When Movies Are Funded By Fans

At The Dissolve, Scott Tobias writes about the Veronica Mars movie, and wonders if having it funded entirely by fans affected its quality as a film:

So the Veronica Mars movie is a dead thing that fans have summoned back into existence, and to the tune of $5.7 million, which so reduces the risk on Warner Bros.’ end that Thomas likely didn’t have to take a single executive note. This sounds like a stirring triumph of democracy in action, with marshmallows liberating Thomas to go off and pursue the movie he wanted to make. But, in fact, what has actually happened is that fans have replaced studio bosses as the people for whom Thomas was making the “movie.” And for all the insider pleasures that result, it also fucks this Veronica Mars up badly.

There’s an old dramatic maxim — echoed by none other than Joss Whedon — that it’s an artist’s job to give audiences what they need, not what they want. And Veronica Mars violates that maxim so flagrantly, it sometimes seemed like I was watching Thomas and company fulfilling Kickstarter pledge orders when they might have been making a movie.

I know a few of you opened your wallets to help get this movie funded. What do you think? Were you happy with the results?

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