January 28, 2026 • 40 mins
THE CROWDFUNDING QUEEN™ is a fundraising expert and innovator, as well as a multi-award-winning European-American film and theater director and producer. She has garnered over 37 awards and accolades and was once an Oscar contender in the “Best Documentary” category for her acclaimed feature-length film, Torn from the Flag. She is also known for her Cannes-award-winning short Brown Paper Bag. THE CROWDFUNDING QUEEN™ is recognized worldwide as acrowdfunding consultant.She engineered the FROM ZERO TO A MILLION IN 90 DAYS™ fundraising course and major crowdsourcing campaigns — including raising $1.7 million forTorn from the Flag — and now teaches filmmakers and entrepreneurs how to use fundraising techniques, crowdfunding, and strategic donor engagement to power their projects forward. She splits her time between Hollywood and Hungary, works internationally as a director and fundraising educator.
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SPEAKER_01 (01:22):
Join the crowdfunding queen and learned
important techniques for fundingyour film.
SPEAKER_00 (01:31):
The crowdfunding queen is also a
multi-award-winning HungarianAmerican film and theater
director and fundraisinginnovator.
She's garnered over 37 awardsand accolades, and was once an
Oscar contender in the bestdocumentary category for her
(01:53):
acclaimed Torn from the Flag, apowerful historical documentary
about the Cold War and 1956Hungarian Revolution and the
decline of communism, featuringinterviews with iconic figures
and cinematography by legendslike Academy Award-winning Vilma
(02:17):
Sigmund.
Kovax is also known for her handaward-winning short brown paper
bag and is recognized worldwideas a crowdfunding expert.
She engineered major fundraisingcampaigns, including raising$1.7
million for torn from the flag,and now consults with and
(02:42):
teaches filmmakers, creatives,and business owners how to use
fundraising, crowdfunding, andstrategic donor engagement to
power their projects forward.
She splits her time betweenHollywood and Europe and works
internationally in film,theater, and education.
(03:04):
And Carol, I understand that theCrowdfunding Queen is sponsored
by From the Heart Productions.
SPEAKER_01 (03:11):
That's right, Claire.
We're honored to have you today,Claudia.
Please introduce yourself.
SPEAKER_02 (03:18):
Thank you so much.
My name is Claudia Kovacs, alsoknown as the Crowdfunding Queen.
And after this amazingintroduction, I don't know what
else I could say, but I'm reallyexcited about crowdfunding and
fundraising because that'sreally what put me on the map as
a filmmaker.
And I would love to share mytechniques and ideas and my
suggestions with the listeners.
SPEAKER_01 (03:38):
We need to hear that.
Raising money is a mostimportant part of filmmaking.
So you recently raised$28,000 injust a few weeks for the
technical update for torn fromthe flag.
So what was the core strategybehind that success?
And what should filmmakers takeaway from it?
SPEAKER_02 (04:00):
Sure.
So I stayed in really goodrelationship with my previous
and original funders of thefilm, and I nurture those
relationships very consciously.
I have constant contact, and I'mnot advertising constant contact
specifically, but I haveconstant contact and I send out
notifications and invitationsand greetings through constant
(04:23):
contact all the time.
And also I have personalrelationships with my funders.
They are my friends now.
And so I make sure that thoserelationships are always intact.
And so when I went back to myoriginal funders and told them
that we needed to do a technicalupdate, they were happy to help.
And that's really where the keyis there's one thing to build
(04:46):
your crowd, but then you have tonurture your crowd.
And once you gain trust and likeand sometimes even love, that
relationship really transformsinto a relationship where you
are standing for the same causetogether.
SPEAKER_01 (05:02):
Exactly.
And people look forward to youremails to see what's going on,
what you're up to now.
This is so important.
Many filmmakers do not do enoughfollow-through, and uh
crowdfunding campaigns bring youpeople that sometimes you have
no idea of what their net worthis.
(05:23):
And I've seen people that uhlike you that have done
crowdfunding campaigns, and onewoman made a plea to her her uh
Kickstarter campaign, peoplesaying, I'm way behind because
uh I spend 95% of my timeraising money and five percent
making the film.
(05:44):
And she got a call from someonewho had given her like a hundred
dollars on the campaign, and hesaid, How much do you need to
finish your film?
And he gave her a hundredthousand.
So you never know, Claudia,right?
SPEAKER_02 (05:57):
Absolutely, and hallelujah to that.
Uh, I would like to say that I'man immigrant and I came here
knowing one person in the entirecountry.
So I built my crowd from that,and I remember when I originally
started crowdfunding andfundraising, I put uh an excel
sheet together and I put mymailman, I put my post office
(06:22):
worker, I put everybody on thatlist, and with that list, I had
about 200 people.
But honestly, three-quarters ofthose people I didn't even
really know well.
They were just more likeacquaintances or people I
encountered once or twice.
So the real friends were maybe20, 25, and then I built a crowd
(06:42):
for this particular film.
Uh, 20,000 uh people were partof my crowd, and that's how I
raised the 1.7 million dollars.
So that was a very consciousdecision to build that crowd,
and without building the crowd,you have no funding.
That's why it's calledcrowdfunding.
SPEAKER_01 (07:02):
That's right.
People call me sometimes and saythey want to do a crowdfunding
campaign.
Great.
How many people do you have onyour mailing list?
Oh, I've at least got a hundred,right?
And you want to raise how muchmoney?
And it's some ridiculous amount.
So you have to take your crowdto the crowdfunding.
And you're known as thecrowdfunding queen.
(07:26):
Explain what this title means toyou and how you define your
success as crowdfunding forfilmmakers.
SPEAKER_02 (07:35):
Sure.
One more thing I like to add tothe previous question, just to
clarify, is uh online, uhstaying in touch online with
your crowd, so via email, uh,email marketing, uh, Facebook,
uh, you know, uh all that isimportant, but that's not really
where it happens uh in terms ofthe actual funding.
(07:56):
You need to pick up the phone,you need to have meetings with
people, you need to have directcontact.
So, what was really interestingwhen I was raising this uh
$28,000 is I sent out the emailto people and I sort of let them
know this is what I would bedoing, and then I sent out
another email letting them knowit's coming up, and then I sent
(08:19):
one more email saying pleasedonate.
And I have a link to to from theheart production, and I got out
of the$28,000, I got$70.
And that's important to notebecause it doesn't have
donation, doesn't have reallydoesn't happen really online.
The asking doesn't happenonline, and then so what I did
(08:42):
was is once the$70 came in, thenI got on the phone and I asked
directly my funders to donate,and that's how it happened
direct contact.
So it's very important to knowthat within three weeks I was
able to raise$28,000, but when Ijust sent the email, it was$70.
(09:04):
So that's the gap.
And these people know me, likeme, and some love me and respect
me.
So it's very important that youdon't shy away from talking to
people, you know, and it's thebest is always in person.
That's the number one rule.
If you can do it in person, ofcourse, it's not always possible
geographically.
(09:24):
The second best is Zoom, videozoom, not an audio, but a video
zoom.
So you have eye contact with theperson and you can interact and
it's almost real, uh, as if itwas you know real and live.
And then the third is telephone.
But the best is always uh um amulti-exposure uh interaction,
(09:45):
meaning multi-sensory exposure,so visual, audio, and then you
can present yourself the way youneed to present that way.
