Saturday, December 3, 2011

Newsletters and Fundraising




Asking people for money is always a bit awkward. I've had very few opportunities in life to do so. But, with this film getting closer to completion I have come to the stage where asking is an important part of the process. Some readers may have received an email newsletter this last week. For those who didn't, check it out HERE. I tried to strike a balance between humility and self promotion. It's uncomfortable putting your endeavours out there and telling others they should be opening their checkbooks for you. But Im feeling pretty good about the film so far and think it's worth putting out there for the world to see. I have gotten a few negative responses from people who were offended I would ask them for money. But mostly the response has been favorable. The negative reactions are a good opportunity to thicken my skin and stem, I think, from a basic misunderstanding of how documentary films are made. No one gets rich doing this. If my wildest fundraising dreams came true I would break even. I've taken the film this far and I'm only raising money to get the rest of the way.

My next post will be about some of the specific progress being made on the film.