A week ago I showed off my collection of T-shirts, some of which have come from crowdsourcing participation, but that is not all I get.
Sometimes there are
stickers, patches, CDs, books, and comics. And there are many things that don't
get photographed easily, like downloads, Skype calls, and having your name on a
shirt worn by an ultramarathon runner.
I have seen more
criticism of crowdsourcing than of the Rolling Jubilee, perhaps because it is
better known. I will write more about one of those criticisms Monday, but my
experiences have been very positive.
My first experience
came through Indie Go Go, with a fundraiser for Dear White People. I liked the
trailer they already had, I appreciated what they were trying to do, and I had
just gotten a bonus. Combine that with the chance to have a character in the
movie named after me, and I could not resist.
I don't know how
prevalent it had been before, but I suddenly started seeing projects
everywhere. I have participated in two others via Indie Go Go, and at least one
through Go Fund Me, but the bulk have definitely been through Kickstarter.
What struck me most
the first time is that this is a way to make dreams come true. In the arts it
can be really hard to get funding, because so much of the industry wants
guaranteed returns. Well, in this case you are often getting guaranteed
returns. Part of the Mindless Self Indulgence Kickstarter was the recording
process and manufacturing for their new album. Many of the participation levels
involved getting that album. It provides the audience while demonstrating its
existence.
So I could see the
practical aspects right away, and I could also understand the concerns that
some people who should be able to find funding in other ways were taking away
from those with less options.
I do get that, and
plenty of people have written about why it is horrible that the Veronica
Mars movie or Zach Braff or James Franco should turn to Kickstarter. I'm
not sure I have anything to add there. The ethics and merits of each individual
project may not be exactly equivalent to other similar ones.
Ability to complete
the project is an important consideration. Right now, if I started a drive to
fund my first movie, I would not get enough participation, and honestly that
would be fair because I do not have enough experience to even adequately
calculate how much money I would need for it, or take that amount and use it
effectively. I know one drive that shorted himself on funds for distributing
the pledge perks, but is making it work. There is a lot that goes into a
successful campaign.
However, I still
keep loving the results, over and over again. What I did not realize until
later was the sense of involvement and ownership that comes from being a
backer. The perks are nice, but those campaigns that use the updates well build
a sense of community and anticipation and pride even. This thing that I have
helped fund is awesome, and I am glad it is happening, and glad that I took
part. Two of my most touching souvenirs are not regular perks, but I have a
thank you card that came with a CD, and a Halloween card that came - well
technically it was part of a perk that I
had not chosen, but I had paid extra and he upgraded me, but there's
this gratitude thing going on, and I'm sentimental.
One of the books
showing, Life Begins At Incorporation, by Matt Bors, is not actually one
that I participated in. I think I learned about the project after it was done.
But I have bought the book, and enjoyed it, and it exists because of
crowdsourcing.
If it is not
obvious, I lean towards the creative projects, but it is more than just art.
The ultramarathon was a fundraiser for a program that uses a race to improve
relations between local people and lions in the Ewaso Nyiro ecosystem in Kenya. There is creative
thinking in there, even if it is not art.
Again, this is not
something that is tax-deductible; this is not charity. And yet, it can still
provide that warm feeling, depending on the project. There is a wide range.
It's a good way of
giving.
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