Film Crowdfunding

March 11, 2016
From the moment I envisioned my documentary, Magic Pills, I've been reliant on my community to put my dreams into motion. This documentary to me represents the voice of a disenfranchised community that has rallied together for an opportunity to be heard. Mainstream media has rarely given homeopathy a fair shake, using false blanket statements to discredit what is arguably the world's fastest growing form of medicine: in short, they have built a narrative full of misinformation. The media and medical institutions bombard us with the statement that there is absolutely no scientific evidence to support homeopathy - but nothing could be further from the truth.
In the process of filming Magic Pills, we travelled around the planet and got up close and personal with the movers and shakers of the homeopathic world, not only the practitioners and patients, but the scientists, medical doctors and teachers who lost so much for daring to tread into the murky waters of homeopathic research. When it came time to mount a crowdfunding campaign, we knew we couldn't afford to spend any of the money we raised on fulfilling incentives: we are on a shoestring budget, and every last cent is vital. Instead, it was important to create value, build a movement, and entice would-be contributors, so we decided to find digital products that could give people something of value, something to help them become better practitioners, whether professionally or for their families and home. I had a few digital products my colleagues and I had been working on, including e-books on Bach Flower Remedies and Gemmo-therapy, as well as a couple of video courses. I realized these could be ideal rewards, but I still had no idea what we would offer for larger donations.
As we were preparing to launch the Seed&Spark campaign, I began reaching out to the homeopathic community, the people I had filmed and given voice to, the people who would become our niche for the crowdfunding campaign. Their response floored me. I now truly understand what it means to be humbled by the love, support, and generosity of others. At first a couple of people offered to provide digital products for the campaign. Beth Landau Halpern a brilliant homeopath, one of the subjects of the film, offered her e-book on treating ADHD right off the bat. Then world-famous homeopath Dana Ullman, author and writer for the Huffington Post, offered 5 copies of an incredible e-book he sells on his website. These offers gave me the idea to reach out to others and ask whether they had digital products they'd be willing to donate to the cause. Soon I had courses and books from many of the most important homeopathic masters, including legends like Jeremy Sherr, Dr. Isaac Golden, Joette Calabrese, and Judyann McNamara.
It has become abundantly clear from this experience, and the global support that followed, that this film is not mine, but the product of an entire community that came together, individual by individual. The support has not only been financial or through product donations. I have received offers for translation, help in research and writing, services like color correction, and help in getting word out to the world that this project is happening. Through the process of crowdfunding I have met more people in the global homeopathic community. People from places like Mexico, Brazil, India, Spain, and Germany have all offered their support in a myriad of ways. And I have come to appreciate what a group of passionate people can achieve. To say I am humbled sounds so cliché, as well as a huge understatement; however, I don't know more appropriate words to describe the way I feel. I now believe that with the strength of this community can save this medical art, so homeopaths can continue to offer safe and effective care to their communities.
Our crowdfunding campaign for Magic Pills on Seed&Spark runs through March 21st. Fund, follow, or spread the word about our project!