So I just wanted to clarify thatbecause it's not enough to send
an email, even if you know yourcrowd and they know you.
So, what the crowdfunding queenmeans to you.
So that's really interestingbecause that developed about 20
(10:07):
years ago, that name, uh, when Iwas raising money for my first
film.
I came up with this idea ofhaving to raise the money
because there was no other way Iwould become a filmmaker.
I moved to America, I was ababysitter.
Usually that's what Europeansgals do is they come to America,
they get an au-pair or ababysitting position.
(10:28):
And then I was working for$5 anhour, and I worked about 12, 14
hours every single day fromMonday through Saturday, and
then I realized, well, I'll I'llnever make and I'll never become
a filmmaker, no one's going togive me an opportunity.
And that's how really the ideacame that I have to raise the
money myself.
And that was actually before thecrowdfunding platforms evolved.
(10:51):
So I built my own platform atthe time because what's
available today was notavailable at the time.
So I was very inventive thatway.
And so, and so I just uhbasically that was my only
option.
Failure was not an option,either I was going to become a
filmmaker or I was just gonnapack my bags and go home because
you know I didn't come this farto come this far.
(11:14):
And so when and so when when Iwas raising the funds and the
money started coming in, that'swhen people started to take
note.
And so I started to get requeststo help with other people's
crowdfunding campaigns orfundraising campaigns, and so
they started calling me thequeen, and so that's sort of how
(11:36):
it evolved slowly but surely.
And I was volunteering for along time, but at one point, you
know, only so much volunteeringyou can do.
And so uh, and I made it into abusiness because I realized
people need this type ofknowledge that I have and the
inventiveness that I have, andso I created programs, and and
basically that's it's verymeaningful for me to have this
(11:56):
name because it means thatpeople respect the knowledge
that I have and the ideas that Ihave and the methodology that I
developed.
So it's very, very meaningful tome, and I'm I'm delighted to be
called that, and it's not aself-imposed name, it's
something that people gave me.
SPEAKER_01 (12:13):
Well, that's lovely.
Tell me, um, you have a website.
What is that?
Can you share that with us?
SPEAKER_02 (12:19):
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
It's the crowdfundingqueen.com.
So you can also find me onLinkedIn, on Instagram, on
Facebook.
But the best is to go to thewebsite, and the reason it's the
best thing to do, go to thewebsite is because I offer a
free crowdfunding guide, and youcan download that for yourself,
(12:41):
and it's no charge.
SPEAKER_01 (12:43):
That's marvelous.
That's very kind of you.
So um now for filmmakers justgetting started with
crowdfunding, what do you sayare the first three things they
should do before launching acampaign?
SPEAKER_02 (12:56):
Yeah, so you have to build a crowd.
Honestly, um, about 90% of thework is building the crowd.
The rest, if you have the crowd,the rest is relatively smooth
sailing.
So you have to dedicate enoughtime to build that crowd.
How much time?
It depends how big your campaignis.
(13:18):
But it's always better to allowmore time than you think you
need.
So if you have a really bigcampaign, I would say it can be
a half a year to a year, verysystematically building that
relationship.
And the relationships, and thereason that's important is
because you know, you can't justmeet someone and say, knock,
knock, give me money.
(13:39):
You really have to genuinelybuild a relationship with these
people.
Not only do you have to buildthe relationship, but before
that, you have to find the rightcrowd.
If somebody, for example, is alover of horror movies, then you
can't really go to a crowd, uh adocumentary crowd.
So you really have to identifyyour crowd first, who are those
people who would be supportingyou in the future, and then
(14:02):
build the relationship.
So please spend a lot of timebuilding that relationship.
And also when I say a lot oftime, it doesn't necessarily
mean that you have to do everysingle day you have to work
eight hours.
What I mean is if you, forexample, allow a year, which
seems like a lot of time, butyou just spend half an hour
every single day building thatcrowd, you're already good to
(14:25):
go.
SPEAKER_01 (14:26):
Right.
Well, let me ask you this.
Um, do you uh offer any way forfilmmakers to go after their
crowd through the content of thefilm?
Like if someone's making a filmabout dogs, I mean, what would
you suggest they do to expandtheir database?
SPEAKER_02 (14:48):
Sure.
So actually that's that's that'skind of neat that you're asking
this question because currentlyI have a client who is raising
money for a dog-themeddocumentary.
So, target market is the twokeywords you need to know.
Target market is finding exactlythe people who are interested in
(15:08):
your cause and in your theme ofthe film.
So you have to find nonprofits,you have to find advocates, you
need to find communities, uh,maybe even uh, you know, um
medical medical environmentsthat support dogs, for example,
or any anybody really who lovesdogs and and wants to help
(15:32):
animals, these are you know,these people will be your crowd.
So target market is what youreally have to think about.
Who is my target market andbring those people on?
SPEAKER_01 (15:44):
Exactly.
Yes.
Well, you've worked reallysuccessfully in features and
shorts.
So uh oh, you did really wellwith brown paper bank.
So how does funding strategydiffer for shorts and features
and docs?
SPEAKER_02 (16:01):
I think for shorts it's much easier because you
don't need to raise that muchmoney.
And uh, you know, there arevarious layers, there are
various layers of of um of uhthe community that you reach out
to.
Of course, there's always thefriends and family, and you can
do that once or twice, but Idon't recommend that you keep
(16:24):
doing that ongoingly becauseyour friends and family, you
will have to sit with them atthe Thanksgiving table, and you
don't want to feel like, oh, notagain.
That person is going to ask usfor money again.
So, you know, you have to bestrategic because at the end of
the day, your family is yourfamily, and and any family is
more important, uh, especiallyif you're in a beautiful, loving
(16:47):
relationship with your family,they're more important than any
other entity.
So uh you that's one layer thefamily and friends, and then you
have, you know, colleagues, uhpeople that you work with, and
then there is the uh extensionof that.
So uh when it comes to uh shortfilms, you can go to family and
(17:07):
friends because assuminglyyou're going to be raising a
smaller amount of money.
Um, in terms of documentaries, Ilove documentaries because they
very usually are verytheme-oriented and
cause-oriented, and you know, weall want to have some sort of
cause.
There's always a cause to almostI've never met a person who
(17:27):
didn't feel passionate about acause.
And so it's easier to hone andtune into that cause-oriented
feeling with people because thenyou can bring your crowd on
board easier.
As far as uh fiction films, Ithink if you can identify a
cause, what that fiction filmreally serves, usually even
(17:52):
fiction films have some sort ofcause.
It's it could be as as uh astrivial as, well, I love seeing
people being in love or romanticcomedies, for example.
Who doesn't want that, right?
Who doesn't want to seehappiness?
So you can still identify thecause of that film and raise
accordingly, but certainlydocumentaries in that regard, I
(18:12):
think, are easier.
SPEAKER_01 (18:14):
Well, it what you're talking about is uh attaching
strategic partners to your film.
So organizations, nonprofits,people who really are interested
in that concept.
Uh, and that does work, but ittakes time, even with strategic
partners.
You have you have to talk tothem and sort of hold their hand
(18:36):
while you're making the filmbecause they've got your
audience, right?
SPEAKER_02 (18:41):
Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (18:43):
So getting them attached, entertaining them, and
then asking for money is is theprocess, I guess, right?
