Lisa Franek
  • Home
  • Books
  • My Films
  • Contact
  • Imagination Blog
  • SignUp

Is Kickstarter Busted?

4/30/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
What a big-time director looks like.
Seriously, is Kickstarter busted? And yes, that's a double meaning. Kickstarter has been around for only 4 years, but has significantly changed the way we look at funding art, music, movies, and even inventions. But in the last couple of weeks, Kickstarter has changed to such a degree that many are questioning the model. So, did people finally figure out how to really exploit what Kickstarter is about, or did they just break it altogether?

When the whole thing started, it seemed so innocent. Artists who had no money were finally able to find funding for their projects, either through their friends, or a network of strangers that truly believed in what they were doing. People were inventing things, and since they didn't necessarily have the means to put up cash for manufacturing their doo-dads, they found people willing to buy their products and basically front the cash in order to get them made. It was a fantasyland of ideas and wonder. I even found a project recently that was just some guy who wanted to draw cats for people. His enthusiasm was undeniable (who doesn't want a cute drawing of a cat?), but alas, the artistry wasn't quite there, and his project wasn't funded.

So, Kickstarter became a place to find ideas, inventions, and all manner of emerging artists in all sorts of media. And then came Veronica Mars. Veronica Mars the television show lasted for three seasons, then vanished suddenly with very little warning and no fanfare. The series didn't even get the normal series finale that is afforded to most shows. It simply went away. Many fans were outraged. Mind you, this is a rabid bunch. They really can't get enough of their spunky gumshoe (actually, the show was pretty good), and wanted to see her move on to the FBI and 'big time' crimes. They wanted to see Veronica get her guy-- both the criminal and the love interest. But sadly, that never came. For years, there was chatter about a movie, but every time the gossip got off the ground, it quickly got shot down. 

Then Rob Marshall (the creator of Veronica Mars) got an idea. He would go straight to the fans. Warner Brothers gave their blessing that if he could raise $2 million, they would support the marketing of the film (which is actually very expensive). So he opened up a Kickstarter campaign, and lo and behold, within 2 days (2 DAYS!) fans had pledged the minimum amount necessary. By the time the campaign ended 30 days later, many Kickstarter records had been broken, Marshall ended up with over $5 million, and it looks like the Veronica Mars movie is a go. But the story doesn't end there.

Then comes Zach Braff. Many people know and love him from the TV show Scrubs. Some remember his film Garden State. And still others revile him for "ruining" Oz. Whatever the case, he decided to jump into the Kickstarter ring. And yet again, we saw a well-known celebrity manage to raise a large amount of money ($2.2 million as of this writing) in a short amount of time (6 days). However, there is a noticeable difference. In Braff's project, no amount of money can buy you a copy of the film on DVD. Or Blu-Ray. For $100 you can see the film in certain cities. For $150 you can even get a copy of Garden State (I guarantee Target has it for much less). So what's the deal?

Normally, when people fund a project, one of the incentives is that they will get a copy of the finished product. Not so in this case. Why? Because Braff wants to sell that, too. You see, big studios pay big money for the rights to distribute movies on DVD and Blu-Ray. So, in effect, Braff gets paid twice. You pay him to make the movie, then you pay to see the movie, then you pay for a copy of the movie. Are you starting to see how this is broken?

On a side note, it is interesting to note that both the Veronica Mars project and Zach Braff's project list being an 'actor' with a spoken line as one of the perks. Meaning, you pay $10,000, they let you say something on camera. Seems legit, right? Except when you realize that they are supposed to pay you for that. There are hundreds, no, thousands of actors out there trying to make a living, and somehow you are supposed to pay for the privilege to say "Here's your check, sir."? Seems like a complete negation of the craft of acting, but this is somewhat debatable (Keanu Reeves, anyone?). Anyway..

So, here's the deal. Has Kickstarter "gone Hollywood"? Is there any room left for regular people who have spectacular ideas? Is fundraising really just like being the prom king or queen, where the person who gets the most money is the one that's also the most popular? Is this how we're going to fund art?

I say this: don't forget about the world of grants. Yes, it is tough. You have to do a lot of writing. But you also have to have a project worth funding. Most grant committees care more about the merit of the work than how many Facebook friends or Twitter followers you have. Or how long you've been in syndication. Maybe we should start a fund for art that is blind to names, that looks at the work instead. Who's with me? Maybe I'll start a Kickstarter campaign to fund a grant that's for real artists. Who will give me $10?

