Project: Mannequin short film (2024/25)
Why did you apply for MATCH Lab and why were matched funds so important for your project?
I applied for Match Lab as I was looking to get one of my short films up and running to be made with the extra budget and resources that this story needs. Additionally, there were extra locations and costuming that I wanted and needed to invest in to make this story a reality.
I strongly believe in paying creatives, especially emerging creatives so we can develop the future of the screen and culture industry in Australia. So, this is a huge motivator for me in applying to grant programs to get work made.
Tell us about your fundraising strategy?
My campaign was an ACF Fundraiser for my short film Mannequin with a target to raise $10,000. I ran the campaign for 14 weeks using a pitch promotional video, dedicated social media pages to release updates and market the campaign, and utilised my vast network of individuals within and outside the film industry, corporate donors and businesses and philanthropic foundation grants to reach my target of $10,000.
I would often find that my one-on-one connections with my donors were crucial in raising funds for my campaign, specifically asking my network directly through email, test message or face to face was the most successful way I found to raise money for the project.
I initially started with a private launch of my campaign, which was a challenge as I was still in the process of working out how to pitch to people my film and how to tailor that approach to multiple people. I then launched publicly, with a slow start, which I had to extend twice due to slower traction and wanting to await the outcome of philanthropic foundations I had contacted for support.
As I figured out the right way to pitch to my network with a tailored approach to each individual and entity, and expanded my fundraising efforts across my network, I slowly found support trickle into my fundraiser. It began to take off when I was able to receive some small business donations that added up to a decent chunk of my fundraising goal.
Eventually, when I was able to receive a large philanthropic donation, towards the later half of my campaign, I was able to raise donations right until the final hours of my campaign, thus reaching my goal of crowdfunding $10,000.
What were your most significant achievements?
To be able to reach my target goal for my first campaign is something I consider one of my biggest career achievements to date. Prior to Match Lab, I hadn’t undertaken a crowdfunding campaign; and I knew I wanted to learn how to do so.
I had fear, apprehension and lack of knowledge of how to fundraise without feeling like a pushy salesperson. Self promotion was always something I found difficult and uncomfortable doing, despite knowing this is what I needed to learn to grow my audience of my work and to create financial feasibility for myself and my projects.
During this fundraising process, I confronted my insecurities around putting myself out there and asking others for financial support and donations for my work. Through the process of this crowdfunding campaign, I learnt the strategies to pitch to others for donations, specifically taking the focus off “me” and focusing on the film I was creating and why it should be made. Through the practice of pitching to multiple people within and outside my network, I eventually felt confident doing so, leading to the completion of a successful campaign where I was able to raise my target.
A massive achievement with my crowdfunding with the campaign was being able to secure $2000 in funding from the Nelson Meers Foundation. This was the first time I had approached a philanthropic foundation for funding, and to have that request be a success for both myself as an individual and my project as a whole, was a massive highlight.
I believe that without Match Lab introducing me to philanthropic foundations and helping me feel confident in pitching my project, I would have never achieved this. Additionally, securing $1760 in an anonymous donation on my last day of fundraising was a huge milestone that blew me out of the water, and played a massive part in reaching my goal of raising $10,000 for my film.
How did you contact your donors and form relationships during the campaign and post-fundraising?
I found that my one-on-one connections with my donors were crucial in raising funds for my campaign; and where I found the most success. I used my existing networks within and outside the screen industry directly through email, text message or face to face, however and whenever I saw them. I always made sure to follow up very nicely either virtually or in person about the project generally if I hadn’t received a donation from them.
I ran two project social media pages with my video pitch, crowdfunding milestones and press releases and mentions of my project. This drove some donations, but wasn’t something I relied on for fundraising. I saw social media posting as a tool for reminding my network that I was fundraising and encouraged them to learn more about my project.
In my thank you letters to each of my donors, I encouraged them to follow the social media pages I’ve set up for ‘Mannequin’ if they’d like to stay up to date with the project milestones, which many chose to do. The posts and content on these pages will include (but is not limited to) a mixture of photos, videos, quotes and stills of the filmmaking process.
As filming begins, the posts will contain content around (but not limited to) the behind the scenes making of the film, including on-set stills and videos, along with the post-production process of the film, and its release. We will also post about the marketing and press that the film will receive and release of the film; the latter specifically being film festival releases in Australia and abroad.
For those who aren’t social media users, I plan to start a newsletter after the initial acquittal process with all my donors and give these same periodic updates on the newsletter subscription. Much like the social media pages, the newsletter content will include (but not be limited to) a summary of the content on social media, with a bonus, personalised message and insight of my process behind the film that will be exclusive to donors of my work and additional subscribers. This newsletter will also include my plans on how I will develop this film into a feature film and the process I undertake on that journey in the later stages of the project.
Were there any unexpected results?
Yes. I underestimated the time that I was able to fundraise my target amount, leading me to extend both my crowdfunding campaign and my proposed project filming dates. Ultimately, this was for the best, because without doing so, I wouldn’t have been able to reach my $10,000 goal. I wish I had this planned out from the start so it minimised the stress of re-arranging my proposed filming schedule and had instead used that time to fundraise.
What is your top tip for someone applying for this program in the future?
Remember that an element of this initiative is to crowdfund: you have to be willing to put yourself out there and fundraise. If you were like me and haven’t crowdfunded before, focus on what you want to learn and gain by doing so, especially with the matched dollar funding Creative Australia provides.