SPEAKER_02 (18:51):
Yeah, so I practice the rule of seven, which is a
marketing concept.
And the rule of seven means thatyou have to have seven, uh you
have to have contact seven timeswith your funders, whether they
just uh your friends, uh your uhfriends and family, about the
project specifically, or theyare strategic partners, or they
(19:14):
are corporate sponsors, you haveto have seven contacts,
meaningful contacts.
So that look can look like aphone call, it could have a it
could be like a meeting, itcould have a thank, it could be
a thank you card, which is notvery much practice, but let me
tell you, thank you cards,written thank you cards do
wonders.
And the reason they work thesedays, especially because no one
(19:38):
does no one does that anymore.
So always try to find thingsthat other people don't do,
which is why I always say, don'tever do offer a t-shirt, don't
ever, you know, do a mug.
And those trivial things, itjust it's just not inventive.
You're a creative person, youshould have creative ideas, and
(19:59):
so you know, um, find seven waysto contact.
So it could be in-person,meeting, thank you card, another
email, a text, you know, you butyou have to spread it out.
You can't be uh too aggressiveabout that.
You have to allow natural,natural time to pass.
So if you reach out to someone,let's say every other week,
(20:23):
that's a good, it's a little bitintense, but not too bad.
But don't do it more frequently.
So that's what I practice isdevelop the relationship with
your funders, with yourstrategic partners, and then go
from there.
SPEAKER_01 (20:37):
Right.
Well said.
So, but can you share a majorcrowdfunding mistake that you've
seen or experienced and whatyou've learned from it?
SPEAKER_02 (20:47):
Yes, uh, I'm going to share a mistake that I made
myself, and I have seen some ofmy clients almost make it, but I
prevented them to so.
So uh one of the mistakes that Isee in fundraising and
crowdfunding is that peoplededicate a new page, new a
(21:11):
social media page to theproject.
I am very much against that.
I think people should be havingcreatives, should have their own
uh media page uh uh and have alltheir projects listed there.
In other words, the reason youdo that is because if they found
one picture and they love whatyou did and they love the way
(21:35):
you treated them and the respectyou have given them, then it's
really easy to engage them forthe next film.
If you have a separate socialmedia platform for each project
you do, you're going to belosing a lot of a great portion
of your crowd.
So don't do that.
You're the you're the creator.
(21:56):
Can you imagine if if uhJennifer Lopez, for example,
would have a different platformfrom every single song she does,
she would lose a lot offollowers.
So it's you know, the the pageis JLo, I think, or JLo.com, I'm
sure.
And so it's always she releaseseverything through that through
(22:16):
herself.
So that's what I would say isdon't create separate media
platforms for each project, buthave it on your site, on your uh
Facebook, uh, Instagram, TikTok,whatever, and don't lose your
followers.
SPEAKER_01 (22:33):
Well, how do you work with people on how much
money to raise?
Because I often see that peopleget confused between the budget
for their film and the number ofpeople they have on their
database.
Because if your film is ahundred thousand budget and you
(22:53):
have 300 people, you're nevergoing to get that much money.
So you need to recognize whatyou can raise from the number of
people you have, is the way Iask them to look at it.
What do you say?
SPEAKER_02 (23:08):
Yeah, so it depends on the what I call the quality.
Of the crowd, the financialquality of the crowd.
So it does if you have greatcontacts, then meaning that they
have a lot of money and passivemoney to support you, then you
actually don't need a largecrowd.
But the truth is, most of usdon't have that situation.
(23:31):
I have had people who asked meto consult, and he said, Well, I
have a billionaire with a Bfriend.
I said, Well, you don't need me,just call your friend.
But if if you don't havebillionaire or millionaire
friends, then yes, the numbersare important.
(23:52):
Absolutely agree with you.
And so there are two ways to goabout that.
Either you build a crowd andthen you raise more money, or
you reduce your budget.
There's no way around it.
So be wise.
And that's one of the thingsthat I do when I do an uh
initial uh preliminaryconsultation with somebody who
(24:12):
wants to work with me is I askabout the numbers.
How many contacts do you have?
How many I have them make uhgrab their phone and say, How
many contacts do you have?
You know, in your phone, howmany people's emails do you
have?
How many LinkedIn profile uhconnections do you have?
How many Facebook and so on?
(24:33):
And so we look at that verycarefully and I re-analyze it.
I analyze it for them, and thenI make a suggestion and I create
a blueprint, which is one of myspecialty, is creating a
blueprint for that givenclient's strategy and campaign.
So, yes.
SPEAKER_01 (24:50):
Oh, that's important.
So you help them create theirstrategy for the campaign,
right?
SPEAKER_02 (24:55):
Yes, absolutely.
I create a blueprint, which isso much fun.
And uh one thing that uh thatpeople don't know about me is or
not many people know about me,is that I go way beyond
crowdfunding.
So I I really am called thecrowdfunding queen, but it but I
am a fundraising andcrowdfunding strategist.
So I look at their what theirgoal is, how many contacts they
(25:22):
have, what their timeline is,very important.
I I do get once in a whilereally unrealistic calls, you
know.
I want to raise a milliondollars by next month.
You know, I'm a consultant, nota magician.
So let's make that clear.
And so so we I look at it and Icreate a campaign for them or a
blueprint first, and many timesI find that we have to do uh
(25:46):
various uh multiple steps.
So maybe they want to raise, forexample,$500,000.
Let's just take that as anexample, and so I say, well,
based on your contacts, you canraise right now about$80,000.
So let's do a campaign, acrowdfunding campaign for that,
but also let's bring in a fiscalsponsor, and as you know, I have
(26:12):
referred many of my clients tofrom the Heart Productions
because they need both.
It's not necessarily either or,it's sometimes and.
And so I create we look at itand I say, okay, so you can
crowdfund this much money, thenyou can uh more most likely uh
get donations that are notattached to a timeline through a
(26:36):
fiscal sponsor, then we look atwhether sometimes people can get
a loan, a bridge loan to for thetime being while they're raising
the money.
And then also there's sometimescorporate sponsors or or um
product placement.
There are a lot of other ways toactually uh get money.
And so also sometimes when youuh have a strategic partners
(26:59):
that you mentioned, then whatthey do is some of the strategic
partners are nonprofits, so theyget they they get the the donor
to that strategic partner getsthe tax donation already, and
then that check, let's say$10,000, does not can go
directly to your productioncompany.
(27:20):
So it doesn't have to involve aplatform of any kind, and it
doesn't have to uh involve a uhfiscal sponsor.
So it really depends on eachsituation.
It's like being a doctor,really.
There's no there's generalguidelines, but you really have
to look at the individual, theirindividual situation, and I
create their blueprintaccordingly.
SPEAKER_01 (27:40):
Right.
After doing this for so manyyears, you really know all the
tricks to the trade, I wouldthink, right?
SPEAKER_02 (27:47):
So you can I like to think so.
SPEAKER_01 (27:50):
Definitely.
Well, let me ask you this.
I often see that they say thatyou need 30% of your donation
within the first three days.
So, how do you feel about that?
SPEAKER_02 (28:05):
Uh, I have a little bit of a different approach.
I actually am very um I'madvocating for the fact that
unless you have 70% committedverbally or in writing from your
donors, I don't allow my clientsto start the campaign.
