The Kickstarter Conundrum

I've been reluctant to say much about the Zach Braff Kickstarter controversy, because the story is still developing, and it's probably too early to draw any conclusions one way or another. However, this is becoming an important point of reference when talking about Kickstarter in any capacity, so I figured I should at least figure out where I stand on what has transpired so far.

So, here's where we are at the time of writing. Zach Braff started a Kickstarter campaign and has so far raised a little over $2.6 million from nearly forty thousand contributors to fund a new film, "Wish I Was Here," billed as the follow-up to his 2004 comedy "Garden State." There has been spirited debate about whether it's appropriate for a celebrity like Braff to use Kickstarter, since it's a fundraising platform that has been primarily used to help small, under-the-radar, independent film projects get off the ground. Writer Ken Levine wrote a blog post on why he wasn't supporting the project that attracted a lot of discussion. Braff is someone who has access to other backers, who appears to be independently wealthy enough to fund most of the film himself, and has plenty of industry connections. After several casting announcements this week, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that a traditional financier, Worldview Entertainment, will contribute additional funds to raise the film's budget to $10 million. There's some disagreement as to whether this sum is an investment or a loan, and whether Braff would have gotten this money without the interest generated by the Kickstarter campaign.

Still, the question remains. Why is "Wish I Was Here," a film that will star recognizable actors like Anna Kendrick, Josh Gad, and Mandy Patinkin, using Kickstarter? According to Braff, going the crowdfunding route allows him to retain creative control of the film, giving him final cut and the ability to cast who he wants. This is a perfectly legitimate concern, and one I'm sympathetic to. Finding the funding these smaller films has become more difficult in recent years, and Zach Braff may be a celebrity, but I doubt he has the clout to be given carte blanche over even a modest-sized production like "Wish I Was Here." I don't see all that much difference between a project headed up by Braff and one headed up by someone like Dan Harmon or Charlie Kaufman, who used a Kickstarter campaign to fund the stop-motion short "Anomalisa," though "Wish I Was Here" clearly has much better commercial prospects and will probably land a traditional distribution deal. I think what most people are worried about is the precedent for more typically Hollywood-friendly media this project is setting, and the uncomfortable possibilities being opened up for other filmmakers to abuse the system. I'm not saying that there has been any abuse, but there's a significant and growing likelihood that it's where all this may lead to.

Will the increase in celebrity-headed projects like "Wish I Was Here" and the "Veronica Mars" movie end up taking attention and funds away from the smaller projects that need them more? Could Kickstarter end up devolving into a mechanism to pre-sell products and media that were going to happen anyway? Will it be used as a market research tool to gauge interest in future films or as a way to spread the risk around for less conventional projects? Many of the studios are struggling, and it would be tempting to get the fan bases of existing properties to offset the costs of new franchise installments. Remember, Kickstarter contributions are donations, and if a film like "Wish I Was Here" makes a huge profit, the contributors won't get to share in the profits like traditional investors. Their compensation is only limited to the special rewards like DVDs, screenings, and the chance to appear for a few seconds onscreen as an extra.

However, on the flip side this could also mean that interesting projects that might never have been made otherwise will now get a fighting chance. And Kickstarter recently released a statement supporting the Zach Braff and "Veronica Mars" fundraising campaigns, pointing out that they had attracted more contributors to the site who had gone on to donate more funds to smaller projects. We really don't know enough yet to tell if the net effect of these more high-profile Kickstarter movie projects is going to be positive or negative. I think it's important to remember that the power ultimately lies with the contributors. If they feel like they're getting a bad deal, they won't contribute. If they feel like they're being taken advantage of, they won't contribute. And remember, the involvement of a celebrity is not necessarily a positive. A Melissa Joan Hart-backed indie movie recently pulled its Kickstarter campaign after failing to drum up enough interest.

As for me, I kicked in a few dollars for "Anomalisa," but I have no interest in "Wish I Was Here." I didn't find the synopsis about the main character's midlife crisis very compelling, and I didn't think much of "Garden State." I wish Zach Braff all the best, but I'll be saving future contributions for more interesting projects that I hope will be coming our way.
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