across one like that, don't back it because that's a good indication that film will never be made because the film maker doesn't know what they're doing. 
• If you choose to offer "perks" for the donations, you'd better follow through with that too. Many film makers will offer shout outs on social media, digital downloads of their finished films, bumper stickers, DVDs, T-shirts, posters, autographed posters or photos, personal phone calls or videos, dinner with the cast, IMDb credits, various producer levels, walk-on roles, etc. You'll have to figure shipping costs into it. If you can't follow through with the perks, then don't offer them. 

When these crowd funding websites first started to become popular, it was much easier to get people to donate. However, as time has gone on, people have become numb to them. We can't log onto social media anymore without somebody seeking money for something. It gets overwhelming and eventually we stop looking at them. So how do we get people's attention then? 

Try to get your cast and crew to get involved in the fund raising process... especially if you have actors attached to the project with large fan bases. That's not always as easy as it sounds. Some actors feel it's not their responsibility to help raise the money. I've personally never understood that. If the money isn't raised, then there's no movie and no part for them. You'd think they'd want the campaign to be successful. But that's not always how it works. Of course there are many actors who happily help spread the word about the crowd funding. If you look at my last post,  HOMELESS ASHES: MY PERSONAL STORY AND WHY IT'S A MOST IMPORTANT FILM TO SEE, the only reason I even knew about  the Homeless Ashes Indiegogo campaign was because co-star Andrew Lee Potts posted the link on Twitter. The same goes for a short film called Chimera. I didn't know about that one either until he posted the link on Twitter. 

It's not enough just to post the link on your own social media every single day. As I said, people are numb to them now. You're going to have to use your networking skills and talk to people about it. Reach out to everyone on your social media individually in private messages and ask them to donate and/or share the link on their social media.  

There are many groups on social media for posting crowd funding campaigns. Strike up relationships with the other people in those groups and see if they can help you. 

Try to get yourself booked as a guest on every podcast or talk-radio show you can. Also hit up all of the online film magazines for interviews or write-ups of your film and the fund raising campaign. 

Fundraising for a film can easily become a full-time job. Use the money you raise ONLY for your project. If, for some reason, you aren't able to complete your project, refund the donations since the money won't be used for the purpose in which it was intended.

Once you have your funding, you are still obligated to your backers to communicate regularly the status of your project. It disturbs me the number of people I never hear from once the crowd funding campaign is complete. I spend a lot more time than I should have to trying to get in touch with the film makers to ask what the status is and where the "perks" are. Give regular updates of how the filming and post-production are progressing. Even if your production gets delayed for some reason, tell your backers and keep them in the loop of when the production will be back on track.

If you're able to get your film on the festival circuit, communicate with your backers when and where it will be with plenty of notice so people can make plans to see it. 

You are a brand and people are investing in you. Be professional, be humble, be kind and be grateful. 

HOMELESS ASHES: MY PERSONAL STORY AND WHY IT'S A MOST IMPORTANT FILM TO SEE

Yesterday, I attended a screening at the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles of a British film I made a small Indiegogo donation to a couple of years ago called Homeless Ashes; co-written by, executive produced by, directed by and starring Marc Zammit. I wish I had been able to donate more, but financially, things aren't easy these days. Still, I do what I can because I firmly believe, as I always have and written about in previous posts, that it's important to support the arts in any way we're capable of... especially independent projects. 

One of the co-stars of the film is Andrew Lee Potts. I first saw him years ago in a movie that was on the SyFy Channel called Nature Unleashed: Avalanche, and I've been paying attention to his career ever since. In America I'm sure he's most known so far for his role as the greatest Hatter ever in the SyFy original mini-series Alice, Vampyre Nation (True Bloodthirst) and the TV series Primeval catapulted his career and fame to new heights. Along the way he's done a number of wonderful films, short films, web series and TV shows... acting, producing, writing and directing.

I've been following Andrew Lee Potts on social media, pretty much for as long as I've been using social media. I noticed something he'd posted on Twitter a couple of years ago about an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for a film called Homeless Ashes. As I was reading the campaign and watching the video, it struck a personal nerve in me and I needed to contribute something. 

Why did it strike a nerve? In 2008, I was one of "those people"... one of the nearly 4 million people in The United States who lost a job I'd had for over 11 years in a mass layoff right in the heart of the worst recession since The Great Depression. I wasn't prepared for what I was going to go through trying to find work. 