(28:29):
And so I I want I want givendonors to say, yes, I will
donate and I will donate thismuch on this day.
So there are three componentshow much, and you know, what
day, and you know, thecommitment itself.
So um I I don't allow my clientsto start it, and that's one of
(28:50):
the keys to my success and myclient's success, is that I want
commitments.
Uh in writing, preferably, butverbally, we'll do sometimes.
And then we really on the firstuh couple of days, even
hopefully that 70% will come in.
My experience is that the 70% isreally about 60% or 55%, because
(29:16):
you know, things can happen.
Someone committed, but some somesort of unfortunate situation
happened in the family, or youknow, something happened that
they just cannot.
So the 70% is really about 60,55%.
And then I want those donors todonate right away on the first
day, first second day, and thenyou have 30 days to focus on the
(29:38):
rest.
Yes, that's how I do it.
SPEAKER_01 (29:40):
That's really wonderful.
Good thinking.
Well, um, tell us again whatyour website is, because I know
you've got some specials thatthey can download the guide and
they will get a discount couponfor booking a consultation.
That's very kind of you.
SPEAKER_02 (30:00):
Thank you.
Uh, so thecrowdfundingqueen.com, the
crowdfundingqueen.com.
And so, yeah, so what happens iswhen they go on on my website,
they can download the uh freeguide.
And when you when they downloadthe free guide, then there is a
coupon in the guide.
(30:20):
So then if you decide to workwith me, then you can apply that
coupon.
In addition, also, uh March 14this the International Day of
Crowdfunding.
And so they will be able to benotified if they sign up of the
additional discounts I will beoffering on that day.
SPEAKER_01 (30:44):
Wonderful.
Well, um, with so many platformsavailable today, um, how do you
decide which is the rightplatform for the right person?
Or do you have one you use allthe time?
SPEAKER_02 (30:59):
Uh I I well, they're really just the three major
platforms.
I mean, the two major platforms,and then for filmmakers
specifically, uh, you know, CDance Spark is certainly one
that that many people use.
Uh, the reason C Dence Sparkright now is really great is
because they stopped uh charginga percentage, but FYI, they
(31:22):
expect you to make a tip ordonation to the platform.
I I don't know how long theywill be, uh they will be able to
offer that uh you know feelessplatform.
We'll see.
But I don't think the theplatforms are that important.
It just really uh it dependswhether how risk tolerant the
(31:44):
client is, whether they want tomake sure that whatever they
raise they get, or they arefeeling ambitious and say, oh
yeah, I'm pretty sure I canraise that money, so I don't
have to worry about you know notmeeting my goal.
But I think in terms ofplatforms, there are actually
about 600 platforms around theworld.
I mean, if you really I I Ididn't know this, and I, you
(32:06):
know, I was starting to expandon that knowledge, and I
realized that there are so manyplatforms around the world
specific to specific industriesand uh fields in terms of art,
artistic fields, and stuff likethat.
But I think platforms are alittle bit like when if you're
cooking, what kind of a pot youuse is not that important.
(32:27):
It's more important that youhave your skilled cook.
You know, if you're really askilled cook, the pot is
secondary.
Of course, if you're a master,then you will want some sort of
special brand or special specialpot.
But at the end of the day, it'snot that important.
I think that's the least of ourworries.
Knowing how to ask for moneywith joy and bravery and
(32:51):
hesitate without hesitation ismuch more important.
That's certainly one thing thatI see that a lot of my clients
have a problem with is not to beafraid to ask.
And so that's one thing that Iteach, and that's one thing how
I uniquely I think can boostsomeone's uh point of view in a
(33:12):
way that they are anchored andproud of what they're doing, as
opposed to being afraid of theasking.
SPEAKER_01 (33:18):
It's true.
They're really afraid, and it'sand they're so creative that
it's simply a matter of takingthat filmmaking creativity and
putting into crowdfundingcreativity, right?
SPEAKER_02 (33:31):
Yes, and also, you know, we all have our money
story that we inherited from ourparents and from our family.
So uh sometimes even people whohave quite a lot of come from
money or come from upper middleclass or upper class uh
environment, they they arefeeling maybe uh concerned that
you know people will think,well, you know, my family has
(33:53):
money and I'm still asking.
So everybody has their own uhconcerns about money.
And my job is to show you howyou how to position yourself
psychologically and emotionallyin a way that you are actually
delighted to ask.
Because the thing is, if you'reexcited and if you're
passionate, and if you're proudand you're not timid and ashamed
(34:19):
of asking, it's a wholedifferent ballgame.
Just changing that one thing canchange your entire life
trajectory, really.
SPEAKER_01 (34:27):
Well, that's confidence and support.
So by you giving them theconfidence and the support to do
it, and it's knowing others havedone it and were successful.
I think that's it.
And you carry, you've embodiedthis confidence, and of course
you can raise money.
And when you uh you work withpeople, you're going to be
(34:50):
lifting them into that concept,and they will do it, they'll
succeed if they have someone whobelieves in them.
I think that's what's needed,right?
SPEAKER_02 (35:00):
Yes, I mean believing in somebody is one
thing, but teaching them toshift their mindset around money
for the better and moreempowering way is really where
it all happens.
Uh, you know, I am I am yourbiggest advocate as a as a as a
consultant, but I want your uhchange in your mindset to be
(35:23):
permanent.
So I always say people, you hireme once, but you gain the
knowledge and the expertisewhich you can utilize for the
rest of your life.
So actually, anytime peopleinvest into working with me,
they're learning a new languageof success, and that they can
apply anytime.
It's like riding a bicycle thatonce you learn how to ride a
(35:43):
bike, you can ride a bikeanytime, or swimming, or a
language.
So that's another language thatyou're learning and a new
approach that I'm showing youhow you can be successful and
how to go out in the world andmake your dreams come true.
SPEAKER_01 (35:57):
Yes, and that will help them in all levels of uh
filmmaking as well as theirlife.
So let me just ask you this (36:03):
if you could distill your film
funding philosophy into a singlepiece of advice that every
filmmaker could live by, whatwould that be?
SPEAKER_02 (36:16):
I think it's the confidence, it really is the
shifting, being willing to beopen, to be coached so that I
see your potential.
Many times clients don't seetheir own potential.
And so the greatest value Ithink I bring besides the
specific concrete knowledge isthat I see the best in you and
(36:39):
I'm going to show you what youcan do and then let you go out
in the world and make it allhappen.
SPEAKER_01 (36:45):
Sounds great.
Thank you so much.
You really have done a wonderfuljob sharing your information,
not only about your incrediblesuccess, but the how behind your
success.
To think that you came into thecountry and worked at$5 an hour.
I don't know how you fedyourself.
I mean, that's enough, isn't it?
(37:08):
But what you've shown us soclearly today is that funding
isn't about luck, it's aboutstrategy, preparation, and
having the courage to act in away that's authentic and aligned
with your story.
So for everyone listening, Ihope this conversation has made
one thing clear.
(37:29):
Raising money for your film ispossible when you have the right
tools, the right structure, andthe right support.
And that's exactly what we do atFrom Heart Productions.
We're a nonprofit 50163dedicated to helping filmmakers
and through our sponsorshipbillers and raise money tax
(37:49):
deductible for their donors.
And they get to use the money tomake the film and they don't
have to pay it back, which isvery nice.
