We have the Privilege of Co-Hosting this Excellent virtual training from Seed & Spark on Crowdfunding! That will be 10/8th. Best part is….it’s totally Free!! *Cues John Cena Theme song* So there is no reason Not to attend and tell a friend. In a week we’ll do it all again….sorry. But seriously there will be a class 10/15th on the Art of The Pitch taught by the professionals at Seed & Spark. Also free. And remember, we will be having a pitch competition with an actual producer during next year’s Action Fest. You probably Hate selling so you might as well come by, get some training and take some notes! #AustinActionFest #Seedandspark
Presented by Columbia College Hollywood, Alliance of Women Directors, Blackbird Film Festival, Austin Film Society & Austin Action Fest.
About this Event
Thinking about making a movie or show? Great! We wanna watch it.
But first, how are you going to fund it, and when you’re finished, who’s going to watch it?
We’ve got answers.
Many are asking us: should I still crowdfund? Well, crowdfunding rose out of the ashes of the 2007–2008 financial crisis. It’s a testament to the indomitable spirit of creators. It also led audiences out of a very dark time — one great idea at a time. It was revitalizing for so many people’s spirits, and also revitalizing for the creative economy. As people further isolate (and they should! have we said that already?), we are losing essential social connections that keep up the human spirit. But we have virtual tools to continue to tell stories that connect people, and we should use them.
It’s a time to adjust the thinking about your campaign: this is not about you raising the money for your work, this is about you offering a unique chance for people to connect (safely!) around things that really matter to them. Your outreach strategy will have to adjust. Your goal may have to come down as you scale back the ambition of your production (or heck, make it an audio drama you can record in your basement!). We haven’t seen a dip in contribution volume or levels in the past month.
Most people think about crowdfunding simply as a fundraising tool, but we’re going to show you how it’s so much more than that: it’s a great way to start (or continue) developing a direct connection with your audience, which is essential for building a sustainable film career that leads to distribution and the opportunity to, you know, make more than one thing.
Join Seed&Spark’s film community manager, Bri Castellini, for this can’t-miss Crowdfunding to Build Independence workshop, completely online, to learn:
- Why audience building is essential for a film career (and crowdfunding)
- How to define, find, talk to and grow your audience
- How to prepare for a successful crowdfunding campaign (including goal, incentives and communication plan)
- Why staged financing might be right for you
About Blackbird Film Festival
The Blackbird Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in central New York state that celebrates and supports independent filmmakers from around the world. At the Blackbird Film Festival, we strive to curate an inclusive festival atmosphere – an environment where experienced professionals and first time filmmakers can strike up conversation and perhaps take something away from one another.
About Austin Film Society
Founded in 1985 by filmmaker Richard Linklater, AFS creates life-changing opportunities for filmmakers, catalyzes Austin and Texas as a creative hub, and brings the community together around great film. AFS supports filmmakers towards career leaps, encouraging exceptional artistic projects with grants and support services. AFS operates Austin Studios, a 20-acre production facility, to attract and grow the creative media ecosystem. Austin Public, a space for our city’s diverse mediamakers to train and collaborate, provides many points of access to filmmaking and film careers. The AFS Cinema is an ambitiously programmed repertory and first run arthouse with broad community engagement. By hosting premieres, local and international industry events, and the Texas Film Awards, AFS shines the national spotlight on Texas filmmakers while connecting Austin and Texas to the wider film community. AFS is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
About Austin Action Fest
Austin Action Fest is “Where The Action Is”. The Austin Action Fest & Market is dedicated to bringing you the best action and stunt heavy projects from around the world. There’s plenty of kickin, stabbin chasin and jabbin here! Whether you are an action fan, producer or distributor, this is the place to be.
About Alliance of Women Directors
Alliance of Women Directors is a non-profit, inclusive collective of professional women-identifying and gender non-conforming directors who have joined together for career advancement and to address the issues of inequality in the entertainment industry. Focused on education and professional support for members in the form of hands-on craft enrichment and mentorship, AWD is tireless in its advocacy efforts to increase opportunities for all.