Crowdfunding for filmmakers. It’s a crowded space, and in the continuing quest for the best crowdfundign site for filmmakers, I can now report that I’ve landed on Patreon. Although I’m still early on in the process of evaluating how Patreon will fit in when it comes to my long term strategy, I want to tell you why I can give a tentative thumbs up to this site. The fact of the matter is that when it comes to crowdfunding for filmmakers who have numerous funding strategies working for them, it’s a good idea to choose Patreon.

Patreon bills itself as the world’s fastest growing crowdfunding site for creative artists and who are also creative professionals. As one of those creative types, I can tell you the site passes the smell test. It handles professionals’ needs in an efficient and professional way, but does not let go of the gung-ho and fun spirit that adds to creating an enjoyable experience. Put simply: Patreon takes its mission seriously, but doesn’t take itself too seriusly. I mean, what can you say about a company that signs off official correspondence, like customer service responses for example, by saying “Love, Evan (or whoever happens to be responding to you). I know this is part of the template response, but it’s cute and I like (love?) the ethos behind it.
Still, let’s talk about those customer service emails. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the glacial and sometimes nonexistent response by the customer service team (and I use the word “service” loosely) over at Tubestart.com was one of the main reasons I didn’t set up a campaign over there. They just seem to treat the site as anything more than a moonlighting effort at best. When one of the founders is keeping his day job as a producer for other media and production companies, it’s not a good sign that they’re all-in for their own product.
As I set up my Patreon page, though,I’ve had four questions about the Patreon processs. To be clear, these were not issues about malfunctions or performance issues. – Two queries were feature requests, one was about a specific issue regarding the W9 form I was filling out and another had to do with a metatag question in promoting my feed. Each question was answered within less than an hour, even during peak business hours. What’s more, I got the distinct impression that Patreon puts a premium on making sure you feel like you’re not an idiot for asking the question and that they seem genuinely interested in helping you solve your problem. Yes, there is probably a template, but with four pieces of correspondence, the responses were tweaked in a way that seemed to show someone human was behind the keyboard. I like that.
Now, let’s talk about the bigger issue. Does Patreon work?

The “crowdfunding for filmmakers” dealbreaker: effectiveness

This is the bottom line, and the answer is a qualified “yes.” What you have to wrap yor head around when using Patreon is that this is a new paradigm for crowdfunding. When it comes to crowdfunding for filmmakers, you will need to embrace the idea that you will not be able to fund your entire film or series quickly or all at once. That’s not really what Patreon is set up to do. Patreon generates a regular stream of funding, and the size of that funding stream is entirely dependent on how many backers you have and, perhaps most importantly, how happy they are with what you produce. As a filmmaker and video content creator, Patreon works for me because my documentary is accompanied by an ongoing web series. The material for that series is derived from the content we create as the documentary progresses, and Patreon backers’ pledges help support the editing and post-production expenses associated with that part of the creative process.
The Patreon model is based on the idea that backers are essentially leaving pledges in your digital tip jar as you serve them content. As anyone who has ever waited tables knows, it’s hard to live on tips… so don’t plan to. While there are many outliers in the Patreon ecosystem who are doing very well, my goal, and yours too, should be to establish and cultivate a community that is dedicated to supporting work they believe in. Just like not everyone who listens to NPR will pledge, not everyone who likes your content will be willing to pay for it. Your job, therefore, is to find the people who will.
This leads to a different kind of artist/audience relationship and it has to be managed with care. I’ve made a decision to ask for pledges in the $1-$5 range, because I don’t want any single backer to feel like the success or failure of my creative efforts rests solely on their shoulders. However, at the same time, I don’t want them to feel like their pledge is so insignificant that I can do without it. That’s a tricky balancing act, and the only solution is regular engagement with my backers. I find this to be fulfilling and increasingly valuable to the process. Patreon does not tend to result in the $1000 contribution.
The thing is… I want that large pool of small backers, so I’m a good fit for Patreon. I have an initial goal of getting 100 backers on board and this process – getting my backers one at a time – will take time. It also means that I need to take extra care to respect and engage with my backers. What I’m finding is that the micropayment approach to this kind of crowdfunding for filmmakers stands to create a real and lasting bond between me, my work and the community supporting it, and that is a great way to live as an artist. It makes me work for every backer and every pledge.
I’m also seeing an interesting unintended consequence to using Patreon, which I also like a lot.Knowing that I will only receive pledges as a result of creating content makes my work as a creative artist feel like a regularly paying gig. This is a good thing. I’ve committed to producing a video roughly every ten to twelve days, and as my pledge base grows from this method of crowdfunding for filmmakers, It’s like getting a raise each time a patron signs on, and that’s not only extremely gratifying, it keeps me from being that lonely artist holed up in the studio, shunning society for the sake of art. I have to engage and get out there, or my work will not be seen. While most artists might instinctively shy away from the idea of having a “job,” I very much like the idea that creating this content on a regular basis is my job. I feel more responsible to my audience and am very dedicated to their experience. With Kickstarter and Indiegogo, I can tell you from the contributor’s point of view that I have often felt very used after the process is over. Yes, I got a nice mug or poster out of the deal, but my relationship with the crowdfunder seemed to end as soon as the check cleared. With Patreon, there is something deeper going on. I hope my audience feels that they have a direct relationship with me in the long term. that can only help the artist.
The bottom line is that as far as crowdfunding for filmmakers is concerned, Patreon fits in a certain kind of strategy. Most filmmakers and content creators I know have set up a multiple pronged approach when it comes to funding their work, one built on a combination of grants, sponsorships and public (ie crowdsourced) funding. Patreon fits that approach. It’s one of the legs of the chair.
As my relationship with Patreon as one of more popular crowdfunding sites for filmmakers continues, what I am going to be looking out for is backer retention. I hope my backers will stick with me while I grow as an artist and produce content that is unique and thought provoking, funny and fun. The prospect of a deeper relationship raises the stakes for me, and I hope that if I am responsible about it on my end, the reward will be the circle of community I’m always talking about.
I of course invite you to check out my Patreon page and become a backer. And I invite your feedback on the explainer video and the videos you have access to once you make a pledge to the video feed.

EXTRAS

Here’s an interesting book about the latest trends when it comes to crowdfunding for filmmakers.

The picture above was shot with a Panasonic HPX250.

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