How to Fund Your Passion Projects
The Power of Passion Projects in Career Success
Passion projects have been one of the most important drivers of success in my career. A lot of my connections to brands, expeditions and bigger budget documentary work has come from, directly or indirectly, the passion projects I’ve created.
When I was first staring making videos I loved every part of the process. I’d dream up a fun idea, go film it on a GoPro with friends and edit it in iMovie. Over time, the ideas became a little bigger, the gear became a little nice and the editing process a little more complex. But, at it’s core I’m still doing what I’ve always done. Thats why when it came time for me to decide on if I wanted to pursue filmmaking as a career it felt obvious to me that I’m passionate about it. I always say outdoor adventure is my passion, storytelling is my purpose and developing that through various passion projects has only solidified that mission statement further.
By making uplifting stories about hope, joy, and adventure for fun it allowed me to eventually get hired to do the same.
Defining the Mission: Adventure and Storytelling
Although there have been some bumps in the road, pursuing what I love to do has never steered me wrong. And when you can make money by doing what you love to do, that’s the best of the best. So, in the video above I’ll walk you through my process of getting your passion projects funded and making that dream a reality.
Four Steps for Getting Funding
Here are the four steps to getting your passion project funded if you’re needing some funding for you next adventure film…
Cold pitching brands
I will say upfront that although this seems like the most obvious I’ve personally had very little success with this strategy. Even with some of my most popular projects, it’s difficult to break through the noise and get funding from brands without having an authentic connection to them. However, all you need is one “yes” so I’ll walk you through the four steps I take in pitching brands...
I open LinkedIn and find the marketing director or creative director
I use “GetProspect” which is a tool to get the email of anybody from their LinkedIn account.
I send an email that sounds the least like spam as possible. I keep the email short. I mention my name, where I live, who I’ve collaborated with in the past and a sentence about my idea. I let them know I’d love to get on a phone call and hear more about how I can help provide value for their company with my passion project.
I get on a phone call and spend a decent amount of time just chatting to get to know more about what they’re looking for. Then I let them know I’ll send a pitch deck with the pricing we talk about on the call so they can check in with the rest of their team and get back to me.
I get a green light or an email letting me know it’s not a good time for them.
If you make it all the way to step five you’ve already built a solid connection that you can reach out to again in the future. Even if this project doesn’t work out that may not mean they’re opposed to other collaborations down the road.
Working with Athletes
This tip tends to lead to the most promising result for getting gigs in the outdoor industry. How the business model works - brands hire athletes to promote their company. Athletes tend to have a large fan base, are frequently in the media from races or personal projects, and typically align with the mission statement for the brands they’re representing. So, as an adventure filmmaker you’re perfectly positioned to join in.
Athletes need content and you make content!!
The videos and photos you take of the athlete WILL be seen by the brands. If you do a good job and like the athlete you’re collaborating with they may be willing to introduce you to the marketing director who makes the hiring decisions for filmmakers and photographers. Plus, you may get a friend out of this tip which is awesome.
Work a job on the side and do the project cheaply
Although this isn’t the most glamorous option it can lead to some incredible results. Let me provide you with an example… last winter I wanted to create a film for a local adaptive sports nonprofit who is doing amazing work teaching snow sports activities to individuals with various disabilities. I didn’t approach any brands because all I needed to do was volunteer my time. We filmed for three days just down the road from my home in Boulder, Colorado.
I edited it in two days and got a help from an editing friend Alex to bring it across the finish line.
That film introduced me to ad agency in Denver that has hired me for multiple bank commercials. It’s been selected for half a dozen film festivals (with potentially more still on the way) and it led to a really fun collaboration with Patagonia where we hosted a film screening to promote the nonprofit. I also met my current girlfriend because of that film night so I have a lot of career and life success to thank for that unfunded project.
Just because it’s local and cheap to make doesn’t mean it has to be bad. Finding local stories can really help grow you as a filmmaker.
So, when it comes time to dreaming up your next passion project I hope these tips make you excited to follow through.
Don’t stop until you make it happen.
If you have questions or want to chat more about making your dream film project a reality, hit me up! I’m always happy to chat with anybody to bring their visions to life.
Want to Work Together?
Roo is a commercial/documentary filmmaker and photographer based in Boulder, Colorado but travels all around the world for his filmmaking career. He has produced films for Outside Magazine in Ireland, camera operated for Netflix in the Rocky Mountain West, photographed among indigenous communities in Peru and Ecuador, directed videos with professional climbers in Mexico and has received notable recognition in his hometown of Orcas Island in Washington State for his work telling uplifting stories in the outdoor space.
Let’s chat - reach out below and I’ll respond in the next 24-48 hours!