Houston we have Lift Off!
As most of you know. Yesterday was a great day. We didn’t put a man on the moon, or cure cancer, but it was almost as good; yesterday we launched a project on Kickstarter that Chris and I have been passionate about for a very long time. Though I have a good feeling about the whole thing, and think that our trend is looking excellent, I would consider just getting this point a victory – in its own way.
When we decided to do this project on Kickstarter, we knew there was going to be a lot of work involved. We severely underestimated it though Today’s post is not so much about how great it is to see those engines flaring during take-off, but about all the work it took to make those engines in the first place.
The project can safely be divided into several sections:
- Preparation
- Groundwork
- Execution
Like any massive undertaking, all three must be done correctly, and in the correct order or the project will collapse So Chris and I started by looking at the script we had written a while back, and set to work revising and improving it. We actually ended up shortening it by several pages in the process. Once we had a document we would be proud to show a stranger, we set out to find an artist. Robert was a stroke of providence. Not only was he in our price range, but I think (and I’m sure you’ll all agree after seeing the final pages) but his style really complimented the subject matter.
Then there was the never ending battle for estimates. Estimates for shipping and printing. Estimates for prints on different kinds of paper. Estimates for how much time everything would take. I have a whole folder devoted just to estimates in my email. Just for this project. And after the math, then came the social networking.
I’ve had a Facebook for a long time; it’s innocuous enough. But Twitter, and Reddit these words were a foreign language a couple months ago. The astute readers might notice that this blog also started about the same time as the rest off these preparations. Among all the rest of the preparations we have been making, writing regular and interesting writing has been the most time consuming, but for me it has never felt like a chore; this blog has been one of the most rewarding parts of the whole Kickstarting process.
After we did everything else then we actually had to write, rewrite, refine, and further refine the pitch. I spent two perfectly good Sundays shooting and re-shooting videos. Though the one on the project is far from perfect, I guarantee you it is by far the best. Then we had to get the project submitted and, after a few changes, accepted.
The moral of the story, is that even free internet money isn’t free. I would say that most of my nights and weekends for the last two months were spent bringing this project to fruition. Do any other creators have experiences they would like to share on the subject? Though I am sure I will talk about the particulars at length, I would be happy to answer any specific questions that anyone has in regards to the Kickstarting process.
Caffeineforge 