And uh Claudia, we love theintegrity that you work with,
the honesty and the preparation,and all of that is what's needed
to raise money in our industry.
(38:11):
So thank you very much for thework you do and for the
confidence that you give ourfilmmakers.
Thank you for joining.
SPEAKER_02 (38:20):
Thank you very much.
Appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01 (38:22):
Okay.
And Claire, thank you for theshow.
And we'll see you again in aweek.
SPEAKER_00 (38:28):
Okay, be well, everyone.
Join the crowdfunding queen and learned
important techniques for fundingyour film.
SPEAKER_00 (01:31):
The crowdfunding queen is also a
multi-award-winning HungarianAmerican film and theater
director and fundraisinginnovator.
She's garnered over 37 awardsand accolades, and was once an
Oscar contender in the bestdocumentary category for her
(01:53):
acclaimed Torn from the Flag, apowerful historical documentary
about the Cold War and 1956Hungarian Revolution and the
decline of communism, featuringinterviews with iconic figures
and cinematography by legendslike Academy Award-winning Vilma
(02:17):
Sigmund.
Kovax is also known for her handaward-winning short brown paper
bag and is recognized worldwideas a crowdfunding expert.
She engineered major fundraisingcampaigns, including raising$1.7
million for torn from the flag,and now consults with and
(02:42):
teaches filmmakers, creatives,and business owners how to use
fundraising, crowdfunding, andstrategic donor engagement to
power their projects forward.
She splits her time betweenHollywood and Europe and works
internationally in film,theater, and education.
(03:04):
And Carol, I understand that theCrowdfunding Queen is sponsored
by From the Heart Productions.
SPEAKER_01 (03:11):
That's right, Claire.
We're honored to have you today,Claudia.
Please introduce yourself.
SPEAKER_02 (03:18):
Thank you so much.
My name is Claudia Kovacs, alsoknown as the Crowdfunding Queen.
And after this amazingintroduction, I don't know what
else I could say, but I'm reallyexcited about crowdfunding and
fundraising because that'sreally what put me on the map as
a filmmaker.
And I would love to share mytechniques and ideas and my
suggestions with the listeners.
SPEAKER_01 (03:38):
We need to hear that.
Raising money is a mostimportant part of filmmaking.
So you recently raised$28,000 injust a few weeks for the
technical update for torn fromthe flag.
So what was the core strategybehind that success?
And what should filmmakers takeaway from it?
SPEAKER_02 (04:00):
Sure.
So I stayed in really goodrelationship with my previous
and original funders of thefilm, and I nurture those
relationships very consciously.
I have constant contact, and I'mnot advertising constant contact
specifically, but I haveconstant contact and I send out
notifications and invitationsand greetings through constant
(04:23):
contact all the time.
And also I have personalrelationships with my funders.
They are my friends now.
And so I make sure that thoserelationships are always intact.
And so when I went back to myoriginal funders and told them
that we needed to do a technicalupdate, they were happy to help.
And that's really where the keyis there's one thing to build
(04:46):
your crowd, but then you have tonurture your crowd.
And once you gain trust and likeand sometimes even love, that
relationship really transformsinto a relationship where you
are standing for the same causetogether.
SPEAKER_01 (05:02):
Exactly.
And people look forward to youremails to see what's going on,
what you're up to now.
This is so important.
Many filmmakers do not do enoughfollow-through, and uh
crowdfunding campaigns bring youpeople that sometimes you have
no idea of what their net worthis.
(05:23):
And I've seen people that uhlike you that have done
crowdfunding campaigns, and onewoman made a plea to her her uh
Kickstarter campaign, peoplesaying, I'm way behind because
uh I spend 95% of my timeraising money and five percent
making the film.
(05:44):
And she got a call from someonewho had given her like a hundred
dollars on the campaign, and hesaid, How much do you need to
finish your film?
And he gave her a hundredthousand.
So you never know, Claudia,right?
SPEAKER_02 (05:57):
Absolutely, and hallelujah to that.
Uh, I would like to say that I'man immigrant and I came here
knowing one person in the entirecountry.
So I built my crowd from that,and I remember when I originally
started crowdfunding andfundraising, I put uh an excel
sheet together and I put mymailman, I put my post office
(06:22):
worker, I put everybody on thatlist, and with that list, I had
about 200 people.
But honestly, three-quarters ofthose people I didn't even
really know well.
They were just more likeacquaintances or people I
encountered once or twice.
So the real friends were maybe20, 25, and then I built a crowd
(06:42):
for this particular film.
Uh, 20,000 uh people were partof my crowd, and that's how I
raised the 1.7 million dollars.
So that was a very consciousdecision to build that crowd,
and without building the crowd,you have no funding.
That's why it's calledcrowdfunding.
SPEAKER_01 (07:02):
That's right.
People call me sometimes and saythey want to do a crowdfunding
campaign.
Great.
How many people do you have onyour mailing list?
Oh, I've at least got a hundred,right?
And you want to raise how muchmoney?
And it's some ridiculous amount.
So you have to take your crowdto the crowdfunding.
And you're known as thecrowdfunding queen.
(07:26):
Explain what this title means toyou and how you define your
success as crowdfunding forfilmmakers.
SPEAKER_02 (07:35):
Sure.
One more thing I like to add tothe previous question, just to
clarify, is uh online, uhstaying in touch online with
your crowd, so via email, uh,email marketing, uh, Facebook,
uh, you know, uh all that isimportant, but that's not really
where it happens uh in terms ofthe actual funding.
(07:56):
You need to pick up the phone,you need to have meetings with
people, you need to have directcontact.
So, what was really interestingwhen I was raising this uh
$28,000 is I sent out the emailto people and I sort of let them
know this is what I would bedoing, and then I sent out
another email letting them knowit's coming up, and then I sent
(08:19):
one more email saying pleasedonate.
And I have a link to to from theheart production, and I got out
of the$28,000, I got$70.
And that's important to notebecause it doesn't have
donation, doesn't have reallydoesn't happen really online.
The asking doesn't happenonline, and then so what I did
(08:42):
was is once the$70 came in, thenI got on the phone and I asked
directly my funders to donate,and that's how it happened
direct contact.
So it's very important to knowthat within three weeks I was
able to raise$28,000, but when Ijust sent the email, it was$70.
(09:04):
So that's the gap.
And these people know me, likeme, and some love me and respect
me.
So it's very important that youdon't shy away from talking to
people, you know, and it's thebest is always in person.
That's the number one rule.
If you can do it in person, ofcourse, it's not always possible
geographically.
(09:24):
The second best is Zoom, videozoom, not an audio, but a video
zoom.
So you have eye contact with theperson and you can interact and
it's almost real, uh, as if itwas you know real and live.
And then the third is telephone.
But the best is always uh um amulti-exposure uh interaction,
(09:45):
meaning multi-sensory exposure,so visual, audio, and then you
can present yourself the way youneed to present that way.
So I just wanted to clarify thatbecause it's not enough to send
an email, even if you know yourcrowd and they know you.
So, what the crowdfunding queenmeans to you.
So that's really interestingbecause that developed about 20
(10:07):
years ago, that name, uh, when Iwas raising money for my first
film.
I came up with this idea ofhaving to raise the money
because there was no other way Iwould become a filmmaker.
I moved to America, I was ababysitter.
