Outline For Research Paper

Over the past few months, I have been researching the importance of crowd funding on independent films and media specific projects. While I learned that crowd funding, specifically Kickstarter and Fundanything.com sites are relatively new in the publics eye, the theory behind them has been around for decades.

                                                            Table Of Contents:


1. What is crowdfunding?

An indepth description of how crowdfunding works; the basic theory of pledging and rewards. I will also describe the types of crowdfunding websites available. While they may seem alike, most of the popular crowdfunding sites have specific rules that must be followed, which make them ideal for specific projects.

2. How crowdfunding has changed the entertainment business

       While the majority of films produced still receive funding from major film   companies, a small collection of independent films are being funded publicly on crowdfunding websites. I will examine the benefits of crowdfunding as well as why major companies generally pass on the films.

3. The Risks

I will examine both sides of the crowdfunding venture, the investor as well as the project creator and exploit the various risks and rewards. In this section I will also explain how a well planned campaign can benefit both sides, investor as well as producer.

4. The Process

When creating a crowdfunding campaign, there are many avenues to take depending on the project. I will examine in depth the various resources available to me when I created my personal campaign. I will examine other campaigns that were successful and compare them to my own, explaining how my project could have been done differently and received better results.

5. Conclusion

In this section I will wrap it all up, explaining again how important crowdfunding is for the entertainment industry and will give any final thoughts.

Archaeologically digging for funds

Since starting my Kickstarter campaign to help fund a re make of the student film I made, I have realized that sourcing funding, even from pals on social media is quite difficult. I am sure our economy has some to do with it, I mean the film wasn't that horrible, or was it? Either way, I wanted to look back at some of the more traditional means of funding so off to EBSCOhost I went.

 One of the articles that I found quite interesting was from the December 2010 issue of Art Monthly Magazine. The article titled, Filming The Alternative, by Sophia Phoca, tells of several independant artist filmmakers who had to resort to a more traditional funding resource for their projects. Long before crowd funding, most films were produced by private backers who secured the funding in exchange for royalties, which basically secured the monies with the final project as collateral.

 In the article, the author writes about Carol Morley, a filmmaker from the 1990's, who sourced funds from outside of the U.S for her latest film. "Carol Morley, who emerged in the 1990s, directed the autobiographical experimental documentary The Alcohol Years, 2000, but had to turn to UK private funding to make her recent film Edge, 2010. Her producer Cairo Cannon says: ‘The future is uncertain, it always is, but it’s vital to look at all the avenues that can secure funds for a project. Private finance is probably a key component to how artists’ films will get made in the future, and it’s worth looking at local businesses and business people to help secure money and support.’ Giannaris strikes a more cautionary note and warns this approach inevitably leads to less risky work being funded. ‘The problem with the private funding route is that mainly commercial films will be made and there will be no money for films with low box office returns’, and points to the US as a precedent." What this passage is describing is how indie filmmakers need to think outside the box when securing funds for projects. The majority of commercial films are funded privately because the reward is much greater than the risk of an indie film. This is why crowd funding has become such a relevant resource. While there are risks, they are quite minimal because the entire cost is spread out over several investors. 

Digital Ethics

 While working on a film, there are several times when you must question yourself on ethics. For me, on my particular project for this summer, I worked with children while shooting a horror film. I for one, felt that many aspects of the film suffered because ethically I did not want to subject the children actors to gruesome or scenes that could be scary for them to watch. I watered the project down. While I feel that the project suffered because of this, morally I know I made the right decision. In the future while working on projects of this nature, I will be certain to cast according to knot only what the script calls for but also what concepts in editing I may have.

