Monday, 10 October 2016
Creative Industries: Funding (Tutorial 5, DES401)
Task 1: Select a funding body
UK Games Fund: http://ukgamesfund.co.uk/
Task 2: What Is Their Funding Programme?
What have they funded in the past? (3 Examples)
What is likely to be funded in the future?
How to apply for their funding?
1. Deadlines
2. Documents to submit
3. Person to contact/online application form link
Task 3: Learn from other projects
Select one successful project:
1. Analyse the project
- Look t their website, how well do they convey the information about what they do?
- What sort of clients are complicit in their set up?
- How have they made their work appealing to funding bodies?
2. Analyse their social media presence
- Who do they communicate wit and why?
- Which platforms are they on?
- How effectively do they use them?
Task 4: Lessons for your own project
- Which funding body would be best for your project?
- What can you learn from how other artists, agencies, crowdfunding groups we've looked at in regards to your own project?
Presentation:
- Think about your own project and which of the funding bodies would be best for it, why? Present your group's statement. 2 minutes.
UK Games Fund: http://ukgamesfund.co.uk/
Task 2: What Is Their Funding Programme?
What have they funded in the past? (3 Examples)
What is likely to be funded in the future?
How to apply for their funding?
1. Deadlines
2. Documents to submit
3. Person to contact/online application form link
Task 3: Learn from other projects
Select one successful project:
1. Analyse the project
- Look t their website, how well do they convey the information about what they do?
- What sort of clients are complicit in their set up?
- How have they made their work appealing to funding bodies?
2. Analyse their social media presence
- Who do they communicate wit and why?
- Which platforms are they on?
- How effectively do they use them?
Task 4: Lessons for your own project
- Which funding body would be best for your project?
- What can you learn from how other artists, agencies, crowdfunding groups we've looked at in regards to your own project?
Presentation:
- Think about your own project and which of the funding bodies would be best for it, why? Present your group's statement. 2 minutes.
Monday, 26 September 2016
Business Plan: Executive Summary (Tutorial 4, DES401)
BUSINESS
1. What is your aim? The problem and the purposes solution.
2. Who is your audience?
3. Your uniqueness on the market
4. Your competition
5. Introduce the founding team
Present - pitch
or
GAME / PRODUCT
1. What is your aim? What kind of a game are you making?
2. Who is your player?
3. Is your game unique, different? How?
4. Do you know your competition? Other similar games? Their weaknesses and strong points?
5. Introduce the team and their skills
Present - pitch
Writing A Business Plan:
1. Ask yourself where you are now and where you aim to be in the future (strategy)
2. Determine your goals and objectives.
3. Outline your financial needs.
4. Do not forget about marketing.
5. Think how you will reach your target group.
6. Always remember. It is the people that sell ideas. Be prepared to pitch your idea
convincingly.
An Example of a Detailed Business Plan Outline:
1.0 Executive Summary
1.1 Problem
1.2 Solution
1.3 Team
1.4 Market
1.5 Competition
1.6 Financial Highlights
Summarise the idea / solution to a problem. Think about your target market. Introduce briefly
the founding team. Treat this part as your pitch. Be concise, convincing and enticing.
2.0 Products and Services
/ Business description
2.1 Problem Worth Solving
2.2 Your Solution
2.3 Validation of Problem and Solution
2.4 Roadmap/Future Plans
3.0 Market Analysis Summary
3.1 Market Segmentation
3.2 Target Market Segment Strategy
3.2.1 Market Needs
3.2.2 Market Trends
3.2.3 Market Growth
3.3 Key Customers
/ you target group
3.4 Future Markets
3.5 Competition
3.5.1 Competitors and Alternatives
3.5.2 Your Advantages
Remember about your customer needs and benefits! Think why you are unique?
4.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary
4.1 Marketing Plan
4.2 Sales Plan
4.3 Location and Facilities
4.4 Technology
4.5 Equipment and Tools
4.6 Milestones
4.7 Key Metrics
5.0 Company and Management Summary
5.1 Organizational Structure
5.2 Management Team
5.3 Management Team Gaps
5.4 Personnel Plan
Think about how the business will continue on a long term basis!
