Organizer Spotlight: Marshall Allman
Marshall Allman is an accomplished actor who has been featured in “Prison Break,” “True Blood,” and “Humans” and recently made his foray into directing. We talked with Marshall about his recent Thunderclap campaign promoting his short film series, Marriage In Short.
Tell us about yourself and your film.
I am an actor who has recently directed and created my first short film Make Like a Dog which is part one of Marriage In Short, a five-part short film series on the comedy of matrimony. You can watch now online and help us make the part two by joining our Kickstarter!
Your recent Thunderclap campaign for the first film in the series had a social reach of nearly 3 million people. What factors contributed to your success?
Our Thunderclap was successful for one reason: one-on-one contact. Simply calling, texting or messaging everyone who joined.
What brought you to Thunderclap, and how did crowdspeaking amplify your project?
A buddy of mine, Jeremy Cowart did one that I supported and thought, “Hey, this might be something we could use!” Honestly, it just helped people engage and participate, to get them clued in to what we were doing.
Your Thunderclap campaign was focused on promoting your Kickstarter. What made it a helpful companion to a crowdfunding campaign?
It can be tricky to communicate to people what exactly a Thunderclap is and most people are just expecting there to be a Kickstarter. So I would say to start building your Thunderclap with people who are your core supporters and will take the time to understand the vision — in that case it’s a great tool for rallying them and then anyone you reach past that is icing on the cake.
I would also recommend [upgrading] to the high tier of campaigns because there are options that are super crucial for last minute adjustments to better position your message!
What tips do you have for filmmakers, particularly those who are embarking on their first film, who are trying to get the word out about their work?
Be relentless but shrewd. You have to walk the thin line of making people aware but not annoyed. Not sure I walked that line perfectly, but just don’t ever give up finding your people!
You can follow Marshall Allman and his work at @marshallallman on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. To learn more about his short film series, visit marriageinshort.com.