 There are also ethical issues when dealing with sound design and the soundtrack for film. While I have a pretty vast collection of foley sounds that I have collected over the years from working on projects as well as from my recording and producing music days, on occasion I may have to source sounds elsewhere. There are several royalty free sound resources available such as freesound.org, which allow download of user submitted foley for projects under various licenses. With soundtrack selection, there will always be the perfect song for the closing credits that is totally un useable do to copyrights and publishing rights. Sure you can pay publishing to source the song, however it may not be feasible depending on budgets and the overall purpose of the project. So this is where the sacrifice comes in, and another selection is made. There are many very talented up and coming composers and musicians that are looking to be included in projects for the exposure. A great resource for this is actually Youtube, where you can contact the artists direct and initialize communication and create agreements etc.

The most powerful tool in promoting digital democracy

 I think that while we can search for the next big thing in mobile tools and apps or specific programs and websites to help with digital democracy or public awareness, we can not overlook the greatest tool invented... the internet itself. Sure it may seem like a way to easy example, however lets really sit back and think about one resource that has changed the way that humans communicate, research, work or enjoy free time. The internet has changed everyone's lives in endless ways, some for the better and some issues like obesity can be attributed to the internet in a 50 degrees of separation sort of way, regardless without the net, all of our lives would be much more difficult.

 Lets think about the internet and the public personas of politicians for a second. In the past, politicians would campaign on a tour, from town to town, shaking hands and kissing babies. Showing the public how great they are and how the world will now be a better place if we pull the lever next to their name. If we fast forward to the present, we can now see how politicians are not all they say they are. We can use the many elicit behaviors of Mayor Anthony Weiner, whose name suits him so well in a we can’t make this stuff up manner. The internet is obviously not a useful tool for him, or maybe it is. He obviously uses it perhaps way too much!

 Another example of how the internet and the political world can merge, this time a bit more ethical. In 1999 Jesse “The Body” Ventura, whose claim to fame were his feather boas and bright colored wrestling boots and trunks decided to run for governor of Minnesota, his chances of winning were very slim. In fact, while researching him I learned that Ventura received very little press whether it be in print or on television when compared to his Republican and Democratic opponents. Instead, Governor Ventura resorted to the internet, connecting his supporters to his campaign trail in a way that had never been seen before. This created so much buz, that he won and confused even the most scholarly political enthusiasts.

http://web.mit.edu/transition/subs/demointro.html

Crowd Funding and the JOBS Act

 In late March of 2012, President Obama signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, also known as the JOBS act; changing the way that small business owners raise needed capital. This is great news for Americans who have a great idea, however have minimal resources available to source financial assistance. Sure, government supplied grant money is always an option, as are small business loans, however with an upstart with little to no available credit this option may not be suitable. Not to mention that grant money is not guaranteed and more times than not the hoops required for the entrepreneur to jump through are endless. In fact, the JOBS act may just be what our country needs to kick the tired economy into overdrive.

 As a small business owner, using crowd funding websites such as Kickstarter.com or Fundanything.com is a refreshing resource that will help showcase a company to a multitude of investors via social media. Using this modern method of networking, a vast amount of investment partnerships can be reached that would have been impossible to achieve inside of the boardroom pitch meetings of the past.

 A very important thing to consider when using crowd funding is that not all sites are suitable for every project or business infrastructure. For example, with Fundanything, a fund raising campaign can be established for just about anything. This seems a bit riskier than other sites such as Kickstarter.com, which have regulations on the type of project that can be funded as well as the rewards to investors. As an example, on Fundanything, there are several campaigns that are searching for capital for various personal medical procedures for humans as well as pets and a few Hurricane Sandy relief groups who will be using the donated funds to administer gift baskets to those affected by the storm in one community. I believe these types of campaigns are not acceptable as there is an acceptable list of categories that a project must fit into. There is also a strict rule against acquiring funding for causes such as Red Cross or other charitable businesses and projects which are searching for funding to help with personal affairs such as funding school, medical procedures or paying other personal bills. Kickstarter projects have a beginning and an end, meaning that it cannot be an open project, so a web series would not work unless it was a determined season length. I personally feel that Kickstarter is probably more successful at achieving results than Fundanything or the various other websites for the simple fact that the regulations make investors more confident that there money will be used for it’s intended purpose and not as a money making scheme.

