How to crowdfund an ISIS tragicomedy

We’re Wound Up Theatre, and our critically acclaimed, award-winning play ‘Bismillah! An ISIS Tragicomedy’ is transferring for a three week run to the Pleasance Theatre, London, following a sell-out run at the 2018 VAULT Festival. None of this would have been possible without the Kickstarter campaign that provided the means to stage it at the festival – we did a Kickstarter campaign to kick-start the project because low and behold, making stuff is tough and expensive. Especially an ISIS tragicomedy.

You know where their money to be made? Live theatre and comedy. These are the words of Michael Mcintyre’s agents, Andrew Lloyd Webber and your thick uncle who knows nothing of the industry but thinks everyone who works in ‘showbiz’ lives in an episode of the gaudy mid-2000’s MTV show Cribs. We all know there’s no money in this game, especially when you’re starting out, in fact, to get anywhere you’ll probably find yourself spending money. And if you’ve got a project that you really believe in, then as unpalatable as it may feel (and when you’ve exhausted your bank account, maxed out the overdraft and been turned down for a loan yet again from the non-existent ‘bank of mum and dad’) crowdfunding it’s a great way of getting your stuff made and getting out there, and really, that’s what it’s all about. So here’s our advice:

Make sure it’s the right project

Crowdfunding was a new five years ago and people were willing to throw their money at any old product development or show, party due to the novelty of being a part of something in a way they hadn’t been before. This is no longer the case, and now in an age of ubiquitous campaigns for every creative endeavour under the sun, it’s important to not presume that you’re going to get the funding by simply making a page. Also, if you are trying to crowdfund every idea that pops in your head, even your most enthusiastic backer with the deepest pockets and loosest purse strings are going to get sick of being asked for money. Make sure it’s the right project, something that you’re passionate about, and something that you need to make, and that you have no other means of making. If it reaches that criteria then you should ask for money, why the hell not! Though I would say turning to this means of funding your work anymore often than every 18 months – 2 years, is going to lose your support so remember to use the platform sparingly and make sure you use it for the right project.

Be realistic

It seemed for a while like online fundraising was an endless goldmine that could make any project off the ground, well, that’s not the case, and the more realistic you are with your targets and intentions the more likely people are going to be to help you achieve your goals. You’re not going to crowdfund a sitcom before you’ve made a short film. Don’t get ahead of yourself!

Choose the right platform

The rise of Crowdfunding has meant a rise in similar online platforms doing much the same thing. On the surface, they may look the same, but many have different costs, different features and may work better for some projects than for others. Look at comparable projects to your own and see what has worked for other people, this should help you work out what will work best for you!

Develop your story

Narrativise your campaign, and make it a story people can get on board with, simply saying “I’ve got this idea, isn’t it great, give me some money for it” isn’t going to cut it. Be aware that the key to this process is engaging with people. They’re investing in you the creative as much as they are the idea, so link the two things together with them up. The best way to engage with human beings is with stories, so why would it be any different in this case. Work out your story and where you and it overlap, and use that as a starting point.

Presentation

It’s worth taking time over your campaign, getting it right before your launch. The more professional the campaign appears the more likely people are to take it seriously and the more likely they are to support your project so don’t rush, invest time and effort into making it look and read as well as you’re capable. If you’re not willing to invest time how can you expect people to invest money.

Video

Campaigns with video’s raise 114% more in funding than those without, so it’s worth putting in the effort and making one. Try and make it representative of what the project will be while also giving a flavour of what you’re about as well. And remember to make it look as professional as possible, even if the project is meant to look shambling and homemade, that’s the project, you’re professional.

Rewards

Make them as personal and sincere as possible, as I said before, connecting people to the project is one of the most powerful ways of ensuring their support – and this rewards element lets people take something away from the project they’ve helped make a reality. What your rewards are depended entirely on the project, be it a script, a prop, whatever is appropriate for your campaign, but what I found was that the personal touch to all of these rewards helped to get people on board. You might get a hand cramp from writing so many personalised thankyou notes on the front of the script but that’s a small price to pay!

Who’s your audience?

It’s important to know who you’re aiming this all at – going through this with only a vague audience in mind ain’t gonna get you far. Try and build up audiences from things you’ve done in the past. Social media makes the world go round in 2018, so engage with it, to build an audience so you have someone to turn too, and one to use when you’re trying to raise funds!

This is your marketing campaign

I get it, you’re probably like me, the idea of marketing yourself or your project makes you want to vomit yourself inside out, Perhaps you’re not, perhaps you’re a member of the Insta generation and nothing gives you more pleasure than tweaking your brand. Either way, love it or loathe it, you’re going to have to market your work to get it seen, which is kind of the point, and if you’re crowdfunding you then you’ve already started doing it – engage with your campaign, not only as a means of getting your show made, but promoting it. You want to get it out to as many people as you can ultimately, and the wider you get your fundraising know, not only the more money you are likely to make, the more people are going to be aware of the project!

Bismillah (an ISIS Tragicomedy) is on at The Pleasance Theatre until 13th May. Book your ticket here.

Are you interested in crowdfunding for your show? The Comedy Crowd may be able to help. Drop us an email at theccteam@thecomedycrowd.com