‘Veronica Mars’: All the hit movies you didn’t know were crowdfunded
Crowdfunding is now an accepted way to make and finance films and sometimes it really works! That’s not to say it’s not a lot of hard work, but if you’ve got fans dotted around the world, they would love to see a film version of the TV show you were in, and they’re all willing to chip in $10 each to see it, then it’s a win-win. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the biggest and best films that you might not have known were financed by crowdfunding campaigns.
The Age of Stupid
The Age of Stupid‘s $450,000 budget was raised by selling shares to 223 individuals and groups, who each donated between $500 and $35,000. These groups ranged from a hockey team to a health center, with the investors all owning a percentage of the film and receiving a pro-rata share in the profits.
Blue Ruin
Jeremy Saulnier made his breakthrough film with the help of both Kickstarter and his own savings. The film raised $35,000 on the crowdfunding site, with the film going on to win the John Cassavetes Award at the 2015 Independent Spirit Awards.
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing) turned to Kickstarter when he wanted to make Da Sweet Blood of Jesus in 2014. The project’s original goal was to raise $1,25 million though it ultimately raised $1.4 million, with people like Steven Soderbergh (Unsane) chipping in a cool $10,000 to get the project off the ground.
David Lynch: The Art Life
David Lynch turned to crowdfunding to make this documentary about his life and work, which was filmed over four years and was made up of over twenty conversations with the great director. In the documentary, Lynch talks about his upbringing in Idaho and Montana before moving to Philadelphia to become a painter and starting production on Eraserhead. Definitely money well spent!
Innocente
The 2012 short documentary film directed by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix went on to become the first crowdfunded project to win an Oscar. The film is also now available for communities and schools along with companion arts workshops developed by Shine Global and partners.
Veronica Mars
Fans of the TV show stumped up a pretty amazing $5.7 million in crowdfunding to see a film version of the much loved show, with it clocking up its first $2 million in less than eleven hours. Just goes to show what the power of the fandom love can do.
Welcome to Leith
This American documentary about white supremacist Craig Cobb was made after directors Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker managed to raise over $60,000 off the back of a Kickstarter campaign.
Zombie Hunter
Danny Trejo (Machete) in a film called Zombie Hunter is pretty much what crowdfunding is all about. The film needed more funds to finish the production and the fans dutifully coughed up the extra $45,000 that they needed.
