Film Handbook

Film Handbook | 1

Table of Contents
3

1. THE FUTURE OF FILM

2. FINANCING YOUR FILM

3. CREATING YOUR CAMPAIGN

11

4. MAINTAINING MOMENTUM

13

5. WRAPPING UP

15 APPENDIX

I. Dos and Donts

II. John T. Trigonis 10 Commandments of Social Media for Film

III. Indiegogo Calendar

IV. Campaign Amplification Kit

V. Additional Resources

Film Handbook | 2

The Future of Film

Fade in. Theres been a creative explosion, due in large part to new ways of
bringing films to life. Filmmakers once faced a multitude of gatekeepers and
nos, whether it was not enough money to secure equipment, or having to work
with (and be accepted by) a studio for production and distribution. For most
folks, filmmaking was the stuff of dreams. Now, with the help of Indiegogo,
its possible to not just fund a film, but its also easier to reach a large, global
community and build an audience.
Its all part of why Slava Rubin, Danae Ringelmann
and Eric Schell formed Indiegogoto help people
find and fund ideas that matter. The trio had met
to discuss creating a new way to raise money for
projects, and at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
solidified their plansto help anyone, anywhere
bring ideas to life. Thing is, films dont just come to
bewhen using Indiegogo, filmmakers have been
able to find great success, in part due to their ability
to stretch their creative freedom. Take Dear White
People, for example. Justin Simeon used Indiegogo
to raise $41,405 to make a trailer to raise money
for a film he had little faith the studio system would
pick up. Not only he surpassed his financial goal,
he activated powerful word of mouth and built an
audience for his feature film. Dear White People went
on to win a swath of awards, including the Special
Jury Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, and
was picked up for distribution by Lionsgate and
Roadside Attractions.

Indiegogo founders Slava Rubin, Danae Ringelmann and Eric Schell

Film Handbook | 3

Image from Life Itself Kevin Horan/Kartemquin

Life Itself, the wonderful documentary on legendary

That fateful forming at Sundance 2008 set the scene,

movie critic Roger Ebert, has also found great success.

and now, seven years later, Indiegogo still remains

Kartemquin Films raised over $150,000 on Indiegogo

the worlds most open, global crowdfunding platform.

before premiering the film at the 2014 Sundance

Filmmakers can raise funds in over 229 countries and

Film Festival, and it was shortlisted as a 2015 Oscar

territories around the world. Were available in four

contender for Best Documentary.

languages (English, French, German and Spanish)

and capable of funding in five currencies (US dollars,

Weve helped countless other filmmakers premiere

Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, euros and pound

projects at Sundance, TIFF, SXSW, Cannes, Tribeca, Hot

sterling), making Indiegogo more accessible than any

Docs, LA Film Fest and dozens more festivals around

other platform of its kind. We offer multiple funding

the world. Weve seen filmmakers win an Oscar and

options, including flexible funding, so you can keep

Best Documentary at Sundance, named a Director to

what you raise, and our new InDemandwhich

Watch by Variety, receive Audience Awards at SXSW

allows you to continue raising funds even after your

several times over, and thats just the tip of the iceberg.

campaign has ended.

Films funded on Indiegogo have been picked up for

distribution by Magnolia, IFC, HBO, CNN, Tribeca Film,

Were Indiegogo. Lets Go Make Films Together.

Lionsgate, and more.

Film Handbook | 4

Financing Your Film

Gone are the days of gatekeepers; funding your next project can be easy.
Heres how: Indiegogo helps you raise money online through contributions
made by many different people who share the same passion for your project.
The benefits of raising funds this way include:
100% creative control.
Early feedback from fans and followers.
Building an audience before and while making your
movie, not just after.
And Indiegogo makes raising money even easier:
Multiple funding models allow you to keep
what you raise.
Receive contributions right away.
Continue raising moneyand engagementafter
your campaign ends, with InDemand.
Get more exposure: every month, Indiegogo
receives more than 7 billion press impressions in
North America and campaigners are featured in top
national and international publications daily, such

Fully connect on social media with your existing

network and expand your reach by activating word
of mouth.
Gain access to insightful data through Indiegogos
exclusive platform.
Low fees (just 4% when you hit your goal).
Breadth of payment options (PayPal, Apple Pay,
credit cards).
Build an international audience (229 countries and
territories; 5 currencies; 4 languages).
A vigilant Trust & Safety team.
More than 15 million monthly visits.
Access to comprehensive educational materials
Questions answered within 24 hours via our
exceptional Customer Happiness Team.

as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and

USA Today.

