ÉCU-The European Independent Film Festival

ÉCU SPOTLIGHT: CHARLIE KAUFMAN AND “CROWDFUNDING”

ÉCU is a strong supporter of the unbridled creativity which is afforded to indie filmmakers, but acknowledges the difficulties in financing costs. This week the spotlight is on the acclaimed American screenwriter, director and producer Charlie Kaufman, who defies conventions and creates inspiringly innovative work. In September he raised twice the $200,000 budget required to produce his upcoming animated film Anomalisa, through crowdfunding on Kickstarter. Crowdfunding involves accumulating contributions in support of a project, typically through Internet donation campaigns, and was pioneered in the film industry by French producers and entrepreneurs Benjamin Pommeraud and Guillaume Colboc in 2004 (to fund Demain la Veille). The drawbacks of crowdfunding include taking the risk of disclosing your ideas at an early stage and, for some, being seen soliciting money in public.

ÉCU believes in encouraging those who want to avoid banging down the doors of major studios that will inevitably restrain creative visions. Kaufman’s involvement of the cinema-loving public in the process of filmmaking is a successful way of allowing filmmakers to pursue to creative ideas freely and a great way for fans to have a direct input. The campaign website for Anomalisaeloquently implored the support of its audience: “Our goal is to produce this unique and beautiful film outside of the typical Hollywood studio system where we believe that you, the audience, would never be allowed to enjoy this brilliant work the way it was originally conceived.”

Considering Kaufman’s cinematic achievements include Being John Malcovich (1999), Adaptation (2002), both of which earned him a BAFTA, and Eternal Sunshine of the Mind (2004), it is fair to say that he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the film industry and dealing with studios. He won an Oscar for best original screenplay and BAFTA for Eternal Sunshine of the Mind, and his ingenuity and quirky imagination is clear from this poignant film. It is based on a heartbroken man who wishes to literally erase forever the painful memories of his former love with the help of a doctor. Kaufman’s latest project is interesting to spotlight because it may be a step in popularising crowdfunding in filmmaking and demonstrates the triumph of unconventional methods to generate funds.

Donations for the production costs ofAnomalisa amounted to the most money ever raised for a film on Kickstarter, which was certainly a staggering sum. On the Kickstarter website for Anomalisa there was a 60-day pitch which included a well-made video that asked for the opportunity to create a film independently. Pledges were also promised a downloadable ‘making-of’ featurette for their help. So do you have original ideas for a film but no idea how to come up with the capital to shoot? With a good donation campaign it’s possible to succeed and as a bonus make the public part of the creative process of filmmaking. ÉCU eagerly awaits your finished work!

Gill Gillespie