Crowd-funding sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo have become integral parts of indie filmmaking, as building an audience and gaining financial support are two of the biggest hurdles to seeing a little-known project succeed.

But there’s a lot more to independent film financing than just asking for money; like everything else, it starts with a compelling story.

For Film Production grad and three-time Kickstarter-vetted fundraiser Gregory Bayne, that story is Kirk Bloodsworth’s seriously epic struggle for freedom.

“Back in March of this year a friend, after having watched my previous documentary Jens Pulver | Driven, approached me with the idea of doing a film about Kirk, whom she had recently met,” says Greg. “She urged me to read the book, Bloodsworth: The True Story of One Man’s Triumph Over Injustice by Tim Junkin, which chronicles his story of wrongful conviction and his journey to becoming the first death row inmate to be exonerated by DNA evidence.”

“His story ran me through the full gamut of emotions, and by the end I was fully convinced that I had to make this film. I met Kirk, and was further impressed by his ability to tell his story, and by all the good that he accomplished with it on behalf of the many others who share in his story. Kirk eventually watched Driven, felt confident in my abilities to bring his story to the screen, and we’ve been developing the project ever since.”

Greg has also called on the talents of Classical Animation grad Matthew Wade, who will contribute to the film as Lead Animator.

“Greg pitched the Bloodsworth story, documentary, etc. to me a while back and referenced Krawll when talking about some animated sequences he wanted,” says Matthew. “I was on board with the thing right away and am even more into it after seeing some of the stunning interview footage.”

After meeting and exceeding his Kickstarter funding targets for three previous initiatives, it’s not surprising to see Greg return to this community to gather support and spread awareness for Bloodsworth.

“I hope, for the most part, that the success [of previous campaigns] is fueled by the calibre of the projects themselves,” says Greg.

“Running a crowd-funding campaign is very difficult, so if you’re going to bat for something in such a public arena it’s important that you believe wholeheartedly in what you are doing. That belief can be contagious, and it is absolutely necessary if you’re going to survive the campaign.”

“I am on my fourth campaign with Bloodsworth, and have to admit that it was a very difficult decision to ultimately jump into this arena again. What finally convinced me, beyond the financial need to move the project forward, was the true benefit that a crowd-funding campaign offers: the ability to bring early awareness to a project, and through that, begin building a community around it.”

Watch Kirk Bloodsworth tell his story.

“I believe anyone looking to launch a campaign via Kickstarter, or any other platform, needs to understand that all important aspect of these endeavors. Even though contributors are not technically investing in the work, by the very act of departing with any amount of money on your behalf, they’ve said, ‘Hey, I believe in you, in what you’re doing, and that you’ll get it done.’ It’s not a commitment to take lightly. By asking for these dollars, and this type of direct support, from friends, family, acquaintances, and at times complete strangers, you are making a commitment to deliver on your campaign’s promise to the best of your ability.”

“In short, I would advise the following fundamentals that I do my utmost to live up to with each outing:

1) Be grateful. If people are taking the time to pledge to your campaign, say thank you.

2) Be open. Folks that pledge to your campaign deserve your interaction. So, if they have questions or simply want to express themselves to you, be receptive and respectful.

3) Be on task. Concentrate on making the goal, and always consider new and creative ways in which to reach out to your potential audience.

4) Don’t bully. People give out of appreciation, not being brow-beaten. It’s fine to share your campaign via social media, to email, to ask… but understand, just as you do, people have lives and perhaps there slow, or sometimes, complete lack of response likely has nothing to do with you.

5) Know it can be done, and proceed accordingly.

Thanks for the tips, Greg — and best of luck with the film!

To learn more about Bloodsworth and to make a contribution, visit the fundraising profile on Kickstarter.

Classical Animation grad Jacob Medjuck‘s debut feature film, Summerhood, is back in the news with two big wins at the Canadian Comedy Awards.

Produced by Film Production grad Paul McNeill, and co-directed/edited by fellow Film grad Tony Dean Smith, the John Cusack-narrated camper comedy won the Best Film and Best Direction awards, adding more accolades to an amazing film that has often captured our attention.

In fact, it was back in 2008 that the film won the Audience Award at the Atlantic Film Festival. The fan buzz has continued to grow since then and, according to the Summerhood Facebook page, US residents can anticipate an official theatrical release in fall 2012!

Congrats to Jacob, Paul, and Tony — and also the other VFSers who worked on the film: Film grad Peter Eliuk, Sound Design grad Jeremy Elzinga, and Foundation/Digital Design grad Chris Abbas.

Update: We just heard two Sound Design instructors also worked on this film – Rob Hunter was the Re-Recording Mixer and ADR/Walla Mixer, and Maureen Murphy served as Foley Artist. Congrats to you two as well!