Film Handbook | 5

Creating Your Campaign

BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY

BUILD YOUR TEAM

The first step in creating your campaign is building

Here at Indiegogo we believe that together we can

your brandand audience. Give yourself a few weeks to

achieve more. Make this your own mantra, and form

prepare, beginning with growing your online community.

a team to help you raise money. Weve found teams

Here are some social media tips to start strong:

of two or more people typically generate 94% more

Create your online presence and keep it consistent

across your website, social media profiles, and blog.
Find other filmmakers and connect with related

funding than projects run by a single campaigner.

Finding the right people is key, of course. Youll want to
assemble a campaign team much the way you would
a crew. Find people who can help you with specific

communities by following #supportindiefilm,

aspects of the campaignfor example, a friend who

#indiefilm, #filmmaking, and our very own

specializes in social media, or graphic design.

#gogofilm, as well as other relevant hashtags.

Support other filmmakers by commenting on
their posts, and share your favorite resources, as
well. Build relationships online just like you would
offline, by giving and receiving, slowly building
mutual trust.
Start blogging, and be sure your posts are relevant
for your desired audience.
Be yourself: never underestimate the power of
authenticity. Let your passion shine, and youll
attract the right fans and contributors for your art.

Its also important to make sure your Indiegogo

profiles are up-to-date and complete with photos,
bios, Facebook info, email verification, and contact info.
The more transparent you are, the more the crowd
will trust you to use their money wisely.
For more pre-campaign advice, check out the
Indiegogo Playbook, as well as Crowdfunding
for Filmmakers author John T. Trigonis
10 Commandments of Social Media,
in the Appendix.

Already have a fan base?

Tap into it to boost your funds. The Wong Fu
creators for example used their YouTube
audience to help them raise money and
beat their film campaign goal by 79%.

Dario Argentos Sandman starring Iggy Pop

Film Handbook | 6

CREATE YOUR INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN PAGE

Once youve established a community base and team,

Heres a basic outline of what a compelling pitch

its time to take the next step and create a campaign.

video should include:

The process is simple. An Indiegogo campaign has three

main components:
1. The Video
2. The Story (Text)
3. The Perks

CREATING A PITCH VIDEO

The pitch video is the single most important element
of your film campaign. Its essentially the elevator pitch
youd give to Harvey Weinstein while traveling from
the lobby to the penthouse. Youve got that much time
to convey who you are, your film idea, and why people
should care about your project enough to help you
fund it. Campaigns with a pitch video raise an average
of 114% more than campaigns that dont. Do itand
keep your video to 2 to 3 minutes in length.

1. Introduction Tell us about yourself. Many

filmmakers make the mistake of not appearing in
their pitch videos. Be. In. Your. Pitch. Video.
2. Pitch Tell us about your film project, and include
the following:
Logline Whats your story in one sentence?
Be succinct.
Purpose Whats the point of the campaign?
Is it for production? Post-production?

Campaigns with a pitch

video raise an average
of 114% more than
campaigns that dont.

Theatrical distribution?
Perks Whats something unique youre offering
in return for a contribution? Entice your funders.
3. Showcase Show us what you can do as a

DO NOT USE A FILM TRAILER OR SCENE

as your video. People give to other people, not
necessarily to projects. You need to share who

filmmaker. Maybe share a few clips of your past

you are, and how your contributors money

work, or some footage from the project at hand.

will be used. Say a few words to your potential

Take a look at how the team behind Band Aid pitched

4. Call to Action Dont leave your crowd hanging.

their project. Their video is funny and engaging, and it

You need to tell them what to do nextwhich is

clearly details how theyd use their funds.

to contribute.

funders, be as personable as possible, and

chances are, youll be rewarded.

Here are some extra examples of great pitch videos:

Miles Ahead

What Lola Wants

Rooster Teeth raised $2,480,334

Film Handbook | 7

YOUR STORY
This is the area of text that will go below your pitch
video, on your campaign page. Youll want to tell your
story, and offer additional details about the project,
such as a breakdown of the budget, a synopsis, and
cast/crew bios.
Keep the text concise and clear, and put yourself in your
readers shoes. Answer a few simple questions:
Who are you?
What are you raising these funds for?
How else can people support your project?
Even if you covered much of this in the pitch video, its
good to have it clearly written, too. Think of the video
and written story this way: before, you were pitching
to Harvey Weinstein in an elevator. Now hes reading
the script. He needs to know more. Tell a compelling
story of why youre passionate about your project, and
present it all in a way that makes others want to be a
part of the story, too.
*Bonus: Add Graphics

Cost breakdown custom graphic for Band-Aid

Custom headers, infographics, and additional

embedded video content tell a more complete and
exciting campaign narrativeand they can help the
overall package feel more engaging.

