fundit, infographic, well? (1 Viewer)

[GO]

couple of points

1) Crowdfunding as it's being discussed here is an internet phenomenon, isn't it? It eliminates the whole "see the whites of their eyes as they hand over the money" element of pre-pressing patronage/post-pressing buying, so the band doesn't have to feel embarrassed as they receive their friends' hard-earned. It also gets those who don't want to go to a gig to contribute money without leaving the comfort of their sofa. While I like the getting-your-lazy-mates-to-pay bit of this, why not do this after you've made the CD? I think the function, if there is one, of a musician is to get people off their chairs to dance, and not encouraging them to stay rooted their chairs clicking the Paypal button for a CD they won't listen to. It's all very internetty and not a shared buzz. Plus I bet lots of parents and aunties spend on this. That's not what playing music is about.
2) I still have mixed feelings as well. Having recently engaged in a fundraising gig instead of a fundit drive, I'd still have no problem with any bands doing a fundit, so long as they're not doing stuff like "we'll sing an Abba song down the phone to you and then take you on a date". feck it there's worse cunts taking your money and we're all skint. I'd hope that more people would go to gigs though.

I'm now taking this as my official stance.

The bit about making people dance touched me..thats the rock'n'roll I hamfistedly referred to..Thats the way to get their money right there and get the record made.

No harm tapping up the aunties though.Especially if they're a bit slow

 

[snakybus]

If you already have the money to make the CD why the fuck would you be on Fundit ? You greedy bastard

haha the idea was that you HADN'T done a fundit in this case

Fund raising gigs are nearly as annoying as fundits. €10 into the fundraising gig and then a few months later another €10 into the launch gig ? Fuck that noise.

this is true

for our launch gig, I'll take you on a date ooh yeah

 

[ann post]

"we'll sing an Abba song down the phone to you and then take you on a date". .

i cant believe you are charging for this now.

 

[Scientician 0.8]

i cant believe you are charging for this now.

Did bighomeless ever figure out who left him that voicemail?

 

[snakybus]

your one was gratis in lieu of the Cher song you crooned down the phone to me, Ann Post

and transformation, if anyone can make them dance it's you! (aunties and all)

 

[Quarter Inch]

Having read through this whole thread, I'm totally with Pete and Parx on this one.

At it's heart, Fund:it (and crowdfunding in general) is an idea that hurts nobody and benefits many. It's a streamlined system that allows people who are in a position to contribute, help those who are asking for it. This can mean your mam and you aunts giving you twenty quid or it can mean a person who has no personal connection with you but believes in your project can become an active agent in making it happen.

Focusing on the possible mis-use of the platform is to miss the neutral base from which it works. Fund:it itself is not good or bad, it just is. At its best, it allows projects that might never happen otherwise to succeed and prosper. It can allow artists to exceed the limitations of their financial situation in ways that would not be otherwise possible. Sure, there will always be people who ask for ridiculous amounts or give stupid/less-than-valuable awards, but they will fail or they will succeed in the way that those projects always succeed; through the donations of family and mates. Those that wish to succeed based on artistic merit will find that support might be there for them that they never before knew existed. At it's best, crowd-funding becomes about belief and trust in an artistic idea, with a reward for everyone at the end. I don't really see anything wrong with that.

 

[ann post]

couple of points

1) I think the function, if there is one, of a musician is to get people off their chairs to dance, and not encouraging them to stay rooted their chairs clicking the Paypal button for a CD they won't listen to. It's all very internetty and not a shared buzz. Plus I bet lots of parents and aunties spend on this. That's not what playing music is about.

I like that point in general, its definitely meant to be communal and this is a possible way to actually distance people one more than get them involved. parx ; i think has already alluded the point i was attempting - but just in case i wasn't clear, the record industry that will put five imaginative people in a room for two months with a few good techie's on the blind faith that they will do something good i'm pretty much sure is a thing of the past, if there is a way this can be facilitated into the future then i'm happy to get behind it. Music needs a N.A.S.A, an area 51 if you will.