 While I try to keep my own opinions on politics to myself and am still on the fence with how well our government is handling our economy, I do think that the crowd funding concept is a really big gasp of fresh air to an economy that has been winded for many years.

http://mashable.com/2012/04/05/jobs-act-signed/

http://fundanything.com/en/campaigns/operation-welcome-home

http://www.kickstarter.com/help/guidelines?ref=footer

Kickstarter App

http://www.kickstarter.com/mobile

 While not a major find, the Kickstarter app for iphone is something that I came across while searching for apps on my iPad. With my campaign about to be launched in the next day or two, this app will help me to keep track of my progress as well as answer any and all questions from right within the app. Of course that is on the developing end, for the average user you can search for projects and of course fund them securely.

New Media Artist Review

HOLOVISION

 So I scoured the interwebs, looking for a cool new media artist that not only fit's into the path that I chose for my final project, crowd funding, but also that is revolutionary. Low and behold, I introduce you to HOLOVISION. While technically not an artist but instead a technology being developed by a 3d holograming company Provision 3D Media, HOLOVISION is to me anyway one of the coolest things that I have seen.

 Imagine this, a Star Wars nerd, like myself and probably many of you as well can have a real life Princess Leia hologram in their home. On second thought, it's kind of creepy and my wife would probably frown endlessly as she packed her stuff and left me talking to the good princess, however the thought that the technology to even make it possible is so amazing.

 Think about it in a real world and somewhat more mainstream setting. #d movies can be enjoyed without those crazy glasses that always seem to have a blurry popcorn grease smudge on them. Or the 3d tv owners can enjoy their favorite shows with endless friends without that added cost of the extra glasses, which are a not very cheap.

 The project is currently on Kickstarter.com, and they are a very long way from their goal of $950,000, however the project proves that the technology is available, it just is not cheap. One way that the company is trying to compete for the pledged dollar is by offering many levels of pledging. Starting at just a mere $1 all the way up to individual pledges in excess of $10,000, the project offers different packages of appreciation towards it's funders. Of course the more you spend, the more you get in return, some of the packages include miniature holograms, shirts, invitations to the unveil party and my personal favorite, a life sized hologram of yourself. Of course the minimum pledge is a mere 10 grand and you do not get to keep your virtual twin, however you do get a mini 17" desktop version of yourself. Still pretty cool.

 It seems that like many of the campaigns on Kickstarter, offering levels of funding and direct contact with the developers seems to ease the fear of scams, which are everywhere on crowd funding sites. As I am preparing my own campaign, I intend to keep the lines of communication open and while I do not have much to offer possible funders, I am planning on including various minor roles in the film as my way of saying thank you.

Fundraising App for Droid

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fundraising

 I found a pretty useful tool when trying to source funding for a project. Funding and Fundraising Ideas, a google play app created by Alex Genadnik is a tool which helps entrepreneurs by providing proven methods for sourcing funds. It also teaches about securing grants which I think is probably one of the most overlooked forms of potentially free funding for an upstart. The app is somewhat limited though, for example it appears to be dated however it is fundamentally sound. The price is only a dollar so you really have nothing to lose with it. Like I said, it is basic, has some very useful information written within it's code and also has a cool feature where you can ask a question and receive an answer from a live person, however it takes a day or so for them to respond. In all, it is a great app and along with my campaign on Kickstarter.com, will come in handy with hopefully sourcing government grants to help fund some of the project.

Case Study

 The cultural influence on crowdfunding websites such as the popular Kickstarter.com is quite remarkable. Not only do projects and concepts become possible due to the need of funding, something that in the past was quite a task to secure but also the publicity that can be achieved just from submitting a project on the website is a great resource. While these are all great things to hear for an aspiring film maker (like myself) or entrepreneur, there are unfortunately some bad.

