I want an honest opinion on a Kicksarter video

[TM2 Dinobot]

My mom and I are doing a kickstarter project for a web show called For the Rest of Us. An instructional, home repair and artisans show. Here's the video that goes with it. Never mind the graininess; we're seeking a better camera anyways.

http://youtu.be/p7jWWJzc3HU

Here's what I want to know: If you saw that, would you think about contributing? So far I've gotten back "No" and "Hell no" which, to say the least, is less than encouraging. I'd like to try to avoid shooting the video again, but if it is detrimental to the project, I'll do it for sure.

I don't know any more. Maybe I should be asking a bunch of women? :/

[Bob Harris]

"Hell no!"

Well, that's a little exaggerated, but to be honest, I wouldn't even watched the video till the end. Although I might be interested in a clever show like the one you want to do. Here's an attempt of constructive criticism. In my eyes a kickstarter video has to do three things:

a) give you an impression of what is going to be produced and how you're doing it

You do that. Or better, you tell me you're doing it. But I have to watch two people talking to each other for 50 seconds (that's over a third of the whole video!) until I get to know what this is all about! (And it takes another 40 seconds until you come up with some examples!) And I still have no idea how all the stuff you promise to do look or work out in the end. I want to see what you already came up with in those 15 years of experience, rather than being told you're able to do. Show me! An idea what you might want to do is include some short clips of how you're actually working on something and some really - really! - good shots of final products (while the voice over is still running, so the video doesn't get any longer)! I don't want to see two people talking about stuff, I want to see them doing the stuff! AND: since this is going to be a show(!), I want to get an impression of how the show will look like in the end. Actually THAT will be the product, right?

b] give me an idea of who the guys behind the product are - and why they're really behind the product

I can see you and I can hear you. But I feel like that's not enough. It sounds like you have this (or rather claim to have this) expertise in doing stuff, but I don't know why you really want to produce this show. I mean besides earning some money. Only thing I get to know is, you were remodeling your house some 15 years ago. I'm still in "meh"-mode here. That's not "mathematical!" or "cowabunga!". Why do you guys feel the need of doing this show? And it shouldn't be because you're able to do the work. That's a given. I need to know why you enjoy producing a show like this and how you want to make it be different from other shows. Why the two of you?

c) make me feel connected to you, hence I really want to support you

I don't get this feeling. You have to talk to me. Most of the time you talk to each other, instead of your potential viewers. Btw, who are these guys exactly? I need to like you, either because you have a sense of self-irony, you're really funny, charming, witty, badass or that strange kind of Bob-Ross-weird (which is very, very hard to do!). In the end, YOU are selling the whole thing, because you guys will be in every single episode of that show. And right now I don't know why I want to watch you guys changing a light fixture. From all I know right now, I'm expecting the two of you standing there in that empty room explaining how to change the light fixture. That's not enough. At least explain how the show will be. Will you vist people helping them with a problem? Will you do it at home? Will you shoot it in a studio? What are your roles? Is it like you're going to be your mom's sidekick? Does each of you have a sepecial expertise? Will it be a show with plot elements, a documentary of remodelling a whole house, something like a Tool-Time home improvement show where you explain how to use this or that tool?

I still have way to many unanswered questions to think about contributing.

Hope that helps in some way. I really don't want to discourage you guys, but I can see why others said "no" to that video. Another thing I would do: use visuals (words, facts, etc.) in the video to highlight the most important things.

(btw, my suggestions are all basic Aristotle: an orator always has to rely on his own credibility, the emotions and psychology of the audience, and the patterns of reasoning (here: the product).)

PS: Nice to see you on the video, TM2!

Edited September 20, 2013 by Bob Harris

[AdyCarter]

I haven't watched the video, nor will I.

IMO the more important part of a Kickstarter is a clear, sensible, concise project page.

Call me old fashioned but if you want my money, I want to read why, not hear why. I've backed 60+ Kickstarters and not ONCE watched a video on the page.

Nice concise infographics ftw and perhaps if you REALLY want to a video, a small pilot of the show.

[TM2 Dinobot]

Those are both very helpful. Thanks guys!