4.29.2011 - Notes from a Kickstarter project creator
There isn’t a guidebook for funding a project on Kickstarter. Not that I would follow it if there was. We are coming up with the next step as we take the last one. It is some what stressful, but I actually enjoy the challenge. The goal is concrete and each day there are things that I can do to move towards it. Plus, there is a lot of great information from people that have gone through the experience themselves. I have found a lot of great info on the Kickstarter blog.
From launching, the first thing I learned is that if you have a great idea and you put all your effort into the Kickstarter project — the pitch, the writing, incentives, spreading the word — people will take notice. Kickstarter will notice, bloggers will notice, people on Twitter and Tumblr will pick it up. Truly showing your passion for the project is is how to gain the confidence and support of people that you have never met. And these are the people that will make your project a success. I originally filmed my pitch video in my studio. At the end of the day I thought it looked dismal and didn’t capture the passion I had for the movie. So Irene and I scrapped it and re-shot the video on the street in Chinatown. I think it made a huge difference in the quality of the pitch video and the responses it has received.
The big surprise from the first few days of launching the project is the emotional Irene and I have felt. To have people writing us and telling us how much they love the trailer and are excited for us to make the movie is overwhelming. It has been incredible to hear our backers’ stories and why they are supporting the project. It has been a big kick in our confidence that we can create an incredible movie. I have always had faith in our ability to do it, but hearing that all these other people do too has been remarkable and the most positive experience from this whole thing.
Homage has the Chinatown Fair shirt for Kickstarter backers on their page! I have known Ryan and Shawn (the dudes at Homage) since grade school. Well, I first met Ryan in the 7th grade at a bat mitzah, but Shawn and I go even further back. The three of us rolled in the Main Lanes Under 15 bowling league back in the day. We were the Gutter Punks.
So grab the shirt by supporting the movie at Kickstarter. Every donation at and above $30 gets you the shirt!
The Arcade project was selected as a “New and Noteworthy” project, which is seen right there at the top of the Discover Projects page!!! Great start…..here we go!
