The Veronica Mars Movie Kickstarter Campaign: Don’t You Dare Feel Bad About Chipping In
Sometime between 10:30 am Wednesday — when the Veronica Mars movie Kickstarter campaign was announced — and 11 am, something unfortunate, but perhaps inevitable, happened. People started getting kicked for kicking their money in.
What started off as a celebration of the impassioned TV fan turned into a condemnation of those who, I like to think, have a say in how their own money gets spent.
Hell, even I was left to feel “dirty” about writing a story about it, the outcry, criticisms and finger-wagging blogging came flowing so hard. But in the end, as I donated my $[SPOILER] just minutes before the tote board ticked past the important $2 million mark, I achieved peace with my pledge.
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Wouldn’t that money have been better donated to a charity? This was an early refrain from those who questioned this Kickstarter project. First speaking for myself: I donate throughout the year to assorted medical research and animal welfare causes. I also chipped in for the “loftier” Showrunners documentary’s Kickstarter campaign (as well as to the fundraiser for the way-cool Spike keyboard for iPhone). And who’s to say that a meaningful portion of the tens of thousands of Veronica Mars backers don’t also give to worthy causes, to the extent they are able or willing? No one ever went to bed feeling better about themselves because they spent their day assuming the worst about humanity.
But perhaps the most echoed criticism came in the form of: Why are you donating your hard-earned money to get a studio film made? When Warner Bros. will kick back and reap any profit?
The short answer: Because this was a time for the little guy to make a difference.
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Television is an impactful medium. Quality and/or ambitious shows get cancelled too quickly, far too often. (People are even mourning Zero Hour, after two episodes.) And 99 percent of the time, once the Nielsen Ratings Gods have spoken, we are left to do nothing, to feel without resource.
But this time… this time, the little guy was heard. Some 30,000 people who will never brush up 
against celebrity, Regular Joes who will not once see their name in an end credits crawl, were afforded — and passionately seized — the opportunity to produce a piece of entertainment. I ask: When does that ever happen?
Movie studio executives greenlight any and whatever projects they like, and in this instance, Veronica Mars: The Motion Picture simply was not going to happen. Yet when put in the hands of the fans (and their friends) who have steadfastly and long-anticipated this unlikelihood, that excited mob rallied to secure their piece of happiness.
A lot of the time, the Internet is used to tear things down. To mock Smash, to snark about red carpet fashions, to hurt. All from the cozy, oft-anonymous comfort of everyone’s couches.
For 10 thrilling hours on Wednesday, though, 30,000 strangers banded together online to create something.
No, the Veronica Mars Kickstarters will never see even a fraction of a back-end point if the movie happens to turn a profit. But they will smile knowing that they were a part of something rather historical. A gone-too-soon series was plucked from the ashes not by a struggling network anxious to plug a scheduling hole, but by the very people who loved and were left to mourn it. Stand on a soap box and question the dissemination of discretionary income all you want, but do not dare rob other people of their self-defined joy.
How many episodes of a TV show could be produced for the amount of money the Kickstarter is going to raise?
I’d rather see a four-hour mini series produced for 4 million dollars than a 90 minute movie produced for 2 million, you know what I mean?
Then the next time you see a Kickstarter campaign for that, you know exactly where to put your money. Or you could start one of your own. That’s the beautiful thing about freedom.
He could start one but he’d still need to get Rob Thomas, Kristen Bell and company, on board. Working out schedules for all of them seems tricky enough for the movie, I don’t think they could figure out a mini-season. Everyone’s moved on.
I think it’s WONDERFUL that you’re all donating money to a movie studio.
Saps.
Don’t be so miffed Miffy. To each their own.
Don’t tell me how to spend MY money Miffy & i won’t tell you.
Yeah, I mean, why even bother spending money on a TV, or cable service, why not just donate it? Heck why spend money on anything fun whatsoever? We should all sit in empty rooms lit by a single 60 watt bulb and do nothing but play with the dust. While I understand the argument that this is ‘exploitative’, what I think it actually is is more like the dawn of a new era where, instead of risky things *always* just landing in the trashbin, they actually are given a real opportunity to see the light of day. Yes, the studios are hedging their bets with fans money. But I’d rather they do that than simply choose not to pursue a project at all. If I’m given a choice between backing something I love to help get it made, or just not having it made at all, I’m choosing option 1 everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.
Do you pay for any premium channels?
I’d do it weekly, if that means I get to see the things I want instead of hours and hours of total crap!
Here’s the thing–it’s not simply a donation. Every funding level comes with a reward, and starting at $35, you get a copy of the movie in some format or other. I paid $50, and I’ll be getting a DVD, a T-shirt, and digital copies of the film and script.