 Like with all online transactions, the crowdfunding network has severe risk. There are unfortunately dis-honest people who secure funding for projects that are bogus, taking funds from backers and running, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of those who have or may have backed legitimate people. In one recent case, a group called Magnus Fun Inc. hustled more than $120,000 from approximately 3.200 backers for their Kobe beef jerky scam.

 Of course not all people on Kickstarter are scammers, and there have been a slew of great ideas to come to fruition because of the crowdfunding model.  Unfortunately, there are dishonest people as well which can eventually make the risk to much for an investor, stopping this trendsetting method of funding dead in it’s tracks.

I also believe the financial impact on crowdfunding can play a major role in changing mass media as well. For example, many more independent films will come to the surface. People who had no means to produce music of their own and were forced to go the route of the major record label would be able to self produce but on a much bigger scale than publishing at home with a minimal budget. I believe this will influence major companies to invest while they can, knowing that there are now other means available.  

Began the quest........

On Wednesday of this week, I began filming for the project that I will be using Kickstarter.com to fund for film festivals. I have also been compiling all of the info that I need to upload and begin the process of sourcing funding. For example, the script, photos from the initial shoot as well as photos from the various readings that we have done with the actors. I am planning on getting a more thorough trailer edited once I get more of the footage done in the next week or two and using that as I try to secure backing through Kickstarter. I am also going and registering the business forms this week with my son Tyler for our indie film company.

Wiki entry Woessssss

 Today I created a wiki entry for the upstart film company that my son and I began. I wrote a short blurb about our history and upcoming project etc. and submitted it for review. The process is pretty strange yet straightforward, oops probably jinxed myself there! The site says that the submission process can take some time for review so I will keep everyone updated as to any progress. I also did not cite any resources for the main fact that I really have none at this moment. Once the first project is completed I would include a link to the promotional page for that but really had noting else to reference as of yet.

 One thing I did want to add, something that bums me out is that the original name that we planned on using has been taken so we had to go with our second choice which I do not like nearly as much. The company will be Upton Film's which doesn't have the same ring as Duality did but then again I would rather spend money on equipment than getting a lawsuit!

 Here is the link to the added date on my timeline.

http://www.dipity.com/djdane/Media-Arts/

The Business Of New Media

My path of inquiry for the course will be the new technology of online sponsorship and backing for media based projects.

 In another course that I am taking with Professor Kermani, I am working on a short film. The project itself is going to be really great, in fact I did a little research into expanding the end product into a film that can be presented in film festivals. Of course, this all takes funding. I came across a website called Kickstarter.com which allows people with ideas to present to investors in a fresh manner involving new technology. This I believe is going to change the ways that creative people think and will allow ideas to become reality for people that previously may not have had the resources to fund their projects without shaking their piggy bank.

 With my research and final project, I will build my own project on the kickstarter website, showcasing the film from storyboard to clips from the final edit, all with the hope of securing the funding needed to move to the next step. With any success, we will meet our mark and the project will be greenlighted.

I feel that this proposal will show a great example of how business in the new era of media and web 2.0 has evolved and is going in a positive direction.

The Social Network

I have to first fess up to something. I have searched for days and cannot find any of the movies except for The Social Network. While I feel like I am cheating a bit, I see no other option so I will try and just compare the movie and it's story with the story on my dipity, which is how I started my record label and studio.

In the movie, Mark Zuckerberg developed a resource for networking socially, hence the name, by using a schools database and code to rate girls. Initially, this started as a prank, however the idea sparked enough buzz that it evolved into a mass listing of contacts. While creating the first version of his website, he crossed paths with people that could provide him gains and while some he partnered with stuck, others didn't which resulted in legal issues over rights of ownership.

With my story, I also created a brand as well as a product with music and crossed paths with various partners along the way. I feel that like friends in your personal life, business partners come and go and offer various resources. Those that are valued more are kept while those that show little value eventually are weened off. When I started Biggupss, I had a few partners that came on board. 2 of them were cousins and the other was a long time friend. After a few months, I quickly realized that I was doing all of the work while the others were reaping the benefits of my labor. I had to sever ties and disband the partnership. This is similar to the roles of Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield in the film. After the partnership ran it's course, the ties were broken and there were bad feelings.


