A Film for the 99% Crowdfunds Success
By Way of Home was a film that simply had to be made. The film was inspired by our own stories and the stories of those close to us. People who’s lives have been put on hold due to the current economic climate in the US. So many friends losing their jobs, indebted to school loans, being forced to move back home. The film’s script took shape in the months leading up to February of 2012 and with only myself and five actors we began our shoot. All of our locations were free, I shot, recorded sound, and directed. Though shooting with no budget and no crew was arduous - It was also very liberating. We had the time to really concentrate on performance and telling the story. Crowdfunding represents freedom for independent creatives, weather your funding post for your feature or raising capitol for your prototype. It gives creative people everywhere a chance to develop an audience and actually build support from people who have a true interest in their work. Last Ditch Pictures has, in essence, been crowdfunding for several years through fundraising screenings, donations, parties etc. But using RocketHub has really streamlined the process and allowed us to reach beyond our immediate friends and family for support. My biggest piece of advice to anyone looking to crowdfund a project is to create something you really believe in and demonstrate that belief and passion in your campaign. If you’re passion comes through so will your fuel! - Isaak James, Director, Screenwriter, Producer, and Cinematographer
- November 6, 2012
‘Clean the World’ Helps with Sandy Clean Up
Superstorm Sandy left a trail of destruction and devastation in the Northeast United States. As part of the Sandy relief effort, Clean the World is providing needed hygiene kits to those in affected areas of New Jersey and New York City. The kits consist of hygiene items including soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. They meet the basic hygiene needs of families in need after the storm. Clean the World is working with relief organizations that already have on-the-ground distribution in the Northeast to quickly get the hygiene kits to those who need them most. You can help this effort. For every dollar donated to Clean the World directly or through the RocketHub campaign, a hygiene kit will be delivered to the distributing relief organization. Clean the World already prepared 3,000 hygiene kits. Your contributions will support the delivery of those kits, and the assembly and delivery of 10,000 more in the coming days. - The RocketHub Team Photo Courtesy of Justin Lane / European Pressphoto Agency
- November 2, 2012
Crowdfunding a Meth Lab (…for Science)
Hands down my biggest inspiration: friends and supporters in the online scientific community. Over a year’s worth of discussions and debates on Twitter with passionate, well-informed people – 90% of whom I’ve never met – have shaped my thinking on where Science has been and where it’s going. I wouldn’t have gotten up the courage to set such an ambitious fundraising goal without their insights, referrals and constructive criticism. The inspiration for the project itself, which we dubbed Crowdsourcing Discovery, is the specific need to reinvigorate basic research into the cellular effects of the class of drugs called amphetamines. Despite the fact that millions of people take these drugs every day, from kids with ADD on Adderall (aka amphetamine) to addicts hooked on crystal meth (aka methamphetamine), amphetamines cause complex changes in brain cells that we still don’t fully understand. We’re proposing to spend $25,000 for up to 3 months of focused experiments using proven techniques to create a map of where radioactive amphetamines accumulate inside brain cells of laboratory mice, the first step in determining how these drugs actually work, pharmacologically speaking, in people. Another motivation for our project is the antiquated government-grant funding model, which favors incremental projects from established labs at the expense of unconventional, riskier projects from less established labs. 80% of proposals for the make-or-break grant called the R01, which provides public funding for laboratory-based biomedical research up to $250,000/year, are rejected after slow and inefficient peer review organized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For some perspective on the numbers involved: the annual budget of the NIH is over $30,000,000,000; and the average age at which independent academic scientists receive their first R01 is 42. As a young independent scientist, the funding outlook is not good, especially for sums like $25,000, which is a fraction of the R01 but difficult to procure from traditional funding sources. Also, under the current system, there are few incentives to share unpublished data and results as they trickle in or to interact with the public, whose tax dollars fund the research in the first place. The competition will only get more intense with scheduled federal budget cuts on the horizon. We want to experiment with a new “open covenant” based on data sharing and online engagement with the public. I definitely stand on the shoulders of giants. For example, the scientists involved with #SciFund Challenge – the “for us, by us” scientist crowdfunding consortium – have done the real trailblazing over the last year, and are about to start their third round of projects. Although to date most SciFund projects don’t meet the strict definition of biomedical research, I learned a lot from their experiences. The response to our campaign has been really positive! Like any campaign, it’s all about getting the word out in our distraction-filled, time-crunched world. We’re extremely lucky that we have supporters who volunteer their time and energy to evangelize on our behalf. For success, study successful and unsuccessful campaigns! I did. It’s best to make as many apples-to-apples comparisons as you can so that you