Results for June 2015
The June push for sponsorship from business was unsuccessful.
Here’s why:
- The Australian Tax Office increased the write-off value on capital purchases from $2,500 to $20,000
- An aggressive push by charities
- There was no pick-up from our first approach to online TV subscription companies
- Our offer to business women in the community to purchase the naming rights for our female political leader fell on deaf ears
- Only one person is promoting the offer
This leaves our development schedule still unfunded.
Whilst we may see some movement in items three and four in the future, it seems clear we need to employ a new model of sponsorship.
Event based auctions
We propose holding an event, like a party, at a sponsor’s venue.
Offer a ticket entry.
Bring the team together to work the event.
Entertain, cater, give prizes and hold auctions where the bid price starts well below the wholesale rate.
The host sponsor as well as the supporting sponsors would treat this as a loss-leader to attract new customers.
Potential customers attend because they can purchase products and services for half the price.
The items offered are pure consumables such as IT, handbags, jewellery, even cars.
Services might include elite hairdressing services, designer label clothing, travel and so forth.
Vouchers for services and products could also be offered.
Making it pay
We raise sponsorship funding in two ways:
- The difference between the agreed minimum and the amount raised is retained
- We create an atmosphere of entertainment and surround the potential consumers with our talent. We entertain them, speak of the project and offer them the opportunity to purchase naming rights for characters, campaign stamps and the opportunity to sponsor major projects
Activate and replicate
For this approach to work, the community must pitch in and must invite their own connections.
If the approach is successful then it can be replicated in any city, anywhere in the world.
The key to this is offering people something they want, on the cheap and in an entertaining atmosphere.
Conclusion
The power of the one is far less than the power of the many.
If one person goes out to pitch, the outcome will be far less than if we collectively attend an event to create an atmosphere which encourages people to join us and make it happen.
Even if we earn nothing from character naming and campaign stamps, people will go out of their way to purchase sort-after consumables on the cheap.
Most importantly, it gives each of our city-based communities, a chance to meet, work together, invite potential sponsors and raise the money we need to fund development.
Comment
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The idea has slightly been done here in the US but with the use of zombies. Shows such as Z Nation and The Walking Dead. There have been other shows that have attempted to create this sense of “oh no life has ended/we must band together to restart the human race” etc etc, but they’ve fallen flat here in the US. Hence, attempting to put a new spin (aka Sentient). The easiest way to garner immediate support is getting a notable credit on board to help promote or simply even giving their blessing. This will in turn get studios to turn their heads and actually take a second to see what celeb A or star B is talking/tweeting about. Have you utilized script critique services or even sites such as Blacklist.com? Perhaps there is something miniscule (or large) that is simply missing that could put Sentient on the map? Just bouncing ideas off already stated posts.
That’s not very good news. Have you tried to set up a meeting with foxtel or netflix in terms of coming on board as a partnership body. I think Sentient has a great concept/Story it’s also a show that has never been down before in Australia which is one of the reason it got me interested.Reckon Foxtel/Netflix would probably be interested in. The thing is it’s a risk only cause it hasn’t been done but i bet you once you get funding for it and show it to the world it will be a show people will jump for.
Stinga,
Great to hear from you.
We already approached a similar well-know party but to no avail. Those companies are on my ‘Next’ list.
Good to know great minds think alike.
Why is it most times it is difficult to reach out of sponsors/sponsorship? Even when one have something beautiful and brilliant to offer. You could forgive my question but just keeps me wondering? Though I am quite optimistic before the year runs out a tremendous change in direction of the project will occur. “A light at the end of the tunnel”. And we shall record success.
Africa sponsorship could be handy too. Though don’t know how to go about it.
Cheers,
The Sydney model is meant to provide a guide for everyone as to how to do it.
The reason why we hit the wall here so far is the mix of the property boom and the capital write-offs being increased to $20,000. That plus the very aggressive charity industry run by the big end of town.
Pitching a great idea is not enough. Not even a business idea with a strong VP and ROI.
We have to battle our way through to people’s most basic desires to get them to consider spending. I believe we need to head to our auctions model. Cheap goods that everyone wants. More on this later.
David , if you need any songs for promo, party, etc. pls let me know
Okay. I will be on the wait.
don’t worry Ebuka, first you need to be able to write fast 😉 your tool is coming ..
if you need more songs to be able to promote Sentient Africa, i can send you the Sentient song or any other song of your choice, or to make new ones.. just let me know
I’m not sure how greenlighting works in TV land. In independent movies you can’t raise money without a script. Would chances improve with a finished pilot script at least? This puts a lot of onus on the writers up front, writing on spec, but in TV the writers are also the heros and creative owners (well apart from actors) and will have the greater rewards down the track if it comes together. Directors are fairly anonymous and replaceable in TV.
The story so far
I would like to publish a lot more of my own script for Sentient.
I have held back seeking to inspire the other teams and writers but since as you asked, gosh, it would be impolite to say no.
great!
I too am thinking… Can’t the production company be registered partially as a charity. This way the company could raise funds for a worthy cause as well as for the progress of the series. It would need to be a fund that would support similar issues that the sentient deals with… If this could be set up, then funding could be ongoing and exposure for the production company could then help get the charity much needed exposure. You could even do a publicity trailer for them for free in exchange for linking the charity to the production company. Just a thought…
Hi Selina,
Been down that path.
The charity business has largely been overtaken by the big end of town now and is employed for money laundering and paying off bribes. Most charities would be lucky to see 3-7% of the money applied. We explored a pairing many years ago but the terms offered were nothing less than punitive.
We already offer tax deductibility as an advertising spend and generate invoices for people with ABNs who request so that part of it is covered.
Thanks for your idea. This and around 50 other worthwhile collaborations with all sorts of business and government has been tried by Presence before. Even sophisticated offers to the super funds. No joy. Their positions are determined / governed by other considerations. Good sense, reason, a worthwhile project, even patriotism is not a consideration.
Google “notable” charities and where their donations end up going. Organizations such as the Red Cross receive millions every year but very little of that is turned around and put into humanitarian effort (ie – Haiti still awaiting funding that has “disappeared”). And that leads to my own TV series concept (but for another day). I don’t think we should go down that route of using Sentient as a charity front when we really need to push for support at this stage instead of smoke and mirrors.
Agreed. It would very quickly be taken over by CPAs and the stacked board.
Thinking…