I'd love to hear your take on this.

1 Comment

Community

8/12/2011

0 Comments

 
Our Kickstarter campaign expires at 2pm on Sunday, August 14. I still have my fingers crossed that we are going to make it. I'm a little nervous, to be sure.

Anyway, I started thinking the other day about where I am and where I came from, and I am actually very grateful that things have turned out the way they did. Yes, this is going to be a post about me. Get ready.

I grew up in a really small town in Colorado, where farming is the profession of many and everyone knows everyone else. Where the kids you went to preschool with are the kids you graduate from high school with. While growing up, I always wished for anonymity, because it always seemed like everyone knew what you were doing and who you were with, no matter how much you tried to keep to yourself. It really is a tightly knit community; one that celebrates triumph with as much gusto and togetherness as they do grief. Where if you go to the local truck stop after any high school athletic event, everyone is going to be there, having coffee, dinner, sundaes, or just hanging out.

During college, I moved away to North Carolina, and spent that time at a small liberal arts college in the mountains. Again I found myself in a tightly knit community. The college I went to was smaller than some high schools, and my department (music) was small enough that you pretty much knew everyone. We also knew our professors, their wives or husbands, their kids, and so on. I spent many an evening hanging out with the kids in my class, doing close to nothing, but occasionally breaking out into song--it was music school after all. Even though I didn't have my family around, I managed to have a surrogate family of people that would bend over backwards to help me out, and many of them are still friends to this day, even though we don't see each other anymore (thanks, Facebook).

Now I'm in a large city, and I've been here for 8 years. Adjusting to life in California took a long time; it's not like living anywhere else. But in the time that I've been here, I've managed to find those people that really add something special to the world, and thus my life. From people at the university, from work, to just random people I meet on the street, there are a ton of people in San Diego (and elsewhere in California) that bring the extra added bonus to my life and have become my family.

Now that I'm making this film, I've learned how powerful my family is, and how far it extends. People keep coming out of the woodwork that want to help me, want to help my movie, and don't ask for anything in return. It really is amazing. And thanks to the internet, I've seen that all of my families, from Colorado to North Carolina to California, are ready and willing to help me out. It really has made me rethink my definition of the word 'community'. I'm part of the San Diego community, but I'm also very much a part of the Johnstown/Milliken community, the Asheville community, and the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill community.

I have to say, it's pretty awesome.

And if there's anyone in those communities that still wants to contribute to the film who hasn't, now is the time. Click here to donate. Thanks for takin' a chance on an unknown kid, and thanks for sticking with me all these years!

So even though it's a little cheesy, below is a gallery of people in my "communities". (sorry, NC, all those pics are non-digital.)
0 Comments

Top 10 Reasons

8/9/2011

0 Comments

 

Without our supporters, we're nothing. Since we need you (all of you!), I thought I'd post some reasons why we need you, and why supporting us is a good idea.
Top 10 Reasons to support this film:

1. Art makes your brain happy. Art has been proven to help improve problem solving skills, self-awareness, and reduces stress. 
2. Art is a good investment. For every dollar spent on art, there is a $1.78 return on that investment.
3. You want to be a trailblazer. It's always nice to know about awesome things before everybody else jumps on the bandwagon, isn't it?
4. Magic is fun. Movies are magic. And this is a movie about magic.
5. Jose Yenque is starring. He's been in lots of stuff, including Traffic, recent Cannes favorite Miss Bala, and a recent indie film called Mamitas.
6. You are supporting diversity in the arts. The film industry is notorious for not being particularly friendly to everyone, and this film features a variety of very talented people in the cast and crew: Latino, Asian, Women, etc. Plus it's a film using talent from the US as well as Mexico, so it's international as well.
7. Because it has an awesome story. Trust me, you'll get goosebumps when the credits start to roll.
8. It feels good to give.
9. You can brag to your friends about how you're in the movie business.
10. We'll be eternally grateful!!

