Is Crowdfunding a good idea?

The Salt Maiden made 132% of our crowdfund target, thanks to our many generous and philanthropic sponsors who came from Coochiemudlo Island, Redlands, Brisbane, Northern NSW, Central Coast NSW, Sydney, Melbourne and the UK.

The most popular donation was $100 – we have 19 producer credits and 2 executive producer credits. Crowdfunding is time consuming but extraordinary. Because our rewards were so personal we have begun to build a personal relationship with our sponsors who have by now all received their personal email update. And there are still rewards to come, including a signed postcard from the shoot and for some, a private online screening of the film when it is made.

Online producer John O’Sullivan is an American travel writer, video producer and tour guide. In The States he worked for a variety of media companies, but since 2009 he has been living around the world and writing about it on his blog, Two Passports. Together he worked with me to set up the crowdfund with Sponsume. We explored the gamut of crowdfunds available today and decided on Sponsume for two main reasons. Sponsume funds the project whether it is successful or not and because Sponsume is not based in Australia. This latter issue is an interesting choice seeing that we are making an Australian short film. This decision was made because of the myth the story is based on, which is found in many countries across the world particularly those of the UK, Europe and Northern Europe where we want the film to be seen. Crowdfunding is new to the small regional community in South East Queensland where we are making the film. We had no idea if it would be successful however we need not have worried. The story is grounded within a special and unique community and yet has universal themes that reach across the planet. This is a special and powerful quality of filmmaking. To really touch us, I believe a film needs to be grounded in the real tangible world around us and yet be greater than this small local world so it has the ability to shine a spotlight on a place or an idea with the greater humanity.

While we are planning the up coming shoot with a small yet talented cast and crew, we are still raising funds to make the film. The team is coming from Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Redlands and the islands of Moreton Bay. We even have a passionate high school student in our crew from the island where we are filmming. There isn’t a filmmaking industry here in this region and very few drama films are made here at all – we are part of an important process of nurturing a small but important shoot in great forest of the world’s screen industries. Our professional crew members are extraordinary and we value them highly. They have the experience and expertise to make a beautiful film. Follow the shoot on our blog at thesaltmaiden.com

Beverley Callow, producer director