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Revolutionize Your Indie Film Fundraising with Web 2.0

Published on April 26, 2010

By Holly Million

People are saying that Web 2.0 is the greatest thing since sliced bread. But, that’s not really true. Actually, Web 2.0 is the greatest thing since baked bread. Fresh, hot, and sustaining. Best of all, most of the tools—Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogger, YouTube—are free. In other words, Web 2.0 is exactly what an independent filmmaker needs to fundraise, promote, and distribute her film. As we used to say back in the days of Web 1.0, this is totally bitchin’!

My specialty is indie film fundraising, so I am a big fan of Web 2.0 because all of these tools enhance your ability to raise money — by creating a community of supporters for your film, by creating buzz that says you’re worth funding, by giving people a way to engage and support your effort easily via the Internet, and so on. Web 2.0 changes many aspects of indie film fundraising. But it’s important to note that it does not replace the fundamentals of fundraising, which will never, ever, ever change. I promise — they will never change. But don’t worry. Here are some problems you will face when adapting Web 2.0 tools to your film fundraising, along with some simple solutions to help you keep your perspective.

First problem: The Internet is mostly anonymous.

There is a common misconception that money is going to pour in from a vast universe of online denizens who now know about you and your film simply because they have stumbled upon you online. Problem is, fundraising depends on relationship, and the virtual world is predicated on anonymity. Unless you take your contacts off Facebook and Twitter and make them flesh-and-blood friends, you can’t expect them to donate to your film in any significant way. Your solution—Find out who among your online friends is really interested in what you’re creating, and start to nurture an off-line relationship with them. I’ve converted numerous people I “know” online into real contacts by first emailing back and forth with them, then talking on the phone, then meeting in person. The cultivation does not stop there, it just goes on and on.

Second problem: I’ve Got a Blog/Facebook Page/My Space Page, But Nobody Visits.

Yes, I know you have a blog. I’ve visited there. But the last diary you have up was posted in 1985. Your Facebook and My Space pages are pretty much the same. Has anything happened with your film since then? Just asking. Your solution—In order to drive traffic to your website, blog, or social-networking site, you need to give people a reason to go there. If the content is static, there will be no attraction. Make it interesting, and people will continually “drop by” to see what’s new.

Third Problem: You Think You Asked Them, But You Didn’t Really Ask Them.

People put their need out there on the Internet, thinking they have made a request for support, but then all they hear is the deafening roar of crickets. Your solution—You must be more direct. Your Facebook page displays your fundraising goal and a link to “donate now.” Warm. You sent an email appeal out to 10,000 potential supporters asking them to each give $25. Warmer. You hosted an event for 30 people who knew it was a fundraiser where they would be asked to write checks on the spot. Getting warmer! You picked up the phone and asked ten friends to each write a check for $100. Getting hot! You sat down with Uncle Warren and asked him face-to-face for a large lead gift to leverage other donations. Hallelujah! You have learned that, at the end of the day, being direct when you ask is really the key to raising money.

Fourth Problem: They’re Just Not That Into You.

You’re passionate about your film. But not everybody is passionate enough about it to give to you online. After September 11, 2001, I (and millions of others) made online donations to the American Red Cross, the Fire Department of New York, and the New York Police Department without any of these organizations having to ask me for money. Why? Because the need was obvious, urgent, and on a vast scale. Hurricane Katrina, Asian Tsunami, terrorist attack? The word goes out and the online donations come in. Your film can’t compete. Your Solution—Don’t assume that your film ranks high on people’s lists. Don’t try to compete online with causes that are in a different league. They can almost exclusively do anonymous, online, and mostly indirect fundraising. You can’t. While Web 2.0 tools can enhance your donor cultivation and communication, when it comes down to actually raising money, you need to be personal, offline, and mostly direct in your approach.

So who is an exemplary user of Web 2.0? Two awesome examples you need to check out include Paranormal Activity and The Yes Men Fix the World. Paranormal Activity was a sizzling hot property in 2009. Reputedly made for $11,000, it became one of the top grossing films of the year, scaring people silly while fostering a huge online fan community via Facebook and Twitter, where they encouraged fans to “Tweet Your Scream.” By unleashing the force of millions of fans through the Internet, Paranormal Activity caught the eye of traditional media and became a national sensation. The Yes Men Fix the World was another underground hit of 2009. The Yes Men are a couple of wise fools who stage massive feats of fraud in the public interest. Dressed in suits, they present themselves as spokesmen for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Dow Chemical and other big interests, saying what those people should say if they were really on the side of good. The Yes Men have one of the most interactive film sites I have seen. It’s whimsical, it’s fun, and it’s fully loaded with Web 2.0 bells and whistles.

Take a look at what these two films did, and see what you can incorporate into your own film fundraising and promotion efforts. It should serve you well while you’re waiting for Web 3.0 to arrive.

Holly Million has been a professional fundraiser, serving nonprofit organizations and independent filmmakers for almost two decades. In 1997, Holly secured funding for the Academy Award-winning film, A Story of Healing, and today she continues to raise money for an eclectic mix of independent films and consult one-on-one with indie filmmakers needing fundraising support.

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