Usually that's what Europeansgals do is they come to America,
they get an au-pair or ababysitting position.
(10:28):
And then I was working for$5 anhour, and I worked about 12, 14
hours every single day fromMonday through Saturday, and
then I realized, well, I'll I'llnever make and I'll never become
a filmmaker, no one's going togive me an opportunity.
And that's how really the ideacame that I have to raise the
money myself.
And that was actually before thecrowdfunding platforms evolved.
(10:51):
So I built my own platform atthe time because what's
available today was notavailable at the time.
So I was very inventive thatway.
And so, and so I just uhbasically that was my only
option.
Failure was not an option,either I was going to become a
filmmaker or I was just gonnapack my bags and go home because
you know I didn't come this farto come this far.
(11:14):
And so when and so when when Iwas raising the funds and the
money started coming in, that'swhen people started to take
note.
And so I started to get requeststo help with other people's
crowdfunding campaigns orfundraising campaigns, and so
they started calling me thequeen, and so that's sort of how
(11:36):
it evolved slowly but surely.
And I was volunteering for along time, but at one point, you
know, only so much volunteeringyou can do.
And so uh, and I made it into abusiness because I realized
people need this type ofknowledge that I have and the
inventiveness that I have, andso I created programs, and and
basically that's it's verymeaningful for me to have this
(11:56):
name because it means thatpeople respect the knowledge
that I have and the ideas that Ihave and the methodology that I
developed.
So it's very, very meaningful tome, and I'm I'm delighted to be
called that, and it's not aself-imposed name, it's
something that people gave me.
SPEAKER_01 (12:13):
Well, that's lovely.
Tell me, um, you have a website.
What is that?
Can you share that with us?
SPEAKER_02 (12:19):
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
It's the crowdfundingqueen.com.
So you can also find me onLinkedIn, on Instagram, on
Facebook.
But the best is to go to thewebsite, and the reason it's the
best thing to do, go to thewebsite is because I offer a
free crowdfunding guide, and youcan download that for yourself,
(12:41):
and it's no charge.
SPEAKER_01 (12:43):
That's marvelous.
That's very kind of you.
So um now for filmmakers justgetting started with
crowdfunding, what do you sayare the first three things they
should do before launching acampaign?
SPEAKER_02 (12:56):
Yeah, so you have to build a crowd.
Honestly, um, about 90% of thework is building the crowd.
The rest, if you have the crowd,the rest is relatively smooth
sailing.
So you have to dedicate enoughtime to build that crowd.
How much time?
It depends how big your campaignis.
(13:18):
But it's always better to allowmore time than you think you
need.
So if you have a really bigcampaign, I would say it can be
a half a year to a year, verysystematically building that
relationship.
And the relationships, and thereason that's important is
because you know, you can't justmeet someone and say, knock,
knock, give me money.
(13:39):
You really have to genuinelybuild a relationship with these
people.
Not only do you have to buildthe relationship, but before
that, you have to find the rightcrowd.
If somebody, for example, is alover of horror movies, then you
can't really go to a crowd, uh adocumentary crowd.
So you really have to identifyyour crowd first, who are those
people who would be supportingyou in the future, and then
(14:02):
build the relationship.
So please spend a lot of timebuilding that relationship.
And also when I say a lot oftime, it doesn't necessarily
mean that you have to do everysingle day you have to work
eight hours.
What I mean is if you, forexample, allow a year, which
seems like a lot of time, butyou just spend half an hour
every single day building thatcrowd, you're already good to
(14:25):
go.
SPEAKER_01 (14:26):
Right.
Well, let me ask you this.
Um, do you uh offer any way forfilmmakers to go after their
crowd through the content of thefilm?
Like if someone's making a filmabout dogs, I mean, what would
you suggest they do to expandtheir database?
SPEAKER_02 (14:48):
Sure.
So actually that's that's that'skind of neat that you're asking
this question because currentlyI have a client who is raising
money for a dog-themeddocumentary.
So, target market is the twokeywords you need to know.
Target market is finding exactlythe people who are interested in
(15:08):
your cause and in your theme ofthe film.
So you have to find nonprofits,you have to find advocates, you
need to find communities, uh,maybe even uh, you know, um
medical medical environmentsthat support dogs, for example,
or any anybody really who lovesdogs and and wants to help
(15:32):
animals, these are you know,these people will be your crowd.
So target market is what youreally have to think about.
Who is my target market andbring those people on?
SPEAKER_01 (15:44):
Exactly.
Yes.
Well, you've worked reallysuccessfully in features and
shorts.
So uh oh, you did really wellwith brown paper bank.
So how does funding strategydiffer for shorts and features
and docs?
SPEAKER_02 (16:01):
I think for shorts it's much easier because you
don't need to raise that muchmoney.
And uh, you know, there arevarious layers, there are
various layers of of um of uhthe community that you reach out
to.
Of course, there's always thefriends and family, and you can
do that once or twice, but Idon't recommend that you keep
(16:24):
doing that ongoingly becauseyour friends and family, you
will have to sit with them atthe Thanksgiving table, and you
don't want to feel like, oh, notagain.
That person is going to ask usfor money again.
So, you know, you have to bestrategic because at the end of
the day, your family is yourfamily, and and any family is
more important, uh, especiallyif you're in a beautiful, loving
(16:47):
relationship with your family,they're more important than any
other entity.
So uh you that's one layer thefamily and friends, and then you
have, you know, colleagues, uhpeople that you work with, and
then there is the uh extensionof that.
So uh when it comes to uh shortfilms, you can go to family and
(17:07):
friends because assuminglyyou're going to be raising a
smaller amount of money.
Um, in terms of documentaries, Ilove documentaries because they
very usually are verytheme-oriented and
cause-oriented, and you know, weall want to have some sort of
cause.
There's always a cause to almostI've never met a person who
(17:27):
didn't feel passionate about acause.
And so it's easier to hone andtune into that cause-oriented
feeling with people because thenyou can bring your crowd on
board easier.
As far as uh fiction films, Ithink if you can identify a
cause, what that fiction filmreally serves, usually even
(17:52):
fiction films have some sort ofcause.
It's it could be as as uh astrivial as, well, I love seeing
people being in love or romanticcomedies, for example.
Who doesn't want that, right?
Who doesn't want to seehappiness?
So you can still identify thecause of that film and raise
accordingly, but certainlydocumentaries in that regard, I
(18:12):
think, are easier.
SPEAKER_01 (18:14):
Well, it what you're talking about is uh attaching
strategic partners to your film.
So organizations, nonprofits,people who really are interested
in that concept.
Uh, and that does work, but ittakes time, even with strategic
partners.
You have you have to talk tothem and sort of hold their hand
(18:36):
while you're making the filmbecause they've got your
audience, right?
SPEAKER_02 (18:41):
Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (18:43):
So getting them attached, entertaining them, and
then asking for money is is theprocess, I guess, right?
SPEAKER_02 (18:51):
Yeah, so I practice the rule of seven, which is a
marketing concept.
And the rule of seven means thatyou have to have seven, uh you
have to have contact seven timeswith your funders, whether they
just uh your friends, uh your uhfriends and family, about the
project specifically, or theyare strategic partners, or they
(19:14):
are corporate sponsors, you haveto have seven contacts,
meaningful contacts.