Custom campaign perk graphics from Iron Sky: The Coming Race

Custom campaign perk graphics from Project for Awesome 2014

Film Handbook | 8

YOUR PERKS

Its important to remember that perk fulfillment takes

Indiegogo allows you to add up to 20 active perks

time and often money. Including digital perks (like

during your campaign. These can be mugs and T-shirts,

film downloads, PDFs of the script, etc.), or offering

yet also be experiences, like screenings, set visits,

only limited editions of handmade perks can help

and Skype sessions. Perks can be cute, too: remember

make things easier. You can also use Indiegogos

Batkid? Perks for film contributions included a hand-

partner, Amplifier, a full-service production and

drawn print by Batkid himself!

fulfillment company that produces, packages, and

ships perks such as shirts, hats, mugs, stickers, and

If you need some ideas, here are some ways to think

more. Any Indiegogo campaign that uses Amplifier

about creating perks:

receives a 10% discount on Amplifier fees, as well

1. The Mandatories

as personalized support from Amplifiers customer

service team, which includes coaching, a best

Social Media shout-out ($10)

practices toolkit, and shipment tracking tools.

Digital download of the film ($20)

Keep in mind, when crafting your perks, make sure

DVD/Blu-ray of the film ($25 - $50)

theyre as relevant as possible, as theyll represent

your brand. Your Indiegogo campaign should be an

2. The Unique Experience

extension of the film its funding.

Livestream a film festival premiere ($25)

Skype/Google Hangout with the director/cast ($100+)
Associate/Executive Producer credit
($1,000 - $5,000+)

Make sure your perks are as relevant as

possible, theyll represent your brand.

3. The Personal Touch

A one-off ukulele song for the funder ($20)

Me and My Mates vs the Zombie Apocalypse offered

Postcards written from Paris ($100)

the opportunity to be a zombie extra. For a bigger

Call action on set! ($500+)

contribution, contributors could receive a role as a

zombie extra who gets killed! The Me and My Mates
creators actually ran a second campaign, too, to give
away more zombie spots!

Film Handbook | 9

YOUR CAMPAIGN GOAL

Indiegogo lets you choose how you want to raise
funds, however you wont be able to switch once your
campaign goes live. Here are your options:
Flexible Funding: You keep your contributions
whether or not you hit your goal.
Fixed Funding: You keep your contributions only
if you hit your goal.
Now, just because your film will cost $50,000 to shoot
doesnt mean that your goal should be $50,000. To help
determine your goal, ask yourself these three questions:
How big is your email and social media influence?
Do you know how youll collect the first 30% of your
funds? Ideally, this portion should come from your
friends, family, and close network.
If so, can you get that 30% within two to three

Set a target at an achievable amount, look to hit

that number in half the time, and then aim high,
and surpass it by the time the campaign closes.
Before all of this, be sure to research the expenses
associated with making and/or finishing your film.
Its also important to take into account any physical
perks youre offering, their costs (plus domestic and
international shipping), and any fees associated with
Indiegogo and payment processing. Add it all into the
amount youre setting as your goal.
For larger film projects, you might want to consider
funding in stages, and running multiple campaigns,
each with a modest goal. Or, you can fund separate
aspects of the project, the way the filmmakers did
for Wyrmwood. They ran two successful campaigns,

days of launch? Youll need momentum early on.

helping them to eventually premiere their film at

Strangers, on average, do not contribute to your

Fantastic Fest, and sell the North American rights to

campaign until they see its reached the 30% mark.

IFC Films and Raven Banner Entertainment.

Use your answers to these questions to set your goal

SETTING YOUR CAMPAIGN DURATION

to a number youre confident you can hit. For instance,

Longer campaigns dont necessarily mean youll raise

if you know you can get $15,000 from your immediate

more money. The longer the campaign, the harder it is

family, friends, and supporters, and youre relatively

to sustain momentum. Campaigns that run between

certain you can convince them to contribute within the

30-40 days tend to raise the most money.

first couple of days, setting a $50,000 goal should be

doable. If theres any doubt, go for a lower amount.

