Actor-director Zach Braff took a beating recently when he turned to Kickstarter to get a possible directorial project, Wish I Was Here, off the ground. Without warning (and perhaps unfairly), Braff became the scapegoat for celebrities with an undetermined amount of money who dare to appeal to fans in search of funding for pet projects. So Braff did what he normally does – he took to the Web to explain himself and answer his critics directly.
The above clip shared on KickstartedMovie looks like an official piece those who earn KS money do. Braff answers questions about his KS campaign, and in the process, addresses rumors that immediately swirled following the launch of the campaign.
Gradually, Braff gets defensive about his use of the Internet and his reliance on KS to get his next movie funded. He admits that in addition to the $2 million earned on KS, he will be kicking in “an ass-ton of my own money.” He defends his ability to engage his fanbase through social media and Reddit. “It’s a conversation,” he explains, and he backs up his claims, reminding people via this video that he has been doing it since Garden State and The Last Kiss. Braff has been plugged in to his community of fans, and he uses this clip to reiterate this fact.
Fast-forward to the 10-minute mark to get the point of the clip. Braff basically explains that he feels like he has created a club of like-minded people. If you hate him, this club isn’t for you (obviously). But if you buy into Braff’s humor and his storytelling methods, which have been on display in Scrubs and Garden State, then he’s trying to continue to do unique and exciting things that will appeal to your sensibilities. Braff doesn’t really solve the debate over whether moderately successful celebrities should lean on KS. But he makes a convincing argument for his own popularity, and that’s refreshing.
