by Lisa Hasko and Katharine Relth 

In the past few years, crowdfunding has gone from the new buzzword to an integral part of the independent film funding landscape, especially when it comes to documentaries. Some people say running a campaign is a full time job. Others even equate it to having a newborn baby. But one thing is for certain: just as with most large undertakings, planning is everything.



At our November 18 Doc U event at the Cinefamily Theater in LA, Crowdfunding: Raising Money the New-Fashioned Way, we heard from Principal and Evangelist at Indiegogo and IDA Board Member Adam Chapnick, founder and CEO of crowdfunding and distribution platform Seed&Spark Emily Best, and filmmakers Lotti Pharriss Knowles (I am Divine), Camilo Silva (After 68), and Tracy Droz Tragos (Rich Hill), all of whom have recently completed successful crowdfunding campaigns. From this lively conversation, deftly moderated by IDA's Fiscal Sponsorship Program Manager Amy Halpin, we at IDA have comprised this crowdfunding tool kit to better help you navigate the maze of this rapidly growing fundraising strategy.

PRIOR TO YOUR LAUNCH

Build your list. (But really, do this consistently.)

According to Adam Chapnick of Indiegogo, if you’re not adding one person to your list everyday, you aren’t doing it right. In other words, it should always be a priority. After you’ve recognized this, take the time to learn where to focus your outreach to build your list and audience.

Any crowdfunding strategist will tell you that strangers are not likely to be your bread-and-butter donors. The most crucial group of people is your social network and the list you’ve (hopefully) been building over the prior months -- think Facebook groups, email lists and your Twitter feed.

But how do you build your list if you don’t have one? Our panel of experts recommends reaching out to groups, other organizations and blogs that would be interested in your subject matter before you launch your campaign.

Think about your campaign far in advance of your planned launch date.

At a recent Film Independent panel, Lisa Callif, partner at Donaldson + Callif, stated that "Most of [her] successful clients had 6 - 12 months preparation for their campaign prior to launching." A good place to start that planning process is to line up publicity opportunities several months before your campaign launches. Reach out to bloggers who might be interested in your film’s subject matter. Contact radio stations. Start to research and get in touch with like-minded organizations and other press outlets to let them know about your film project. After you’ve made those contacts, organize press to come out at certain times prior to and during your campaign.

It might also be helpful to think about suitable upcoming events that might make your documentary's topic more visible and relevant. This groundwork will help leverage that extra time you need to create a buzz about your upcoming campaign.

Research which platform is right for you.

Each crowdfunding platform has different fee structures and offers a variety of ways you can set up your campaign, so it's important to find one that will work with your project's overall fundraising strategy. Some platforms, like Indiegogo for example, allow for fixed and flexible campaigns while others, such as Kickstarter, are fixed only. A fixed campaign means you must meet your goal to be able to receive the funds you raised, while a flexible campaign gives you more breathing room: you receive your funds regardless of whether or not you meet your goal, but at a higher fee rate. Be sure to pay close attention to the fee structure and what you will be charged if you do/do not meet your goal.

While you're at it, it helps to check out campaigns that have successfully met their goal. These are your role models. What did they do right? Did they have a compelling trailer? What were their incentives like? How did they involve their donors and keep them interested? Keep these things in mind as you set up your campaign page.

Know where and how long to set your goal.

Crowdfunding campaigns shouldn’t be your only fundraising strategy. Unless you’re a giant fish in the documentary community, you’re unlikely to raise your entire budget this way. Based on experience and the knowledge of our panelists, we know the average donation to any crowdfunding campaign is $25. Using this metric and your list size will help you determine an achievable goal.

Keep your goal on the lower end of the spectrum so that your campaign is certain to be a success. People are more likely to donate when a project has clear momentum. And if you surpass the set amount? Even better!

Now that you know how much you want to raise, you can decide on the length of your campaign. Film Lead Marc Hofstatter of Indiegogo says their research shows the average campaign lasts 47 days, with anything between 30 - 40 days being most common. Many experts suggest that shorter campaigns can actually be advantageous since it’s less likely you’ll have long lull periods that tend to happen with a 60 day campaign. That’s a long time to keep people excited about your project and only creates more work for you!

Know your audience and use them to promote your campaign.