Be sure to leave about three weeks between the

Its important to remember that you can always

your funds, to account for payment processing and

fund your campaign beyond its goal. In fact, 89% of

disbursement.

Indiegogo campaigns that reach their goal go on to

raise 30% more. Set a target at an achievable amount,
look to hit that number in half the time, and then aim

Image from Wyrmwood

end of your film campaign and the date youll need

For more campaign creation advice, check out the

Indiegogo Playbook.

high, and surpass it by the time the campaign closes.

Film Handbook | 10

Maintaining Momentum
Launching a campaign is just the beginning.
The next step is maintaining momentum.

SOFT LAUNCH VS. HARD LAUNCH

All of your outreach should describe the project

A soft launch is when you launch your Indiegogo

succinctly, and not necessarily solicit a contribution,

film campaign by quietly reaching out to your inner

but rather inspire and elicit a reaction. You want your

circle and securing their contributions within the first

network to feel a part of your team, and to want to

48 hours. This way, when you announce a hard launch

make this film with you.

(telling EVERYONE you know about your campaignvia

social media, blogs, etc.) people will see your campaigns

ALWAYS include the link to your campaign at the end

existing momentum and be quick to contribute.

of communications, but focus on the invitation, not the

ask. You will quickly see the impact.

THE HUSTLE
Gone are the opening night jitters. Here you execute

Implement a Public Relations Strategy

your planned strategy.

Draft a press release and send it to bloggers and film

Activate your network. Reach out to your Twitter

followers and Facebook friends.
Find a balance between sharing your campaign and
other informative content.
Tweet and post photos and videos as some of your
promotional material.
Always include your Indiegogo link.
Dont go nuts with hashtags: Nothing spells #newb
like #hashtageverything.

influencers who might be interested in your story and

film campaign. Reach out to newspapers, TV stations
and radio personalities. Press only gets you more
attention, and should not be relied on to convert
page views into contributions.
The press will want to see two things:
1. The project has already raised money
(momentum).
2. Theres a story to tell besides, Filmmaker launches
a campaign.

Dig up that email list of contacts youve compiled

over the years. Instead of sending out a single email

This is why its important to seek out press and PR at

blast to your contacts, compose more personal

the proper time in a campaigns lifespan, usually once

and direct messages to smaller groups.

the 30% contribution mark is hit.

A soft launch is when you

launch your Indiegogo
film campaign by quietly
reaching out to your inner
circle and securing their
contributions within the
first 48 hours.
Film Handbook | 11

Go Offline

Its also a good idea to add new perks. Twenty percent

Think of ways to spread the word in the real world.

of repeat contributions are for perks that were added

You could attend meetups or other events armed

after the campaign went live. You can also remove old

with a pocketful of campaign postcards to hand out,

perks that havent sold to help keep the campaign

each complete with your campaigns short URL.

looking fresh.

Always start a conversation first, then share your

campaigns information.

Stretch for the Stars

If youve played your cards right, youll hit your goal

Keep Spreading the Word

quickly. Heres where stretch goals shine. These are

Use the update feature on your campaignand use

additional goals detailing what you can do with

it well. Update your followers every three to five days.

more funding, which will entice your crowd to

Otherwise, you risk people forgetting about your

continue contributing.

project. Updates get posted to your campaign page, and

are emailed to everyone who has already contributed

Its a good idea to be modest. Hitting $50,000 and then

or is currently following your campaign. Post about

stating you want to go for $200,000 to complete the

campaign progress, new videosanything your

film doesnt work. Instead, after you hit $50,000, set

The team behind Canadian comedy How

audience might find interesting. Be sure to call out any

your first stretch goal at an easily reachable number like

to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town kept

major funding milestone, too: $25K, $50K . . . $100K!

$60,000. Then set the next one at $75,000, and with

momentum steadily rising through engaging

your third one, go long and go for $100,000.

updates (see the Lightning Rounds with each

cast member), creative stretch goals and

Dont be afraid to get funky: Try a stunt in the closing

days or hours of your campaign, such as a dance-a-

For even more advice on running a campaign,

challenges (the production team promised

thon, live stream, or party. Spending a little extra for

check out the Indiegogo Playbook.

to go streaking if they hit 100K!), and a two-

an event can often deliver many times over. The Young

way conversation with fans. Fans created the

Turks raised nearly $100K with their 24-hour stream-

#TeamOrgy hashtag, so the team came out

a-thon. Maybe you can, too!

with #TeamOrgy t-shirts and underwear!

