Crowd Funding Is Growing!

If you’re looking at this blog, you probably have heard of the San Diego Comic Con. And maybe about Nerd HQ – a happening parallel to SDCC that has panels & demos & parties galore! Nerd is a fun alternative for those without an SDCC ticket for a day or for those seeking refuge from the convention hall lines.  Many stars show up at Nerd panels, which are reasonably sized events, the ~$20 ticket proceeds going to a charity.

Nerd HQ however costs money. Money which founder Zach Levy has been fronting. But he needs help. He put together an Indiegogo campaign asking for support – and got enough that there will be a Nerd HQ at SDCC2014!  Here’s the link to find out more: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/i-want-my-nerd-hq-2014/x/641260

I was impressed with Nerd at SDCC 2013 – lots of gaming computers, neat robots & virtual reality demos – and a darn good party!  I’m also fascinated to see how crowd funding is growing in popularity and in the amount of $ it can raise.  Look at the Kickstarter-funded movie “Laura Mars” which quickly reached its goal and went on to raise over $5 million!

Personally I prefer to back Kickstarter projects –   if the organizers can’t get it together enough to reach their goal, I get my money back.  Producers and directors I’ve talked to prefer Indiegogo – they don’t have to reach the goal in order to get whatever dollars are contributed.

Useful guide to getting projects funded – the new way!

If you or anyone you know is considering a crowd-funding effort, I strongly recommend reading The Secrets of Crowdfunding by Sean Akers.  It is packed full of useful information about what to consider when seeking funding – and some very good project management tips. Sound weighty?  Delightfully it is an easy book to read – an hour, maybe? – a plus in the entertainment world where many confess to low attention spans!  You can find this on Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00AF3LBDC