Yep – we have entered the new age of crowdfunding. Sure, crowdfunding has been around for some time, but the Veronica Mars Movie Project, was launched on Kickstarter on March 13, 2013 and has raised over $3 million in just 2 days, has set the new bar – and silence naysayers who insist that crowdfunding is a fad. Ready to journey into the phenomenon? Read on.
The media buzzes that the movie will pioneer a new era of movie development. “What about it?,” I thought…
Well, as someone who doesn’t really watch US TV drama since Friends (I know, I know… lame…) I have no idea who Veronica Mars is. So, when I discovered that a Kickstarter project has broken some records, I start to find out more about it.
I, as expected, googled “Veronica Mars” and I get this nice info from IMDb; now I know some facts about Veronica Mars: A very good-rated TV drama series about crime and mystery that went on air from 2004 to 2007, created by Rob Thomas and starred by Kristen Bell, Percy Daggs III, and Jason Dohring to name three.
So, what with all the fuss? Well, I also just learned that there are so many Veronica Mars fans! So when the creator, Rob Thomas, launched a crowdfunding campaign to launch the movie version of the TV series, there are frenzies; then buzz; then Wired picked the story; then it became one of the trending topic everywhere, in at least 3 major industries: Entertainment, Business and Finance.
The movie would be very cool, but as a business person who endorses crowdfunding, I see the project as an opportunity to prove to those who are not believing the power of crowdfunding, that you CAN raised millions of dollar; that you CAN launch a movie – real movie, not your typical independent or documentary movies launched on crowdfunding platforms.
So, what’s so groundbreaking about the Kickstarter project
Like what I’ve just mentioned, it’s not your typical crowdfunding project.
First of all, it’s started by a well-known Writer-slash-Director-slash-Producer, Rob Thomas; secondly, the movie features Kristen Bell; another starring, Percy Daggs III has confirmed that he’s in; thirdly, it’s a new milestone in crowdfunding: Fans-funded movie.
We have had a crowdsourced football club; we have plenty of crowdsourced tech startup projects; why not a larger-scale movie?
Rob Thomas knows that fans are looking forward for this: With a big task at hand and a required budget of $2 million to get the movie released, there is nothing better to ask for fans’ help – and appreciate them with rewards, starting from the movie script in PDF (for just $10) to a speaking role in the movie ($10,000 support for 1 backer only – this one has already gone!)
So far, there are 50,000 backers and $3,3 million in fund – way over the $2 million target. Wow – a phenomenon, indeed.
Here is the funny video pitch on Kickstarter:
What you see is just the beginning…
Up to the date this blog post is written, the Veronica Mars Kickstarter project is only open for US backers. What if the floodgate is finally opened? What if fans worldwide will be able to take part in funding their beloved Veronica Mars to be turned into a potentially hit movie?
Lessons Learned
Well, all I can say about the project is, “Yea, awesome!” To think deeper on it, there are some lessons we can learn from the record-breaking Veronica Mars project:
1. Crowdfunding will become mainstream soon
What you have just read right now is one of the sign of times – seriously. Gone are the days when script writers knock on big companies to fund their movie projects – bureaucracy sucks. Why don’t we just go to the fans and pitch the projects? Starting with just $10, a fan can take part in launching a $2-million-movie?
Launching a business? Instead of going to the bank with all the paperworks and collateral involved, why don’t we just go to a particular crowdfunding platform and launch our project there? To the least, your backers will be your initial customers, so you are actually starting out on the right footing.
2. Want buzz? Crowdfund your startup!
As crowdfunding is a relatively new way to raise capital to fund your startup project, you can expect that your big idea will be picked up by industry-leading online magazines, and who knows – you might even get a chance to appear on Oprah!
People also love to get involved with what they are passionate about; and they will be more than happy to tell others about their involvement in a crowdfunding project.
So, will you back the Veronica Mars Movie Project? Please share your thought by leaving a comment on this blog post.