So that look can look like aphone call, it could have a it
could be like a meeting, itcould have a thank, it could be
a thank you card, which is notvery much practice, but let me
tell you, thank you cards,written thank you cards do
wonders.
And the reason they work thesedays, especially because no one
(19:38):
does no one does that anymore.
So always try to find thingsthat other people don't do,
which is why I always say, don'tever do offer a t-shirt, don't
ever, you know, do a mug.
And those trivial things, itjust it's just not inventive.
You're a creative person, youshould have creative ideas, and
(19:59):
so you know, um, find seven waysto contact.
So it could be in-person,meeting, thank you card, another
email, a text, you know, you butyou have to spread it out.
You can't be uh too aggressiveabout that.
You have to allow natural,natural time to pass.
So if you reach out to someone,let's say every other week,
(20:23):
that's a good, it's a little bitintense, but not too bad.
But don't do it more frequently.
So that's what I practice isdevelop the relationship with
your funders, with yourstrategic partners, and then go
from there.
SPEAKER_01 (20:37):
Right.
Well said.
So, but can you share a majorcrowdfunding mistake that you've
seen or experienced and whatyou've learned from it?
SPEAKER_02 (20:47):
Yes, uh, I'm going to share a mistake that I made
myself, and I have seen some ofmy clients almost make it, but I
prevented them to so.
So uh one of the mistakes that Isee in fundraising and
crowdfunding is that peoplededicate a new page, new a
(21:11):
social media page to theproject.
I am very much against that.
I think people should be havingcreatives, should have their own
uh media page uh uh and have alltheir projects listed there.
In other words, the reason youdo that is because if they found
one picture and they love whatyou did and they love the way
(21:35):
you treated them and the respectyou have given them, then it's
really easy to engage them forthe next film.
If you have a separate socialmedia platform for each project
you do, you're going to belosing a lot of a great portion
of your crowd.
So don't do that.
You're the you're the creator.
(21:56):
Can you imagine if if uhJennifer Lopez, for example,
would have a different platformfrom every single song she does,
she would lose a lot offollowers.
So it's you know, the the pageis JLo, I think, or JLo.com, I'm
sure.
And so it's always she releaseseverything through that through
(22:16):
herself.
So that's what I would say isdon't create separate media
platforms for each project, buthave it on your site, on your uh
Facebook, uh, Instagram, TikTok,whatever, and don't lose your
followers.
SPEAKER_01 (22:33):
Well, how do you work with people on how much
money to raise?
Because I often see that peopleget confused between the budget
for their film and the number ofpeople they have on their
database.
Because if your film is ahundred thousand budget and you
(22:53):
have 300 people, you're nevergoing to get that much money.
So you need to recognize whatyou can raise from the number of
people you have, is the way Iask them to look at it.
What do you say?
SPEAKER_02 (23:08):
Yeah, so it depends on the what I call the quality.
Of the crowd, the financialquality of the crowd.
So it does if you have greatcontacts, then meaning that they
have a lot of money and passivemoney to support you, then you
actually don't need a largecrowd.
But the truth is, most of usdon't have that situation.
(23:31):
I have had people who asked meto consult, and he said, Well, I
have a billionaire with a Bfriend.
I said, Well, you don't need me,just call your friend.
But if if you don't havebillionaire or millionaire
friends, then yes, the numbersare important.
(23:52):
Absolutely agree with you.
And so there are two ways to goabout that.
Either you build a crowd andthen you raise more money, or
you reduce your budget.
There's no way around it.
So be wise.
And that's one of the thingsthat I do when I do an uh
initial uh preliminaryconsultation with somebody who
(24:12):
wants to work with me is I askabout the numbers.
How many contacts do you have?
How many I have them make uhgrab their phone and say, How
many contacts do you have?
You know, in your phone, howmany people's emails do you
have?
How many LinkedIn profile uhconnections do you have?
How many Facebook and so on?
(24:33):
And so we look at that verycarefully and I re-analyze it.
I analyze it for them, and thenI make a suggestion and I create
a blueprint, which is one of myspecialty, is creating a
blueprint for that givenclient's strategy and campaign.
So, yes.
SPEAKER_01 (24:50):
Oh, that's important.
So you help them create theirstrategy for the campaign,
right?
SPEAKER_02 (24:55):
Yes, absolutely.
I create a blueprint, which isso much fun.
And uh one thing that uh thatpeople don't know about me is or
not many people know about me,is that I go way beyond
crowdfunding.
So I I really am called thecrowdfunding queen, but it but I
am a fundraising andcrowdfunding strategist.
So I look at their what theirgoal is, how many contacts they
(25:22):
have, what their timeline is,very important.
I I do get once in a whilereally unrealistic calls, you
know.
I want to raise a milliondollars by next month.
You know, I'm a consultant, nota magician.
So let's make that clear.
And so so we I look at it and Icreate a campaign for them or a
blueprint first, and many timesI find that we have to do uh
(25:46):
various uh multiple steps.
So maybe they want to raise, forexample,$500,000.
Let's just take that as anexample, and so I say, well,
based on your contacts, you canraise right now about$80,000.
So let's do a campaign, acrowdfunding campaign for that,
but also let's bring in a fiscalsponsor, and as you know, I have
(26:12):
referred many of my clients tofrom the Heart Productions
because they need both.
It's not necessarily either or,it's sometimes and.
And so I create we look at itand I say, okay, so you can
crowdfund this much money, thenyou can uh more most likely uh
get donations that are notattached to a timeline through a
(26:36):
fiscal sponsor, then we look atwhether sometimes people can get
a loan, a bridge loan to for thetime being while they're raising
the money.
And then also there's sometimescorporate sponsors or or um
product placement.
There are a lot of other ways toactually uh get money.
And so also sometimes when youuh have a strategic partners
(26:59):
that you mentioned, then whatthey do is some of the strategic
partners are nonprofits, so theyget they they get the the donor
to that strategic partner getsthe tax donation already, and
then that check, let's say$10,000, does not can go
directly to your productioncompany.
(27:20):
So it doesn't have to involve aplatform of any kind, and it
doesn't have to uh involve a uhfiscal sponsor.
So it really depends on eachsituation.
It's like being a doctor,really.
There's no there's generalguidelines, but you really have
to look at the individual, theirindividual situation, and I
create their blueprintaccordingly.
SPEAKER_01 (27:40):
Right.
After doing this for so manyyears, you really know all the
tricks to the trade, I wouldthink, right?
SPEAKER_02 (27:47):
So you can I like to think so.
SPEAKER_01 (27:50):
Definitely.
Well, let me ask you this.
I often see that they say thatyou need 30% of your donation
within the first three days.
So, how do you feel about that?
SPEAKER_02 (28:05):
Uh, I have a little bit of a different approach.
I actually am very um I'madvocating for the fact that
unless you have 70% committedverbally or in writing from your
donors, I don't allow my clientsto start the campaign.
(28:29):
And so I I want I want givendonors to say, yes, I will
donate and I will donate thismuch on this day.
So there are three componentshow much, and you know, what
day, and you know, thecommitment itself.
So um I I don't allow my clientsto start it, and that's one of
(28:50):
the keys to my success and myclient's success, is that I want
commitments.
Uh in writing, preferably, butverbally, we'll do sometimes.
And then we really on the firstuh couple of days, even
hopefully that 70% will come in.