Let people know what their donations are going toward and how they are making a difference. Why is it important for them to donate to your project? What aspects of the project will their donations be assisting?

Our panel also suggested that you consider whether you will need a fiscal sponsor. Will your audience be donating in larger increments and expecting a tax deduction on their gift? If so, you’ll want to look into fiscal sponsorship prior to setting up your campaign. Not sure what fiscal sponsorship is? You can learn more here.



Director Tracy Droz Tragos (Rich Hill) recommends establishing a set group of donors that she refers to as "bundlers," or fundraisers who pool other contributors from their social network. Bundlers will asking their community (some of which might have overlap with your own) to spread the word for you. "Can you bring in at least 10 people to donate $10?" You’ll be surprised by how these supporters can truly bolster your campaign.

And now, it's time to launch!

It might also be advantageous to consider launching your campaign in two stages. A "soft launch," where you identify your core circle and ask them to be ready to donate early, can really help you start at a base level. Aim for collecting 20 - 30% of your goal in the first couple of days of this soft launch. Reach out to your inner circle beforehand to ensure they know to donate within this crucial time frame. Your "hard launch" will be the launch date that you publicize through press and your social networks. When strangers and those that your bundlers have asked to come in see that your campaign has strong early momentum, they will be even more inspired to give.

As in the making of a film, this initial prep phase will require the most time and effort. But it will also ensure that you're ready put your head down and start raising those funds!


DURING YOUR CAMPAIGN

Be aggressive! The filmmakers on our panel agreed that they had to get over being shy about asking for money. Since it can sometimes take people a few visits to your campaign’s page before they convert from a visitor to a donor, you shouldn’t be afraid to promote and engage your social network regularly. One way to keep them involved is to engage your audience in your creative process and help them participate in the project by sharing your experience with them.

Like panelist Tracy Droz Tragos astutely noted, running a crowdfunding campaign is like having a newborn: you have to check on it every two to three hours. For the days that your campaign is live, maintaining it should be Priority #1. Make it your full-time job. If you don’t have the resources to commit yourself to it during all of your waking hours, it might be time to bring someone committed to the project on board to help you part-time.

We also recommend sending out one-to-one emails to make a more personal ask to your inner circle. Reserve some of these core donors for lull periods, which are usually in the middle of a campaign, to help maintain momentum.

YOU REACHED THE FINISH LINE! ALMOST...

Be sure to send out your promised incentives and thank yous in a timely fashion or at any dates that you specified. It’s a big job, but you’ll be more likely to retain donors if they trust you.

As you start that next phase of applying the dollars you have raised to your production, keep in contact with your list. Track your progress in videos, emails, social posts, and other engaging ways so they can see your project come to life.

A recent finding shows that serial campaigns - or multiple campaigns for the same project - actually work! It’s unrealistic to expect to meet all of your fundraising goals at once. Segment out your crowdfunding, and be extremely targeted about what you are fundraising for in stages and phases.


In closing, here are some helpful links that will give you even more advice on running a successful crowdfunding campaign:

• Indiewire's Ultimate Guide to Crowdfunding for Filmmakers

• Change Or Die: How 22 Years On One Film Lead To Desperate Measures by Jennifer Fox

• The First 6 Tips For Launching A Six-Figure Kickstarter Campaign by Jennifer Fox

• Crowdfunding for Filmmakers: The Way to a Successful Film Campaign [book] by John Triggonis

• The Indiegogo Field Guide

After completing his latest documentary feature, Errol Morris professed that the film captured "the strangest interview I’ve ever done." And for Morris, the man famous for the invention of his interviewing machine aptly coined The Interrotron, this conversation with former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is just one of thousands he’s conducted over the course of his filmmaking career. So to refer to it as "the strangest" is certainly saying something.

After developing a personal fascination with Rumsfeld's "snowflakes"—the enormous mountain of memos he composed during his almost fifty years of public service—Morris asked Rumsfeld to read and explain these memos for his cameras. When he sat down with Rumsfeld to interview him for what would become The Unknown Known, Morris was interested in digging deeper into the unfamiliar territory that is Rumsfeld’s mind. What he found there was not a substantive accumulation of evil. Instead, Morris’s film presents a man so understated and controlled in his own humanity that his lack of regard for his own actions leaves the audience chilled. With masterful understanding of the documentary artform that few others possess, Morris’s film meticulously pieces together what it can from Rumsfeld’s complicated "web of words" to present an impression of a man that no one can possibly fully understand.

