Zach Braff turns to Kickstarter
UPDATE: Hot on the heels of Kristen Bell’s Veronica Mars campaign, Zach Braff has targeted a $2m raise to get his directorial follow-up to Garden State off the ground and had already received $1.54m or 57% in pledges as the end of the first day [24] approached.
Braff, who starred in TV hit Scrubs and directed and starred in Garden State, has turned to Kickstarter to fund his new feature Wish I Was Here and aims to shoot this summer in Los Angeles.
The actor/filmmaker will direct and star in the story, based on an original screenplay he wrote with his brother Adam Braff about a daydreamer who home schools two young relatives.
Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg will produce through their Double Feature Films.
“I am often asked by my fans or by the press when I am promoting films in which I’ve acted, ‘Why haven’t you directed another film since Garden State?’” said Braff.
“The truth is, it’s very hard to get small, personal films made without sacrificing some aspect of your artistic integrity… Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter could be a game-changer for independent films.
“Already 10% of the films at the most recent Sundance Film Festival had some Kickstarter money and that’s growing exponentially.”
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Readers' comments (2)
sandip mahal | 24-Apr-2013 9:36 pm
It's interesting to see if this will gather any traction on kickstarter. Almost as weird as Peter 'mainstream' Berg going to Cannes last year for funding coin
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R Mitchell | 25-Apr-2013 12:04 pm
Based on the update here at top of page it looks like a lot withdrew as it's currently at $1.4m, but even if not raised as fast as Veronica Mars it's clearly going to get there (a huge amount of crowdfunding happens in the last 48 hours, especially if full amount not raised) and he's 70% there with 29 days to go. Braff's got more than a million followers on twitter. Even if half pledged just $2 he'd be halfway to his target.
This is a sure fire way to raise money if you've got a low budget and an established director and/or cast involved. It's also a smart use of the video message, especially the Jim Parsons bit, reach out to those legion of Big Bang fans too.
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