'True Game Changers and What Indies Can Learn From Them' by John Wayne Bosley

One of my objectives is to open up the dialogue here on this Film Courage Blog. I am certainly not the only one on a filmmaking journey. Over the past year, I have been very fortunate to connect with a good number of fellow Filmmakers. Not only have I connected with them, but I have learned from their lessons and insights. For many months I have been meaning to feature writings of those who's wisdom I value. This was on my new year's resolution blog (but as you may know, I have attacked this new year with such fervor that I never finished that blog *smile*)

I have seen Producer Ted Hope and others taking this approach of featuring guest bloggers. I believe we will see it become a more common occurrence. Whether or not it happens elsewhere, you will certainly see it here.

I am proud to introduce you to Filmmaker John Wayne Bosley as my first guest blogger. Hhas so often provided me tremendous commentary on Facebook and even here on this blog. John's work includes the film 'Amnesia: The Allan Carter Saga' & the upcoming 'The House.' John is also Founder of RebFest.

John has been kind enough to write this blog for us.

True Game Changers and What Indies Can Learn From Them
Guest Blog Post By John Wayne Bosley

Many Indie filmmakers claim that the game changers in the film biz are things like kickstarter, indiegogo, openindie, VOD or even social media, but these are just tools. It's not the tools that change the game, but what you do with them. When we look at cinema history, we need to see things that truly changed cinema and had a long-term impact on the business. Below are a few examples. They are not an exhaustive list but just examples:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Snow White was the first full-length animation film ever created. At that time in cinema history it was considered too expensive to create a full-length animated film and Disney had only a hand full of trained animators at his small studio. What Disney came up with was an innovative process that is now known as "keyframing" (editing, compositing, sound and animation programs now use this technique). The idea was that the master artist would be parternered with one or two apprentice artists for a scene. The master artist would draw the "key frame" and the apprentice or two would draw the less prioritized frames. For instance, in a sequence with a character jumping, the master artist would draw the actual frame where the character jumped while the apprentices would draw the before and after jump frames. By creating scenes in this manner, Disney was able to complete the film

"Snow White was one of only two animated films to rank in the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest American films of all time in 1997 (the other being Disney's Fantasia), ranking number 49. It achieved a higher ranking (#34) in the list's 2007 update, this time being the only traditionally animated film on the list. The following year AFI would name the film as the greatest American animated film of all time." (from Wikipedia)

The Planet of the Apes, and Beneath the Planet of the Apes 1968, 1970

Arthur P. Jacobs, former agent for Marilyn Monroe, after his success in producing What a Way to Go!, was given a two picture deal with Twentieth Century Fox. He pitched to them Doctor Doolittle, which was produced and then The Planet of the Apes. Fox was apprehensive of doing Apes because the original script called for a futuristic world with elaborate sets. Jacobs had more scripts written, which eventually had a more primitive world of the apes, which cut down on the budget while still keeping the essence of the story. However, the one main problem the film had was the makeup. Up until this time prosthetic makeup looked cheesy and unrealistic. Instead of giving up Jacobs searched for someone who could pull off the effect. Jacobs found his answer in John Chambers who created a new way of doing prosthetic makeup. Instead of making one piece of prosthetic for a face, he created it in pieces so that they moved. Actors were taught to over act with their face to create more motion in the mask.

"John Chambers had actually tested the ape makeup some time earlier, in the TV series Lost in Space (1965-1968) (another 20th Century Fox production at the time). In one episode, Dr. Smith (Jonathan Harris) and Major West are imprisoned along with an ape-like alien. (from wikipedia)

Jacobs was given a small budget to have John Chambers create a test screening of the makeup and act out a scene. The executives at Fox were finally convinced and the production was underway on a 5 million dollar budget.

The final scene in the film Heston finds the statue of Liberty, half-submerged in the beach sand. The first few shots are created with in-camera tricks with a smaller statue, shot down in such a way to seem bigger. However, the last final shot, a pull-back to reveal Heston's character and the statue, is created by using compositing.

The sequel to the film was made for less than the 5 million that Planet of the Apes was made for. The human characters Brent and Nova enter a post-nuclear-apocalyptic New York City. How did they do that? CGI? No, computer animation wasn't around to create this effect. Instead, the production had people photograph important buildings in New York City, then use a razor blade to cut and deform the buildings to create matte paintings. By doing this, they were able to give the impression that the characters were indeed in this city of the future.

Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977)

George Lucas was given around a 10 million dollar budget to create his epic space opera. A careful study of the film a viewer can see that the vast majority of it is actually shot in interiors. The death star interiors are intentionally simplistic and shot in such a way so that the audience can never truly tell how many people inhibit the setting. Lucas utilizes the use of matte paintings and model miniatures throughout the film, especially in the death star. The soldiers being masked is a great advantage to the production because they would only need about a dozen extras dressed up as Stormtroopers to pull off the scenes.

Simple composting images like the iconic shot of Luke looking out at the desert of Tatooine with the two suns in the background are simplistic to create, but give it more character.

The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003)

To shoot all three movies that make up The Lord of the Rings is an epic accomplishment, but to shoot all three at the same time is even bigger. How can a director pull that all off by himself? He doesn't. Peter Jackson brought on other directors to work with him. He would delegate to each one exactly what he wanted. He would shoot his scene while other scenes were being shot, simultaneously. By doing this, the epic was simplified in the production.

How does he pull off making the huge crowd scenes in the battles? All these CGI-based characters have to have personalities, they interact, battle each other. To do this with each character would be too time consuming. Weta Digital created a solution: make a new animation program called Massive.

El Mariachi (1992)

Yes, I put an Indie, micro-budget film, in this list. Why? Why does this film stand out? Many other filmmakers make films for around $7,000 dollars. 1.) He shot on film stock for $7,000 and it wasn't a film shot in interiors with people standing around talking the whole time, 2.) He utilizes a ton of muzzle flashes and bullet hits throughout the film as characters shoot each other, 3.) It was made in 1992! (nothing under that description was being made in 1992)

Now Rodriguez did break some laws on pyrotechnic issues. You're supposed to have a licensed pyrotech doing the effects. You can mame or kill someone if you do these effects wrong. He actually bruised the actors that were in the film. I've seen photage of people who've been injured by handmade squibs (small explosives used for bullet hits). I would never use squibs now. We have animation and compositing for that.

The point is that Rodriguez made something that defied conventional wisdom and he did it in 2 weeks of shooting with non-actors, with non-conventional lighting and a limited budget. How does he do this? He creates a shot list and a style that cuts down on time. Did I mention the size of his crew? One. Himself.

Calling Cards and Satellites

-Calling Cards

When someone sees your film, it makes a statement about what you can make and make to expect next. Like a business card, what do you want your identity to be? You film is your chance to make a statement. Make the one you want to be remembered for.

-Satellites:

Think about each film like launching a satellite into space and keeping it orbiting around the earth. In order to do this a satellite needs to be big enough to stay in orbit and it also needs to go high enough to break the stratosphere. Many films, sadly never make it high enough in impact to be remembered or even noticed at all.

The main focus people have in the Indie film business is the marketing/distribution side. In recent years, Indie filmmakers have complained because the distribution process has left them out in the cold. However, maybe we're focusing on the wrong thing. If you create an innovative, bold, courageous project than the statement it makes will draw people to see your project. Why did people go to see AVATAR when it first came out in theaters? Because of the trailer? Because it was in 3D or IMAX? No, because it was all you heard about it. You want your project to be so great that people can't shut up about it!

The usual slogan I hear with Indies is: cheap, fast, quick. Hollywood is trying to "Up It's Game" and we run with cheap, fast, quick? Supposedly the digital revolution came out in the last decade, yet if the results for Indies aren't revolutonary filmmaking than it's just an upgrade. We should feel empowered by the digital revolution to go out and make the film you want to, not the one you assume you have to.

The usual response I get is: Indies can't do effects. First it's not about effects, but about being innovative. Finding ways to beat the odds. Doing more with less. Second, why can't they do effects? People assume that if Indies do effects that it will look cheesy and unrealistic. That's not true. If you put the right amount of time and care into the effects as you do with the rest of the film they can be realistic.

When I screened my feature film, The Allan Carter Saga Part I: AMNESIA, no one ever left theater saying, "I love the skyreplacement!" because you're not suppose to realize I replaced the blue skies with cloudy skies. Or people coming out of the theater saying, "great matte backgrounds", that would be kind of an odd compliment. The audience is suppose to think that everything was shot in camera. If I got any criticism on AMNESIA it was never the effects. The only effects people thought were in the film was the color design and the helicopters (and the helicopters aren't CGI, well, not entirely). My point is that it is possible!