may glean what works and what doesn’t in your particular domain. The most practical bit of advice I can give is to partner with a professional video design team, especially if you’re looking to raise significant sums, i.e., > $10,000. I have absolutely zero experience making compelling, creative videos; so my DIY video was DOA. I hired a LA-based professional video design team made up of animator Ryan Griffin, voice artist and editor Veronica Amaya, and composer Jon Steinmeier. It required spending my own money upfront, but scientists, especially in academia, should see this an opportunity to fortify their online presence and reputation. Finally, don’t be shy about cold emailing science writers and reporters! Crowdfunding campaigns that require more than 100 people will need amplification generated by print and online media coverage to rise above the everyday din of Internet traffic. - Ethan Perlstein, Evolutionary Pharmacologist, Independent Research Fellow at Princeton, Crowdfunding Innovator
- October 31, 2012
Women on the Move - Photographing a Historical Movement
For 35 years since I was the official photographer at the First National Women’s Conference, I have lived with the women of Houston, their faces and gestures seared into my mind, their issues, their energy, their nobility, their dreams as I acknowledged and preserved them have been my almost daily companions. “Politics is my Bag”; “pro-God, pro-family, pro-ERA”; “Keep ‘Em in the Closet”; “we didn’t burn ‘em”; “Pro-Plan”; “Majority”; Puerto-Rico”; “Alcoholism is a Women’s Issue”…..High Chief Pulu Peneueta , Mayor of Pago Pago, American Samoa; Agnes Dill, of the Isleta Laguna tribe; Freddie Groomes; Gracia Molina Pick; baby Era; Frances Gubbins; Peggy Kokernot, Michele Cearcy, Sylvia Ortiz; Leah Novick; Alice Bibeau and Colleen Wong…all as close to me, or closer, than others I photographed there such as Jean Stapleton, Betty Ford, Coretta Scott King, Maya Angelou. It is a great joy and seems almost a miracle to rediscover these women after 35 years, and at the celebration they will be stepping out of my photographs and onto the stage of history (which they never left, just disappeared from view for a while.) The support (50/50 men and women) has been mostly by word of mouth as I assembled the videos and am now preparing to send out a newsletter to my list with the RocketHub announcement. I am confident that I will reach the goal and I know it will bring pleasure to those who have participated. My main reward for modest to moderate level donations is my first book of photography ever - I have learned so much from this experience! How to self-publish; create a newsletter and a website from scratch; and all from the generative base of a RocketHub campaign which I think incentivized me more than the funding amount can ever indicate. It’s all there in the great RocketHub advice for Creatives; among the most important success tool mentioned is to get your videos ready ahead of time for a quicker start-up, and I found it challenging to get people on board to join the conversations! Based on my experience, the Creative can expect to gain much more than dollars in the process-he or she will be surprised by some side effect that may be more important that the immediate project being fueled. So get ready for blast-off with RocketHub!! - Diana Mara Henry, Photographer, Innovator, and Journalist Photos Courtesy of Diana Mara Henry - Copyright © www.dianamarahenry.com
- October 29, 2012
EnergeticXChange - Australian Startup, Building the Collaborative Economy
The realisation of our human connectedness and the simplest of ways in which needs and offerings can find each other all throughout the planet. It was this realisation that brought us to the understanding of how the dynamic of giving and receiving are one and the same and that in this realisation, we were actually able to bring to life a practical and simple way in which all people could participate with ease, in having all their needs met. It was only after this point, when we were in the final stages of bringing together the project, that luminaries, authors, writers and some of the media started referring to EnergeticXChange as potentially a ‘New Economic Paradigm” of giving, that could very well meet the needs of all on the planet, where all people- their needs and offerings, now had equal value and equal importance. This was a very uplifting illumination for us and it continues to evolve ever day as we have growing participation and new dimensions of giving and their energies spur us along! Having participated in the old paradigm of funding through avenues such as venture capitalism, the observation is not so much the technology that makes the difference, but rather the energy and the intentions of those involved in the giving. In the old paradigm, people’s first motivation was “What am ‘I’ going to get”. They equated giving with taking and taking more than they were giving. This was a completely imbalanced approach and already started most ventures off in the wrong direction. In the way that RocketHub have approached this, it attracts a very different energy of giving. People giving here are actively and intentionally thinking of what impact it is their giving is going to have on changing the world to a better, more interesting or more equitable world. This is already a major energetic shift away from the old paradigm of thought and is generating an awareness that giving itself can be its own reward. The RocketHub FAQ section was a great first starting point for organising tasks and in making sure that our project’s message was communicated with clarity and simplicity. In communicating this, we wanted people to be able to identify with the ‘Why’ it was they needed to participate and what true benefit they would receive in their participation. The other practical thing we felt it was important to do, was to have no fear in getting everyone to rally around the project to gain support. While email and social networks were helpful, the greatest success in gathering people to fuel the project, was by making personal contact with them, if not in person, then either through phone or Skype communications. People are very willing to help, in all respects, but they need to feel that they are part of what you are doing and that their role plays a direct part in the impact that your project is going to have on the world! - Lali George Kaponay, Founder of EnergeticXChange