The Unknown Known screened Thursday, November 7 at the Landmark in Los Angeles as a part of the IDA Documentary Screening Series. Director Errol Morris sat down with Indiewire's Dana Harris, who fielded a question from the audience regarding the most satisfying thing about making this film.

Watch his answer below:

You can watch more moments from this Q&A at our IDA Screening Series playlist on our YouTube channel.

Learn more about the other docs that have played in the IDA Documentary Screening Series

It can be difficult for a documentary to successfully highlight both a personal profile and an activism narrative in a mere hour and forty minutes. But Barbara Kopple's latest feature, Running From Crazy, somehow successfully weaves a message of activism into the story of the life of Mariel Hemingway, the youngest granddaughter of one of America's most celebrated authors. As a woman who now accepts the long line of Hemingway suicides (seven since her great-grandfather, to be precise), Mariel has dedicated her later years to becoming a very public presence in the realm of suicide prevention. The film came about as a sort of matchmaking exercise, with the Oprah Winfrey Network approaching Mariel and Barbara separately to gauge their interest in participating in the project. After a long and impassioned meeting between the two women, Mariel agreed that this film could be the place where she would totally open up for the first time. Running From Crazy became not just a film about Mariel and the tragic history of her family; it became a celebration of the Hemingway's complete and total embrace of joy.

Running from Crazy screened Wednesday, November 6 at the Landmark in Los Angeles as a part of the IDA Documentary Screening Series. Director Barbara Kopple spoke to Indiewire's Dana Harris about wanting to get underneath the Hemingway myth and understand this family on a very intimate level.

Watch below:

You can watch more moments from this Q&A at our IDA Screening Series playlist on our YouTube channel.

Learn more about the other docs set to play in the IDA Documentary Screening Series

The upcoming Winter issue of Documentary magazine will take a comprehensive look at the all-important elements to any documentary:

Sound and Music!

Production sound, sound design, editing and mixing, composing, music licensing and music supervision, and music documentaries: It's all here, for your reading—and maybe even listening—pleasure! Experts from across the documentary spectrum share their insights about their secrets to sonic synchronicity.

But wait. There's more!

Thanks to the popularity of the education-themed Fall 2013 issue, we are launching a new column that will spotlight a documentary program in a school, university or college. We kick off the column with a profile of George Washington University's Documentary Center.

Elsewhere in the Winter issue, Frederick Wiseman talks to us about his latest opus, At Berekley, which premieres on PBS' Independent Lens in January; filmmaker Katie Dellamaggiore shares her experiences taking her acclaimed film Brooklyn Castle to Israel and Palestine as part of the American Film Showcase; and we review the book Killer Images, a collection of essays about documentary, memory and the "performance of violence,' edited by IDA Documentary Awards nominated filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer (The Act of Killing).

So, treat yourself to a little holiday joy: join IDA today and get Documentary magazine year-round—Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall!

Tim Jenison is a man who likes to figure out how things work. As the founder of the San Antonio-based hardware and software company NewTek, Inc., Tim is excited by the idea of digging deep to discover the parts that make up the whole. After receiving a copy of David Hockney's Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters from his daughter, Tim became obsessed with determining how Johannes Vermeer's paintings could possibly be so photorealist. His theory, somewhat of an offshoot of Hockneys, contends that Vermeer used optics to guide his brush. After several experiments, the invention of a mirrored device, and the creation of a life-size replica of the scene depicted in Vermeer's "The Music Lesson," Tim Jenison set about recreating his very own Vermeer.

Between the interviews with key people in Tim's life, his visit to Holland for research, and the hundreds of days put into building the studio and working on the painting, the filmmakers and Tim collected over 2400 hours of footage. This was eventually whittled down into the 80 minute documentary Tim's Vermeer, directed by the oft-silent half of Penn & Teller. Famously known for their magic act as well as their skepticism, Tim's story was a natural fit for this pair, who uses the film and Tim's project to ask if there really is a concrete distinction between an inventor and a painter.

