Kickstarter Tips: Your Video

It’s loud, confusing, it shows snippets of the game, it doesn’t tell the story of WHY you’re putting it to the Kickstarter community! There’s no call to action, no drive, no personal story on the video that explains who you are, why you want to do this, what challenges you’ve faced. Sound familiar? Welcome to yet another failed Kickstarter project and a video that makes you wince or leave you confused.

Your video is the most important component for your project, it’s where your backers and potential backers will gravitate towards first to understand. Do take the time to source as best as you can quality audio recording and video recording technology and edit, edit, edit. Don’t be in a rush on the key selling point on your project and what others will use as they share your project with their networks. I’d suggest talking to other devs and students at your local IGDA chapter and see what resources they might be able to offer you in order to make your video the best quality you can. I also suggest that you practice in front of a few different people on what you’re going to say in your video and use storyboards to plan it out. Again, the time you take to invest in your video will assist in showing your uniqueness and professionalism and don’t forget it’s how backers will begin to form their opinion and possible friendship in believing in your dreams.

Begin your video on a personal note, introducing yourself (be original though, there are thousands of unsuccessful projects that begin with “Hello Kickstarter” so why not set the very first impression people will get from you and your project by linking your professionalism, personality and project together?). This allows us viewers to begin building a personal connection to the project. This should be reinforced shortly after when you introduce the entire team behind the project. You should summarise the project early within the first 20 seconds of the video; clearly and concisely explain what your project is about.

The bulk of your video ought to be focused on clear communication of all the top level differentiators that make your game unique and special, or in other words, deserving to be funded. If you can share and make Kickstarters understand why having this project successfully funded out of the many others, you’ll be doing well. Don’t forget to talk through the different reward tiers briefly (don’t go through them all) and if you have an early bird reward I’d make sure to mention it to build up momentum. Also if you have it, take ten or so seconds with a series of screenshots/images/animations with a flyby on any press or others who have written about your project.

Wrap it up with a clear understanding of what stage of development your project is at and what exactly you need from us Kickstarters to help bring your project to reality. At the end, tell your story and invite Kickstarters to become part of your success story’s triumphant conclusion (make it a specific call to action as best as you can). Setting clear calls to action (click to back, don’t forget to click Tweet and Share) and perhaps following your studio/self on Twitter too).

And in the end? Make sure to thank us.

Remember that the video, while one of the most important tools on seeing your Kickstarter has the best chance at succeeding, is not the only tool you ought to use. I’ll chat later on about other Kickstarter tips.