If Hollywood is "Up-ing Their Game" we need to as well. Even better, we need to knock their socks off! The truth is the magic of revolutionary filmmaking is just inches from our hands with each project we envision. All we have to do is "push the envelope", to grab that thing that is beyond our reach. We need to be bold, daring, defy gravity and change the status quo. The truth is we are only restricted by the limits of our imaginations. It's time for change, it's time for a revolution!

For more on John's work, please visit www.JBMovies.com

Strength In Numbers

The title above refers to what is going through my mind regarding our current Goodbye Promise Kickstarter Campaign. Before I get to those thoughts, I would like to share some exciting things happening for Karen and I.

Some of you may be aware that two years ago we wrote up a list of goals that we have on our refrigerator. I am almost ashamed to admit that the majority of them have not been crossed off. It has been that way for two years. Just as embarrassed I am by what I just wrote, I am just as proud to say that we have now been able to cross of two of our goals (we actually cross them out & then write SUCCESS!) in the last few weeks.

When we originally wrote the list, we had just returned from San Diego. We wanted to return, so we wrote down that we wanted to spend another weekend there. Two years later and we have still not yet been back. That changes in two weeks. We have been asked to speak as Panelists at the San Diego Indie Fest on Saturday March 27th from 10:30am to 11:15am. We will be joined by Jenn Page from LuminaveFilms.com & Matt Jarbo from FlashYourShorts.com. We have never really imagined being panelists so this is quite an honor for us. The panel is on Marketing Your Film. Karen and I will be representing 'Dealing with the Media.'

Back to the goal list. We also wrote down that we wanted to attend the Film Independent Spirit Awards as invitees. We applied for media credentials a few months ago and we were approved several weeks ago. This past Friday our dream came true. We arrived early and watched the red carpet arrivals before being led up to the Press Tent upstairs. We broke away from the Press Tent to the Cabana Tent next door where there was a food buffet and a bar. We had a nice meal before returning to the Press Tent where we decided to sit right up front. We were just a few feet away from all of the night's Award Winners who came to speak to the press.

What really floors me about these two goals is they are directly related to our Film Courage radio show. Yet we wrote these goals down well over a year before we ever thought about doing a show. This is just another example of the mystical forces of the universe at work. What do we learn? 1) It doesn't always happen when we want it to happen. (God's time, not our time) 2) Write your goals down (magical things can happen for you.)



As of the time of this writing, we are 10 days into our Kickstarter Campaign for Goodbye Promise. We have been blessed so far with 32 Backers who have pledged a total of $1931. Our end goal is to raise at least $15,000 by April 22nd, 2010. We have 41 days left. The way Kickstarter works is that it is ALL or NOTHING. We either raise at least $15,000 by our deadline or we will not see any of the money.

One thing interesting that is happening is the number of folks who are backing the project, then saying they wish they could 'pledge' more. In addition, I believe there are a good number of folks who have yet to 'pledge' because they are embarrassed to contribute an amount less than $5. My response to that is that no one should feel embarrassed by any amount they are able to pledge. Your $1 pledge may lead to a $20 pledge or a $100 pledge. Your pledge may generate a chain reaction to future pledges.

I liken this effect to a bartender who is working hard, serving drink after drink to a long line of people. Yet no one has tipped her. Then one gracious fellow puts a one dollar bill on the bar. The woman behind that fellow sees the gesture and pulls out money from her purse to also tip the bartender. This leads to a steady stream of tips for the hard-working bartender.

A Kickstarter campaign is reliant on this same kind of energy. Our campaign gains momentum when several people 'pledge' on the same day. There is Strength in Numbers. Strength in the Number of Backers who support our project. The higher the number of our Backers, the easier it becomes for others to believe in our project and also contribute.

Another great feature about Kickstarter is you have the right to adjust your pledge amount. You can pledge $1 now and any time before the deadline you can raise the amount. Also, in case you are not aware, no money is taken from your account unless the project reaches it's fundraising goal. We will only receive the money from our Backers if we reach $15,000 by April 22nd, 201o and money is not taken from their accounts until after the clock strikes zero.

This blog would not be complete if I did not thank all of the Backers we have gained since my last blog entry. Thank you for believing and supporting our little film. I am so incredibly grateful to each of you! Mike Hedge, Nathan Cole, Erika Benites, Melissa Darpino, Owen Thomas, Peter Bernhard Altmann, Sally Outlaw, Kevin Deen, Matt Anderson, Marcella Selbach, Cassandra M. Bellantoni, Gia Milani, Chad Davis, Jeff Kinney, Thomas Corkran, Patrick Mosher, Joe Lessard, Todd Cattell & Phoebe Owens.