If WB was funding the movie itself, I’d still pay them money for movie tickets, and probably the DVD. But just because I paid before the fact, and at a bit of a markup from what a DVD/t-shirt combo, doesn’t make me a sap who got duped by a big corporation.
lol, you made the VM fans mad. i like you already. they really want us to believe that they aren’t fools.
Knock yourself out! With your 4 million that is ;)
So you’d rather fund a four-hour miniseries (generously saying 45 minutes an episode, actual time clocking in at… 180 minutes) for 4 million dollars, rather than a 90 minute movie for 2 million? I really don’t know what you mean, because the cost per minute is exactly the same.
Most network TV shows DO cost at least a million an episode. And complaining about a 2-million-dollar “movie” as if it’s outrageously expensive? That’s about as low budget as you can get.
But even if I’m missing your point, people aren’t funding a random movie, TV episode or mini-series. They’re funding a movie that had no chance in hell of being made otherwise, based on a TV show that they loved and consider was cancelled too soon.
I wasn’t complaining about the expense. A four-part miniseries (180 minute total) is MORE story, more material, more time than a 90 minute movie. That’s what interest me, seeing MORE over seeing less.
Fair enough. I did misunderstand your point about the money, but I’m not sure what you’re advocating? A mini-series in general? In that case, read the last paragraph of my comment above. Or a VM mini-series?
The goal was set at $2 million because that’s the LEAST they could make the movie for (which they already have a story for… and who’s to say doubling the hours to tell that story would inherently make it better?). $4 million (if it reaches that, which I guess is possible) would just allow them to make a much better produced movie, pay salaries to the cast, etc. That seems fair to me.
A VM mini-series in specific…
Consider that pay scales for movie vary from pay scales for TV. To “pay more” doesn’t really mean much when you consider those scales, which can mean the difference between paying 100 dollars for a fake pine cone for a TV show and paying a 1000 for a relatively more realistic looking fake pine cone for a movie.
Fair point, and I appreciate you taking the time to clarify what you were saying initially (it’s quite refreshing).
That said, the ambitions/ideas inside of Rob Thomas’s head (and everyone else involved) are unfortunately the decision-makers behind this project, and fans contributing are just financial backers. To be honest, I’d rather give RT freedom over what to do than have fans make these decisions. It’s also possible (even likely) that the scheduling for the cast would not work out to do a 4-hour production.
Assuming fans raise $4 million, in an ideal world where no one has other projects that need be scheduled around, and as long as creative has enough ideas to run with it? Then yes, I agree that 4 hours of content would be better than 2.
I should have said “the difference between using a real cow and painting a horse to look like a cow”. More Simpsons-funny.
Also, the studio (as far as we know) would only greenlight a movie, As has been said already, more money means better production value. Go to the kickstarter page for VM and they tell you that. I would rather they spend 4 mil on a 90 min movie then 4 mil on a 180 min mini series. Quality.
Michael, that $2M is really just good faith money. WB wanted to see if the interest was there. That 2M won’t even pay to have Rob T and the casts’ salaries….movie or tv series.
No it won’t pay their salaries, but then the cast + crew who are making this are doing it largely as a labour of love. They are working on the cheap….because they love the show and their fans.
Agreed. I was just responding to Michael’s protests about using the money to make a mini-series or tv episodes. It’s unrealistic. Freeing everyone up for a few weeks to shoot a 90 minutes movie is the only practical way to approach this. See: Joss Whedon and Dr. Horrible and Much Ado
It depends on how much they’re making. Some actors are willing to work $100 per day on low-budget indie films as long as they’re passionate about the project. Most of them are in a good enough financial position that the money isn’t important.
Tamara, It’s Been Said That The Money Collected From The Campaign Will Go Towards Everything Except For Promotion/Advertising. No-One Else Is Chipping In Money. Not The Directors, Or Anyone.
The problem I see in this discussion is that you people saw something negative, an attack, where there is none..
If you re-read your initial comment with fresh eyes, it had nothing positive to say, and none of the context that you added later, which significantly qualified your opening statement. It’s not surprising it was seen as negative (by me as well as others). Plus, all the replies I’ve read have been pretty respectful, and simply opened up discussion on what we thought you were arguing. That we all misread your statement should tell you something
People can be very reactionary. A $4M Mini-series, however enjoyable, is not realistic. Not because there’s no audience for it, but because you can’t make a 4-hour miniseries for that little. Pilot always cost way more than regular episodes because of all the constructing from scratch. The VM sets are no more, so everything needs to be recreated or newly created. That costs scratch – and in TV they are bound to certain standards of pay depending on the type of show it is, running time, etc. With films there are concessions from unions depending on the budget.
You don’t want this to look like one of those horrible low-budget Sy-Fy channel movies with the crappy writing, editing and effects.
So a new VM mini-series would be great. Hell, a new full-on VM TV series would be outstanding! Both are more costly to produce than a low budget film. I’m very happy with getting a film – and who knows – maybe that will lead to a new series.