Tim's Vermeer screened Tuesday, November 5 at the Landmark in Los Angeles as a part of the IDA Documentary Screening Series. Producer Farley Ziegler told Criticwire's Steve Greene that it was more important to carve out a story than to strive for a particular runtime.

Watch below:

You can watch more moments from this Q&A at our IDA Screening Series playlist on our YouTube channel.

Learn more about the other docs set to play in the IDA Documentary Screening Series

Peter Wintonick, whose exemplary work in documentary was surpassed only by his passionate championing of the documentary form, died yesterday  in Montreal. He was 60 and had been diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer.

Wintonick's best known work included Manufacturing Dissent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992), directed with Mark Achbar, and Cinema Verite: Defining the Moment (1999). According to a press release from the National Film Board of Canada, with whom Wintonick worked closely for decades, Manufacturing Consent was one of the most successful documentaries in Canadian history, earning over 20 awards. Cinema Verite: Defining the Movement deftly captured one of most vital periods in documentary history and reflected Wintonick's deep, abiding zeal for cinematic history.

Other work included The QuébeCanada Complex (1998), which earned  the Canadian Association of Journalists Award for Best Documentary for its bold and humorous look at the Quebec/Canada national question; Seeing Is Believing: Handicams, Human Rights and the News, a 2002 collaboration with transmedia pioneer Katerina Cizek, in which the two filmmakers embark on a global journey to explore the impact of the then emerging digital revolution on documentary media; and, in a seemingly unintended valediction and passing of the torch, PilgrIMAGE, which he made in 2009 with his daughter, filmmaker Mira Burt-Wintonick, a trans-generational trip through the history of cinema and the future of new media.

Wintonick was also a producer and distributor. His Montreal-based company, Necessary Illusions Productions, which he headed with  Francis Miquet, not only handled an impressive roster of social issue documentaries, but also mentored scores of filmmakers. Wintonick also served as an executive producer at EyeSteelFilm, working on such films as China Heavyweight.

Wintonick was a congenial presence at documentary festivals around the world, including Hot Docs, IDFA, Thessaloniki and a host of others. Honored in Canada in 2006 with a Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts, he was one of the founders of DocAgora, an international think tank and open website devoted to digital documentary media, and was invited by the premier of South Australia to be a "Thinker in Residence," examining the future of documentaries and the digital revolution. He was also international editor at POV, the publication of the Documentary Organization of Canada (for a sample of his scintillating work, click here.).

"Peter was the best friend a documentary film festival could have—he poured his heart into supporting filmmakers and building camaraderie through the international doc community," said Hot Docs executive director Brett Hendrie, in a statement. "The entire Hot Docs family is deeply and personally saddened by this major loss, yet we know his great work and the many friendships and partnerships he helped to foster will endure."

NFB Chairperson Tom Perlmutter added, "Peter is [so hard to say ‘was'] one of the greats of the documentary world. He knew everyone, and everyone knew him for his passion, his commitment, his generosity. He created a significant body of work, but his contribution was far greater than the sum of his films. It encompassed a larger view of the documentary as quintessential to the moral well-being of the universe. He expressed this in conversation, in his writings, in his globe-trotting mentoring and programming activities, and always with a sharp wit that could take your breath away with the subtlety of the thought and the sheer joy in his manner of expression."

Though it doesn't feel like winter at the IDA headquarters here in sunny Los Angeles, the season is definitely upon us, which means it's time for more grant opportunities! Okay, that might not be what the season is all about. But for documentary filmmakers, the fundraising brain never rests. We've put together a list of grants and other opportunities with upcoming deadlines that we think might be of interest to you.

As you sort through the list and go about conducting your grant research and learning the requirements of each organization—they're all different—you'll find that many require you to have a fiscal sponsor. Fiscal sponsorship is a formal arrangement in which a 501(c)(3) public charity, such as the IDA, agrees to sponsor a project that furthers our mission, for the purpose of fundraising through grants and donations. This alternative to starting your own nonprofit allows you to seek grants and solicit tax-deductible donations for your documentary, with the oversight, support and endorsement of IDA.

So don't panic when you read those words in the grant requirements. There is hope. And we're here to help.

Vist our website or contact Lisa Hasko to learn more about IDA's Fiscal Sponsorship Program.