THE LAST STRETCH

A films third act is when we start to question whether
or not our hero will succeed. The same holds true for
an Indiegogo film campaign. People are watching. To
convert those who havent contributed, try creating a
sense of urgency. This should occur when you have
one week or less left in the campaign.

Film Handbook | 12

Wrapping Up
Roll the credits: Your campaign has ended.
Now its time to fulfill your perks. If you believe there will be any delays, let your contributors know right away.
Its now important to continue nurturing the relationships youve established with your contributors and followers
through email and social media: these folks are now your communityyour fan base. Now that your campaign has
wrapped, you can continue to raise awareness around your project. Your Indiegogo campaign page will remain live,
so you can still use it as a platform, to post updates to your community. You can also continue to offer new perks
and raise funds! Indiegogos InDemand allows you to keep raising money even after your campaign endsfor as
long as youd like. For more information, click here.
Thinking about distributing your films on
Vimeo On Demand? Here are just some of the

Our favorite part of the fundraising process was the point

to point interaction with contributors from all over the
world. It wasnt just the money, but the ability to build
a fan base for our film. Indiegogo recognizes this benefit
and provides tools to give you that edge.
- Monnie Wills, Producer, What Lola Wants

benefits youll be able to tap into:

Matching funds: Vimeos new Creator
Fund will commit up to a million dollars in
matching funds for select Indiegogo film
campaigns in 2015.
Free unlimited fulfillment: Participating
campaigns will have access to free
fulfillment on all digital download perks via
Vimeo VOD.
Featured collection on Vimeo: An
Indiegogo Funded Films collection will be
featured on Vimeo, which reaches over 170
million global users a month.
And thats just the start. Read all the details on
our blog and sign up for more information here.

Film Handbook | 13

Case Study: The Space Between

(or How One Creative Campaign Got It Done)

Actor Amy Jo Johnson ran an Indiegogo campaign for her film, The Space
Between, and she did it right. From beginning to end, she gave 110%. Heres how:
Johnson and her producer created attractive
marketing materials and images for specific
perks, and proudly used the Indiegogo logo,
to add branded exposure within her network.
Johnson did this without any assets from her
film, as it had yet to be shot.
Johnson tapped into her massive social
following: 52.6K on Twitter alone, and engaged
them. She let her Power Ranger fans know about
The Space Between.
Johnson created several video updates, because
video speaks louder than words.

the time to do it.)

Johnson offered a bevy of personal perks, and
refreshed themfrom various photo books to
limited-time-only photos of herself busking as the
Pink Power Ranger.
Johnson was creative and asked her friends for
help. She had her fellow Power Rangers each
record a video essentially daring her to busk in
her pink costume, if the crowd helped her reach
her $75,000 goal.
Johnson set a realistic goal. For example, she knew
she could receive 30% of her goal, early on.

She had fun! (You could tell in her videos, that she

Amy Jo Johnson, writer and director of The Space Between

was enjoying engaging her audience, and she took

I truly think one of the reasons why the campaign worked were the video messages and
voice messages that everyone got on certain days. I would do a 24-hour sale. Anyone who
donated in the next 24 hours got a personal video message. Other days it was personal
voice message. Then we would deliver these a few days later while the campaign was
still running. It seemed to really bring in a ton of traffic every time we did this.
- Amy Jo Johnson

Film Handbook | 14

Appendix
Film Handbook | 15

I. DOs and DONTs

offer a $25 perk. Its the most

forget to encourage your crowd

claimed perk level.

to share, tweet, post, and email.

Theyll help you grow.

overuse the words help and

money. Youre giving fans the
opportunity to participate in your project.

seek out potential large, sponsor-driven

contributors. Think of a brand or business
that might go in for that $10K+ executive producer

your research. Search the site. Find films

perk, to have their name mentioned.

similar to yours, and look at their results.

Figure out what they did right, and what they did wrong.

send passive messages. Each

tweet or Facebook post should

spam via email, social media,

either inform or be a direct call to action.

or through too many updates.

Remember the old saying: Do unto others You dont
like a clogged inbox, either.

regularly update your campaign page. It

will allow you to continue updating your
contributors all the way to the films release.

host online events. Reddit AMAs, Tweetchats,

Google Hangouts on Air, or even a YouTube

be a stranger. Stay in touch with

live stream hosted by the Indiegogo video player.

