Sir David Attenborough Launches Global Crowdfunding Campaign to Save Mountain Gorillas

Frost favourite Sir David Attenborough will launch a global crowdfunding campaign this week to save mountain gorillas.

The Indiegogo crowdfund, launched to coincide with the first ever UK Crowdfunding Day, aims to raise £110,000 by December 11 to support Fauna & Flora International’s work with mountain gorillas.  This work fosters cooperation across national borders and empowers communities to monitor, protect and benefit from maintaining a healthy population of mountain gorillas.

Sir David, who first highlighted the plight of the mountain gorillas in 1978 in the BBC’s Life on Earth television series, said: “If we are to ensure the survival of mountain gorillas, it is vital that the global community supports our efforts.

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“By supporting this campaign and promoting it through your networks, you will not only be helping to secure a future for mountain gorillas, but also the tens of thousands of Rwandan, Ugandan and Congolese people who have come to depend upon them for their livelihoods and wellbeing.”

Founder of TheCrowdfundingCentre.com and organiser of the Deep Impact crowdfunding conference taking place on Friday, November 1, Barry James, said: “The UK is leading the world in using Crowdfunding for good as well as for business. We’re delighted to be working with Sir David and Fauna & Flora International to launch what we believe is the first truly global conservation crowdfunding project – which will undoubtedly be the first of many – as part of this first UK Crowdfunding Day.

“Crowdfunding is revolutionising how businesses are created – making them more people-centred –enabling and supporting the causes the crowd are passionate about. It’s rebooting funding as we know it.

“It’s reshaping the landscape for both for causes, charities and social enterprises and also for startups, entrepreneurs and medical research and has great potential for our communities, towns and cities across the UK. Crowdfunding has changed the financial landscape forever.”

 

AudaCity of Fashion launches coffee mornings offering free crowd funding advice

Need money for your fashion business?

Then you need to book in to  “AudaCity Coffee Mornings” for a one-to-one free consultation to discuss how crowdfunding could be the solution to your funding issues

AudaCity of Fashion offers a revolutionary approach to the support of fashion creativity in London. As a reward based crowdfunding platform dedicated to fashion, AudaCity of Fashion allows designers to pre-sell their products and undertake market research. It fosters an early collaboration with the audience, who pledge and receive rewards in return of their contributions.

AudaCity of Fashion, Free fashion business advice

As this is a new concept to most young fashion brands, AudaCity of Fashion has launched a weekly coffee morning when fashion creative can pop in for a free one-to-one consultation to discuss how crowd funding could help their business. The sessions are available every Tuesday morning starting on October 1st from 10am – 1pm at Felicities Showroom, Shoreditch. To book an appointment call Josie on 0207 377 6030.

 

AudaCity of Fashion opens the door to creative funding. It allows fashion ideas, which do not fit the criteria required byconventional financiers to break through, get access to the market, and gain financial support from truly interested early supporters.

 

Open to everyone connected within the fashion industry including designers, photographers, illustrators, magazines, and bloggers, AudaCity of Fashion will engage with people to bring the energy, enthusiasm and resources to accomplish a positive change and build sustainable brands for the future.

 

AudaCity of Fashion which launched in July has already had two successful projects and has garnered support from key industry figures who will act as curators, catalysts and experts and be the visionary individuals willing to support the growth of inspirational fashion businesses.   Gemma Ebelis, Head of PR, British Fashion Council commented: “This exciting opportunity will enable designers to engage directly with their customers; a welcomed development in terms of communicating key messaging surrounding events or bespoke product.This successful technology is a move away from traditional funding models and has been instrumental in raising money within other industries. This September, we look forward to incorporating it into the UK’s fashion arena with activity planned for London Fashion Week”.

www.audacityoffashion.com   

 

Documentary Film Project “Kickstarted” Gives Back to Crowdfunding Community with Original Video Series

It has been a very exciting week for LA filmmakers Jay Armitage, Jason Cooper and Chris Gartin since their own Kickstarter campaign began for their documentary feature film “Kickstarted,” the first documentary feature film for, by and about the crowdfunding revolution.  Their goal is to raise $85,000 to complete the film they’ve been working on for the past year, where they have interviewed crowdfunding newsmakers like Zach Braff, Amanda Palmer, Maxwell Salzberg, Lisa Fetterman, John Vanderslice, Brian Fargo and many others. 

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Shrewdly, before launching their Kickstarter campaign on May 27, the trio released part of their Zach Braff interview on May 8, and that video was included in a feature story on Mashable that introduced the project to the world.  To date, that video has generated well over 50,000 views per week.  The filmmakers are shaping-up all this content which in Cooper’s words, “Tells the inspiring and dramatic stories of artists, makers and entrepreneurs who are harnessing the crowd to achieve the impossible,”  and they are also continuing to colorfully share their key findings and insights with the growing international community of makers and crowdfunding enthusiasts.

In their introductory and trailer video, Armitage says, “We’ve taken this film as far as we can with our own resources and now need your help to complete it.”  Since Mashable’s Eric Larson wrote his follow-up story on “Kickstarted” on May 30, the project is now 18% funded.  Braff himself recently appeared on the cover of Variety with these words: “Go Fund Yourself: Zach Braff made finding financing on Kickstarter look easy. But is it?”  That’s the exact type of question that Cooper, Armitage and Gartin have set out to answer with their project, and along the way, they are sharing their knowledge in the hopes of raising the money to finish their film.