I Want to Contribute to the GOODBYE PROMISE Kickstarter Campaign

Goodbye Promise on Facebook
Goodbye Promise on Twitter

Project Launch: Goodbye Promise on Kickstarter

I know some of you have been anticipating my foray into the world of Crowd Funding. Well, that time is now here! I can't help but think of the analogy that Lance Weiler used on this past week's Film Courage radio show about being on the end of a diving board and diving into risk. He wasn't referring to a Kickstarter campaign but I believe the reference is appropriate in this case.

I have officially jumped off the diving board. Though as of right now, I cannot say whether I am going to hit pavement or be welcomed by a pool of bliss.

In my days leading up to our launch I found myself over analyzing every detail. This campaign means so much to me for where I am right now with my career. I have more eyeballs watching me than ever before. Though it is welcome and necessary, it also adds a new layer of pressure.

My original plan was to launch a 45 day Kickstarter campaign, which would land us right around an end date of April 15th. My thinking was that we could use the tax deadline for additional promotion. In the end, I agreed with Karen and a few others that folks will be too engrossed with their state of affairs and taxes. So we added 7 extra days to the campaign. For those of you getting a refund this year....

We are now a few days into our campaign and the early support has been thrilling. In our first two days online we attracted 12 backers. We are now up to 15 backers and we are almost 5% funded. Our end goal is to raise at least $15,000 by April 22nd, 2010.

For those of you not aware, reaching 25% in a Kickstarter campaign is a critical benchmark. Of all of the projects that Kickstarter has had in it's brief history, those projects which can reach the 25% mark have a 90% chance of success. So the sooner we can reach $3750, the more confident I will be. There is no contribution that is too small. That is why the lowest contribution amount is $1. If that is all you have to contribute, we do not take that lightly. You would be just as important to us as every other backer. Most indie filmmakers could make a living if everyone contributed just $1 for their work.

As promised amongst the incentives we have listed for the campaign... I would like to take this opportunity to thank these individuals for their pioneering support of Goodbye Promise and our vision. I cannot tell you how much it means that each of you would be so generous with your contributions and that you have shown your support in these early stages. I thank Gary King, Paul Borgonia, Sheri Candler, Roger Richards, Kiowa & Jamin Winans, Greg Goldman, Andrea Shreeman, Len Cordova, Brian Durkin, Phillip Calderone, Bill Houskeeper, Janet Caliri, Nicholas James Murphy, ai loon, & Susan Williamson.

I am hoping that many of you will help us with this campaign by helping to spread the word any way you can. Person to person, on the phone, email, facebook, twitter, etc. Help us meet our end goal so that true independent film can have another hero. We need more examples, we need more heroes. And for those who support me, I want you to know that a successful campaign here puts me in a position to begin laying the groundwork for my next feature film which I would love to shoot this year. It is a pure comedy that is going to be bananas.

For those of you who have yet to stop by our Kickstarter Campaign page for Goodbye Pomise, here is the link. Please click on the video so that you can witness the 'Inspirational Teaser Trailer' to the film.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1231856438/goodbye-promise-an-exploratory-feature-film

I look forward to sharing updates on our progress in the upcoming weeks. We are going to begin rolling out video interviews with members of the cast and crew involved in the project very soon. If you have any ideas or suggestions on outlets or ways we can get the word out on our project, please send them my way.

Almost Time To Kickstart...

It has been quite a thrill for me to see so many of you respond to my last several blog posts. Believe I have gained over 20 followers in the last two weeks which is quite a jump for me. For this I certainly thank you.

What I am loving the most is not my writing, but rather your commentary. Your insights and discussions are incredibly valuable to me. I would like to thank King is a Fink, Sheri Candler, Phil Holbrook, Dee Marie, Thomas Corkran, David P. Baker, Anessa, Miles Maker, Steve Lustgarten, Mark Harris, Gregory Bayne, John Bosley, Phil Calderone, Darrell Kiedo, Ben Hicks, Mattson Tomlin, Julio Ponce Palmieri, & Ester Brym.

