Please explain Kickstart to me.

[NJGIRL]

I am not a fan of most "celebrities" because I feel they are self absorbed and like to preach how the rest of us should live and what we should believe while they run wild, but this is over the top even for them.

These people who make millions of dollars for a couple of months worth of work are going on this site and asking people to throw money at them to make movies.

Am I missing something??? Why would anyone give them, the millionaires, money for nothing.
If I wanted to start a business I would have to get a loan (which has to be paid back) or find investors (which would be entitled to some form of compensation). How can they ask the average person to give them money to make a movie, that they will in turn make millions more on.

I think it is a disgrace and wonder why anyone would give them money , especially where there are so many worthly charities out there that could put that money to good use.


Am I missing something....Is there any return on your money when giving these people money on kickstart?

[dobby2010]

Couple things to mention;

First, I have only used kick starter once but it is not just for celebrities. I know artist friends who have used it to help fund their webseries and or theater performances. I like how this website allows you to help finance independent artists' work who otherwise may not have much means to create.

Secondly, in the case of the project I helped fund, the Veronica mars movie. I am a big fan of the show and hated the way they left the show off after cancellation so I was happy to kick in a couple bucks for the chance to see characters I love hit the big screen. In their case, the Veronica mars team has been trying for years to get funding from movie studios and have always been turned down. They finally struck a deal with Warner brothers that if they got the financing for production, they would distribute the movie. What I liked about their kick starter drive was that all the pledges were based on what "goodies" you wanted. For my 35$ I get a Tshirt, stickers, shooting script, digital download of the movie the day it is released, private filming updates and access to the backer website with more behind the scenes info. To me, that was well worth the money alone. Other incentives were parts in the movie, tickets to the premiere, etc. so you really in this case at least get something for your money. I never felt that it was celebrities asking me to pay for nothing other than to fuel their pet project.

Again, haven't used it much but it really is a lot more than you think.

[NJGIRL]

I guess I wasn't clear enough on one point. I do not have a problem with Kickstart in general. Someone just starting out or an unknown person who needs help to fund a project is one thing.

My issue is when Spike Lee, Whoppi, Zach Barff, Melissa Joan Hart etc., people who are well unknown, have tons of money, and are just doing this to line their pockets even more.

I have never heard of Veroinca Mars (Sorry) so I can't comment on that, and of course everyone can do what they want with their own money, I didn't mean to imply otherwise.

And thank you for explaining that you did get a little something for your investment. I didn't know what was "in it" for the donor and that was one of the reasons I posted the question...because I didn't get it. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[SBETigg]

I don't always see it as a money grab for the celebrities involved. Sometimes, maybe. But it's hard to get funding in Hollywood for anything that isn't a surefire hit (aka, blockbuster superhero movie) so I can see celebrities taking to Kickstarter to try to get projects off the ground. They might seem to have more money than the average person, but that doesn't mean they can afford to produce an entire film out of their own pockets. Also, they can't just pocket the money. There are rules regarding spending for projects on Kickstarter, and you can't simply ask for personal funds.

Also, on Kickstarter, you have to set a realistic funding goal. If you don't reach the goal, none of the people who pledged funds end up paying. If you put something up for funding on Kickstarter, you are required to offer incentives to donors so there's never nothing in it for the people who get in on a campaign. It's like asking regular people to be your investors instead of the people who normally invest in such things, and you give small gifts instead of a share of profits (which in most kickstarter projects, there are not a great deal of, profits).

It's just a way to form a community around a pet project and try to find funding. That said, I know some authors who set up Kickstarters to write a book. That always makes me shrug. I write on speculation sometimes. If it works out, I get paid. I'm not going to ask my fellow authors and readers to kick in along the way. I just can't imagine working that way, and I usually choose not to support certain projects. I did contribute to a documentary film on romance writing, because that's a unique project that interested me and won't make much money commercially. That's the kind of thing that I think Kickstarter was really meant for.