In the film, Zuckerberg than gets involved with Sean Parker, who is the founder of Napster. While this may not have been such a great moral decision, it is the reason that his success has been so great. Now back to my story, after I excused the partners, I soon realized that I was burning the candle at both ends. I was burying my self in projects and work and had commitments to many people that I had to keep. I began a search for other partners. This time, I chose people that were also into music in some fashion that could help me out. I also enlisted the help of my best friend at the time. This eventually backfired as well. I soon learned that I was a control freak and while many of my partners contributed greatly, I became jealous of my own design.


The end, while the story of Mr. Zuckerberg goes on and on, with Facebook being one of the top networking sites, my endeavor folded. I made a ten-year run between the label and eventual recording studio. I gave it my best but as my business grew, so did I. My family became a priority and while the flexibility of having a schedule like I did was beneficial to me, there were many shady elements in the recording studio that made it a wise decision to close shop. Of all the partners that I had, I only remain in contact with one of them.

Dipity Timeline

 I created a timeline using Dipity that showcases how my life as a media artist began.

http://www.dipity.com/djdane/Media-Arts/

Being Human In The Digital World

 In my opinion, the human race is doomed. Digital representations of our flesh and in the blood ancestors surround us at every turn. While at the grocery store, the friendly smile from the cashier who used to run the cash register has been replaced by a scan your own upgrade which welcomes me with a loud beep and a flashing error when my newspaper has not been recognized by it's technically sophisticated scanner. Perhaps it is my fault though, I am a bit old school. You see, reading a newspaper which used to be a task that humans would enjoy with breakfast or over dinner, sometimes even while in the bathroom was such an everyday process that they had a service where a little human boy or girl would hand deliver the newspaper to your home daily. Now a days, we have online news, sent directly to our cell phones and tablets. Such space age devices that would seem so at home on the set of Star Wars or some other sci-fi film.

 Another great example of being human in the digital age could be seen in the photo below.

I am a father of 4, from the ages of 12 all the way up to 19 and I showed this photo to my children. 3 of them looked puzzled, my 12 year old son thought it was a tardis from Dr. Who. While I am not exactly sure what that is, I do know that he is wrong! While explaining to my children how when I was a child in the 80's, we had the dull lives of waiting until we arrived back home to talk on the phone and check for messages. We received letters in the mail, hand delivered by our mailman, whom we knew on a first named basis (mine was named Fred). This may be the start to a major problem in society, but what do I know?

 As I stated above, I am the father of 4, 3 boys and a teenage girl. With the exception of my daughter, who I believe was quite possibly born with her cell phone attached to her head in some way, none of my children are very telephone friendly. Sure they can text a novel, blindfolded. With one hand. However, if I ask them to use the phone for it's true purpose, to make an actual phone call..... Lets just say that if I need 911, I am doomed. I recall one day when my son went to call his girlfriend. This was a few years back, however it remains quite relative to the story and point I am trying to make. Anyway, he goes to call his girlfriend at the time and keeps claiming that the phone is busy. This went on for hours. When I finally asked him to try  again, he said " see dad, listen it's busy." Of course the sound he was hearing, the sound he thought was the bust signal that we all remember from our youth, was indeed a DIAL TONE!!!! Yes I repeat, a dial tone!

 Like I stated, we are doomed!

Welcome to my blog

 Hi all,
 A brief introduction, my name is Dan. I have been at ESC for 3 years now and am in my last year towards my Bachelors of Art degree. I have been working on media projects for the past 20 years, starting as a teenager dj who moved on to music production. This evolved into graphics and video. I have since been working on film projects with my eldest son. We both plan on creating an indie company soon and working on short films and documentaries etc.