- October 26, 2012
Crowdfunding a Book on Kindness and Friendship
‘A Trixi, a Shmoop and a Monster’ is a quirky tale about three seemingly different characters who unexpectedly become friends— all the while illuminating the power of kindness and encouraging self-empowerment. I actually wrote this book almost 3 years ago when I was teaching at an enrichment center and wanted a cute way to show my students that manners, kind words and friendship would get them far father than arguing! After a half-hearted attempt at publishing it, I stashed it away in a drawer. For the past three years I’ve been a volunteer for this wonderful non-profit called Life Vest Inside that promotes the power of kindness in everyday life. Noticing that their ‘Kindness Curriculum’ didn’t cover the early childhood age range I enjoy so much, I stepped up to fill that gap. A Trixi, a Shmoop and a Monster was so fitting for the project, I must have been destined to find this non-profit! Because Life Vest Inside has given so much to me, I wanted to give back 20% of the book proceeds back to the organization in the spirit of kindness. The verbal and written support is overwhelming. The financial support is… getting there! We’ve had such a great response but because the impact of our project is a bit more abstract than some of the amazing, tangible products featured, I think it takes a bit more coaxing. The beautiful thing about this project is not only are you funding an 8 x 11, wonderfully illustrated children’s book with an ever applicable message— you are funding the opportunity for the conversation of KINDNESS to really flourish within the school system. There is a lot happening in the way of anti-bullying- we want to attack the issue from another angle and rather than anti-anything, approach this will PRO-kindness. You can do it! Secondly, having an awesome video is the key to success in my opinion. Sometimes your product can speak for itself, but in most cases you need to show WHY you’re so passionate about your fundraiser. If you can’t show your passion, there’s no way you can expect someone else to feel it too. - Tory Dube, Writer, Actor and Humanitarian
- October 23, 2012
White House Visits RocketHub HQ
Yesterday, RocketHub hosted a roundtable discussion between members of the New York City entrepreneurial and small business community, and President Barack Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness. The Jobs Council was created to provide non-partisan advice to the President on continuing to strengthen the Nation’s economy, ensuring the competitiveness of the United States, and on ways to create jobs, opportunity, and prosperity for the American people. In attendance were: Don Graves, Executive Director of the Jobs Council Danielle Evers, Associate Director of the Jobs Council Ann Li, Managing Director of the New York City Economic Development Corp. Amy Chester, Director of New Projects at the Freelancers Union Mischa Byruck, Account Manager & Small Business Consultant for NYC Business Solutions Alongside founders and CEOs from fifteen start-ups and small business - they discussed topics including crowdfunding, The JOBS Act, taxes, affordable health insurance, and other challenges start-ups face. During the course of the meeting Andy Krafsur, CEO of Spira Footwear, announced that his RocketHub crowdfunding campaign had just closed, raising over $42,000 to fund the development of his new product line, and that he is looking forward to the implementation of the JOBS Act so that he can offer his loyal customer base the opportunity to invest in his company. Stay tuned for more updates as RocketHub continues to lead the crowdfunding movement on the governmental level. - The RocketHub Team
- October 19, 2012
A Global Theatre Dream Comes to Life
My inspiration has come mainly from two sources: What I call “living examples” of talent, tenacity and work ethic: my parents, many of my friends and teachers as well as people in the performing arts keep providing an immense source of inspiration that has led me to undertake this crowdfunding adventure. One of this great examples is my singing teacher in New York, who gave me this quote from Anton Chéjov that has always lifted me up whenever I’ve doubted if the fulfilment of my dream is possible: “Art, especially the stage, is an area where it is impossible to walk without stumbling. There are in store for you many unsuccessful days and whole unsuccessful seasons…there will be great misunderstandings and deep disappointments. You must be prepared for all of this, expect it, and nevertheless, stubbornly, fanatically follow you own way”. It’s clear that I am now going through financial hardship…but I am indeed stubbornly “rocketing” my passion!!!! Music: I know it’s veeeeery cheesy to say that the hills are alive with the sound of music…but behind that cliché, really, lies an enlightning truth: music brings extra quiality, brightness and flavour to life. It reveals an additional, more enriching, meaning of the reality that it is linked to: that’s what Rodgers and Hammerstein wanted to say to us. Music is clearly the fuel of my willpower! What has your experience been as a RocketHub crowdfunding pioneer in the world of singing, acting, and musical theatre - how are your supporters responding? Unbeatable! Putting a crowdfunding page together makes you review, in a way, your career as a performer so far: it makes you be very aware of where you’ve come from, where you’re at, and where you