--- In videoblogging@yahoogroups.com, "Jay dedman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > I did read that Bill > > and it still sounds like speculation to me > > cold hard facts are what im after buddy > > correct, anytime we talk about ad sales, there's quite a bit of speculation. > if you get paid by a company to make videos, then youre just an employee again. > > so here's an idea ive been floating around here lately... > Do you think a videoblogger could raise money from his community/viewers? > This is media supported more like the American NPR model. All content > is free to everyone, but there's an understanding that if money isnt > raised from the public, then the programming will stop. The perception > is that because its not corporate sponsored, it can be much more > critical and take longer times to tell stories. (NPR is not perfect, > just an analogy) > > So my point is. > let's say I want $4000 a month to live and make a regular videoblog on a theme. > is it crazy to think he could raise $5 a month from 800 people? > Its almost the great humbler because then you got to make a real > connection with people. > you have to really connect with a community, and they would really > have to feel like youre a voice for them. > > Jay > > > -- > Here I am.... > http://jaydedman.com > > Check out the latest project: http://politicalvideo.org > 500 hours of George Bush speeches!! > Search, download, remix!! >
I've revised my opinion on this topic. I don't think $5 from 800 viewers is feasible, but I also don't think you have to go all the way corporate with it. I think it's possible to split the difference IF you can get a topic that's important enough to a lot of people to get those that have money to sponsor you in order to enable the rest of the people to get the message either for free or for whatever they wish to or can afford to donate to the program(s). The benefit to the donors would be some kind of recognition or advertisement. "This show has been brought to you by _________". I'm thinking somewhere along the lines of what Rudy & Casey did with http://Galacticast.com with credit given to donors & supporters. Assuming one could come up with a show that was seen to be of great use to a population, I would think donors would like to be affiliated with the effort and potentially fund a videoblog to the degree that they're not really losing out. With a broad enough group that's benefiting, I can see several philanthropists picking up the slack for many of the 800 people who can't afford to donate or just aren't interested enough in your project to give you money for it. Of course, this is a chicken and egg situation where the more money that's donated to your show, the better you can make the show because you don't have to spend your time making money other ways. You can devote all your work-time to filming content and making the show more interesting, longer and more polished. This attention to product is likely what's going to get the sponsors interested in donating, so it requires a leap of faith on your part to start out making a quality program and HOPING that the supporting donations start to roll in. Otherwise... It's back to the old school. Pitch it and if someone offers you funding, go ahead and make the show. If not... Regroup and pitch something else. -- billcammack