Indiegogo. Were here to support

you throughout your careerand we want to hear your
success stories!

Film Handbook | 16

II. John T. Trigonis 10 Commandments

of Social Media for Film
1. You shall engage an audience before you
launch a campaign

5. You shall always use relevant #hashtags

8. You shall schedule your outreach in advance

On Twitter, and even on Facebook, too, be sure to

Its okay to use a service like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite

Its not enough to build an audience anymore. You

hashtag words and phrases relevant to your film

to schedule Tweets and other updates ahead of time.

must engage and interact with one, and before your

campaign. It makes it easier for random people to find

Since crowdfunding is a full-time job, you want to

campaign even starts. Social media should be treated

your project. Unsure which hashtags would be best?

make it as seamless as possible. The one thing you

like a dialogue between friendsa two-way street

Check them out at hashtagify.me.

cant really schedule are your replies, comments, and

rather than a one-way road with no turns.

retweets, and those are just as important as promoting

2. You shall give value with every update

6. On Twitter, you shall not use all 140

characters

In crowdfunding, its not in a filmmakers best interest to

People need their space, and some prefer to append

9. You shall not spam

talk all or mostly about her or his projects. Youll want to

their own messages instead of quickly clicking

While crowdfunding is a full-time job and you should

show your followers that youre worth the follow. Thats

the retweet button. Once your message is written,

maintain a steady presence on your social media

how you build yourself into the online film community.

hashtags appended, and link included, you want to

sites while in campaign mode, you should still be

have around fifteen characters remaining.

interacting with your followers in ways unrelated to

3. You shall be active on no more than five

social media sites

your campaign.

your Indiegogo campaign.

Leslie Poston, co-author of Twitter for Dummies, says that

7. You shall use images because they speak

louder than words

you should be on no more than five social media sites

Statistically, there is a greater click-through rate on

10. You shall keep up your activity even after

the campaign ends

at a time. Any more and your own level of engagement

Tweets, Facebook and Google Plus posts when an

Even while filming your movie, and while youre locked

is bound to wane, and thus you wont be able to interact

image or video is included. Include an image the

away in the editing room, keep the interaction with

with as many fans and fellow filmmakers.

thumbnail of your campaign or specially designed

your audience going strong. The minute you drop off,

social media promotional materials or a video like

they drop off.

4. You shall always include your campaign link

When tweeting about your campaign, always include a
link to its Indiegogo campaign page, so the first thing
a potential contributor sees after they click the link is
your campaign video.

your campaign video, to give people more of a reason

to check out your campaign and possibly contribute.
John T. Trigonis is the author of Crowdfunding
for Filmmakers: The Way to a Successful Film
Campaign and Indiegogos Film Campaign
Specialist. Follow him on Twitter.

Film Handbook | 17

III. Indiegogo Calendar

Sunday

Monday

Sunday

Sunday

Finish filming video

15

Sunday

Email outreach,
lock in host committee

22

Sunday

29

Build a team

Monday

Monday

16

Monday

Let PayPal know you're

running a campaign

23

Monday

SOFT LAUNCH
Trigger Host
Committee outreach

30

Post new
gallery images
Reply to comments

Email Blast Group 2

Reply to comments

Sunday

12

Draft Press outreach

(stories on embargo until
public launch) / Precampaign email / 'Thank
You' email

Monday

Post new gallery images

Reply to comments

Tuesday

Begin campaign pitch and

video

Sunday

Tuesday

Monday
Reply to comments

13

Wednesday

Start campaign draft:

decide on goal & campaign
length

10

Tuesday
Set up & verify
PayPal account

17

Tuesday

24

Tuesday
PUBLIC LAUNCH
Email Blast Group 1

31

Tuesday
Shareable Update
Reply to comments

Tuesday
Reply to comments

14

Thursday

Wednesday

11

Wednesday

Design perk structure (Make

sure fulfillment is feasible)

18

Wednesday
Design Stretch Goals

25

Wednesday

Reply to comments on your

campaign page

Wednesday
Reply to comments

Wednesday
Launch new perk
Shareable Update
Reply to comments

15

Friday

Saturday

Fill out Marketing Workbook

Thursday

12

Thursday

19

Thursday

26

Thursday
Shareable Update
Reply to comments

Thursday
Shareable Update
Reply to comments

Thursday
Reply to comments

2
9

16

Friday

Write a Press Release

13

Friday

Create visual resources

(infographics, etc.)

