#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Indie Filmmaker(Why Indie Artists Need to Bite the Bullet and Get a Twitter Page)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Meg. She's an indie filmmaker here in LA and is here to talk about her experiences and challenges in filmmaking. Dudes, Hollywood in a recession is nooooo fun! But here's what's working and isn't working for Meg. Hit it lady!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Meg Pinsonneault

Long gone are the days of indulging only in creativity. Specifically for an indie filmmaker like myself, you must be versed in all aspects of the process. And I’m beginning to realize that no skill is more important than social networking. There are so many contests, polls, and competitions based solely on a voting system. The bigger your social net, the better chance you have of prevailing. But you have to be engaging too. It’s about making friends and supporting each other. It’s about community and family. I hear a lot filmmakers complaining that social networking is too time consuming. But I think they’re looking at it all the wrong way. It may feel like you’re whoring yourself around, but there’s a lot more to it than just a cheap date. (Just remember, it never hurts to ask. You’ll be surprised how fast relationships can grow.) 

Twitter, Facebook, and the like are wonderful platforms for which to engage and interactive with your audience. We’ve all watched the resurgence of indie film fueled by cheap and accessible technology. But it’s also a direct cause from the rise of social networking. I believe that indie filmmakers are some of the most passionate people on Earth. Up until a few years ago, most of us didn’t have a chance in hell of telling our stories. Social networking platforms gave independent artists of all kind the ability to scream from the rooftops and the audience a chance to listen. Fine, I’ll admit it. Up until 9 months ago, I thought online relationships were a joke too. But I was very wrong. To all those naysayers out there, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s time to bite the bullet. Social networking isn't going away. If you’re an indie artist and you don’t have a Twitter page, you’re simply not competitive. 

Case and point: I’m currently working on a feature documentary, Gwapa (Beautiful), about a poor Filipino family’s struggle to help their 3 kids with facial deformities. It’s been a very exciting process and I can safely saw that most of this project’s success to date is due it’s heavy social presence online. Back in November, we ran a kickass crowd-funding campaign to fund the completion of this film. We didn’t reach our goal, but $12,411 our of our $16,500 goal ain’t bad! The real commodity we gained was massive support for our cause and a wide audience excited to see our film. Once the word got out, people from all over the world came to our aid andGwapa (Beautiful) spread like wildfire. It’s truly special to see so many wonderful people step to support this wonderful cause. But the good news doesn’t stop there. Because of tremendous support from our online family, we also won indieWIRE’s “Project of the Week” contest in early December. And best of all, we’ve had major interest in the film from sales agencies, all because of our social marketing for the project.

 

Fast forward to present day to where we’re now vying to win indieWIRE’s “Project of the Month” contest! (This is where the whoring comes in.) Ring the year in right by helping to bring awareness to Filipino kids with cleft deformities. Winning a consultation with Sundance Institute only solidifies the importance of this film. Be a part of the movement! Please consider voting forGwapa Beautiful for indieWIRE’s “Project of the Month” contest. The competition runs through a Facebook poll from January 2 - 6, ending at 10am EST. You must have a Facebook account to vote. Help save lives forever and help spread the word about this important issue! Click HERE to vote this film.

If you’re running a crowd-funding campaign right now, I suggest you consider submitting to these contest. Each week, indieWIRE readers can vote for their favorite in-the-works film project using a Facebook-based polling system. Each weekly winning project will also be voted on for the best project of the month; the winner with the most votes will score an in-depth consultation with a senior member of Sundance Institute’s program staff.The projects are selected by indieWIRE editors from filmmaker-submitted applications, documentaries or online video. Digital distribution is a rapidly changing industry. According to IndieWire blog, this is what filmmakers can expect to get out of the consultation: 

• Discussion of new platforms and devices, including iPad and other tablets, smart phones, and connected TV platforms -- and how they can become part of your distribution strategy
• How theatrical and digital releases can work together
• The promotional and financial value of theatrical distribution vs. digital distribution 
• How to get the most out of digital-distribution platforms.

