Does this make sense?

[Ken Hendricks]

If you're an actor and you join CASA looking for opportunities, does it make sense to upload a headshot or two?

If you send me a screenplay should you maybe think of a way to include your name as the author?

If you're making movies and "web series" would it make sense to have a "story" first?

Why do Jim Brennan, Patrick Sheridan. Haylar Garcia and I always have to be the voice of reason around here?!?!?!?

Happy New Year everyone!    ;-)

[Ken Hendricks]

Oh yeah, if you make a video for your IndieGoGo or Kickstarter campaign, do you think it would be a good idea to maybe show your potential contributors that you can actually makes something worth watching?

[Jim Brennan]

Somebody's cranky...:-)

But you do make a good point (aside from using my name in association with "reason")

Every day you have opportunities to affect the way people see you.  Sometimes it is what you do, and other times it is in what you choose not to do.  I am guessing that Ken has seen something that someone posted in an attempt to raise money.  I see those too...all the time.  Nearly all of them miss opportunities to show potential investors what you can do.

It's not that complicated.  No one really cares about what you are SAYING you can do.  You are promoting yourself using the very same medium that you hope to raise money to work in.  I could see if you were a sculptor trying to write a letter to raise money.  Or a painter trying to sing a song about how awesome your paintings are.  Then you might get a little slack.

But you aren't.  You are filmmakers.  Making a little film to get people to believe in you enough to give you money to make a bigger film.  So don't TELL me how awesome it's going to be.  SHOW me.  If you can't do that in your pitch, why the hell would I think I can trust you to do it in a movie?

Now I know that there can be some budget constraints, but at least show me that you understand basic precepts of storytelling, and that you have a sense of the genre you plan on working in.

In other words, if you make a 2 minute bit to pitch me on a comedy, it had better be funny.  Don't tell me how hilarious it is going to be.  SHow me how funny you are.  Right.  Now.

If you want to raise money for a horror film and you spend ten minutes telling me how you are going to scare me, then I am going to assume that your movie will involve the same ineffective strategy.

If you can't think of an interesting, engaging way to get a very specific point across in a short video, using the same medium you want me to pay you for, I will assume that money is not the problem.  You are.

[Haylar Garcia]

Ken, whereas I thank for the compliment, it could be easily misunderstood.

Let me first say at least for myself, that I am NOT always the voice of reason, I screw things up

just as we all do, and on a basis constant enough for me to never forget how human I am.

That being said, sure it's always good to include those things which make our submissions or ventures as complete as possible, that being said, again we are all human.

could it be that you are just frustrated and therefore... "seeing-RED"..... muwah ha ha ha ha!

[Ken Hendricks]

Come on guys, you know I was only kidding when I put the three of us way up there on the same level with Patrick Sheridan!

[Jim Brennan]

Is there a 'Like" button for that one?

[Jim Brennan]

Will there be pizza?

[Michael F.Ryan]

No, it doesn't make sense, because I just prefer to remain anonymous!  Just kidding guys.

[Stan M. Strawn]

I have a new friend in another state (Nevada) who has a great little film project going which he has tried to raise funds for on Kickstarter. Now, he has some really great impersonator/actors from Vegas and a REALLY hot leading lady (and her prefered make-up artist)...he has gone into debt out of his own pocket paying and feeding these folks, and gone to L.A. and rented a green screen room and a vintage vehicle, rented vintage costumes, built his own props in his garage- (painting by hand because his stupid covenant neighborhood won't let him spray paint in his driveway) and has 90 % of a 25 minute short version of a proposed feature DONE.

Did the KickStarter campaign work? NO...And what I don't get is: Why can't the money's that ARE raised on Kickstarter (or other similar) still be funneled toward this film or others...What's with the "all or nothing" stuff?

If a guy could get some $ maybe he can progress a little and then make another pitch based on that progress!

But NO...

This gentleman has offered to pay me for some stop motion animation and miniature building...I've promised him that I will parlay this $ into the budget of my film-(see my site here)... I think this is awesome and some of the CASA family may benefit from this-even if only in a small way financially... anyway. this is a great example of how we can support each others projects, because I don't really see these Indie-GO-Go's really being that effective...or reasonable.

[CoachDalton]

We are looking to do a Kickstarter campaign next month. I almost jumped into it feet first before I knew what the hell I was doing. Fortunately, I came to my senses and began researching the crowd-funding system as to understand what works and what doesn't. You can't say that online orgs like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo don't work. They do, at least they work for those who knew how to market their project. Just take a look at all the Denver projects that DID get funding and ask yourself "how?". A few of them that got funded were awful, but they had a great title and/or concept. Some knew better not set a high $$ goal for the type of project they were doing.

As for this topic, I agree with Ken, but when it comes to crowd-funding, you not only have to show that you know how to tell a story or produce a film, you also have to show your project is do-able, watchable, and that their is an audience for it. AND you have to set a reasonable financial goal. There are other crowd funding orgs that let you keep whatever you raise, but no one seems to get a lot from those orgs. I think the "All or nothing" model makes sense for entrepreneurial projects, if you don't succeed in raising the funds, you need to re-think your business/marketing strategy, your expectations or maybe even your film/story/concept. . 

[Stan M. Strawn]

Well, I'm partial to the type of film my friend is doing, but I've seen projects on kickstarter that hadn't done a fraction of his work... and his presentation was quite good-he already had TWO movie posters...and some of the actors were even helping do the pitching. From what I've seen maybe Social commentary type projects get more attention and just a good old fashion romp along the lines of an Indiana Jones type thing wouldn't-because I think people think those kinda movies can only be good if they have 100 million dollar budgets, but it just ain't so. My friend was trying to raise around 45 k or so but only 12 hundred came in- my point is; this guy can do a HECK of a lot with 12 K- but since he didn't raise 45K, he won't get any of it.