Kevin Heider is a singer songwriter from Baltimore.  The Spark (an album in 2 parts) is his 3rd recording project.

Though the mid-level rewards packages in this Kickstarter could use some work, the video portion is an excellent example of engaging a viewer on multiple levels.

View Kevin Heider’s Kickstarter

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BEWARE THE MID-LEVEL PACKAGES

One thing that really concerns me in looking closely at this project is the lack of backers in packages from $75-$200.

When you are designing packages for a Kickstarter, you NEED to create enticing packages in this range.

Why is this important?

Think about it in terms of dollars per backer.  The average dollars per backer over the few hundred projects that we’ve looked at so far is $72.

Kevin’s average dollars per backer as of writing is $58.  He also happens to be about 25% short of funding.

Holding all things equal, if his average dollars per backer was average ($72), he would be only 3% short and would most assuredly make the difference.

Even if he succeeds, think about the overall effect on funding if his average dollars per backer increased by 25%.

I don’t bring this up to comment on Kevin or his likelihood of success or anythings like that.  He still has time and can hit his goal.  I just want to point out the importance of designing mid-level packages that appeal to your audience.

The thing that mid-level packages garnering the most support seem to have in common is creativity and personal involvement.

I’ve seen very successful offerings of folk art, hand-sewn aprons, hot pepper jelly, and hillbilly light fixtures.

Non-material packages that look to do well are ones in which the backer is really engaged with the artist.  Examples would include hanging out before or after a show (coffee or booze, your choice!), original songs, sing on the record…

And with all this stuff, pay attention to your price points.  Kevin does offer an original song but at $500 has had no takers.  Don’t price your talents out of the market!

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HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE, ARTISTIC, EFFECTIVE VIDEO

I love what Kevin did with his video; the choices he made in producing it sync up nicely.

He uses good lighting and an unfocussed, nighttime city backdrop to establish a reflective mood.

He chooses a song whose emotion complements the visual setting.

But the real coup de gras here is Kevin’s use of TEXT to make his Kickstarter appeal.

He establishes the emotion of the project with the cinematography and the music.  And then he really drives home his message by making you read it.  This technique really makes a person internalize what is being said (written) in the video.

Think about it.  The power of video lies partly in the fact that there is sight AND sound.

Now, engage peoples’ minds a third way, by having them read text, and you are really sucking them into whatever you are doing.

In all honesty, he could have done a better job of stating his purpose and making his call to action in the video.  But, that being said, I ended up backing this project because I completely internalized it while taking in sight, sound, and text.

Well played, Kevin Heider, well played.

THE TAKEAWAY

You can keep your video simple but still make it ultra-effective by using text, music, and visual in a synchronous manner.  Find the emotional plane that you want to deliver your message on and nail it with the AV, then make your point with text.  Pretty slick!

Also, be sure that you have designed enticing mid-level packages for your backers.  These can really boost your funding and/or chances of success!