New Improv Festival Takes Root in NYC
Heather: Liz & I have always lamented how improvisational theater got the short stick, at the expense of improvisational comedy. While those shows are fun to watch, we especially love improv that is character based, that seeks to tell a story, that takes audience members on a journey, through laughs AND tears, that is not focused on getting the laugh at the expense of truth. Rather, it's the truthfulness that happens with improvisational theatre that excites us... and almost always gets the laughs, and better laughs, in the end. Plus, no one was celebrating improvisational FILM, and, having been part of an all-improvised feature film, (Award-winning "Unscrewed," which will screen at the Fest), we both felt it was time to celebrate improv film too.
Liz: SO... When I came back from the Providence Improv Festival and talked to my good friends Paralellogramophonograph (a great improv group in Austin!) and they told me they started an improvised play festival, I was inspired to try to do that in NYC. I told Heather, and she was “in" and we knew we had to make this happen. Enter our pals at Artistic New Directions (AND), and with their support and love, and with the help of our RocketHub campaign, we're going to have a fantastic festival!
What has your experience been as crowdfunding pioneers in the world of improv and festival production - how are your supporters responding?
Our friends are jumping on board in a big way -- our first fueler, a close friend, boosted our campaign with a $500 donation, so we felt proud of our friends for their love and generosity. "I continue to be surprised by the generosity of my friends," says Co-Producer Heather Lutkin, "When we launched our campaign, it was our dear friends who ponied up first. It gives us confidence that our project is going to succeed when people from all over donate to our cause."
“I agree,” says Co-Producer Elizabeth Quinn, “People have been great about donating, as well as, helping to spread the word and post links to our campaign on Facebook and Twitter. It’s very heartwarming to get that support and always exciting to get that emailed saying our projects has been fueled!”
You've had a lot of success, any advice for others looking to crowdfund a similar project?
Get the word out in as many ways as possible -- Tweet it, Facebook it, Email it -- and ask others to help you market like mad.
Blog about the process (either on RocketHub or on your personal blog or both)
Be grateful and thank fuelers ASAP. Monitor your Rewards and adjust as needed.
Keep your past and potential fuelers updated on the progress of the campaign and show your excitement about it. People really do want to help you.
Don’t shy away from being assertive. There are ebbs and flows to this process so try not to get to discouraged. Have a positive attitude and be persistent. And of course, a little humor in your appeals for cash doesn’t hurt either!
Update your campaign page as often as possible. Video updates are fun and easy to do -- don't stress about the quality, shoot from the hip and have fun!
- Heather Lutkin & Elizabeth Quinn, Unscripted New York - Festival Co-Producers
