What a Kickstarter video should explain
Begin with the problem and show the actual product early enough that a new viewer understands it. Then demonstrate the core action, introduce the people responsible and explain what supporters help make possible. Give unfinished work a clear status. A beautiful generated setting cannot answer whether a prototype works, how it is made or what is still being developed. Make those answers visible through genuine footage and approved narration. Treat the campaign page and video as one explanation: names, specifications, milestones and reward details should agree.
How long should a Kickstarter video be?
As an editorial starting point, outline a two- to three-minute main story if you need room for the problem, prototype, team and next step. A focused one-minute introduction may suit a simpler message. These are planning suggestions, not Kickstarter limits or evidence that a particular duration raises more money. Read the script aloud, allow time to watch the real demonstration and remove repeated claims before buying a runtime. A 30-second teaser introduces one reason to learn more; it usually cannot carry the same detail as a full campaign film.
List the main film, vertical discovery edit and teaser
A delivery list prevents a campaign from becoming a single file that does every job poorly. Specify each version before production. A vertical discovery placement needs its own framing and opening; check current Kickstarter placement availability and upload requirements in your creator account. Do not assume a horizontal main film can simply be cropped. All examples below are proposed scope, not automatic extras in a single-video order.
- Main film: selected runtime, core product evidence, founder contribution and campaign action.
- Vertical discovery edit: agreed duration, central framing, captions and a placement-specific action.
- Pre-launch teaser: one promise supported by real material, with the approved waitlist destination.
- Short ads: a separately listed opening, message, ratio, language and closing action for each export.
When the prototype is not final
Record the version that exists today. Identify which parts function, which are visual mockups and which remain planned. Keep the camera on the complete action and result, rather than supplying only attractive fragments. If an essential feature cannot be shown, disclose its status and discuss whether the film is ready to commission. Do not substitute generated product action for missing evidence. A concept film for another purpose and a Kickstarter hardware demonstration have different requirements.
Prototype, founder and missing-shot checklist
Start with the real product: the product’s current stage, real demonstrations, approved facts and the files you already have. We assess the gaps and agree the video scope before ordering. Generated scenes cannot replace proof of a working product.
- Product name, version and date recorded
- Which functions work now, with footage showing each action and result
- Known limitations and what remains planned rather than built
- Front, back, side and close detail views
- Hands using the real controls or mechanism
- A continuous demonstration of the core function and its result
- Context shots for scale; accurate labels and packaging when final
- Use a quiet room and keep the microphone close
- Supply names, pronunciation and approved script or talking points
- State whether founder footage is available or still needs recording
Capture useful prototype footage
Use steady framing, clear light and original files without messaging-app compression. Record the complete action so an edit can preserve what actually happened. These are preparation suggestions, not a universal platform filming specification.
- Front, back, side and close detail views
- Hands using the real controls or mechanism
- A continuous demonstration of the core function and its result
- Context shots for scale; accurate labels and packaging when final
Prepare the founder story
If the film includes the founder, supply an approved recording and permission to use it. Explain the problem, why you built the product, what works today and the next step for supporters.
- Use a quiet room and keep the microphone close
- Supply names, pronunciation and approved script or talking points
- State whether founder footage is available or still needs recording
Where real footage belongs and where AI may help
Use actual recordings for product operation, founder statements, the prototype and any claim that depends on something really happening. Graphics can explain approved facts. Generated material, where permitted for the project and category, can illustrate an atmosphere or idea without presenting it as evidence. For hardware and product design, Kickstarter requires a working prototype and prohibits photorealistic renderings. A disclosure label does not make an otherwise prohibited visual acceptable. Assess every proposed shot against the current rules before agreeing the treatment.
Prepare an accurate AI use statement
Kickstarter asks creators to explain relevant AI use. Draft the statement from an actual shot and asset inventory: which elements were recorded, which were created using AI and what human creative work shaped the result. Identify permissions for supplied references. Have the creator verify the statement against the final film and submission questions. Solivo can describe its agreed production contribution; the creator remains responsible for the campaign submission. Use the official links below rather than treating a sample disclosure as platform approval.
A 30-second teaser plan
This is a proposed edit structure, not a breakdown of a published crowdfunding client campaign. It gives each part of the teaser one job without asking generated scenes to prove product performance.
- 0–3 seconds: show the real problem or a clear product view with one concise hook.
- 3–12 seconds: use the strongest real prototype action, keeping the result visible.
- 12–23 seconds: explain one approved benefit and show the founder or a factual supporting detail.
- 23–30 seconds: leave a readable product name and the approved waitlist or campaign destination.
Work backward from the launch date
Set the date by which a reviewed final file is needed, then allow time for preparation, creator feedback and any platform review. Standard Solivo orders separate materials review, optional storyboard review and production; the 72-hour production preview clock does not begin at payment. Rush skips materials review and storyboard and begins at materials submission, with a 25- or 48-hour preview deadline depending on the tier confirmed at payment. New filming, missing evidence, revisions and campaign approval can add time. Agree a campaign-specific schedule rather than inferring launch readiness from a preview deadline.
What the current portfolio can tell you
There is not yet a verified complete crowdfunding campaign film in the public portfolio. Product-film examples elsewhere show visual direction only; they do not prove prototype performance, platform approval or fundraising results. Watch product and brand examples to compare framing, sound and pacing, then share your real prototype footage for a scope assessment. The portfolio is not presented as evidence of Kickstarter approval, a particular funding outcome or an existing Toronto office. Remote preparation and supplied-footage editing should be distinguished from local filming, which is outside the published plans.
Before you request a production plan
Send the target platform and category, product version, launch date, original recordings and approved claims. Add a list of missing footage with a person responsible for each item. Name one decision-maker who can confirm the script, evidence and final wording. State the budget and which files are essential at launch versus later. This lets the studio assess feasibility and agree a defined order instead of treating every proposed scene as already producible.