I haven’t publicly updated you on what has happened with Kickstarter. After I had written my Kickstarter blog, I had about 10 people hit me up offering invitations. The wild part of it was that one of those 10 was the CTO of Kickstarter offering me a personal invitation. I received the email just hours after I posted my blog. That blew me away. Shows that these guys are on their game.

Now comes the scary part for me. I am getting closer to launching our Kickstarter campaign. Whether I can reach my fundraising goal or not, this campaign will have a major impact on my life. A lot of what I have done over the past year has been concentrated on building an audience. (It has been quite a while since I have worked on a script or worked to develop my story ideas. Not that I do not have them *smile*) The energy I have put into audience building now gets put to the test. A successful campaign would be one of my life’s proudest achievements. That may sound over dramatic to some, but I am not joking. I do not take this lightly. This is more than a dollar amount, it is discovering who my supporters are. Discovering who my audience is and whether I even have an audience. You are crucial to my survival. And I need your advice.

My objective is to raise $15,000 in less than 45 days. This is certainly not an amount I can raise on my own. I am going to need a lot of support. I am also prepared to put in the work.

The campaign is for my 2nd feature film entitled Goodbye Promise. This is a passion project conceived by myself and Actor/Producer Gregor Collins. The film’s subject matter is one we believe is universal for all aspiring artists. One that many artists deal with on a daily basis. The idea that we may never achieve our dream and that we should move onto more realistic and practical means for survival. Only the select few get to live out their dreams, right? ; )

We will share more about the project within the context of our Kickstarter Campaign. Before we launch this campaign, which is going to include a Teaser Trailer, I need your help. I am seeking any input/ideas/suggestions from you on what you would like from me and potentially members of the cast & crew.

For those of you familiar with Kickstarter, you are aware that the site is fueled by incentives which the project creator awards supporters of each campaign. What incentives would entice you to contribute to our campaign? Or what do you believe would entice others to contribute?

Our Incentive Levels are going to be:

$1
$10
$25
$50
$100
$250
$500
$1000
$2500
$5000

You input will not only serve me, but it will also help fuel creativity from those who also aspire to create their own crowd-funding campaigns.

Here are a few of my ideas. Please let me know what level you believe these rewards would fall into and whether any of them should be eliminated.

-Your name mentioned in this blog
-Your name mentioned on the Film Courage Radio Show
-Your film/business/project promoted on this blog
-Your film/business/project promoted on the Film Courage Radio Show
-Your film/business/project promoted through our Film Courage Twitter (10 tweets)
-A personal video message from myself or a member of the cast
-For those in the Los Angeles area, one of my home-made apple pies. They take me about two hours to make. Delicious and dangerous.
-DVD copy of the final film before it becomes widely available
-Have original video you submit included in bonus features on DVD
-Opportunity to edit one of the film’s scenes

Would you like any of these incentives? What else would you like? Please let me know.

Am I... 'A Dream Crusher?'

I am currently working on a blog about my upcoming Kickstarter campaign. But there is something else that has been on my mind for the last few days. I wanted to quickly write about it here as I am hoping that you can offer your opinion as well as your insights and related stories.

A filmmaker sent me an email asking advice on raising money for his first feature film. Though I am hardly the person to answer this question. I was humbled by his inquiry so I took the time to reply with a list of ideas and suggestions. My key point was one we all know, there is no one way. He hadn't given me his budget, so I couldn't get into specifics.

In my mind I was thinking it was probably for a lower budgeted film, under 100K. He then responded to my message with more details surrounding his film and that his budget was going to be at least $300,000. That doesn't include all of post-production and everything that comes after.

I would like to keep this one brief. But please allow to highlight some things.

1) This $300,000+ film will be this filmmaker's 1st feature film.
2) This filmmaker has a small/limited audience.
3) The post production will be extensive with compositing, matte paintings, CG airships, etc…

Once I received the details and the budget range, I informed the filmmaker that I believe before he makes this film, he should first focus on a smaller film that he can make while also building his audience.

My belief is that no filmmaker should make their first feature for more than 100K. Unless you have studio support. Or if you know some money folks who don't care whether the money is made back or not. Your movie being made is worth more to them than the money.

I believe in everyone making their film. But I am a bigger believer in making your film with the resources you have in front of you. Expand and outwork those same resources. I believe the majority of filmmakers overextend themselves on their first feature film. They find themselves straddled with debt, or are unable to recoup their money for their investors, etc.

There are so many filmmakers who are much more talented than me who no longer make films because they took on too much too soon.

