I recently had a chance to chat to Gino Alfonso about the Indiegogo campaign for his upcoming horror feature The Hostage. We discuss the pros and cons of using Indiegogo and other means of crowdfunding to make a film, creative freedom and pre-production processes.
Q: How important do you find crowdfunding as a means to provide filmmaker’s with true creative freedom?
A: I think crowdfunding is a great way for filmmakers to have the creative freedom to tell the story they want to tell and not be tied down by the studio system.
Q: Does the experience of crowdfunding your films with your fans feel more communal?
A: I feel it makes it very communal, giving your backers something tangible and moving fast helps and having the same team on your projects too.
Q: What are the things you consider when brining a film into pre-production?
A: I always look at the 6 P’s of production Piss Poor Planning = Piss Poor Production you have to take everything into account during prepro
Q: Why should people contribute to your crowdfunding campaign?
A: I think people should contribute to The Hostage because it is an original urban horror film that will entertain and scare the hell out of you!
Q: What is your film going to be about?
A: The Hostage is about Two amateur drug dealers sell to a buyer that screws them out of $10,000 they decide to kidnap his girlfriend that unbeknownst to them is possessed by a demon looking to bring on Armageddon. In tradition of Evil Dead (2013), Trespass (1992), The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) and Reservoir Dogs (1993).
Q: How did you get into filmmaking?
A: I got into filmmaking at a young age when I saw Jurassic Park when I was 10 years old, that was when I learned what being a Director was and seeing Steven Spielberg’s name on the screen.
Q: Do you have any lessons for those who might just be starting out trying to make their own films?
A: Lessons in starting out and making your own films, just go out and do it there’s to many resources out there today not too build your network. Everyone wants to make movies, even if you’re in a small town there’s always an actor or 3 and someone that knows how to run a camera just go do it!
If you would like to check out Alfonso’s Indiegogo click on the link below.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-hostage#/
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