6 Reasons Why Zach Braff Shouldn't Be On Kickstarter
1. It Sets A Worrying Precedent
As an aspiring filmmaker hoping to partly fund my first project through Kickstarter, I consider this to be a worrying development. Kickstarter is there for people who cant afford their small projects and have practically no hope of getting any notable financial backing. What it most definitely is not there for is to act as a platform for celebrities to use for their vanity projects after having a tantrum and refusing studio backing.
The fact that Braff raised just over 125% of what he asked for is the most worrying thing. Because it means that celebrities using Kickstarter is feasible. And if Kickstarter becomes filled with celebrities asking for money, it means attention that will be diverted away from the little man. The people who only want a few thousand pounds or perhaps even less and who dont really have many other avenues of funding will slowly be squeezed out of Kickstarter and similar schemes, and replaced by sitcom stars who want to make films but dont want to risk a lot of their own assets or give too much control to a financial backer. Braff himself says in his promotional video that he thinks this could start a paradigm where more people (and by people he really means celebrities) can use the website to fund their smaller personal films. This is completely contrary to the spirit of Kickstarter and the reason it was created. To quote Hal Rudnick of Screen Junkies, "Kickstarter is for the penniless dreamer." I cant speak for anyone but myself but its my firm belief that unless theyre donating money or raising funds for a charity scheme, the rich and famous should stay the hell away from Kickstarter since its entire point is being an avenue of funding for people who don't have their wealth or connections. What do you think of Zach Braff using Kickstarter? Let us know in the comments section below.