There is so much I can write about here, but I would like to turn it over to you. Even if you don't have time to answer all of these, perhaps you can just give me a number for #2.

1) What would be your advice to this filmmaker?

2) What should the budget range be for a filmmaker's 1st feature film?

3) Am I... 'A Dream Crusher?'

Enlighten me.

The Lesson We Can All Learn From Tom Cruise's Tweet

Karen and I received quite a jolt yesterday. While checking our @FilmCourage Twitter, I saw a Tweet from @TomCruise. My first thought was who is this impostor pretending to be Tom? I clicked on the page for more information. From there I saw that it was a verified account with over 400,000 Followers. Now while I do not believe it was Tom himself, but rather someone who works as a social media strategist for his brand. I was still puzzled by why Tom Cruise would tweet about our small radio show.

Thanks to Filmmaker Gary King for this screen capture

There is a great lesson we can learn from what many would consider a miniscule gesture on Tom’s part. Before I write my thoughts, please allow me to share this story which will help me illustrate my point.

The Difference Between Heaven and Hell.

A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said,

‘Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.’

The Lord led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, ‘You have seen Hell.’

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, ‘I don’t understand.’

‘It is simple,’ said the Lord. ‘It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.’

I have long been a fan of this story. I am almost embarrassed to return to my ideas as I just love this anecdote so much.

Let’s break down Tom Cruise and his Twitter account. How effective would he be if all he did was Twitter about himself and his projects? Sure he would reach his hardcore fans but it doesn’t take long for this method to get stale. Even diehard fans will get tired of it.

Being wise, Tom Cruise doesn’t make it all about himself. Or at least his social media strategist is wise enough to not make it all about Tom. You would be surprised how many people (celebrities and unknowns) always make their promotions, tweets, messages, etc. all about themselves. I wonder how many of you reading this blog fall into this category. Are you an independent filmmaker, artist, business person who doesn’t back the work of your peers, the work of your community? As we learn in the spiritual example above, this path will leave you famished and miserable.

On the other side of the coin, let’s look at what Tom Cruise receives because he takes one minute to Tweet about an unknown radio show. He has received countless tweets and retweets from the Film Courage network. Think of all of the exposure he has gotten in our circles. I have told my share of people about this Tom Cruise tweet while others have brought it up to me wanting to hear more about it. All this attention goes back to Tom Cruise. It has also forced me to write this blog which will also be circulated in the Twitter universe. Look at all the goodwill he has received because of his one minute gesture.

The lesson that Tom Cruise reminds us about.

Promote others and you promote yourself.

I would like to include some additional thoughts.

You want to know what is better than promoting your own work? When others promote your work for you. How does this happen? It happens when you spend as much time promoting others as you do promoting yourself. (Look at Tom’s Twitter and you will see that he spends more time tweeting about others than he does his own work) This is a concept I find myself embracing more and more everyday. And what am I discovering? There are more and more people spreading the word of my projects.

This is a monster concept that I do not see enough of. This is a core principle that independent filmmakers need to embrace. We need to build our collective audience, build the appetite for smaller films and we will see more independent filmmakers reach sustainability.

There are parameters to this principle. You must be genuine and you must care. Do not promote work that you do not genuinely care about.

This is a magical concept and it will be magical for you. I could list countless examples of how this principle has impacted me. But I would rather hear of your stories and how this concept has worked for you. Please share.

Lastly,

Let’s test the magic of this idea. Let’s get the guy who inspired this blog to guest on Film Courage. His next film Knight and Day releases on July 2nd, 2010. No reason to believe that he cannot appear on our show in the weeks prior to that date.

I know this is an insane idea and I know we have a 1% chance of making it happen. It is likely to fail. It's not practical for perhaps the biggest brand acting has ever seen to appear on our radio show. Or is it? Would you view it as a positive for Tom Cruise to come on a show like Film Courage?

We are not building Film COURAGE to be meek. We would like to push the boundaries of what is possible. We do our show so we can learn and we do it so we can inspire others.

We have no way of making this happen alone. The only way Tom Cruise will come on our show is if we make it happen collectively. Will you help campaign for us? Tom’s appearance on our show would not just be a victory for Karen and I. It would be a victory for independent film, a victory for the underdog, and a victory for you. All the while proving the value of promoting others. All you have to do is Tweet (and retweet) @TomCruise that he needs to appear on Film Courage to discuss acting, how he has built his career, and Knight and Day. Use the hash tag #moviedreams. You can also Tweet this blog.