6.0 Financial Plan
6.1 Revenue/Sales Forecast
6.2 Expenses
6.3 Projected Profit and Loss
6.4 Projected Cash Flow
6.5 Projected Balance Sheet
1. What is your aim? The problem and the purposes solution.
2. Who is your audience?
3. Your uniqueness on the market
4. Your competition
5. Introduce the founding team
Present - pitch
or
GAME / PRODUCT
1. What is your aim? What kind of a game are you making?
2. Who is your player?
3. Is your game unique, different? How?
4. Do you know your competition? Other similar games? Their weaknesses and strong points?
5. Introduce the team and their skills
Present - pitch
***
Task 1: What is your aim?
- Think about the problem and the solution. The aim of your business. What market niche are you filling out?
- What kind of game are you making? Why?
Task 2: Who is your audience?
- What is your target audience? Do you know your customer?
- Who is your player?
Task 3: Are you unique?
- What is your unique selling point?
- Is your game/project unique or different? How?
Task 4: Who is your competition?
- Do you know your competition? Who else operates on the market you are about to enter
- Is your game/project unique or different? How?
- Introduce the founding team.
- Introduce the team and their skills.
***
1. Ask yourself where you are now and where you aim to be in the future (strategy)
2. Determine your goals and objectives.
3. Outline your financial needs.
4. Do not forget about marketing.
5. Think how you will reach your target group.
6. Always remember. It is the people that sell ideas. Be prepared to pitch your idea
convincingly.
An Example of a Detailed Business Plan Outline:
1.0 Executive Summary
1.1 Problem
1.2 Solution
1.3 Team
1.4 Market
1.5 Competition
1.6 Financial Highlights
Summarise the idea / solution to a problem. Think about your target market. Introduce briefly
the founding team. Treat this part as your pitch. Be concise, convincing and enticing.
2.0 Products and Services
/ Business description
2.1 Problem Worth Solving
2.2 Your Solution
2.3 Validation of Problem and Solution
2.4 Roadmap/Future Plans
3.0 Market Analysis Summary
3.1 Market Segmentation
3.2 Target Market Segment Strategy
3.2.1 Market Needs
3.2.2 Market Trends
3.2.3 Market Growth
3.3 Key Customers
/ you target group
3.4 Future Markets
3.5 Competition
3.5.1 Competitors and Alternatives
3.5.2 Your Advantages
Remember about your customer needs and benefits! Think why you are unique?
4.0 Strategy and Implementation Summary
4.1 Marketing Plan
4.2 Sales Plan
4.3 Location and Facilities
4.4 Technology
4.5 Equipment and Tools
4.6 Milestones
4.7 Key Metrics
5.0 Company and Management Summary
5.1 Organizational Structure
5.2 Management Team
5.3 Management Team Gaps
5.4 Personnel Plan
Think about how the business will continue on a long term basis!
6.0 Financial Plan
6.1 Revenue/Sales Forecast
6.2 Expenses
6.3 Projected Profit and Loss
6.4 Projected Cash Flow
6.5 Projected Balance Sheet
Monday, 19 September 2016
Crowdfunding Campaign Exercise (Tutorial 3, DES401)
Task 1: Which Platform to choose?
- IndieGoGo?
- Kickstarter?
- Crowdfunder?
- Gofundme?
- Patreon?
- Pozible?
Task 2: How did others make it?
- Choose a campaign from one of the platforms. Try to find one that is interesting because of the way that it succeeded, failed, or how it is tracking if it is currently live.
- Analyse the team’s social media presence – what platforms are they on, and how active are they? How integrated is their social media strategy with their operations, and how do they use social media to keep backers updated on their progress?
- What is the funding target? How realistic does it seem?
- Overall in your opinion, how would you rate the crowdfunding campaign?
- What could have been done better?
- Specify and analyse the components necessary in a crowdfunding
Task 3: It's your turn
- Describe your project
- Introduce the team
- Think about the pledge levels and reward design
- Pre-design the budget
Other Questions to Consider
- How many person-hours per week would you estimate that the crowdfunding campaign takes up on top of the project itself?
- How much time will you devote to campaigning as opposed to designing your product? (real versus ‘dummy’ project)
- How will you attract pledges and keep your audience updated?
Consider Crowdfunding Failure
Zano: The rise and fall of ickstarters mini-drone
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35356147
Consider Crowdfunding Models
- Rewards-based crowdfunding
- Community shares
- Equity crowdfunding