Nowadays with equipment being as inexpensive as ever, the only real thing standing in the way of most film projects is finding a way to pay for all the other stuff like travel, food, and maybe some rental fees. Even the smallest projects require some capital, and that’s where our friends at Kickstarter come in.

Kickstarter is a site that provides a platform for funding projects. It works on a “give and take” system. First, create a project with a video and/or description about what your project is all about. Let's say you have an awesome idea for finding and filming the best 24 hour American Diner. You have the plan and the time, but gas doesn't come cheap, so you need some capitol to help fund expenses. Figure out how much you'll need to complete your project and set up some donation levels.

Example:

• $1-$10 = Free Information Packet
• $10-$20 = Free T-Shirt + Info Packet
• $20-$50 = Free finished DVD + T-Shirt + Info Packet
• $50-$100 = Executive Producer Credit + DVD + T-Shirt + Info Packet

Basically, the more someone donates to your project, the more you give in return. It's important to remember that the price you set must be met before any donations will be paid to you. While it is ok to exceed the donation amount, if your project falls below your goal, it’s considered “cancelled” and you won't receive any money.

Another important thing to remember is to keep your users updated. Using Kickstarter’s built in blog/update feature, remember to regularly update the project page to let people know your progress. Most users promote their project by showing concept art updates, updating contributors on their free gift statuses, or keeping users involved with behind the scenes footage. See Karen's example below:

But how does Vimeo and Kickstarter work together? In an awesome way of course! Vimeo maintains a curated page on Kickstarter that features some awesome projects from our community. Just make sure you add the tag "kickstarter" to your video so we can find it. Who knows, you could be featured!

Kickstarter is a powerful tool for today's filmmaker, so get out there and start something awesome, you’d be surprised how many people would love to see you complete it!

Want to see some projects made possible through Kickstarter? Check out the hilarious comedy series Remember When, and the nostalgia-inducing Arcade: The Last Night At Chinatown Fair Documentary.