GRANT & EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

PACIFIC PIONEER FUND
The grant supports emerging documentary filmmakers who live and work in California, Oregon and Washington.The term "emerging" is intended to denote a person committed to the craft of making documentaries, who has demonstrated that commitment by several years -- but no more than ten -- of practical film or video experience.
Deadline: December 1, 2013


FILM INDEPENDENT LABS

• 2014 Documentary Lab: Designed to help filmmakers who are currently in post-production on their feature-length documentary films, the Documentary Lab is an intensive seven-week program that runs in Los Angeles in March and April.
  Deadline: December 2, 3013 
• 2014 Fast Track: Fast Track is a film financing market that takes place during the Los Angeles Film Festival designed to help narrative and documentary filmmakers move their current projects forward.
  Deadline: February 24, 2014
  
  

GUCCI TRIBECA DOCUMENTARY FUND
Provides finishing funds to feature-length documentaries which highlight and humanize issues of social importance from around the world. For films, based anywhere, that are in production or post-production with the intended premiere exhibition. Grants range from $10,000 to $25,000.
Opens December 5, 2013. Deadline: February 5, 2014

NEH: AMERICA'S MEDIA MAKERS GRANTS

America’s Media Makers (AMM) grants support the following formats: interactive digital media, film and television projects, and radio projects. Grants are available for both projects at both the development and production stages.

• Development grants enable media producers to collaborate with scholars to develop humanities content and to prepare programs for production.
• Production grants support the production and distribution of digital projects, films, television programs, radio programs, and related programs that promise to engage the public.

Deadline for both: January 8, 2014 **Note: all projects fiscally sponsored by the IDA must have a consultation with Lisa Hasko before applying to NEH grants**


CATAPULT FILM FUND
Catapult Film Fund provides development funding to documentary filmmakers
who have a compelling story to tell, have secured access to their story and are ready to shoot and edit a piece for production fundraising purposes.
Opens December 16, 2013. Deadline: January 31, 2014


NALAC FUND FOR THE ARTS (NFA)
The NFA is a national grant program open to US-based Latino working artists, ensembles and Latino arts organizations that demonstrate artistic excellence in pursuit of social justice through the arts. Grants range from $5,000 to $15,000.
Deadline: February 6, 2014


GRANTS WITH ROLLING DEADLINES

BRITDOC
BRITDOC funds international and region specific documentary films through various awards and grant opportunties. Be sure to review each one to see if you are eligible:

• PUMA Catalyst Awards
• Channel 4 BRITDOC Fund
• Bertha BRITDOC Fund for Journalism and the Bertha BRITDOC Connect Fund

NPBC - AFROPOP: The Ultimate Culture Exchange Submissions (U.S. Public Media)
Afro:PoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange is a US based public television show featuring independent documentaries and short films about life, art, and culture from the contemporary African Diaspora. NBPC is looking to support and broadcast strong stories that will capture the breadth and scope of the diversity of experiences of contemporary African peoples.

It is not a widely held dogma that nuclear power is the answer to the worldwide energy crisis. But this is precisely the argument that drives Pandora’s Promise, a new film by environmentalist and former anti-nuclear champion Robert Stone. His latest project stands in stark contrast to his first film, the 1988 Oscar-nominated Radio Bikini, which puts a negative spin on the aftermath of nuclear weapons tests in the mid-1940s. But Stone is very upfront about the existential shift he experienced over the last 25 years, a shift supported throughout the film by several leaders in the nascent pro-nuclear movement in the US. The film takes us to a post-tsunami Fukushima and other nuclear disaster sites with a dosimeter, comparing their levels of radiation to naturally occurring levels of radiation in bustling cities worldwide. Making the case that improved infrastructure will lead to a stable future in nuclear power, Stone’s film takes an unpopular opinion and makes it more digestible.

Pandora's Promise screened Wednesday, October 30 at the Landmark in Los Angeles as a part of the IDA Documentary Screening Series. Director Robert Stone spoke with KCRW’s Matt Holzman -- who admits he is staunchly in the anti-nuclear camp -- about the wide range of support he's received from those who have seen his latest film. 

Watch below:

You can watch more moments from this Q&A at our IDA Screening Series playlist on our YouTube channel.

Learn more about the other docs set to play in the IDA Documentary Screening Series