Rooftop Films: Kickstarter Sneak Preview July 9, 2010

VENUE
THE OLD AMERICAN CAN FACTORY
On the roof of The Old American Can Factory
GOWANUS/ PARK SLOPE
232 THIRD ST. AT 3RD AVE., BROOKLYN, NY 11215
F/G to Carroll St. or M/R to Union Ave.
8:00 Doors Open
8:30 Live Music
9:00 Films Begin
11:30 Reception in courtyard

Rooftop Films joins forces with Kickstarter to present a selection of film, video and art projects supported on the new crowd-source funding website kickstarter.com.

Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative ideas and ambitious endeavors, and in the last year hundreds of filmmakers, musicians, artists and organizations have made use of their unique services to get their projects started and finished. Based around the idea that a good idea, communicated well, can spread fast and wide, Kickstarter is spearheading a revolution in creative fundraising, helping artists build their own supportive communities. On this evening we will celebrate many of the exciting new projects that are being produced with support generated through Kickstarter.com.

If you spend a little time at film festivals these days you will hear a lot of griping about the sorry state of financing for independent films. People are quick to declare that the indie film model is broken and that there are no easy answers on the horizon. And the crisis, many doomsayers declare, is not limited to the film world: all independent media is in danger, in one way or another, as a result of the internet and the way that it has transformed the way we consumer media.

There is little doubt that many of the tried and true approaches to raising production funds that were used in the past will not work in the 21st century. But there are a great many innovative new organizations, filmmakers, communities and entrepreneurs who are ready to respond to the challenge and who are discovering new ways to get underground films made, experimental albums recorded, graphic novels printed, alternative video game programmed. At the forefront of this movement is Kickstarter, an online service that brings creators together with supporters.

The basic concept is simple: creators open an account on Kickstarter and post a description (and usually a video) explaining their project and why they need help to get it funded, along with a set goal and a deadline for meeting that goal and a list of goods or services contributors will receive at various donation levels. Once they post their project, the clock starts ticking. If the creators reach their fundraising goal by the deadline, then they get all the money they raised. If they don't reach their goals, they get zilch, and nobody's credit card gets charged.

So why does Kickstarter work? There are a variety of reasons, to be sure. But most importantly, Kickstarter connects artists with their supporters in a very direct way--supporters get regular progress updates and are invited to parties and special events, making them a part of the completion and premiere of the works that they helped to make possible. Breaking down the boundary between creator and supporter creates a new sort of bond between fans and artists, and the appeal of that is obvious; who wouldn't want to have been one of the donors that helped The Pixies to record their first EP? Who wouldn't have given $50 to help Godard buy his film stock for Pierrot Le Fou?

Perhaps the labels, studios, corporations and established benefactors which once supported such artists will be less accessible in the coming years, but projects like Kickstarter make it possible for supporters to actively participate in the creative process and support their favorite creators from the very beginning. Perhaps, as a result, artists will be able to continue to create their work independently without that meaning that they will have to do it all by themselves.

-Dan Nuxoll

Official Website: http://www.rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/23-kickstarter-sneak-previews