Before the recession, I was never wealthy, but I was ok. I earned enough to pay my bills, put some money into a savings account, work on independent film projects and have some fun. There was a time when, if someone told me they needed $500 - $1,000 for their independent film, I'd give it to them. For now, gone are the days of making large monetary contributions to film makers and instead I make small donations when I can and still do as much hands-on work for free as I can. 

The day I lost my job, my life screeched to a halt. I was only getting $1.600 a month from unemployment benefits, which they took taxes out of so I didn't even get that much. The bulk of what I did get went for the rent of my apartment. 

The people who work for the Employment Development Department (EDD) talked down to and mocked us unemployed people when we needed help. The majority of us were forced into unemployment and wanted to be working. I couldn't get anyone to help me when the EDD suddenly cut off my benefits with no explanation and I had to reach out to then California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for help, which he did and my benefits were restored. For that I'm eternally grateful to him. 

When the unemployment benefits ran out, I had to take low-paying temp jobs and dip into my savings every month to make ends meet. This went on for 3 years and my savings account was gone. I had a major expense come up during that time, so I had to cash out my 401K to pay for that.  

When all of my resources were gone, I was starting to fall behind in my rent. I knew in a very short period of time, I was going to be homeless. There's a church on the corner of my street where a lot of homeless people "live". I would walk up there and sit on the bus stop bench across the street and watch them so I'd know what to do when the time came. I was trying to figure out how to live in my car with my 2 cats knowing the car would be stolen or towed away at some point. These are things people who live in the wealthiest nation shouldn't have to think about. 

On top of that, during those 3 years, as soon as I told my "friends" I'd lost my job, I immediately became completely invisible. People I had called my friends for years stopped talking to me. These are the same people who never hesitated to come to me with all of their personal problems for a shoulder to cry on, I babysat their kids for free, I took care of their houses, took care of their pets, collected their mail and watered their plants when they went on vacations. I never asked anybody for anything except to spend time with me... but it never happened. To say it was lonely would be an understatement. 

I was 2 weeks away from being evicted from my apartment when I finally landed a permanent job that paid enough to barely get by. It was a horrible job, but I looked at it as a starting over point. I made arrangements with my property manager to pay the back-rent I owed in installments to avoid the eviction. I make a lot less money now than I used to before the recession. It's 10 years later and I've still never financially recovered, and probably never will unless I win the lottery. Being over 50 years old now with nothing is a very scary thing. 

Still, with all the turmoil in America right now, becoming homeless at some point is still a very real possibility and that scares the hell out of me. Rent keeps going up, but the wages don't. Right now I'm spending more than half of my take-home pay in rent. I've been working in the electronics manufacturing industry for the last 25 years where layoffs are common and the older I get, the more difficult it is to find companies that will hire people my age, but it's all I know how to do. 

Because I've developed an understanding of homeless people, I volunteer when I can with various organizations to make meals to be distributed around Los Angeles. It's not enough to just shove food in their faces, it's also important to take a moment to stop and talk to them. Listen. Hear their stories. Make them feel human. 

There's a stigma that comes with being homeless that they're lazy and don't want to work or that they are all drug addicts or illegal aliens. When I was unemployed, Scott Baio called me lazy even though I've worked a LOT more in my life than he has. Most people are out there because they were once like me, but weren't lucky enough to catch that one last minute break like I did. There are many United States Military Veterans on the streets who aren't being supported by the government they went to war for. There are a lot of people who need medical help. It's even becoming more and more common for people who work full time to be living in their cars because they can't afford the constant rent increases. 

I know it's easier to ignore the problem when it's not happening to you directly. You see people panhandling on street corners and outside businesses, but you don't even look at them. When you take that moment to stop and talk to a homeless person, really listen to their story, you realize that they're a human being who deserves compassion just like anybody else. 

So, when I was reading the Indiegogo page about Homeless Ashes, I had to give something because it's an important story to tell. I hoped really hard that Marc would be able to get enough to make it... and through perseverance, he and his team made it happen. 

I knew I would get to see the film one day because a digital copy is part of my Indiegogo perk package, but just 3 days ago, I saw a tweet on Twitter that it would be part of the Awareness Film Festival in Los Angeles on October 5th with Marc Zammit and Andrew Lee Potts in attendance. They live in England, so when would I ever have the opportunity again to meet them and say "thank you" in person? I seized the moment and went. 