 

[washingcattle]

Having read through this whole thread, I'm totally with Pete and Parx on this one.

At it's heart, Fund:it (and crowdfunding in general) is an idea that hurts nobody and benefits many. It's a streamlined system that allows people who are in a position to contribute, help those who are asking for it. This can mean your mam and you aunts giving you twenty quid or it can mean a person who has no personal connection with you but believes in your project can become an active agent in making it happen.

Focusing on the possible mis-use of the platform is to miss the neutral base from which it works. Fund:it itself is not good or bad, it just is. At its best, it allows projects that might never happen otherwise to succeed and prosper. It can allow artists to exceed the limitations of their financial situation in ways that would not be otherwise possible. Sure, there will always be people who ask for ridiculous amounts or give stupid/less-than-valuable awards, but they will fail or they will succeed in the way that those projects always succeed; through the donations of family and mates. Those that wish to succeed based on artistic merit will find that support might be there for them that they never before knew existed. At it's best, crowd-funding becomes about belief and trust in an artistic idea, with a reward for everyone at the end. I don't really see anything wrong with that.

I'm far too cynical for this. For me it's Dragons Den for the masses.

 

[ann post]

Having read through this whole thread,

sentences like that almost make 20 more posts a cert.

Did bighomeless ever figure out who left him that voicemail?

i must have missed that day.

 

[parx]

Having read through this whole thread, I'm totally with Pete and Parx on this one.

At it's heart, Fund:it (and crowdfunding in general) is an idea that hurts nobody and benefits many. It's a streamlined system that allows people who are in a position to contribute, help those who are asking for it. This can mean your mam and you aunts giving you twenty quid or it can mean a person who has no personal connection with you but believes in your project can become an active agent in making it happen.

Focusing on the possible mis-use of the platform is to miss the neutral base from which it works. Fund:it itself is not good or bad, it just is. At its best, it allows projects that might never happen otherwise to succeed and prosper. It can allow artists to exceed the limitations of their financial situation in ways that would not be otherwise possible. Sure, there will always be people who ask for ridiculous amounts or give stupid/less-than-valuable awards, but they will fail or they will succeed in the way that those projects always succeed; through the donations of family and mates. Those that wish to succeed based on artistic merit will find that support might be there for them that they never before knew existed. At it's best, crowd-funding becomes about belief and trust in an artistic idea, with a reward for everyone at the end. I don't really see anything wrong with that.

I wish I was this eloquent. Great points.

 

[Theseus Mock]

I wish fundit would display the number of backers for each reward (like Kickstarter does). If only to find out how many people Julie Feeney had to ring up & sing Happy Birthday over the phone for her €50 reward.

 

[rettucs]

I've contributed to 4 fundit campaigns;

- where were you
- windings
- drunken boat
- julie feeney

In all cases it was for something I would have been interested in buying anyway and hence had no real issue with paying for up front. In all cases the amount contributed roughly reflected the value of the rewards I requested. In all cases I would consider myself somewhat of a 'fan' (hence the minor excess over the reward value being for patronage).

I've also contributed to a Belle and Sebastian projects on the american fundit site and I subscribed to that Richter Collective thing. Both of which I'd consider the same as the fundit projects above.

I think both sides of the argument have presented their cases well. The onus is on the funder to be discerning and to decide who the chancers are and who genuinely deserves the dig-out. Its no different to something like e-bay which provides a valuable platform for people to peddle their wares, but which is also abused by thieving cunts.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned in this thread which I felt significant. We're in the middle of a fucking recession and who has money these days? Hence a site like fundit definitely has its place IMO

 

[GO]

I quite like Julie.I think she has a fab voice.

Its almost time for me to die.

 

[pete]

I subscribed to that Richter Collective thing.

oh yeah I/we did that too. good work guys.

 

[rettucs]

I quite like Julie.I think she has a fab voice.