My experience is that the 70% isreally about 60% or 55%, because
(29:16):
you know, things can happen.
Someone committed, but some somesort of unfortunate situation
happened in the family, or youknow, something happened that
they just cannot.
So the 70% is really about 60,55%.
And then I want those donors todonate right away on the first
day, first second day, and thenyou have 30 days to focus on the
(29:38):
rest.
Yes, that's how I do it.
SPEAKER_01 (29:40):
That's really wonderful.
Good thinking.
Well, um, tell us again whatyour website is, because I know
you've got some specials thatthey can download the guide and
they will get a discount couponfor booking a consultation.
That's very kind of you.
SPEAKER_02 (30:00):
Thank you.
Uh, so thecrowdfundingqueen.com, the
crowdfundingqueen.com.
And so, yeah, so what happens iswhen they go on on my website,
they can download the uh freeguide.
And when you when they downloadthe free guide, then there is a
coupon in the guide.
(30:20):
So then if you decide to workwith me, then you can apply that
coupon.
In addition, also, uh March 14this the International Day of
Crowdfunding.
And so they will be able to benotified if they sign up of the
additional discounts I will beoffering on that day.
SPEAKER_01 (30:44):
Wonderful.
Well, um, with so many platformsavailable today, um, how do you
decide which is the rightplatform for the right person?
Or do you have one you use allthe time?
SPEAKER_02 (30:59):
Uh I I well, they're really just the three major
platforms.
I mean, the two major platforms,and then for filmmakers
specifically, uh, you know, CDance Spark is certainly one
that that many people use.
Uh, the reason C Dence Sparkright now is really great is
because they stopped uh charginga percentage, but FYI, they
(31:22):
expect you to make a tip ordonation to the platform.
I I don't know how long theywill be, uh they will be able to
offer that uh you know feelessplatform.
We'll see.
But I don't think the theplatforms are that important.
It just really uh it dependswhether how risk tolerant the
(31:44):
client is, whether they want tomake sure that whatever they
raise they get, or they arefeeling ambitious and say, oh
yeah, I'm pretty sure I canraise that money, so I don't
have to worry about you know notmeeting my goal.
But I think in terms ofplatforms, there are actually
about 600 platforms around theworld.
I mean, if you really I I Ididn't know this, and I, you
(32:06):
know, I was starting to expandon that knowledge, and I
realized that there are so manyplatforms around the world
specific to specific industriesand uh fields in terms of art,
artistic fields, and stuff likethat.
But I think platforms are alittle bit like when if you're
cooking, what kind of a pot youuse is not that important.
(32:27):
It's more important that youhave your skilled cook.
You know, if you're really askilled cook, the pot is
secondary.
Of course, if you're a master,then you will want some sort of
special brand or special specialpot.
But at the end of the day, it'snot that important.
I think that's the least of ourworries.
Knowing how to ask for moneywith joy and bravery and
(32:51):
hesitate without hesitation ismuch more important.
That's certainly one thing thatI see that a lot of my clients
have a problem with is not to beafraid to ask.
And so that's one thing that Iteach, and that's one thing how
I uniquely I think can boostsomeone's uh point of view in a
(33:12):
way that they are anchored andproud of what they're doing, as
opposed to being afraid of theasking.
SPEAKER_01 (33:18):
It's true.
They're really afraid, and it'sand they're so creative that
it's simply a matter of takingthat filmmaking creativity and
putting into crowdfundingcreativity, right?
SPEAKER_02 (33:31):
Yes, and also, you know, we all have our money
story that we inherited from ourparents and from our family.
So uh sometimes even people whohave quite a lot of come from
money or come from upper middleclass or upper class uh
environment, they they arefeeling maybe uh concerned that
you know people will think,well, you know, my family has
(33:53):
money and I'm still asking.
So everybody has their own uhconcerns about money.
And my job is to show you howyou how to position yourself
psychologically and emotionallyin a way that you are actually
delighted to ask.
Because the thing is, if you'reexcited and if you're
passionate, and if you're proudand you're not timid and ashamed
(34:19):
of asking, it's a wholedifferent ballgame.
Just changing that one thing canchange your entire life
trajectory, really.
SPEAKER_01 (34:27):
Well, that's confidence and support.
So by you giving them theconfidence and the support to do
it, and it's knowing others havedone it and were successful.
I think that's it.
And you carry, you've embodiedthis confidence, and of course
you can raise money.
And when you uh you work withpeople, you're going to be
(34:50):
lifting them into that concept,and they will do it, they'll
succeed if they have someone whobelieves in them.
I think that's what's needed,right?
SPEAKER_02 (35:00):
Yes, I mean believing in somebody is one
thing, but teaching them toshift their mindset around money
for the better and moreempowering way is really where
it all happens.
Uh, you know, I am I am yourbiggest advocate as a as a as a
consultant, but I want your uhchange in your mindset to be
(35:23):
permanent.
So I always say people, you hireme once, but you gain the
knowledge and the expertisewhich you can utilize for the
rest of your life.
So actually, anytime peopleinvest into working with me,
they're learning a new languageof success, and that they can
apply anytime.
It's like riding a bicycle thatonce you learn how to ride a
(35:43):
bike, you can ride a bikeanytime, or swimming, or a
language.
So that's another language thatyou're learning and a new
approach that I'm showing youhow you can be successful and
how to go out in the world andmake your dreams come true.
SPEAKER_01 (35:57):
Yes, and that will help them in all levels of uh
filmmaking as well as theirlife.
So let me just ask you this (36:03):
if you could distill your film
funding philosophy into a singlepiece of advice that every
filmmaker could live by, whatwould that be?
SPEAKER_02 (36:16):
I think it's the confidence, it really is the
shifting, being willing to beopen, to be coached so that I
see your potential.
Many times clients don't seetheir own potential.
And so the greatest value Ithink I bring besides the
specific concrete knowledge isthat I see the best in you and
(36:39):
I'm going to show you what youcan do and then let you go out
in the world and make it allhappen.
SPEAKER_01 (36:45):
Sounds great.
Thank you so much.
You really have done a wonderfuljob sharing your information,
not only about your incrediblesuccess, but the how behind your
success.
To think that you came into thecountry and worked at$5 an hour.
I don't know how you fedyourself.
I mean, that's enough, isn't it?
(37:08):
But what you've shown us soclearly today is that funding
isn't about luck, it's aboutstrategy, preparation, and
having the courage to act in away that's authentic and aligned
with your story.
So for everyone listening, Ihope this conversation has made
one thing clear.
(37:29):
Raising money for your film ispossible when you have the right
tools, the right structure, andthe right support.
And that's exactly what we do atFrom Heart Productions.
We're a nonprofit 50163dedicated to helping filmmakers
and through our sponsorshipbillers and raise money tax
(37:49):
deductible for their donors.
And they get to use the money tomake the film and they don't
have to pay it back, which isvery nice.
And uh Claudia, we love theintegrity that you work with,
the honesty and the preparation,and all of that is what's needed
to raise money in our industry.
(38:11):
So thank you very much for thework you do and for the
confidence that you give ourfilmmakers.
Thank you for joining.
SPEAKER_02 (38:20):
Thank you very much.
Appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01 (38:22):
Okay.
And Claire, thank you for theshow.
And we'll see you again in aweek.
SPEAKER_00 (38:28):
Okay, be well, everyone.
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