 If you want to submit your film for consideration as “Project of the Day,” click here.

#nerdsunite

click here to follow meg on twitter!

#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Indie Filmmaker (Making a Difference: The Importance of Supporting Social Filmmakers)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Meg. She's an indie filmmaker here in LA and is here to talk about her experiences and challenges in filmmaking. Dudes, Hollywood in a recession is nooooo fun! But here's what's working and isn't working for Meg. Hit it lady!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Meg Pinsonneault

Since it is the season of giving, I thought it would be appropriate to continue my series on crowd-funding projects that are more than worthy of our support, both monitarily and socially. As a successful crowd-funding filmmaker, I understand the importance of supporting these endeavors especially those films geared toward social change efforts. There are so many extraordinary projects out there aimed at helping others in a really big way. And these projects are just the tip of the iceberg! Needless to say, it brings a tear to my eye to know that I’m not the only with this mission in mind. As filmmakers, we have an obligation to give voices to those who don’t have one and I feel a true kinship with these artists and activists. Whether it’s to help abused elephants or sufferers of Olivopontocerebellar atrophy, filmmakers are the most passionate people are on earth and they’re making a real difference all over the world. And what better way to touch someone’s life than through an inspirational film! I’m proud to call myself a social filmmaker and to stand among this incredible list of fellow do-gooders. Won’t you join our efforts?

First, I’d like to feature a truly courageous endeavor and one that speaks to my heart. (Only 4 days left to support these incredible filmmakers, Julie Pinto, Andrew Moniz, and Roger Singh. So be sure to act fast!) BLES the Elephants is the story of one woman's fight to change an entire country's way of thinking by exposing the true stories of its silent victims - the elephants. A former Fashion Merchandising Manager in London, UK, Katherine Connor’s world transformed in 2002. While traveling through Thailand, she discovered the everyday atrocities suffered by the country's thousands of domesticated elephants and was compelled to take action. Thank you, Katherine. You’re an inspirational to us all! Please visit their Indiegogo page to contribute: http://www.indiegogo.com/BLEStheelephants

“...Katherine Connor sits on the curb waiting, the knot in her stomach growing with every passing minute.  Something is wrong, she thinks.  Then she spots him.  The man who agreed to sell Mai Sai, his young female elephant, is walking towards her.  But Mai Sai has a large bleeding head wound and the tip of her trunk has been cut off! Horrified, Katherine will not let this go by unnoticed but with no laws to protect Thailand's domesticated elephants or punish their abusers, she is fighting an upward battle.As the founder of Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary (B.L.E.S.), Thailand's only true elephant sanctuary, Katherine works tirelessly to raise global awareness to the elephants plight while simultaneously fighting to save every Thai elephant from further abuse. And, oh yeah, she's raising two small children and living in the jungle! Her determination demands that she succeed but time is against her as everyday elephants suffer unimaginable abuse.

Our hope is that BLES the Elephants will inspire you to demand positive change for Thailand's elephant workforce.  Once revered and treated like a member of the family by traditional owners, elephants are now completely disposable to their nouveau-riche businessmen owners, whose sole desire is to make money - at any cost.  The elephant's health and well-being are irrelevant and these gentle giants are worked until they collapse dead to entertain tourists, then replaced without remorse by another elephant, thus dooming it to a similar fate.

By following Katherine on her journey to save yet another elephant from a life of torture and abuse and sharing their story with you, we hope to inspire you to help us save Thailand's elephants by demanding laws to protect them and punish their abusers (who currently suffer no consequences for beating, starving or killing their elephants). 

If our campaign fails to meet its goal, we will be forced to postpone our elephant-tourist camp infiltration thus allowing elephant abuse to continue until we can source our funds in another way...”

