Crowdfunding

Most independent filmmakers rely on crowd funding to get money for their projects. Crow funding is when a group of people come together to donate to your cause or project. It might sound scary and complicated at first but it is pretty simple. There are websites that can help you raise money for your project which make crowd funding super easy. Below are my top two websites for crowd funding:

1. Indiegogo
Personally, Indiegogo is my favorite crowd funding website. It has great features like custom templates, world wide exposure, and flexible payment options which help you raise your money quickly and easily! It is completely free to sign up and start a new campaign. You can choose between 2 different different payment options, Flexible and Fixed. With flexible funding if you do not reach your goal you still get the money but with Fixed funding you have to raise the amount you want or else you don't get anything. So if you are thinking about crowd funding I strongly recommend Indiegogo! Check it out here!

2. Kickstarter

Kickstarter is also a great crowd funding website. Just like Indiegogo it has some great feature that really let you shoe people what you want to do and raise money quickly and easily. But unlike Indiegogo, the funding is all or nothing. That means that if you don't reach your goal then you get nothing. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you can finish your production with some of the money but you dont require all of it then I suggest using Indiegogo, but if you need all of the money you are trying to raise then I suggest making a Kickstarter. Kickstarter is also lets you sign up and make capaignes for free. If you want some more information about Kickstarter, check it out here!

Crowdfunding Tips

• Passionately Pitch Your Project! - Make sure you come up with a catchy name, good description, fun picture, and a trailer that shows people what your project is about.
• Have A Plan For The Money - People like to know where their money is going. You want to tell them where all the money is going down to the last dollar so they feel more comfortable investing in your project.
• Promote - Make sure to promote your project as much as you can! There are many people out there who don't know what crowd funding is and once they are introduced to it they may help you out a lot.
• Break Up Big Projects - If you have a project that requires a lot of money, you might want to break it up into a few smaller projects. Not only will it be easier to get the money, but it will also help people feel like they are more involved in your project.
• Give Good Incentives - Make sure when you are writing the incentives that you are making them worth the money people are giving you. 
• Research - Check out other campaigns and see what they are doing right and what other campaigns are doing wrong. This can help you be the most successful. 

Crowdfunding Examples

Below are a few examples of good crowd funding campaigns. Check them out!

Intertwine

Punching

Video Game Highschool 

Sundays

Overall crowd funding is a great way to raise money for you film or any other creative project you are working on!

Do I Need To Go To A Film School In Order To Be Successful??

Do I really need to go to a film school?
One big question some aspiring filmmakers have is..."Do I have to go to filmschool?" Well first off filmschool costs A LOT of money! (around 50,000 or more!) If you go to a film school you will most likely just learn about film history, film theory, and make a few connections. And even though you will also learn some techniques and how to work on a set, you won't get any real life experience. Also when you get out of your expensive film school, then there are no guarantees you will get any jobs or even be working for the film industry. In my opinion you could've used all that cash to fund your own projects and get new equipment. Of course if you mostly care about going to a college then it wouldn't be a bad idea.


But then how do I learn how to film correctly?
Well there are many ways to learn how to film and they are really easy to find. All you need to do is pay attention and be motivated to learn. (There are some links down below.) Now you want to follow a few steps to get started:

1. Research - Research is critical! Without research you will be lost in the dark. Remember research is you collage. You can find some really goos stuff on the internet and most of it is very helpful when starting. Make sure you don't go to fast though! You want to absorb all the information as best you can and store it in the back of your head for when you need it. Also practice make perfect!
2. Get Equipment - In order to start filming you need some film equipment. The basics you absolutely need is a camera, editing software and maybe a microphone. Make sure you get the right equipment for your needs and budget. Check out my post on cameras and editing softwares here for some ideas. 
3. Make Connections - As an independent filmmaker you need to try to get anyone and everyone to see your work. You want to put your work out everywhere you can which will give you an audience and get you some connections.

Following these three basic steps can help you and get you started! So if you want to start, don't hesitate! Just do it! Below are some links of people who can help you learn a little more about film!

Links:

Filming For Cheap

Film Riot

indymogul

How To Get Started Making Short Films - Cameras and Video Editors

In order to become an independent filmmaker you dont need thousands of dollars to start or fancy equipment. You can make all of your films look professional and nice with the equipment you have!

Now there are 2 kinds of filmmakers:

1. The first one makes films for the heck of it. Sort of like a hobby on the side.
2. The second one also makes films because it is a hobby, but they want to do more with it. They want to make something big out of it.

If you are the first once, chances are that you work with what you have and don't need much else. But if you are the second one then you want everything to be big and high quality. Well no matter which one you are, to start out all you need is a camera and a computer.

Now you may ask, What kind of camera should I get?

Well you want to think of your budget. The camera you get should be based on what you plan to do with it and how much money you have. Here are 4 cameras that are great anywhere from starter to professional.

1. The Flip Video Camera: If you have a super low budget and only have $50 - $100 to spend then I suggest getting a Flip Video Camera or a camera like it. Although the audio quality isn't the best and you can't play with the aperture and stuff on the camera, it shoots in HD and is great for beginners. 
2. Sony HD Handycam: If you have about $500 dollars to spend on a camera, I recommend the Sony Handycam. The Handycam has a lot of different features like HD video, better audio quality, steady shot, and much more! This camcorder is a great start off camera and gives you great quality for the price.
3. Canon T2i: Now if you have a little more money to spend then I recommend the Cannon T2i. The T2i is a step above all of the camcorders I listed above. You can find this high quality DSLR for about $700 and it is well worth the price. This camera is an 18 megapixel camera that is small and lightweight. You can change lenses and you can plug in external audio for boom microphones. This was the camera I first started out with and I loved it. It gave me a professional looking image every time and it was super easy to use.
4. Canon 5D: The Canon 5D Mark II is about $2,000 and the Mark III is about $4,000. This camera is just a step above the Canon T2i. The 5D has been used in professional films and is an amazing DSLR. It shoots 21.1 megapixels and all the features of the Canon T2i plus much more! This is the camera I have now and it is great.

Now You will also need a computer and some editing software. Editing software is important because it can give your video the boost it needs. Below I have listed 4 video editing softwares great for beginners.

1. Widows Movie Maker: Windows Movie Maker is great for people who have a PC. It is a very basic editing software that allows you to cut your videos and add titles in. Although you can to fancy explosions and clone people in it, it allows you to get the video edited right.
2. iMovie: iMovie is great for the people who have Macs. iMovie is a little bit more advanced than WMM in the fact that you can do a little more in it like green screen and simple effects like muzzle flashes and being able to make people fly. It is great for beginners.
3. Final Cut Pro X: Now Final Cut Pro X is also for Mac users. It costs about $300 on the Mac app store. This software has the same layout as iMovie but it allows you to do so much. You can do almost anything that they do in the "big movies". The layout is super easy to work with and is a great stepping stone to get into the big editing softwares.
4. Adobe Premiere: Premiere is an amazing editing software. It costs about $800 but is well worth it. With Adobe Premiere you can do almost anything you want. If you combine that with Adobe After Effects then you are unstoppable! It is super professional and has an easy format. The only downside is that it has so many features and som nay things you can do that it might take a little time mastering it. But once you have it down you can do anything!

So those are some good video cameras and editing software you can use to get started. Follow this blog to get more film news daily! Feel free to message me if you have any questions, comments or concerns!