Kickstarting Documentary Projects

It seems that in today’s world of documentary filmmaking, there is an increased demand in not only being creative on-screen, but getting creative in how the film itself is financed.  While there are many ways to fund a documentary film, one of the more popular ways is Kickstarter.com.  You set a financial goal, establish an incentive structure based on dollar amounts donated, make an appeal to the best of your ability and then promote it like mad.  You either get the money because it was pledged or you don’t, it’s that simple.

Recently, I came across two documentary projects on Kickstarter that are very intriguing and worthy of supporting, either through promotion or donation.  I would encourage each and every one of you to do what you can to get both of these films funded and released.

Concerto for Two Brothers

A project by Cristina Cassidy, Concerto for Two Brothers examines the lives of two brothers that are amazing classical musicians and have lived through their share of life-changing difficulties ranging from a controlling father to cancer.  They have both relied on their love of music in order to bring a sense of healing to their lives.  The question that this film raises is simple, “are we who we are because of our past, or in spite of it?”

Watching the five minute teaser trailer on the Kickstarter page, two things struck me.  One, the production value and time spent producing a great film is evident in each frame.  Two, there is a tremendous potential for this film to tell the compelling story of virtuosity, heartache and restoration.

The Concerto for Two Brothers project goal is $25,000 and currently has 5 backers, raised $250, and has 58 days to go.

I would definitely encourage people to find out more about how they can support this project by visiting the Concerto for Two Brothers Kickstarter project page or by watching the video below.

Urbanized

Have you ever wondered what goes into the design of a city? Documentary filmmaker Gary Hustwit has and he set out to document just what makes some of the world’s largest cities function including issues and strategies behind urban design.

My first experience with Gary Hustwit was his captivating film on the legendary typeface, Helvetica. His second film, Objectified, was a look at the work of product and industrial design. Gorgeous cinematography and great storytelling is a trademark of a Gary Hustwit film and I’m looking forward to seeing what he brings to light in Urbanized.

One thing to note about Gary Hustwit is that he is a trailblazing pioneer in the world of creative funding for documentary filmmaking. He is a passionate storytelling and has an innate ability to get funding in non-traditional, groundbreaking ways. Kickstarter is just an extension of that ability and I for one am taking notes.

The Urbanized project goal is $85,000 and currently has 1,323 backers, raised $85,253, and 11 days remaining.

Find out more about how you can support Urbanized by visiting the Kickstarter Project Page or by watching the video below.

Kickstarter is a great way to fund creative projects and I’m looking forward to seeing both of these projects in their final release because of the support of people sharing not only their money, but their voice. Let’s get these films finished!