Its almost time for me to die.

contributing to her campaign gave me the warm and fuzzies. She was so sweet about it. She took time to write to everyone who contributed (well did to me anyways). Plus I had a bit of banter on twitter with her about it. Coming across genuinely appreciative kind of made glad to have helped out. And hers was a pretty huge campaign with lots of contributors - she could easily have opted for those automated updates mails that fundit send out en masse. Those are shite.

 

[rettucs]

oh and the Belle and Sebastian thing was for a movie. They said on the site that the money they were looking for wouldn't cover the cost of the movie itself but would help them when going looking for the finance they needed. Basically, by being able to tell investment companies that theres X amount of interest, backed up by hard cash, that would help their cause greatly.

Probably not the same thing as smaller acts are looking for, but I guess there is a bit of publicity that goes with it. And thats no harm.

 

[rettucs]

and heres some kickstarter ones that didn't quite work out

http://failedkickstarters.tumblr.com/

 

[ann post]

Iron skies is another, isbn NT it?

 

[rettucs]

how did this one not get funding?

The Universal Vagina of Light, Phase 1

My first year at Burning Man (2007) was beyond words, and worlds. After an amazing evening with friends I ventured back to my front “porch” to watch the sunrise. I was alone and it was wonderfully peaceful. I watched as the thick black smoke rings danced against the sky…a Chinese dragon, a birth, then my side profile and her eyes closed. I too closed my eyes. I floated through a vesica pisces (vagina) shaped tunnel of colored light rings. I became one with everything and nothing, ONENESS. It was the most incredible experience. To some it seems extremely woo-woo, but I don’t care. The story gives others a chance to let go of “reality,” to open up to possibility, to realize that we are limitless beings and to release control and go on astral adventures.The Universal Vagina of Light was what I called the tunnel into this experience, into ONENESS. It is this “portal” that I wish to create that others may have their own experience into ONENESS. It is the opposite of a re-birthing chamber, it allows participants to go inward/outward to find the space of oneness within them. I can envision people getting married on the oneness platform, laughing, dancing, celebrating, healing, conquering fears, releasing conditioning, opening their hearts to themselves, to one another & to the planet. I also see Joe Schmoe, 21, D-runk yelling, “Dude, check it out, I’m in a vagina, take a picture,” and that is perfect as well!I have a background in sculpture and a studio in which to create this piece. Structurally, it will be made with welded steel and I have hired experts to manage the lighting effects. The 2nd Phase is a labyrinth…more to come in the future…The money funded will purchase materials including steel for the structure, plexi-glass for the clear walkway, lighting for the rings and oneness platform, and a sustainable energy source. I have assembled (continue to assemble) groups of volunteers to assist me in this process.Thank you to wonderful YOU for your support! You are LOVED!

maybe people should offer the ride as a funding reward

 

[hugh]

Focusing on the possible mis-use of the platform is to miss the neutral base from which it works. Fund:it itself is not good or bad, it just is.

I largely agree with everything Quarter Inch said here but would take issue with this statement. Nothing just is. Large scale adoption of something like fundit for funding creative/artistic projects is a completely different framework for how things get done that entirely changes the whole infrastructure. It represents a radically different way of thinking about how the arts in general are funded and as such is most definitely ideological in nature and definitely not neutral in any way. There are both positive and negative implications I would say. The positive ones are the ones that have been pointed out already i.e. making funding available for projects that would not otherwise get funding. A negative one might be that it provides an excuse to decimate public funding for the arts. For example, there was a fundit campaign a while ago to fund the purchase by IMMA of some work by an Irish artist. What's to stop the relevant Gov dept turning around in the future and telling IMMA that in future they will fund all acquisitions by means of fundit campaigns and if sure people really want that weird funny stuff to be in the collection then they will stump up the money for that to happen?

Since music, or more specifically the sort of music people here are involved with and interested in, doesn't get any public funding anyway, that's pretty much a moot point I suppose, and the whole thing is a win-win situation.

Great discussion by the way ...