Comments on: Open Forum Friday: Should Established Filmmakers Be Allowed to Use Kickstarter?

By: Layne Freckleton

Layne Freckleton — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:27:16 +0000

I WANT TO WIN THE REVEAL GIVEAWAYPlease?!?! Gah I love aiden sososososo much

By: Bas

Bas — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:55:25 +0000

If I’m paying, I’ll decide what’s OK to eat!

By: rus in chicago

rus in chicago — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:48:55 +0000

I like debating the topic, but truth be told after watching the kickstarter video and thinking about it Im pretty sure Fincher IS just part of the marketing effort and getting paid out of funds raised. You have a small company with the rights to this property and they need a bankable director to make the project seem real. Its not to dissimilar to Michael Bay being broughtn in (paid handsomely) to be part of this year’s Crash the SuperBowl contest (you watch that video and it makes your skin crawl thinking the bullshit fee he is getting) I predict Fincher will never be part of this project later on, it will be some up-and-coming (cheap) commercial director for a limited release second/third tier film. Fincher will be listed as one of several producers.

What we should be talking about is if this crowd-sourcing idea is what it will take to allow more innovating stories and properties to get green-lit by studios. Thats the real benefit for all us film lovers.

crowd-sourcing the Reed Story! subtitled “Is This Ok to Eat?”

By: throbber

throbber — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:36:49 +0000

Open yer butts y’all

By: Bas

Bas — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 13:02:55 +0000

I wonder what would have happened if Snakes on a Plane had taken this crowd-funding approach.

By: MalD

MalD — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 12:56:06 +0000

Using your analogy of the blender Ros I’ve heard of many inventors using their own money to create new products even after they have been successfully brought to market and given themselves status and CLOUT. Its not unusual.

I’m sure that this 400k will also include a stipend for his expenses or “overhead” for fincher overseeing the creation of this as a part of production creation costs so in reality he probably isn’t working for NOTHING. The rest of his salery or “time” will be recovered as director when the distribution deal is signed before filming commences. So if you like its a deferred payment scheme.

In reality they are using Kickerstarter as a development slush fund to create a story they will sell for distribution at a later date.

By: rus in chicago

rus in chicago — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:27:47 +0000

Why do people put in their own money, get a bank loan instead of investors BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE A REPUTATION OF SUCCESS, THEY DON’T HAVE ANY CLOUT

it’s a successful comic with a bankable director – they have the goods to draw investors. Putting your own money in when you don’t have to is “buying the cow when you get the milk for free”

People seem to think directors aren’t putting their money in to these projects. You realize all the leaked drafts, animatics, comp art we see on these sites doesn’t come out of thin air, right? You think the 12months between film projects they are pulling a salary at some production house. they pickup commercial shoots but all the time developing projects is OVERHEAD. All Fincher is doing here is crowd-sourcing some of the overhead for a KNOWN project so he can spend his own money (unpaid time) on original stories and some other obscure property that doesn’t have a rep.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:02:55 +0000

Why is everyone assuming Fincher hasn’t contributed his own money to this project? There’s already a bunch of material that exists for this film. There’s the trailer, all the concept art, etc. All of that had to be paid for somehow. $400 grand isn’t chump change; Fincher’s a Hollywood director but it’s not like he made the fucking Avengers. Give the guy a break.

By: MalD

MalD — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 14:08:43 +0000

I think the point is that he seemingly is unwilling to invest his own money. If we are talking about investing in a new blender every inventor has to trump up his or her own money or get a starter loan from a bank to get this new blender off the ground in other words to have a working prototype… I don’t know many Investers willing to give money on a concept without proof that the actual product works. The same principle applies here if he believed strongly in his own project he would be willing to invest in its future ie put his money where his mouth is and be an INVESTOR himself. Even if he put in the first 200k himself that would be showing some belief in his own proof of concept. There is risk in everything the point being he is seemingly unwilling to share in the majority of the financial risk if the project goes pear shaped.

By: rus in chicago

rus in chicago — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:19:28 +0000

“he’d put his own money up” – why is this attitude only attributed to art projects? if you said this in a design meeting for a new blender everyone would look at you like you’re juvenile. FINDING INVESTORS IS BUSINESS 101

Why do people think this is “no risk”? As easily as it is to put up a page to get cash for a film, it’s just as easy for a creative lawyer to put up a website (a year later) for a class-action fraud lawsuit. “Everyone who contributed to this film project from so-and-so bigname director and bigname producer and got nothing promised, upload pay receipt and sign name to suit” DONE!

By: Liz

Liz — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:36:21 +0000

I feel about Kickstarter the way I feel about PBS. Most of these films and project won’t make a major profit but I personally want to see them made. But I think its unfair for established filmmakers to use it because the quality and resources are completely different for a Fincher than it is for a student making his first movie. If Kickstarted wanted to have professional and amateur channels, one with benefits like name in credits and copies and another for true investments, I’d feel better. But right now, it does feel like an abuse by people like Fincher or Palmer. What if James Cameron used Kickstarted to raise funds for Avator?

By: Justice

Justice — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 04:02:44 +0000

I think this is a ridiculous idea and a terrible precedent to set. But hey, there’s a sucker born every second. If he really believed in it, he’d put his own money up and make it a “pay what you want” situation at the end.