Secondly, I’d like to feature a project that is not only ambitious but uniquely inspirational as well. (There’s only a matter of hours to contribute, so act NOW!) I Believe is an experimental feature length documentary about ordinary people who choose to be extraordinary. Filmmakers, Holly Elissa and Nicolay Bastos, are traveling the globe covering 30 countries to ask these believers one question: what do you believe? By sharing their stories of what motivated them and what motivates them to keep going, these filmmakers hope to demystify the notion that an individual needs some kind of superhuman power to be great. Please visit their Indiegogo page to contribute: http://www.indiegogo.com/IBelieveMovie

 

“...I Believe is apart of a new movement created by and inspired by hard-core do-gooders who believe that absolutely anything is possible. We double dog dare you to believe us. Most people seem to think that they’re helpless. To do great things, they think they need a fancy education, or a better job; a team of butlers, maids, nannies, personal trainers and assistants; or some kind of superhuman power, something other than exactly who they are. Too many people underestimate themselves. They have no idea what they’re capable of because they never bothered to try.  

We don't know of anyone who won't feel something after watching this film and the stories of the people we follow around the world. There are so many themes in this film that there's really something for everyone. There are themes of hope, belief, humanity, compassion, community and family, steadfastness and survival - making it against all odds and making it through hard times. We can all relate to that as human beings...”

The next project I’d like to highlight is A Genius of a Place, a documentary about fragility of places in the modern world and the importance of preservation, by Sarah Marder and Mattia Amardori. Modernization has accelerated the pace of change around the world and often has led to places of exceptional beauty being harmed or even ravaged. People only realize what has happened when it's already too late. That's why A Genius of a Place will encourage viewers to act as stewards of their own communities, safeguarding their resources and treasures before they are ruined or destroyed. Please visit their Indiegogo page to contribute: http://www.indiegogo.com/genius 

 

“...Through the story of one little town in Italy, A Genius of a Place investigates challenges faced by communities all around the world. Whether we notice it or not, the beauty, livability and sustainability of countless places are at risk. That's both sad and scary. Yet we don't want to send people on a guilt trip or frighten them might. We're aiming to inspire viewers and we think of A Genius of a Place as a 'wake-up kiss', a welcome gesture that leaves people feeling awake and full of energy, ready to channel their enthusiasm into taking care of places they love. Looking at pictures from fifty or one hundred years ago we are shocked to see what we've subsequently done to these places. We've paved over fertile land to make parking lots, built massive highways, constructed sprawling factories and strewn the world with a tangle of electrical lines. In 1924 Burton Holmes referred to this as the 'disturbing hand of progress'.  It's far more evident today than it possibly could have been then.  Yet we tend not to notice it or think about it. Sure, we're all looking for economic growth but who's paying attention to the hidden costs? Who's working to develop a place while considering the long-term interests of the place and the people who live there? 

Once the film is finished, people and groups will be able to use it as a tool to spark dialogue and civic engagement in their efforts to hone in on the 'genius' of their own communities. They can use the film to start or strengthen their own grassroots movements. Now that we're done filming we're starting to connect with people and non-profit organizations that feel affinity for our mission and messages. By the time we're ready to release the film we envision having a host of people all around the globe excited about using A Genius of a Place to encourage others to discover, nurture and protect the Genius of their little corner of the world...”

Lastly, I’d like to highlight a important film by Carver Moore and Jonathan Park called Finding Balance, about how surfing is changing lives forever. This is a remarkable and uplifting film about the importance of alternative and therapeutic treatments to all sorts of issues. Please visit their Indiegogo page to contribute: http://www.indiegogo.com/FindingBalance

“...Our film follows a man named Kevin Roberts, a lifelong surfer from Manhattan Beach, who started experiencing problems with balance in 2004 and was diagnosed in 2007 with Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA). OPCA is a neurodegenerative syndrome (also referred to as Cerebellum Degenerative Disease) that causes loss of balance, difficulty walking and slurred speech. OPCA is a fatal disease and there is no known cure. However, Kevin has since found that surfing and being in the ocean helps him through his condition more than anything else could, and helps him temporarily restore his balance.