PS - Do not mean to harass you Tom, but you have sparked a fire with your Tweet. Very few have thrived in this industry at your level. There is so much we can all gain from you. We can be reached at filmcourage@gmail.com

Kickstarter is a Game Changer

For any new reader to my blog, I welcome you. For those of you returning, thank you for coming back. I have gotten an overwhelming response to my previous blog which I really wasn’t anticipating. Though certainly exhilarating. I do not believe what I am writing is revolutionary. It is just my take on things from the shoes that I am in, while sitting here typing on a computer in Sunland, CA.

We are all looking for answers to how we can sustain our film careers. This posting and my previous one represent some of my answers. (I didn’t cover Merchandise which is a major part of the equation, George Lucas was way ahead of his time. I also recommend what Filmmamker Zeke Zelker has written over at the New Breed.)

I am really excited about what I have for you today, so I am hoping you take the time to read it all the way through. This is really what I wanted to get to in my last blog but I couldn’t fit it all into one posting.

For those of you just tuning in, this is a follow up to my previous blog “Build The Audience and The Movie Will Come.” I ended that blog with this statement “...and it is something that I now believe becomes essential for every independent filmmaker before they make their next film.”

In that posting I also stated The Game Has Changed. We are all well aware of that.

Let’s go!

Kickstarter is here and it is a Big-Time Game Changer. (If you are not familiar with Kickstarter please visit Kickstarter.com) Your life and my life as an independent filmmaker is no longer the same. From here on out it is imperative that every independent film begin a Kickstarter campaign. I do not believe we have yet wrapped our minds around the power of this new tool.

(By the way, I do not have a Kickstarter invitation and I would like one, please help me.)

I will be admit that I have been skeptical of Kickstarter as I didn’t see it for the Tool that it really is. I also admit that I can be foolish. I am working on identifying tools that can help me earlier and earlier. I should have caught this earlier. If you are wondering why I am not including IndieGogo...? (I know there have been many others also...) Well, I believe KickStarter has perfected Crowdfunding (My brief explanation of why KS over IGG is located near the end of this post). Please allow me to elaborate as I have some valuable insights I would like to share.

Let me start with some of my story and then I will bring it back to Kickstarter.

I recently asked myself how can I sustain myself with my filmmaking. This is what everyone is asking themselves isn’t it? We are terrified by the current distribution model.

To bring you up to speed as to where I stand. My first feature film Night Before the Wedding is currently screening semi-theatrically in select cities in the US and we are working on finalizing the DVD before we release it in June. This project has thousands of dollars that we need to recoup. I have seen no money from the film and it will be some time before I do.

In addition to that, I am also juggling my second feature film (Goodbye Promise) which is designed to be another ultra-low budget film. Originally I was going to edit this second feature to save on money. This is no longer the best option as I do not have the time that is required.

Here is the bottom line for me right now. NBTW will eventually make it’s money back. It may take a year, it may take two but the investment will be recouped. With Goodbye Promise, I am in a position where I will have to take on an additional $15,000 to make the film. This is money I know I can make back but this additional debt is something I would love to avoid.

Let me add that it is a long, long journey recouping investment money in the independent film world. It doesn’t matter whether that money comes from investors or from credit cards or wherever else. It is money that needs to be repaid. That means that it will most likely be years before any money comes back into my pockets. I cannot sustain myself this way. (I can easily go off on a tangent here about distributors, middle men, self-distribution, etc. but it will take me too far off the path of what I where I would like to go with this blog.)

The answer for me right now might be an answer for you. Instead of turning to investors who believe in my vision at a price, or creditors who only care about my credit rating and their interest payments...

The Answer is that if the money came right from my audience, if it came from my fanbase in the form of a pledge/donation in advance...because they care about me, or the actors in my film, or the subject matter...this is my answer. This is Kickstarter.

I am not saying this is revolutionary. What is revolutionary is that there are now enough tools in place which make Kickstarter a viable and powerful tool. The way that Facebook and Twitter have connected us in real time...along with many other tools we have access to, we can really embrace the power of Kickstarter. These tools were not in place 2 years ago.

In my case, if I raised $15,000 through Kickstarter, it would literally be a miracle for me. This not only would allow me complete my film, but once it is completed it is paid for by my audience, so any monies generated from that point forward become a revenue stream that will help me sustain my life as a filmmaker. I do not have to spend another My life would be forever be changed.

