writer.director.creator
Crowd equity is the modern, democratized pathway to film financing. Instead of asking people to donate like on Kickstarter, you’re inviting them to own a piece of your movie or production company. It combines the best of both worlds — the momentum and community of crowdfunding, with the credibility and upside of private equity.
Not quite. Kickstarter = donations. Crowd equity = investment. Your backers aren’t just fans anymore — they’re shareholders who have skin in the game and share in the upside when your film succeeds. It’s a professional step up that makes your project feel like a real business, not a passion plea.
You can raise up to $5 million per year through crowd-equity. In practice, most filmmakers raise between $50K–$1M for their first feature or indie series. The exact number depends on your credibility, community size, and campaign execution — all of which this guide helps you build.
No, but you do need proof of credibility. If you don’t have a short or laurels, you can compensate with a great pitch video, a strong team, or early traction (press, social following, letters of intent, brand partners, etc.). Think of every campaign as a “credit score” made of many factors. If one area’s weak, you can strengthen another. You just need enough “sparkle” to cross that invisible trust threshold for investors.
Yes, but with some caveats. Most crowd-equity campaigns target U.S.-based investors, but international investors can invest if the platform supports it (such as our platform of choice, WeFunder). If you’re based outside the U.S., you can still raise via a U.S. entity (like a Delaware LLC) — which we cover in the playbook, step-by-step.
From prep to launch, 3–6 months is typical. 1 month to incorporate and set up legal. 2–3 months to build the campaign page, video, and outreach. And 1–2 months to raise actively.
The guide is designed to meet you wherever you are, whether you’re still writing your first feature or prepping your second. It’s not a “get rich quick” plan; it’s a sustainable framework for creative independence. The earlier you start understanding it, the better positioned you’ll be when the opportunity comes. You'll also get lifetime access to all future updates so you'll have this playbook anytime whenever you're ready.
Every example, framework, and template here comes from real experience — my own million-dollar raise for ISLE CHILD, plus dozens of other filmmakers I’ve helped do the same. This isn’t just theory or recycled business-school fluff!
Of course — if the guide doesn’t deliver meaningful clarity or traction, email me. I’ll refund you and ask for your feedback so I can improve it for the next filmmaker. This is about building a sustainable community, not selling a one-off product.
I occasionally take on filmmakers for private consulting or retainer-based strategy when it makes sense. But this playbook was built to make you self-sufficient, not dependent. If you’ve got a bigger budget and want a hands-on marketing or investor-relations push, then yes — I sometimes jump in and help build that from the ground up.
Absolutely. If you refer three friends who purchase the guide using your unique affiliate code, they’ll each get 15% off, and you’ll receive a 100% refund of your purchase. It’s my way of rewarding the community for spreading the word. Just email hi@thomaspk.com to get your personal referral link.