Can pay, will pay: creative projects funded by fans
Crowdfunding – the word was only invented a few years ago. But it’s a direct descendant of things like clubbing together, co-operatives and even community spirit. And now it’s really come of age in the arts – and is having a major impact.
Here’s how it works. Artists working in any discipline (writers, musicians, film or theatre directors, even fashion designers) pitch a project they’d like to make (a film, album or novel) on one of a number of websites. Anyone interested pledges a sum of money and if enough is raised, the artist goes ahead and makes their project. Depending on how much investors pledge, they receive anything from a signed album or novel to a trip to the film or theatre set – and often a share of the profits.
It’s a system with many advantages. First of all, there’s a guaranteed audience out there for a creative project, which means there’s much less risk for the company launching it. The judgement of a crowd is presumably more reliable than that of just one reader in a publishing house or one A and R man in a record company. And there’s much more direct communication between artist and audience, which means that an artist can be left alone to get on with a project that already shows strong signs of going down well with an audience
Having said that, creating work with a specific audience in mind isn’t always healthy for an artist’s process and can be a distraction or even an impediment to creative flow. And as many of us who’ve sat through endless DVD extras can attest, the Director’s Cut of a film isn’t always the best. You could argue that every artist needs the input of an experienced editor to produce their best work. With many of these crowdfunding initiatives (though not all), this is sorely lacking.
But there’s no arguing that crowdfunding is taking off. A quick google search reveals just how many crowdfunding platforms are out there – all over the world. And in countries like France, where the idea first evolved in the music business, crowdfunded acts are already having major mainstream successes. Some experts predict that the rise of crowdfunding will lead to a more eclectic range of quirky and experimental work being produced across the arts – rather than work that fits into a particular genre or niche currently enjoying commercial success.
It’ll certainly be fascinating to watch audiences have more say in the production processes of our creative industries. This might reveal that our artistic choices are fundamentally middle-of-the-road and bland – or on the other hand, it could reveal that we’re much more intelligent, adventurous and experimental in our tastes than so-called industry experts have previously given us credit for.
It’s often claimed that there’s a difference between what an audience thinks it likes and what it actually does. Crowdfunding can’t help but reveal whether this is actually true.
Follow Matthew Cain on Twitter: MatthewCainC4
Related posts:
There are 3 comments on this post
Matthew,
I’m not a fan of BS terms. And “Crowdfunding” is just such a term.
Still, anything thet helps creativity is welcome.
But of course any such idea is open to fraud and spivvery. Before I contributed anything I’d want to see maximum practical guarantees for protection of funds right up to the moment of unavoidable risk. Without that, it’s a spivs’ charter. And gawd knows show business is riddled with conmen and tenth rate hoodlums. Hollywood is the worst of the lot.
Long term exposure to “Crowdfunding” might also help expose capitalism for what it is, a barrow boy system without conscience or morals. What better cultural experience could one wish for?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
is there any sound on this video?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
We’re embracing a ‘crowdfunding’ scheme at the moment and as Philip demonstrates, people are hesitant to give without full guarantee that their money is safe and why would you? What we have also realised and not just from trying this, from other large scale and charity arts events, is that as much as people enjoy creativity and seeing art for free, they really resent paying for it and when talking about ‘crowdfunding’ people have shown little compassion for those who, ‘chose to go into creative jobs as they should know they are ill funded’. So does this mean that only those within the arts will indulge within these schemes and that means the money that is so sorely needed within the creative world will never come from the more monied spheres that would be more helpful?
We’ve resorted to all sorts of tactics to try and soften this kind of scheme in order to gain funds from those less sympathetic to the arts, see this video. The success of this channel of fundraising is yet to be seen and hoped to be seen, for us.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0