By Jamie Monahan
Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash.
It can be difficult to feel inspired to do anything during a pandemic when filmmaking and festivals are being delayed or canceled, artists are unemployed, and we are constantly told what we can’t do. That’s why I want to share some tips that you can do right now as a filmmaker to move your project forward during quarantine. A successful fundraising campaign takes a minimum of one to three months’ pre-planning. During this downtime, you can pre-write all of your campaign emails, create a campaign action calendar, and automate your social media posts. By doing all of this preparation, you’ll be ready to go when it’s time to crowdfund!
1. Audience Building:
Two of the biggest questions you need to answer as a creator are: “Who is your audience?” and “Where do they watch movies?” Now more than ever your audience is so important. Build your show’s Instagram account with behind-the-scenes photos, interviews with actors and crew, red carpet photos, your project poster, concept art, etc. Start creating super fans who are loyal not only because they love you the creator, but also because you took them on the creative journey. Superfans take pride in the fact they are the OG fans! Start a newsletter for your film and send monthly updates. Mailchimp is my go-to platform for newsletters. There are plenty of platforms that allow you to schedule social media posts ahead of time. Free options include Tweetdeck for Twitter, the Facebook scheduling tool on Facebook, and Later.com for Instagram. There are also tools like Hootsuite that cost money but allow you to pre-schedule most if not all of your social media platforms in one place.
2. Charitable Donations:
Any money you do not have to pay back is free money! I highly suggest getting fiscal sponsorship for feature films. Fiscal sponsorship allows people to make large tax-deductible donations to your film. It involves a fee-based contract between a project and an established non-profit. It’s important to remember that charitable donations can only be used for the creation of the film not for distribution or advertising. The Film Collaborative, and Fractured Atlas are two great fiscal sponsorships you can apply to.
3. Grants:
There are endless film grants you can apply to. It may feel overwhelming but applying for grants is another opportunity for free money. Candid has 150,000+ funders and 16+ million grants. Women Make Movies has a resource page dedicated to grants and funders with over 60+ organizations to apply to. Most filmmakers do not apply to grant which I think is a mistake. If grant writing is not your specialty, hire someone. It may be worth it even if you just receive one! The Film Fund gives out grants monthly and all you need to apply is a strong one-sentence log-line and a small application fee.
4. Crowdfunding:
Crowdfunding = Free Money! Always have a deadline when crowdfunding. Ideally, 30 days to create a sense of urgency. My favorite crowdfunding platforms are Kickstarter and Seed & Spark. Anytime someone donates, share that information on social media. Sharing will remind people who haven’t donated yet to donate to your campaign. Make sure to personally reach out to friends and family via a hand-written letter, email, or phone call. A genuine connection will always get better results than relying on social media. A successful and professional-looking crowdfunding campaign makes you more attractive to investors.
5. Private Investors:
Be honest with investors! Explain the risk. Only 20% of movies make their money back. If an investor most likely won’t make their money back why would they invest? Some people invest because they believe in the story or message you’re trying to tell. Others will invest because they believe in you, the creator. Then some will invest because they love the arts, being a part of something, or the glamor of it all. Your job is to find out what your investors want and how you can give it to them. Is it credit in the film? Putting their business in the “Special Thanks” section of the credits? VIP passes to a screening?
I hope you find this information helpful and empowering. 2020 was a difficult year for many but I have been so inspired by the resilience of artists. We are essential and the world needs our stories now more than ever!
Follow Jamie Monahan on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook: @jmemonahan. If you’re interested in her upcoming classes, seminars, screenings, and more, sign up for her newsletter here.
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