NCFA Canada by Sunny Shao | September 9, 2013

Hear the background story to upcoming documentaries Startup Community (directed by Taylor Jackson) and Day Job Doc (directed by David Chan), including key factors that played a role in their crowdfunding campaigns on Indiegogo.  

Earlier this summer, we heard about an Indiegogo campaign that exploded past its goal of $10,000 in less than three full days since the funding campaign was launched. The campaign was for Taylor Jackon's documentary project Startup Community, a film about what makes the Waterloo Region different from others in the tech community.  Starting out as more of a personal interest project, the film became an overnight success once it went live on Indiegogo on June 8, 2013.

Backtrack to summer of 2012, where David Chan and his team at Fidelity Format embarked on their first feature film - Day Job Doc - a documentary that follows the grueling process of three start-up companies in Toronto’s Extreme Startups Accelerator. The film explores the real life stories of entrepreneurs Jayesh Parmar (CEO of Picatic), Nima Gardideh (CTO of Venio) and Jeremy Potvin (CEO of Shifthub) as they build their idea into a startup company over the intense 12-week program. While Day Job Doc's crowdfunding campaign didn't enjoy the same success that Startup Community did, the team learned valuable lessons throughout the process and shares their insight about what they would do differently next time.

"What makes some film and video crowdfunding campaigns stand out from all the other campaigns?"

That's the million-dollar questions that many crowdfunders and project owners always wonder, but there is no straightforward answer and no "secret sauce" revealed in this video (sorry to disappoint - anyone claiming to reveal the "secret sauce" will probably also proclaim they can promise you the winning numbers to the lottery). There are, however, many best practices that were followed, as well as hard work and due diligence exemplified by the project owners.

After 'hanging out' with Taylor and David, we learned quite a bit about their journeys and came to some of our own conclusions about what factors contribute to a successful crowdfunding campaign: authenticity, passion and excitement for your project triumphs any marketing pitch; if you support your community and share its values, the community will support you back; there's no such thing as too much marketing for your crowdfunding campaign, but if you're going to embark on the journey, be committed from pre-launch to post-launch and seek out resources or talent that will complement your own.

Watch the interview:

Video Gallery:  https://ncfacanada.org/all-video-gallery-custom-page-url/?sort=latest&slg=ncfa-hangout-crowdfunding-documentary-films

Youtube:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEBDt_j8gQA[/youtube]

About Startup Community

Startup Community is a film about what makes Waterloo Region different. We’re talking to local entrepreneurs and finding out how our region made them succeed in a way that no other place could have. We’re talking to people that have helped local non-profits make their first $10,000, built multi-million dollar businesses from their parents’ basements, as well as the people behind 60 million hit YouTube videos.  Welcome to life here.

About Day Job Doc

Day Job Doc is a film that follows the gruelling process of three start-up companies in Toronto’s Extreme Startups Accelerator. The film explores the real life stories of these entrepreneurs as they build their idea into a startup company – each facing their own set of unique challenges over the intense 12-week program. In the heart of Toronto where many start-ups are born, Jeremy Potvin, (CEO of Shifthub), Jayesh Parmar (CEO of Picatic), and Nima Garidideh (CTO of Venio)  reveal their stories of hardships, sacrifice, and perseverance  as they realize that  chasing their dream requires a 24/7 commitment.

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada crowdfunding hub providing education, advocacy and networking opportunities in the rapidly evolving crowdfunding industry.  NCFA Canada is a community-based, membership-driven entity that was formed at the grass roots level to fill a national need in the market place.   Join our growing network of industry stakeholders, fundraisers and investors.  Increase your organization's profile and gain access to a dynamic group of industry front runners.  Learn more eBrochure | Prezi or contact us at casano@ncfacanada.org.