We will also be driving down the entire coast of California talking to people of all ages about how surfing is much more than a just a sport and how it is changing their lives. We plan on including a experimental surfing program in Southern California that is helping Marines suffering from post traumatic stress disorder find balance in their lives as well as several organizations that teach children with special needs to surf...”

#nerdsunite

Want more from Meg? Check out her shizzy shiznat over yonder! www.thirstygirlfilms.com  &www.artworksbymeg.com

#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Indie Filmmaker (Life Is a roller-coaster & I like it that way)

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Meg. She's an indie filmmaker here in LA and is here to talk about her experiences and challenges in filmmaking. Dudes, Hollywood in a recession is nooooo fun! But here's what's working and isn't working for Meg. Hit it lady!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Meg Pinsonneault

Last Friday marked the end of my crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo for a feature length documentary called Gwapa (Beautiful), about a poor Filipino family’s journey for a healthy future. We didn’t reach our goal, but $12,411 our of our $16,500 goal ain’t bad! (In the end, we’re left with $11,291 after Indiegogo’s 9% fee. If we had reached our goal, then they would’ve only taken out a 4% fee.) Fortunately, we raised enough to fund production in January and we’re very excited to film the second part of the project! But what was truly wonderful and magical was the support we saw and are still seeing for Gwapa (Beautiful). The community has really gotten behind the project to not only donate, but to spread the word too. We were a featured campaign on Indiegogo. Likewise, we snagged featured stories on Take Part and Film Courage, and were mentioned on Perezitos blog too. As a filmmaker, it’s truly inspirational to have so much love for your film and your vision. I feel honored and blessed for this. Because of all this support, I know in my heart that Gwapa (Beautiful) will be a success and the indie film community is a major part of that! Not to mention, this campaign garnished a lot of buzz for the film and we have some very exciting stuff in the works! So be sure to check out www.gwapafilm.com for updates from our Filipino production and beyond. In case you wanted to back to this inspirational film but didn’t get the chance to, we’re accepting donations via Paypal on our website as well. 

To add to all the excitement, I was notified on our last day of the fundraising campaign that Gwapa (Beautiful) was nominated for indieWIRE’s “Project of the Week.” (Gwapa (Beautiful) was chosen as “Project of the Day” the previous Wednesday.) This was quite the honor, but overwhelming too. This news came at such a crazy time of the campaign and it is was quite the task to promote the campaign and the contest at the same time. The contest was voter based and tallied through a Facebook poll that ended on Monday, December 5th. So the hustling continued through the weekend. But we were so exhausted from the last week of the campaigning that our feeds were pretty quiet. We thought we had all day Monday to promote the contest and ask for votes. It wasn’t until Sunday evening that we realized the contest ended at 11AM Eastern Standard Time, not 11PM Pacific Standard Time! Needless to say, I was kicking myself for not reading the fine print more carefully. At 9pm PST on Sunday night, Gwapa (Beautiful) was 40 votes behind first place. So, fellow filmmaker and best friend, Sabina Padilla (@sabinapadilla), and I decided to pull an all-nighter to see if we couldn’t win the contest! It proved to be worth it and we won indieWIRE’s “Project of the Week.” Our reward is a digital distribution consultation from SnagFilms and Gwapa (Beautiful) is now officially a candidate for “Project of the Month.” That winner will be awarded with a consultation from the Sundance Institute! This is truly amazing opportunity. I’m so incredibly grateful to everyone who voted and promoted the contest on our behalf! 