We tried to raise the production budget for NBTW through fundraisers and through Pre-Order DVD sales. We attempted to get our fans to support our film before we made it. We did have some success and we were able to raise funds this way, but no where near what was eventually required to make the film. We really could have used Kickstarter 2 years ago. Though I didn’t have the audience I now have and I didn’t have the tools I now have either.

I am not done yet. Please stay with me here as I am going to drive home why a Kickstarter campaign is imperative for all indie filmmakers.

Going back to my last blog and the idea, Build Your Audience and the Movie Will Come. I believe this idea will continue to emerge as a law for filmmakers who survive this new world.

It is easy for me to say “build your audience first.” But how do we measure our audience? What is the gauge? When we will know it’s time to make our film? 

Two Points about Kickstarter.

Number 1) Kickstarter is an Audience Barometer. It will let you know how hot your idea is with your audience. It doesn’t judge. It doesn’t hold any punches and it isn’t going to blow any smoke at you. It is black and white. You are either going to raise money for your film or you are not. It is going to give you a fair barometer of your current audience. You either have an audience or you do not. At the end of your campaign you will know the current pulse of where you stand with your fanbase.

You can ask Filmmaker Gregory Bayne how powerful this tool is. He reached his goal of $25,000 (actually raised $27,210) in just 20 days to continue his production of JENS PULVER / DRIVEN http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gregorybayne/jens-pulver-driven-a-documentary-film-about-a-le?pos=1&ref=popular Gregory’s story is just as inspiring as the content of his film. He used Twitter, Facebook, and Kickstarter in synergy and raised $27,000 in 20 days. This is astounding to me.

Whether or not we reach our fundraising goal through this site, it allows us to measure the current marketplace for our film. On one level we gauge our audience, on another level we gauge the interest in our film’s content. Do we have the right ingredients? Is it a winning combination? Are we selling our project in the right way. Are we putting enough energy and work into it? Does our idea reach beyond our immediate friends and family?

You see, even in failure of reaching our fundraising goal, we obtain incredibly valuable information. For instance, what if your goal was to raise $50,000 in 90 days and after 90 days you raised $500. What would this tell you about your current audience and the public’s interest in your film? You would learn that your reach isn’t as big as you think it is. What you believe is a $50,000 film is proving itself not to be. Your work is cut out for you. You are not ready to make this film, even though you may think you are.

On the flip side, where does Gregory Bayne stand now? He now knows that he is working on a film that an audience wants to see. He has a brand new support system and a new level of awareness towards his film that did not exist before his Kickstarter campaign. It helped him build an early audience.

Number 2) Kickstarter is an Audience Builder. Whether you reach your fundraising goal or not. You have created awareness in your film. Those of you who have supported a Kickstarter campaign might be able to relate to the magical underdog force that goes with it. Just as rooting for an underdog becomes emotional...for a Kickstarter project you believe in, you find yourself following along and doing all you can to help it succeed. Imagine if it was your project creating this energy and synergy amongst those who believe in you, your talents and subject matter. In the end you will have built a positive, supportive community base for your film. Folks who want to be involved. These same folks are likely to become advocates for you and your team as you move forward.

There is a lot more I can write. I did not cover it all, though I feel like I have rambled enough. I do not want to discourage anyone who may not have a successful Kickstarter campaign. If you come up short on your goal. At least you will have an idea of where you stand. Learn from the process and use the information to evaluate what level of film you should make. (Do not dive into a $500,000 film if you cannot raise $1000 through your current audience) I also realize that you can build your audience as you make your film and that a leap of faith will be required. Overall, I believe Kickstarter is a tool that allows us to be smarter about these decisions.

Lastly, in case you are wondering, Kickstarter is not paying me. I have had no contact with them. And the reason I prefer Kickstarter over IndieGogo is because you cannot beat the power of a deadline. There are not too many motivators more powerful than a deadline. Hopefully someone will send me a Kickstarter invitation. As soon as I can, I am going to set up a Kickstarter campaign for Goodbye Promise. From there I will find out what kind of audience we have. I have no idea whether or not we can raise $15,000 but it is certainly a challenge I am up for.

Okay, one last thing. I know my current project is a tiny one. Do not laugh or make fun of me. I guarantee right here, right now that we will see a Filmmaker raise six figures for their next project through Kickstarter this year. I do not have that audience yet, but there are Filmmakers who do...