Tag Archives: crowdfunding

How Cable TV Invented Crowd Funding

We assume that crowd funding first appeared when Kickstarter launched five years ago. We may be wrong. You see, the cable television business invented crowd funding a long time ago, when they created the basic cable bundle. The basic cable … Continue reading

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The Audience Fund for Indie Film

“If you’re gonna make it, LEARN HOW TO SELL IT!” Bob Lefsetz Platforms, like Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, VHX, Vimeo, Tugg and YouTube are designed for indies who are prepared to reach their audience through “direct distribution”. It is not the responsibility … Continue reading

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The Indie Film World Needs 100 Amanda Palmers

The challenge presented to each indie filmmaker is the same. How do I get my work discovered? Typically, an indie film travels to success with the aid of a small group of usual suspects.  The 2012 version of that trip … Continue reading

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The More Films, The Better

Just before the Sundance Film Festival opened last week, Manohla Dargis started a conversation about independent film with her piece As Indies Explode, an Appeal for Sanity. Dargis bemoans the fact that the NY Times reviewed 900 films during 2013.  … Continue reading

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Filmmakers: Gather Your Audience Early and Often

Film festivals have long been powerful tools for indie filmmakers who seek audiences for their films. They serve as launching pads for that elusive big distribution deal that catapults an obscure filmmaker and unknown movie to fame and (sometimes) fortune.  … Continue reading

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99% of All Filmmakers Should Crowd Fund

The original version of this piece appeared a year ago on  the Future of Film Blog at Tribeca Film.com, a blog I created and edited. There is nothing more frustrating and time consuming for a filmmaker than raising the money … Continue reading

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The 1,000 True Fans Strategy

In the movie business, the audience is usually described as either mass or niche.  Typically, Hollywood movies seek a mass audience and independent movies seek a niche audience. Today, there is a new way of thinking about the audience that … Continue reading

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Are you Mister Jones?

In 1965 Bob Dylan released Ballad of the Thin Man, which contains this memorable three line chorus, “Because something is happening here. But you don’t know what it is. Do you, Mister Jones?” These lines were referenced in an excellent … Continue reading

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Paul Schrader wants to be your friend

Two months ago, my wife and I were leaving a movie theater when I turned on my smart phone and got the following email message from Facebook. “Paul Schrader wants to be your friend.” Somehow having just come out of … Continue reading

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