As someone who works in the television industry let me tell you that actually, depending on the budget, not that many. Sorry dude, sometimes a movie is actually the cheaper option.
I agree 100%. I was going to say I hope they do something no less than 2 hours, but I like your idea better. There are 28 more days for this. How high will it go. They might, and I hope they do, have to rethink the whole thing and how they do it.
Even better than a 90 minute movie in theaters or a four-part mini series would be a series of annual “reunion” movies like the ones done over the years for shows like Mike Hammer, Matlock, Perry Mason, Hart To Hart, Quincy, etc
PREACH!
I don’t know that some people recognize just how huge this is. Studios now know fans will get behind shows they love… with their wallets. Remember the people who sent peanuts to save Jericho? Remember the people who donated blood to save Moonlight? It is unfortunate that Kickstarter was not around offer an alternative to help those shows, at least perhaps a movie form. That said, the Community subreddit has over 100,000 members. Most of the Community fans, though they download and watch the episodes online for free, have money. This Kickstarter campaign for Veronica Mars is a game changer for entertainment.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Being a part of something like this just put the entertainment on it’s ear. It’s not only about money, it’s about knowing if there is an audence. If things like Kickstarter were around years ago when they were needed (Firefly, Angel, VM, the list lives on) the fan campaigns that went on could have really made a difference. My favorite was Roswell’s Tabasco and Angels hair gel rally.
I love that us ‘small time fans’ were finally able to put action the phrase “Put your money where your mouth is”.
Or eating at Subway to save Chuck? The entertainment industry should take notice, with how accessible shows are now with the Internet, they should realize it’s not entirely about ratings anymore.
Also, Zachary Levi was talking about this on twitter yesterday. I WOULD TOTALLY DONATE FOR A CHUCK MOVIE!!!
I’m with you on that. With Zach behind it and the legion of CHUCK fans, maybe it will will happen.
Some of us sent Mars bars to try to save Veronica….
Yes, this, exactly! Tell the sanctimonious to leave the true fans alone- obviously, they have never known what it is to love and identify with something this much.
I love this campaign. I love that they didn’t give up on the fans, and eventually put it in our hands to make it happen. And I love that the fans delivered.
Down with the haters!
yes, you guys came together to donate millions to a studio and into the pockets of millionaires. good job. you should be proud.
Wait. Someone is judging me on how I spend my money? No. Just no. I’m the only one that gets to decide what’s important to me. What happened yesterday was a beautiful thing and I’m glad and proud I was a part of it.
Exactly! People who smoke are not berated for spending all that money on cig. and not donating it. People who drink 4$ a day coffee drinks are allowed to give Starbucks there hard earned money. If you love something and give money to help it come to fruition it is your business!
That is exactly what I was thinking Ames and Daisy. NO one gets to decide what is important to someone else OR how they should spend their money, or even sit in judgement of what anyone would like to put THEIR money towards. I never watched VM (but now I’m wishing I had), but personally I loved seeing the power of passionate fans. Now if only there could be a campaign to raise funds for a Gilmore Girls movie…
Please do yourself a favor and watch Veronica Mars. It’s a pretty cool show!
VM was a great show!! I saw somewhere that you can stream it currently. Maybe on the CW site? Definitely worth checking out. I’m proud to have donated my hard earned money for a show I loved dearly and had no closure with when they canceled. Kudos to all who donated and a big boo to those giving us crap for it. Warner Brothers is only paying for promotional stuff. The movie budget itself comes from the kickstarter campaign and no where else.
Apparently you don’t smoke. All you do is get grief for something that is still LEGAL.
Exactly.And I bet that some of very same people bitching about this with their noses pointed down probably just came back with from the mall with a 60″ TV for the living room and 42″ for the bedroom or from a day at the park where they spent $30 for each jersey alone and $10 bucks on each beer and coke and hundreds on tickets and parking! And who says they have given more to fund medical research, further the progress of science, done things to help endangered wildlife, etc. (maybe some who put money to the Veronica Mars movie actually not only have donated to those things but actually DO those things). Sure, I bet some have, but I bet as many or more have not.
So agree Daisy. I can’t even believe the priggish, self-righteous claptrap has been said by anybody in the first place. When people watch that movie, they will know that it only exists because they helped it to, and that is quite some reward. Bitterness towards movie studios and their profits is not uncommon, but it speaks directly about the people who are bitter, not about the movie studios or the people who help fund this movie.
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Lastly, I give a good 15-20% of my income to charity. I’m not poor by any means, but nor am I wealthy – I just make room to budget for charity giving and I also make room to budget for luxuries. That luxury might be a coffee, it might be a box set DVD (and usually is, because I like my TV shows), and it might be giving money to having Veronica Mars made. I’ve budgeted for that luxury and my goodness I’m allowed to spend it on what I want!