want to get, since you have to think about all that in order to get it across to potential fuelers as clearly, concisely and passionately as possible. But then again the response of my supporters is being terriffic: you sort of expect that your family and closest friends make their small contribution, you hope that “regular” friends will give it a chance too, but when you see that people you don’t know also join in…that’s when you know that you’ve really broken the fourth wall!! I think passion and strategy are the keys to any successful crowdfunding project. You have to be convinced, determined, positive that you are going to reach your goal: any fears or insecurities you might have will be reflected on your page even if you think they won’t because you’ve tried to hide them behind some pictures and ready-made phrases: and nobody wants to fuel…doubt. You also have to sit down and devote time, thought, pen and paper to your crowdfunding plan before you even get started. I don’t think people are willing to get involved in a careless, improvised project. Finally, the more you personalise everything you do, the more chances you have of really making an impact on potential fuelers: try to send personalised e-mails explaining your project…sometimes this is difficult due to lack of time but it proves really effective: people want to feel special and not a number or an e-mail address floating aside another hundred. You have to make people understand that their single contribution is essential to you: that you are not going to be able to make it without their individual help. And definitely send a personal thank you e-mail to each person that fuels your project: this is a must!! - Maite Uzal, Stage Performer
- October 18, 2012
RocketHub Invades CMJ 2012
The RocketHub team is honored to present two music showcases and to lead a panel discussion on crowdfunding at this year’s CMJ Music Marathon in New York. CMJ Music Marathon is the world’s most important platform for the discovery of new music. Every fall, CMJ invades New York City with over 1,300 artist performances, filling more than 80 of the city’s greatest venues, nightclubs and theaters. Attendees have access to 1,500+ showcases, plus hundreds of panels, seminars, Q&As, nighttime parties, meet and greets, mixers and special events. Over 120,000 fans, entertainment industry professionals, college radio tastemakers, bloggers, press and musicians come from around the world to join us for the Marathon madness. Showcase 1: Tuesday, October 16th - 9:00 PM At the Historic Googies Lounge - 154 Ludlow Street - Featuring: 9:30 Emily Mure 10:00 NLX 10:30 Alan Semerdjian 11:00 Blake Whyte Showcase 2: Tuesday, October 19th - 7:00 PM At the Historic Googies Lounge - 154 Ludlow Street - Featuring: 7:30 Amateur Blonde 8:00 Sweet Soubrette 8:30 She and The Sun 9:00 Neil Nathan 9:30 Jeneen Terrana 10:00 Walking For Pennies 10:30 Communist’s Daughter Panel Discussion: Fan-durance: Sourcing Funding from Fandom Wednesday October 17, 2012 3:30pm - 4:30pm NYU Kimmel Ctr. Room 802 Shorin, 60 Washington Square South New York, NY 10012 - The RocketHub Team
- October 16, 2012
When Worlds Collide in HURRICANE, BROOKLYN
The inspiration was truly the group of professional artists we gathered. We (actors Victoire Charles and Jeremy Rishe, and Director Alli Haapasalo) were in a similar place of wanting more from our careers. Something we remember talking about in our first meeting back in 2010 was that we all wanted to do something that would fulfill us and reach out to others. What was exciting to us, and still is, was starting with nothing, literally nothing. It was about freedom and experimenting. It was almost like a lab test, what would happen if we put our minds in one room for 3 hours every Friday and closed the door? We had no idea what story we wanted to tell or if we even wanted to make a film, but we did have actors, a director, a writer, and our curiosity. This made everything exciting! Being free from how things are “supposed to be done professionally” lead us to more fun and creative epiphanies. Long story short, two years later we have a script ready to shoot. Our supporters seem to be enthusiastic about our project. We feel the story we have come up with is exciting. Had we gathered a different group of artists or worked in a more ‘traditional’ way we would have a different story and a very different ‘sell.’ We filmed a lot of the work sessions over the last two years; we did this for ourselves so we could just act and then write later. This footage, without intending it, has been useful in sharing the heart of our project with potential donors. This way of working has also made us confident in our ability to make this film in a quality fashion. It is said that if you can see yourself doing it (whatever ‘it’ is) then you are more likely to do it well. In a way we have been doing this film in different carnations over and over for two years. So while we still have to shoot it, we’ve been actively prepping for it through trial and error for two years. For crowdfunding success, meet up with, call, and email all the people who love you and owe you a favor. Seriously. That’s what we are doing and most of them have stepped up to the plate. Oh, and the more they love you, or the larger favor they owe you, the more you can hound them (with love). Something else we are doing is contacting our larger community of artists and former mentors. We were shy to do so, but found that their understanding of making-your-own-work was motivation for their support no matter the dollar amount. We still have more money to raise, but the first hump was the most frustrating, so a little patience is helping too. The first few days it took people some time to realize that we needed their support now, to help show others, not as close to us, that we are professional hard working artists. - Alli Haapasalo, Jeremy Rishe, and Victoire Charles, The HURRICANE, BROOKLYN Team
- October 11, 2012
