Kickstarter is one of several great sites that musicians, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs can use to raise funds for a project. The idea is that you reach out to your network of friends, family, and followers and invite them to donate to your cause and help you get your project off the ground. You set a monetary goal, as well as unique gifts or rewards for donating at certain price points. In the event that you DON’T reach your monetary goal, you don’t receive ANY of the donations. Personally, I think it’s a pretty cool concept, and the possibility of not hitting your goal is a great motivation for you to really get out there and promote the campaign, and for your friends to do the same.

Kickstarter encourages all campaigns to upload a video introducing the project, and if you Google “how to make a great Kickstarter video,” you’ll probably find a bunch of “top ten” lists for what you “must do” to succeed. Here’s one article that was passed on to me that I find particularly interesting: The Ultimate Crowdfunding To-Do List Before You Launch

As a consumer, when I’m considering pledging money to a campaign, there are a few basic things that are important to me. I want the video to be well thought out, (not a stream-of-consciousness monologue), brief, and I want to feel like if I donate, I’m going to be a part of something. In other words, I’m not donating to your album solely because I want you to succeed… I’m pledging because I want to have had a part in your success.

As a video producer, I want to see a video that’s professional, (Ideally made with an actual video camera and halfway decent audio) that shows me why you’re so passionate about your product or project, and why it’s important to you that your followers are included in the project.

For what it’s worth, that’s my two cents!