It’s times like these that I really hate the blogosphere/internet era. It’s like a competition, seeing how thoroughly we can tear each other down. The 21st century: if you don’t set out to anonymously ruin someone’s sense of self-worth each day, you’re not living your life correctly.
+1
You made the exact point I was going to. If people pay for cable or buy DVDs or movie tickets, etc., then spending money on the VM kickstarter is no different. You are spending money on ENTERTAINMENT. Plus, it is a special kind of arrogant for people to dictate how others should spend their hard earned money.
that’s the thing about judgement, people can judge you from here to kingdom come for it. you just seem to care ALOT that people judge you for it.
what’s beautiful is a whole community coming together to donate money for a kid to pay for their transplant. that’s beautiful. what you’re doing isn’t beautiful. it’s just self serving. you are buying something you want to see. like a dvd or an album. don’t kid yourself on what you guys did here.
Thanks for addressing this topic Matt. I agree with you 100%.
Pretty embarrassing to admit in this arena, but i’ve never seen an episode of Veronica Mars, so i didn’t know if i’d like to see a movie or not. consequently, i didn’t contribute. that said, i’m way impressed with the folks who cared enough about something they love enough to have done so. i’ve seen a lot of people in a lot of different arenas criticize people for what they do with their money (how dare (insert celebrity) have such a nice house when so many people are starving!) (how can you spend your money on making a foolish movie when the (insert endangered species) need saving!) the fact is, people everywhere work hard to earn what they have, everybody has something they are passionate about, and nobody has a right to criticize those choices. i, personally, may not support the same causes you do, but i support 110% your passion for your cause, and any time you want me to cheer you on, that’s what i’ll do. why is it anybody’s business (except, maybe, my long-suffering husband) where i want to toss my money after the bills are paid? Congrats to all Veronica Mars fans, and i really, truly hope the movie is a total joy to you all.
Now why can’t more people be like this^^^? “nobody special”, you are pretty damn special!
Matt, thanks so much for this post. It echoes everything I have been feeling since yesterday
Great, great article, Matt!
In this moment I love you. Perfectly said.
^THIS!
Nice column. I’ve heard upsides and downsides to this. I agree with what you said.
I’m just happy I got the chance to participate in the making of a Veronica Mars movie. I don’t care what people say — it’s the chance to be part of something we love!
Thanks for this, Matt. It’s exactly what I’ve been telling people myself. We had the opportunity to support a writer that we care for, and who wasn’t being supported in getting the film made. This is working exactly like an indie film being shopped at Sundance, except that Rob had a pre-commitment from a studio to distribute. He needed the funds to actually make the film, and so this is working exactly like any other film deal. There’s no difference at all. Plus: bonus gifts for all of the funders!
yes! Thanks for that, Matt!
Thank you for this. I donated in the early hours with glee. As the day went on I saw all the snark emerge… (particularly the WB profits argument) and began to feel a little weird about it all. Thank you for cutting through the nonsense arguments. So fun to watch the total surge across 2 mil!
LoVe
Well done, Matt. I’m still waiting for them to have international shipping so I can give money.
Thank you! It’s my money, not anyone else’s and what I do with it is my business. If I give it to charity or if I buy a new car, it’s my money and it’s my decision. I can find fault with any person’s use of their income because no one is without frivolity or splurges. This happens to be some people’s splurge and it will make them happy. That’s worth whatever they donated.
well said, sir. couldn’t agree more.
Amen to that!! Money was given to create a movie that would have never been made otherwise. And that will make us (the fans) happy. That does not mean we don’t help charities, but we can also spend some money for joy & lightness, darn it! :)
This is the best reply to that particular line of outcry I’ve seen. Thanks.
Well said!
wonderful article, Matt. Exactly the point I’ve been trying to make.
Bravo! Perfectly said and 100% in agreement.
I rather they ditch the high school reunion idea and go back to college.
My only problem is this sets ideas in studio heads that the fans can get all the money for the movie, and then the studio can make all the money.
Let’s be honest though, this movie won’t make any money after everything is totaled.
This Movie Is Going To Make Plenty Of Money. The Directors Have Whatever Is Earned Via The Kicstart Campaign To Spend. It’s Been Said That No More Money Will Be Added, Except Towards Promotion And Advertisement.
Great column, Matt! And for the haters — shove off! We want our movie!
Thank you!
Adding to this, people didn’t vote with their wallet to see a male dominated action movie with things blowing up with women portrayed as sex objects, they want to see a smart, funny, female led character do her thing on film. THAT is the big takeaway here.
Yes! This.
I proudly gave money. No one is going to make me feel bad about it. People suck!! Why can’t they just mind their own business. I am happy to know that I was part of the orginial group to give before it hit 2 million heck before it hit 1 million. I love VM and miss it everyday so I am so excited to see this little movie that could.