CLICK HERE TO PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT
0 Comments

Busy Beavers

8/9/2011

0 Comments

 
We've been trucking along with the pre-production of the film, so the blog has been a bit neglected. Plus, I hate to write about things that aren't nailed down yet, so I've been trying to get everything juggled and in order. Slowly but surely, the film is coming together. We'll be making the trek to LA this week for a costume fitting, and I can't wait. For me, that's really a place where the film is going to come alive. These characters have such distinct personalities, that their clothes will have to reflect that and show who they are and who they aren't. I'm also excited to have such a talented costume designer on board. More about him later.

I've also been scouting locations, and I believe we have found the one that will make my magicians' house be the most awesome house ever. This home is a jewel, and is already furnished exactly how I imagined. Check these pictures out!
Isn't it great? We only have one location yet to lock down, and we are working like busy beavers to get it done. We are also in the midst of scheduling rehearsals, which I am very excited about. It is going to be great to see our actors bring these characters to life, and make the words on the page real! I can hardly stand the suspense.

The last thing we are working on is trying to make our film low-budget and not micro-budget. Our Kickstarter campaign is up for another 5 days, and we have our fingers crossed that everyone will make the last minute effort to put us in the black. That means you, dear reader, need to help us beat the drum and get the word out. This project is so exciting, and I know that it is going to be a beautiful and engaging film. We just need to pay for everything. So yes, I'm begging here. Please please please please please help us!
0 Comments

More Campaigning

7/12/2011

0 Comments

 
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you know about all the marketing I’ve been up to lately. And here’s just a little bit more. We finally got our film teaser up and running on our Kickstarter page (the place where you give us money!).

I’m really glad with how it looks. It gives a real sense of what the film is going to feel like. I’d also like to mention that it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my unwavering producer, Sybil Wendler, and my lead actress/editor extraordinaire, Lizet Benrey. Lizet toiled all weekend to shoot and edit the teaser, and I am eternally grateful for her (and Sybil’s!) hard work.

See what kind of amazing crew I have? Now I know you want to get involved with this project, so visit Kickstarter and show us some love. Really!

0 Comments

Fiscal Sponsorship: Or how I stopped worrying and learned to love fundraising.

7/11/2011

0 Comments

 
Note: skip to the last 3 paragraphs if you want to read about funding my film

I’m sure a lot of people wonder about how films are funded. It’s actually a simple, yet very complicated process that is entirely dependent on what kind of film someone is planning to make.

For instance, most people know that studios finance films, and they do. But what happens when you don’t have a studio and all their money and power behind you? Well, you hit the bricks, that’s what.

For a filmmaker who aims to make a feature narrative film, the kind that would premiere at a place like Sundance, or Toronto Film Festival, or any number of the gazillion film festivals out there, they have to find investors. And that can be a lot of different kinds of entities. It might be as simple as asking mom and dad for a million dollars, but that’s a resource very few of us have. (There’s a joke about a billionaire who went into the film business so he could become a millionaire.) But most people look for other people, businesses, and sometimes grants to cobble together enough money to make their film. In these cases, the amount of money they manage to acquire is usually a result of how good their pitch is, and how much their investors think the return will be.

The nice thing about feature films: they have a chance to make money. They might win cash awards at festivals, plus they can often ask for screening fees from festivals, and if they’re lucky, a distributor will come along and buy the rights to the film. If they’re really lucky, the film will have a theatrical release, and if they’re really really lucky, the theatrical release will be on more than 100 screens. And then, of course, they can sell VOD (video on demand rights), and DVD.

Then comes documentary films. For much of the US, the word “documentary” conjures up images of boring films you might have watched in high school geography or history class. But hopefully, it instead makes you think of films like Farenheit 911, Man on Wire, or Grizzly Man. (If you get the chance to see a film called Senna, I strongly recommend you see it: it’s one of the best documentaries I’ve EVER seen.)

Documentaries are less likely to get their funding from investors, because they are less likely to get a theatrical release (and therefore make less money). However, many docs get to claim that they are socially relevant, or improve the world in some way, so they are eligible for a whole variety of grants from the government (like the NEA) or from private organizations that fund the arts (or even subject-specific projects, like green technology). And if it’s a good film, there’s a chance they’ll be able to sell some DVDs, or some VOD rights and make some of the money back.

Now with short films, they’re in a rough spot. Short films rarely, if ever, make any money, because there is little to no chance of theatrical release. They can’t ask festivals for screening fees. So basically, the only chance of making money is to win cash awards at festivals and/or sell DVDs. So where do they get their funding? Mostly begging. Yep. There are very few grants out there for short films, and those grants are ridiculously difficult to get. So, we have to put our hands out and hope that people are feeling generous, or like us enough to give us a little something to help out.

