AFF- Crowd Funding to Build Independence Panel Discussion

Thinking about making an amazing movie or show? GREAT! We wanna watch it. But first: how are you going to fund it, and – when you’re finished – who’s going to watch it? Most people think about crowdfunding simply as a fundraising tool, but it is so much more than that: it’s a great way to start (or continue) developing a direct connection with your audience, which, as we all know, is essential for building a sustainable film career that leads to distribution and the opportunity to, you know, make more
than one thing.

In this workshop, you’ll learn:
• Why audience building is essential for a film career (and crowdfunding)
• How to define, find, talk to, and grow your audience
• How to prepare for a successful crowdfunding campaign (incl. goal, incentives, communication plan)
• Why staged financing might be right for you
Fun fact: attendees of this workshop have a 100% success rate on Seed&Spark!

Gerry Maravilla is an LA-based filmmaker and the Head of Crowdfunding at Seed&Spark. Gerry has made several award-winning shorts, including Cross, which he funded on Seed&Spark and went on to screen at the Newport Beach Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and many more. His
work has been featured in press outlets such as Business Insider, Pitchfork, Remezcla and more. Find Gerry on social media for the real scoop: @gerrymaravilla