We were up against some really amazing projects that are just as deserving of this honor as Gwapa (Beautiful). Big shout out to filmmakers Samantha Buck and Danielle DiGiacomo of Best Kept Secret for running an awesome race! They clearly have a lot of support from the community and I respect their work very much. Best Kept Secret is a powerful film about a Newark high school teacher struggles to help her autistic students find a place in the brutal world that awaits them after graduation. There’s still we 6 days left to donate to their Kickstarter campaign! Get involved here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dandig/best-kept-secret The other films nominated for “Project of the Week” were We Are Many by Amir Amirani and The Defector: Escape from North Korea by Ann Shinn. Tis the season for giving. Show your support and get involved with these inspirational documentaries!

#nerdsunite

Want more from Meg? Check out her shizzy shiznat over yonder! www.thirstygirlfilms.com  & www.artworksbymeg.com

#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Indie Filmmaker

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Meg. She's an indie filmmaker here in LA and is here to talk about her experiences and challenges in filmmaking. Dudes, Hollywood in a recession is nooooo fun! But here's what's working and isn't working for Meg. Hit it lady!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Meg Pinsonneault

In case you haven’t heard, I’m running a crowd-funding campaign to complete an inspirational feature documentary, Gwapa (Beautiful), about Filipino kids who overcome severe cleft deformities. It follows the amazing work of Faces of Tomorrow, a non profit organization that offers free facial reconstructive surgeries to families in need in developing countries. (You watch our pitch video for this film HERE.) This subject really means a lot to me because I’ve been fortune enough to travel with FOT on two missions to date. Each adventure was completely life changing in every way. It was incredible to see so many families’ dreams come true. To see the joy in their eyes that their child will grow up healthy. (You watch the documentary I made about FOT’s first mission to Ecuador HERE.) When you’re passionate about a subject and especially if you’re making a film about something that moves you, it’s always hard to see passed your own work. Likewise, it’s easy to forget that there are so many other wonderful crowd-funding campaigns out there that deserve your backing too. So, I’ve decided to dedicate this week’s post to a couple other incredible cause-based crowd funding campaigns that have crossed my path recently. All campaigns are on the Indiegogo platform.

 

First up is La Source, a documentary about the journey to bring clean water to a remote village in Haiti. A few weeks ago, director, Pat Shen, was on the Film Courage podcast talking about this incredible film. I was very moved by the pitch video, not to mention Pat’s wonderful passion behind the project. I donated to this film in its final hours and they raised nearly $16,000 of their $25,000 goal. Although this campaign is finished, you can still donate via Paypal on the film’s website. This is definitely a cause-based documentary worth your support. Take a moment to watch their video and snoop around their websites. You’ll quickly see what I’m talking about! Find La Source on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Via LaSource.com:

In La Source, water does not come easily. For the past two hundred years, villagers of this remote Haitian village have had to choose either to endure a dangerous and physically taxing walk to fetch clean water or drink contaminated water from a nearby river. For over 30 years the people in the village have attempted to address this problem by constructing a means to channel the water from a natural spring in the mountains but with limited funding and an unsupportive government their attempts were to no avail. For the Lajeunesse Brothers the time had come to finish the work their father and their community had started. As a young man Josue moved from La Source to New Jersey where he found employment as a custodian at Princeton University. His custodial work and second job as a taxi driver, which total close to 20 hours a day, allows him to send money home to La Source so that he and his brother Chrismedonne, who remained in La Source and found work as a carpenter, could properly channel the water from the mountain into their village.

Our journey to La Source takes us on an adventure as the Lajeunesse Brothers work together to rally the support of a group of Princeton students, a Los Angeles-based charity called Generosity Water, and the people of La Source to fulfill their late father’s dream to improve the conditions of their impoverished village. “La Source” is not just a movie about the transformation that occurs in a community when provided the most basic commodity of all but the story of two brothers empowered by a vision and how they were able to ignite the passion of people thousands of miles away to change the lives of the people in La Source forever. Where water runs, life flows.”

