Crowdfunding the Dream: How to Run a Successful Campaign from Pipeline Artists - Symposium on Vimeo.

Crowdfunding provides a unique opportunity to bring your film to life. But the market is saturated, and it requires careful planning to connect with your audience. On Kickstarter alone, there have been over 80,000 film projects. The success rate of these projects is under 40%. So—how do you execute a successful campaign?  

Shawn Hainsworth has run three successful campaigns in the past year, and through these experiences has learned what to expect, what works, and what doesn’t. Shawn will walk you through the process, providing real-world advice to help manage a successful campaign. The primary focus will be on project-based campaigns, Kickstarter and Indiegogo, but he will also touch on creator-based campaigns such as Patreon. 

The presentation will cover:

• Setting realistic expectations
• Creating a good story
• Creating and fulfilling rewards
• Building an audience for your work
• Managing the full lifecycle of a campaign

By the end of this presentation, you should feel confident knowing if a crowdfunding campaign is right for your project, and if so, how to run one successfully from start to finish.

[Recorded February 7, 2023]

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Between 1992 and 2004, Shawn Hainsworth made five feature-length documentaries, as well numerous shorts and experimental films, which screened at film festivals around the world. He makes a living as a computer programmer working most recently in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence. However, he has a passion for storytelling and wrote numerous screenplays and short stories over the years. In 2022, Shawn launched a new Indie Comics publishing company, SHP Comics, to publish comics based on his writing. His first comic book Kickstarter campaign was 195% funded. His most recent campaign was 260% funded and had a 300% increase in the number of backers. Shawn is currently planning a Kickstarter campaign for a short film based on his comics. He lives in Western Massachusetts with his wife, two kids and two hound dog mixes.