This is where fiscal sponsorship comes in. This is something whereby an entity (usually a non-profit) oversees the project (usually only budget issues), and for a small fee (usually 3-5%), they lend their non-profit status to a filmmaker. Cool, huh?

What does that mean? It means that any donation you give to a film that has sponsorship is tax deductible. It also means that there is an organization around making sure I don’t take you money and blow it at the track. It’s really a win-win-win situation.

So here’s the deal: I happen to have fiscal sponsorship for The Magicians. There is a local organization called Media Arts Center San Diego, and they provide sponsorship to several local filmmakers. Check them out online.

So, if you want to help me fund my film, you can do one of two things: you can contribute to my Kickstarter account (which is unfortunately NOT tax deductible, because there is an exchange of goods), or you can just write a check and take the charitable donation deduction on your 2011 taxes. And trust me, we need the money.

Think you don’t have enough? Think again. I have over 400 Facebook friends. If every one of them gave me $25, I’d have $10,000 (which would allow me to fund the film AND pay a few cast/crew). And really, $25 isn’t that much money. In California, that’ll buy you two cocktails. So, instead of taking me out for drinks, give my movie the money. That’s what I really want anyway.

Again: Kickstarter Account for The Magicians

Or: Media Arts Center San Diego: send checks to 2921 El Cajon Blvd, SD, CA 92104, with either Lisa Franek or The Magicians in the notes line. Or contact me and I’ll talk you through it. It’s easy.

0 Comments
    Follow @lisafranek

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    January 2014
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2012
    November 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011

    Categories

    All
    Acting
    Actors
    Advice
    Americans For The Arts
    Anthony Sartino
    Architecture
    Art
    Art Benefits
    Artist
    Arts
    Arts Education
    Asian Film
    Auditions
    Award
    Birch North Park Theater
    Bullet Catch
    California
    Cannes Film Festival
    Casting
    Chung Ling Soo
    Cinematography
    Cinephile
    Colorado
    Comic-con
    Community
    Competition
    Costumes
    Craft Beer
    Creativity
    Crew
    Critique
    Culture
    Curating
    Day 1
    Donating
    Downtown
    Education
    Encinitas
    Exhibition
    Facebook
    Fake Fur
    Feedback
    Festival
    Film
    Film Geeks
    Filming
    Filmmaker
    Film Shoot
    Fiscal Sponsorship
    Friends
    Funding
    Fundraising
    Georges Melies
    Goals
    Grants
    Habits
    Hats
    History
    Houdini
    Howard Thurston
    Improv
    Installation
    Jerry Sanders
    Jim Steinmeyer
    Jose Yenque
    Kickstarter
    La Film Fest
    La Paloma
    Larissa Garcia
    Lizet Benrey
    Location
    Location Scouting
    Los Angeles
    Magic
    Magic Castle
    Magician
    Magicians
    Magic Store
    Marketing
    Media Arts Center San Diego
    Mfa
    Middle East
    Millinery
    Movie Palace
    Museum Of Jurassic Technology
    Music
    North Carolina
    Once Upon A Rooftop
    Opinions
    Oscar
    Outliers
    Painting
    Persia
    Photography
    Posters
    Post-production
    Pr
    Pre-production
    Press Kit
    Producer
    Progress
    Promotion
    Rehearsal
    Rehearsals
    Research
    Rob Marshall
    San Diego
    Script
    Sergio Ulloa
    Sewing
    Sharing
    Shooting
    Skirball Community Center
    Sony
    Sports
    Studio
    Sybil Wendler
    Synopsis
    Talent
    Tax-deduction
    Tenacious
    Theater
    The Magicians
    Tv
    Twitter
    U2
    Veronica Mars
    Visuals
    Writing
    Youth
    Youtube
    Zach Braff

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from GotCredit, Thomas Leth-Olsen, Celestine Chua, Found Animals, procsilas, numberstumper, George Vnoucek, Leyram Odacrem, One Way Stock, hardi_wb, Rennett Stowe, quinet, rashanahb, rich701, mayrpamintuan, Gavin St. Ours, Aimee Custis, ilovememphis, ikewinski, Môsieur J. [version 8.0], Darwin Bell, Ack Ook