Earlier this week, they released the first two in a series of original “Funded in 60 Seconds” episodes, presenting crowdfunding tips, insights and best practices from people who are using crowdfunding to pursue their dreams.  Episode one features Lisa Fetterman of Nomiku, who had a goal of raising $200,000, and raised nearly $600,000, while episode two features musician Amanda Palmer, who raised almost $1.2 million to launch her new album.  Also this week, in association with Indiewire, they kicked-off an original “Top 5” series with their first release, “Five Controversial Crowdfunding Moments.”  These videos and others to come are currently available in their entirety for free on the Kickstarted YouTube channel.

 

As the excitement builds, instead of watching the funds come in, the “Kickstarted” filmmakers are seizing the opportunity to meet, network with – and often, film – others who are making headlines with their own crowdfunded projects.  Naturally, “Giving back” is a big part of this project’s DNA: “We are a participating member in Kicking It Forward and pledge to give five percent of any profits back to other crowdfunding projects,” Cooper has said.

“We’re hoping that our efforts to help educate and cross-promote our colleagues will make it clear that the more people put into our project, the more they and others in the community will get out of our efforts,” added Armitage. 

To learn more about the project please visit http://www.kickstartedmovie.com

Innovative Films Raising Funds: Three Days

Three Days is a film that is close to my heart. Not just because I share an acting agent with the two leads and have worked with Vanessa, but also because in a world where older women are so often overlooked, this film is about a 40 something women and a younger man. It is a love story with a heart.

The Hollywood Reporter recently had a female executive guest post for them. This is what she said:

I have sat through development meetings in which actresses over the age of 34 are cast aside as “too old”, those who have had babies or families come with “baggage,” and whether or not they are willing to get nude on film plays into their chances of getting an offer, when these same traits are not deal-breakers in their male counterparts, or even mentioned for that matter.

Well, Vanessa is over 34, is married and has children. She is also making a kick ass movie. Proving all of this wrong. They are raising money as we speak so to contribute go here. It is a movie that should be made.

Three Days is a short film, to be shot in London and Cardiff, UK.

In turns poignant, sensual, warm and funny Three Days is a short film about the decision to surrender. Or not. It stars Vanessa Bailey & Richard Perryman. We asked them some questions about the film. Answers are below.

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What have you enjoyed about the process so far?

Seeing how everything has developed from when I first came on board has
been very exciting. Also it’s been great being able to work with an
incredibly talented and passionate group of people.

What do you think will appeal to people about the film?

There’s a whole lot to fall in love with. Great characters which the
audience can really invest in, an original love story and a brilliant crew
to make it all happen!

What is it like working with Vanessa?

It’s great working with Vanessa. She’s incredibly passionate about Three
Days and has invested a huge amount of time and effort to push the film
as much as she can. Our only problem is we’re both terrible at keeping a
straight face whenever we need to be serious.

What are you most looking forward to on the shoot – favourite scene?

I just can’t wait to get on set and start shooting the whole thing.

What would you say to people thinking about donating to the crowdfund?

That we really cannot make the film without the help of everyone else out
there! Any contribution helps and it’s a great chance to get involved in a
new and exciting film.

3Days final poster imageVanessa.

What have you enjoyed about the process so far?

I’ve been genuinely amazed at the people who’ve been happy to come on board
with the film. And seeing how the team have been putting their heart and
soul into getting this crowdfund up and running. Everyone has really gone
the extra mile with it, even Jason’s PR Alistair was working his socks off
on the poster shoot! The poster shoot was a small taste of what will be
like to work with the whole team on the shoot. We were all freezing cold,
but the buzz was palpable.

What do you think will appeal to people about the film?

Well, with the talent we have working on the project the film promises to
be visually gorgeous, with a beautiful, original score. We’ve got team with
Batfa Cymru’s and Emmy’s to their names. The characters are, hopefully,
appealing and people will want to travel on their journey with them and
root for them! It’s got humour and passion and warmth and struggle – we
wrote what rings our own bell, basically! Hopefully it will connect with
others, too.

What is it like working with Richard?

Richard has been brilliant, he’s really got stuck in and invested his
time and talent in lots of ways. Like he says, we’re not great at keeping
straight faces! But that makes it fun.

What are you most looking forward to on the shoot – favourite scene?

I just want to see how the whole thing fits together. The scenes have
quite a range of dynamics from light-hearted through to passionate and I’m
looking forward to shooting all of them. We’re really excited to be doing
scenes with Lynn Hunter, I think they’re going to be a highlight!

What would you say to people thinking about donating to the crowdfund?

Please come on board! It’s a great film to get involved with and we’re
incredibly grateful for support. Check out our perks and see if anything
appeals – we’ve got everything from a corporate product placement perk
(product/premises placed in the film plus logo on all our visible material
and in the credits and more!)to getting your hair done by Jason and then on
to the screening to being an extra in the film! Let’s get this story off
the page and onto the screen!

Thank you Vanessa.

Special mention to Red Boutique in Beckenham for supplying accessories and clothes.