First, we got to see Monda Raquel Webb's wonderful short film, Pooch Sitter, which fit into the theme of the event. That film showcased in an upbeat, yet sad way, the extremes a homeless person would go to just to have a roof over their head... even for just a little while. If you see that title listed for a film festival, go see it. 

Then we watched Homeless Ashes. I had no doubt in my mind the film would be good, but I was completely blown away by just how fantastic it is. Don't worry, I'm not going to spoil it for you by giving away too many plot details. Just the basics. 

One thing you notice as you're watching Homeless Ashes is how cohesive the cast is. Marc cast the right people for each role and no one was out of place.

All too often when I'm working on independent films or web series, the film maker will cast all of his or her friends regardless of whether they're right for the roles or not. I try to persuade them to put some effort into the casting, but they don't always listen. Even some  films with big name actors blow it when it comes to casting. Recently I watched a 2012 film called The Master when I was doing the Rami Malek marathon. Joaquin Phoenix, who is a wonderful actor, is one of the leads. He was way too old for that role and it showed. He was in his late 30s when that film was made... way older than the other young men who played his Navy buddies and the girl who was his love interest was 16 or 17 in real life at the time. It was creepy. 

Marc got the casting 100% right and the performances the actors deliver are outstanding. 

Hector Bateman-Harden, an amazing young actor, plays young Frankie who experiences something traumatic which compels him to run away from home where he's forced to learn how to survive on the streets. Marc Zammit plays adult Frankie, who despite his situation, remains honest and compassionate. 

We meet several characters along the way, some good people and some bad people, where we learn their stories of how they became homeless and how they fit into Frankie's life... those who want to do him harm, those he stands up for and those who look after him like family. 

Lew Temple gave an Oscar/BAFTA/Spirit worthy performance as Chico, who, with his own tragic story, took on a fatherly role to Frankie. Andrew Lee Potts plays a man named PJ who recently became homeless through a series of bad luck that snowballed all at once and is very bitter and scared... which in real life is how the majority of the homeless are. Jason Flemyng gave a touching performance as Gavin, who ran the hot dog stand at the carnival and let Frankie "work" for his daily hot dog salary. Angel-May Webb and Jamey May were both wonderful as young and adult Nicole; a rebellious girl from a wealthy family and Frankie's lifelong soulmate. Dean Maskell and Angela Dixon were frighteningly believable as Frankie's violent dysfunctional parents.  Ritchi Edwards plays a heartbreaking role of a homeless veteran.  Krity J. Curtis and Lee Hunter are Viv & Ryan the heroin junkies. Madalina Bellariu Ion is Eva, the homeless immigrant. Everyone was amazing! 

The story flows at an even pace and isn't bogged down at any point. Every line in every scene is relevant. I'm really glad I remembered to put some Kleenex in my purse before I went because I needed it a few times. 

Of course seeing my name scroll by in the end credits never gets old... especially on the big screen. 

When the movie was over, as with most film festivals, there is a talk-back, which is a Q&A session led a moderator and you can ask the film representative(s) questions about what you've just seen. As I mentioned before, Marc Zammit and Andrew Lee Potts were there as well as Lew Temple since he's an American actor who lives in the Los Angeles area. The talk-back started in the theater, but the festival was running behind schedule so we were moved to another area one floor down. I love talk-backs because you get to learn so much about the production and what everyone went through to make it happen. It's a personal touch you don't get to experience seeing movies any other way. 

The first thing I did when I got home afterwards was to check IMDb to find out who composed the beautiful music throughout the film and end credits. His name is Mark Wind and I'm paying attention now.

The film is set in England, but in today's society, it could be just about any country as the homeless population is growing at an alarming rate. What Marc and his team have done in making this film is giving visibility to the invisible. If you think there's no chance you'll ever be homeless, think again. I guarantee everyone living on the streets thought that before it happened to them. Remember that the next time you walk by a homeless person without even looking at them. 

As of this writing, Homeless Ashes is on the festival circuit and hasn't been released just yet on DVD or VOD. The best way to keep up with the film festival locations and when it gets released for purchase is to follow Homeless Ashes and Marc Zammit on Twitter. There's also a Facebook page for the movie.