By: Doug Blackburn
Source: http://www.tallahassee.com
Category: Film School Online
If it were a movie, it would be a cliffhanger.
Which is a fitting metaphor for what the second-year graduate students at Florida State University's film school are trying to pull off.
The 19 Master of Fine Arts candidates have embarked on a $20,000 fundraising campaign using Kickstarter, an online tool often employed by independent filmmakers but never used by FSU's students.
The money will be used to supplement the $4,000 FSU gives each second-year student to complete a short film, which is their thesis for graduation.
But Kickstarter works with a deadline. Users have 60 days after launching a fund drive to meet the stated goal, or lose it all.
And for the FSU students, that deadline is zooming in like a rerun of the action movie "Speed."
If they don't hit their stated $20,000 goal by Jan. 16 — a week from Monday — they will be forced to dip into their own pockets for any cost overruns.
"It's pretty important to us because even the most basic movie tends to go over budget, and we're all poor grad students," said Danny Hankins, who is taking part in the Kickstarter fund drive.
They have a long way to go in a short time. To date, the students have raised just under $4,000, or one-fifth of their must-meet total.
"The dean (Frank Patterson) says it's possible," Hankins added. "He's a very experienced fundraiser."
Ashley Cortese with the FSU Foundation is working with the students, as is Brenda Mills, the film school's festival coordinator.
The students have primarily relied on family and friends to contribute to their Kickstarter campaign. Mills says this is a good way for the students to connect with greater Tallahassee, and vice versa.
"This is a great opportunity for people in the community who may not be aware that we have one of the best film schools in the world and they can get involved in the process from their armchair," she said.
Source: http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20120107/NEWS01/201070338/Clock-ticking-FSU-film-students-raising-money-online
Source: http://www.tallahassee.com
Category: Film School Online
If it were a movie, it would be a cliffhanger.
Which is a fitting metaphor for what the second-year graduate students at Florida State University's film school are trying to pull off.
The 19 Master of Fine Arts candidates have embarked on a $20,000 fundraising campaign using Kickstarter, an online tool often employed by independent filmmakers but never used by FSU's students.
The money will be used to supplement the $4,000 FSU gives each second-year student to complete a short film, which is their thesis for graduation.
But Kickstarter works with a deadline. Users have 60 days after launching a fund drive to meet the stated goal, or lose it all.
And for the FSU students, that deadline is zooming in like a rerun of the action movie "Speed."
If they don't hit their stated $20,000 goal by Jan. 16 — a week from Monday — they will be forced to dip into their own pockets for any cost overruns.
"It's pretty important to us because even the most basic movie tends to go over budget, and we're all poor grad students," said Danny Hankins, who is taking part in the Kickstarter fund drive.
They have a long way to go in a short time. To date, the students have raised just under $4,000, or one-fifth of their must-meet total.
"The dean (Frank Patterson) says it's possible," Hankins added. "He's a very experienced fundraiser."
Ashley Cortese with the FSU Foundation is working with the students, as is Brenda Mills, the film school's festival coordinator.
The students have primarily relied on family and friends to contribute to their Kickstarter campaign. Mills says this is a good way for the students to connect with greater Tallahassee, and vice versa.
"This is a great opportunity for people in the community who may not be aware that we have one of the best film schools in the world and they can get involved in the process from their armchair," she said.
Source: http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20120107/NEWS01/201070338/Clock-ticking-FSU-film-students-raising-money-online