20

Friday

27

Friday

Reply to comments

Friday

Reply to comments

10

Friday

Reply to comments

17

Saturday

14

Saturday
Finish editing video

21

Saturday

28

Saturday
Reply to comments

Saturday
Reply to comments

Saturday

4
11

Reply to comments

18

Film Handbook | 18

Sunday
Post new gallery images
Reply to comments

19

Sunday

Post new gallery images

Reply to comments

26

Monday

Tuesday

Reply to comments

LAUNCH CONTEST
Reply to comment

20

Monday
LAUNCH FINAL
PUSH PROMOTION
Reply to comments

27

Sunday

Monday

BEGIN PERK
FULFILLMENT
Reply to comments

Reply to comments

Sunday

Sunday

2
9

16

Sunday

23

Sunday

30

Sunday

Monday

10

Monday

17

Monday

24

Monday

31

Monday

Wednesday

21

Tuesday
Reply to comments

28

Tuesday
Reply to comments

Tuesday

Tuesday

4
11

18

Tuesday

25

Tuesday

Tuesday

1
8

Thursday

Reply to comments

22

Wednesday

Send 48hr countdown

update via campaign page
update or email
Reply to comments

29

Wednesday
UPDATE
Reply to comments

Wednesday
UPDATE

12

Wednesday
UPDATE

19

Wednesday
UPDATE

26

Wednesday

Wednesday

Friday

UPDATE
Reply to comments

23

Thursday

24hr countdown update

Enter bank account
information on Get
Funded if you havent
already

30

Thursday
Reply to comments

Thursday

13

Thursday

20

Thursday

27

Thursday

Thursday

10

Saturday

Reply to comments

24

Friday

CAMAPIGN ENDS
Reply to comments

31

Friday

Reply to comments

Friday

14

Friday

Friday

21

28

Friday

Friday

4
11

Reply to comments

25

Saturday
UPDATE
Reply to comments

Saturday
Reply to comments

Saturday

1
8

15

Saturday

22

Saturday

29

Saturday

Saturday

12
Film Handbook | 19

IV. Campaign Amplification Kit

(All listed resources are linked to Google Docs.)

Youve successfully launched your campaign and have engaged your network.
Now its time to maintain your campaigns momentum and promote your
campaign beyond your own network.

WEBINAR PRESENTATION

SOCIAL MEDIA

Amplification Webinar

Promoting Your Campaign With Social Media

Amplification Webinar Slides

Reddit 101

BUILDING CAMPAIGN MOMENTUM

Post, Pin, & Tweet: The Best Time to Outreach

(courtesy of SurePayroll)

How to Run a Referral Contest

Building Stretch Goals
Campaign Updates

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Explore successful Indiegogo campaigns
Indiegogo Playbook

CAMPAIGN OUTREACH
4 Steps to Email Outreach Success
Tracking Paid Placement in 4 Steps

Indiegogo Blog
Have questions? Email the Customer Happiness
Team

Campaign Marketing Workbook

Cross-Promotion Best Practices

Film Handbook | 20

V. Additional Resources
INDIEGOGO PARTNERS
Indiegogo has many great film partners:
Vimeo

CROWDFUNDING
NEWS RESOURCES
A growing variety of film and digital news sites have
created their own crowdfunding columns. When

INDIEGOGO RESOURCES
Playbook
Blog

IFP (Independent Filmmaker Project)

reaching out to these sites, keep in mind that youre not

Start your campaign

IDA (International Documentary Association)

the only one. Be direct and personable, and make the

Browse film campaigns

CFC (Canadian Film Center)

DOC (Documentary Organization of Canada)
YouTube

sites editor realize your project is special.

Twitch Film
Indiewire (see their Project of the Day/Week/

Indiegogo Film on Twitter

Indiegogo on Twitter

Month/Year)

Austin Film Society

Tubefilter

Columbia University

Bloody Disgusting

Fractured Atlas

io9

VHX

Nerdist

Slated

No Film School

IndieReign
Amplifier
Partnering with one of these groups before you launch
your campaign adds a source of promotion and support,
thanks to their branded pages on Indiegogo.com. You
can be a current member of these organizations, or an
alumnus. If the organization is a 501c3, you will receive
a 25% discount on your fees. If its a standard partner,
you will receive a 10% discount on fees.

START TODAY!
Film Handbook | 21