Next up is Miss World aka The Linor Documentary, about Linor Abargil who was rapped just before winning the Miss World competition and her struggle to become the face of this tough issue. I was also very moved by this project mainly because of all the testimonials and support it has garnished. Linor’s experience isn’t an anomaly. Miss World (wt) has the potential to ignite conversation, raise awareness and radically alter the way we perceive and deal with sexual violence and its aftermath. With only 13 days left, Miss World is about $4,000 shy of their $20,000 budget. You can also donate to this project via Paypal from the film’s website after the campaign is finished. Find The Linor Documentary on Facebook too.

Via LinorDocumentary.com:

Beauty queen Linor Abargil was attacked and raped in Milan, Italy at the age of 18.  Six weeks later and still in trauma, she represented Israel in the Miss World Competition.  To her shock, she was crowned the winner, the only Miss Israel ever to win.  Believing that her rape and winning the crown both happened for a reason, she resolved to one day take action.  At the time she fought to put the rapist behind bars and he was sentenced to 16 years in prison.  After the trial, Linor needed time to heal. Today, ten years later, Linor is about to graduate from law school and is speaking out about her rape to encourage other survivors not to stay silent and not to blame themselves.  She has been working with victims of stranger rape, acquaintance rape, domestic rape, college campus rape, rape with the use of drugs.  But dealing with the violent trauma she buried long ago has brought up painful memories.  Linor has given filmmaker Cecilia Peck ("Shut Up & Sing") exclusive access to her life,  as she travels to speak on college campuses and at treatment centers, and faces her fears.”

Last up is an inspirational campaign called “All The Children Are Loved” run by Mr. Andrew Ojambo, the Executive Director of Sherman Health Care Foundation based in eastern Uganda. This is not a documentary. It’s an outreach project to help children who have lost their parents due to HIV/AIDS. Andrew’s organization supports orphans and needy children with not only food and shelter, but they also provide educational support like books and uniforms. This is a truly inspirational project that is already making a difference. This holiday season, please consider making a donation in your loved ones name. With only 4 days left, Andrew has almost $22,000 to reach his goal. Find “All The Children Are Loved” on Indiegogo.

Via Indiegogo.com/all-the-children-are-loved

You could help a child in need forever. By sponsoring a child with Sherman Health Care Foundation, one of the children’s charities based in Busia District, Eastern part of Uganda.You could change a child's life forever. If you sponsor a child with Sherman Health Care Foundation you will be linked with that child and their community so you can see the difference you make for yourself. Sherman Health Care Foundation child sponsorship programme supports children in nearly 3 counties in Busia District – and yes, we really do have a vision for a future of the Child tomorrow, one in which no child has to live in poverty. Working to help communities sustain themselves, we are making that vision a reality. Become a child sponsor from only 75p per day, and join us in making a difference. Sherman Health Care Foundation works alongside communities of all faiths to improve the well-being of children in Busia District.”

#nerdsunite

click here to follow meg on twitter!

#NerdsUnite: Confessions of an Indie Filmmaker

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Meg. She's an indie filmmaker here in LA and is here to talk about her experiences and challenges in filmmaking. Dudes, Hollywood in a recession is nooooo fun! But here's what's working and isn't working for Meg. Hit it lady!!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Meg Pinsonneault

Have you heard about this crazy thing called “crowd-funding?” In case you haven't, allow me to elaborate. Crowd-funding is a way to get friends, family, and strangers alike to donate to the endeavor of your choice. I use this platform to fund my films, but there campaigns for all kinds of stuff out there, like small businesses, non-profits, and inventions. Crowd-funding is so many things. It’s wonderful, difficult, inspirational, time consuming, exciting, painful, and everything in between. It offers a way for a filmmaker to get their films made without having to pay investors back. This is a huge deal. The most widely used sites are Indiegogo and Kickstarter. With Kickstarter, they use a fixed funding system which means that you must hit your goal to get your money. On the other hand, Indiegogo uses flexible funding which allows you to keep the money earned, even if you don’t reach your goal. However, Indiegogo just recently added fixed funding to their platform, so now users have the option to use either. Indiegogo charges 4% of your earnings if you reach your goal and 9% if you don’t. I’m currently on my second crowd-funding to finish a feature documentary called Gwapa (Beautiful) about a poor Filipino family’s remarkable journey to help their three kids with cleft deformities. I prefer to use Indiegogo for one main reason, their platform is internationally based, meaning anyone anywhere can donate. Kickstarter is limited to the US only, meaning you must have an US based bank account in order to donate to a campaign. I think that’s very limiting, especially dealing with a cause related project like Gwapa (Beautiful) that’s based in the Philippines.

But let’s start from the beginning here. Last March, I jumped into my first crowd-funding campaign for a short period thriller called “Feast of the Foolish,” about a Depression Era outlaw who seeks answers about his future from a dark enchantress. I launched that project without knowing what I was getting myself into. It’s easy, right? Free money, right? Wrong. I’m here to warn you that crowd-funding is very time consuming and takes a lot of work. If you’re the kind of person that thinks social networking is silly and trite, then this platform isn’t for you. Crowd-funding relies almost entirely on your social network and how far it can reach. If you have a large network, then it’ll make your crowd-funding experience a lot easier. As you can guess, it’s also important that you use both Facebook and Twitter, as well as other services like Stumbleupon, Tumlr, and Vimeo. But aren’t Twitter and Facebook the same? Nope. The difference is great: Facebook is for people you know and Twitter is for people you don’t know who share common interests. Both of these networks are very crucial during an online campaign, like winning a nomination or crowd funding. I hear a lot of filmmakers complaining about how time consuming social networking can be. But I say that you’re looking at it in the wrong way. Social networking is just part of the indie filmmakers’ repertoire now. If you don’t have that skill, them you’ll surely drown! They didn’t teach me this in film school, but they taught me to be flexible and keep an open mind. I believe it’s a very exciting time for filmmakers right now, if you can adapt quickly enough.

Luckily, my “Feast of the Foolish” campaign was successful and we raised $7,550 to make an awesome film. I’ve since written and spoken publicly about my experiences crowd-funding. We’ve garnished lots of wonderful feedback on “Feast of the Foolish” and we haven’t even gone to festivals yet. I’m currently working on completing the feature adaptation of this short film. However, I really wish I had done my research before launching the crowd-funding campaign, so I knew what I was getting into. If you’re contemplating a fundraising campaign for your next project, do your homework first. It’s extremely competitive and dedication is key. Over 20% of all campaigns never get passed $0! If you get over 50% funding, then you have a 90% of reaching your goal. Of those who were successful, every filmmaker was highly accessible in the social networking world. First and foremost, make sure this route is for you. It’s incredibly time consuming and tedious. It’s an endless ocean of updating and promoting. Don’t attempt a massive campaign unless you have a slew of people willing to help you consistently spread the word through their social networks too. I’d also suggest doing a crowd-funding campaign sooner than later. I’ve noticed that some people seem burned out or tapped out from crowd funding. Especially since indie filmmakers are competing against small businesses, non-profits, and pretty much anyone who needs a buck, I predict that crowd funding may become even more competitive in the near future. 

All that being said, I truly love crowd-funding. It’s given me a very viable platform for which to fund my projects. My experience with “Feast of the Foolish” was very exciting and we found a lot of support in the indie film community, which is quite rare for short film. That alone was one of the main reasons we decided to crowd-fund the budget for Gwapa (Beautiful). Beyond that, it’s a documentary that’s dedicated to bringing awareness to the great issue of children born with cleft deformities in the Philippines. We’re hoping that the cause will create a viral buzz about the project. Ultimately, we hope this project will reach people who care about issues like this and  who want to help change lives for many generations of Filipino kids to come. If you’re interested in participating in this project, please visit www.indiegogo.com/gwapa-film.

#nerdsunite

click here to follow meg on twitter!