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FILM

FILM

Legends Animated

Legends Animated

FILM

Legends Animated

STRATEGY/CONTENT

Popsicle

Popsicle Banner.png

Popsicle: Building an Organic Video Funnel for an Indie Animation Kickstarter
MONICATR (Freelance) | [Sept or Oct] 2025 to Dec 2025
My Role: Principal Social Media Strategist


Overview
Saraswathi Buyalla, director of the indie animated short "Popsicle," hired me to build her Instagram presence from scratch and create the video content behind her Kickstarter campaign, with no paid advertising. I handled the account setup, messaging, videography, interviews, editing, audio, and graphics. The Kickstarter campaign I supported raised $20,077 against a $15,000 goal (133%) from 185 backers.


The Challenge
She was starting with no audience and no ad budget. The content had to build awareness, bring people to her LightBox Expo booth, and send viewers to the pledge page, using only organic video.


What I Owned

  • Built the Instagram account from scratch, including the account setup and targeted messaging for Popsicle and the Kickstarter

  • Filmed and edited videos, and mixed the music to reflect the project's themes of love and memory

  • Created the graphics

  • Produced and edited an interview series at LightBox Expo, shot on my phone, where I asked people about family and fatherhood to tie into Popsicle's themes

  • Interviewed director Jorge Gutierrez, and also interviewed one of Saraswathi's partner producers

  • Filmed Saraswathi's booth and followed her around the expo

  • Covered the Animation Advocacy and Global Working With Partners panels, turning the footage into reels and promotional content

  • Captured content from her World Animation Summit panel


Strategy

  • Awareness and expo: An introduction video and short booth announcements built early interest and invited people to LightBox Expo.

  • Credibility and pledges: The interview with Jorge Gutierrez added industry credibility and pointed viewers to the pledge page.

  • Personal stories: The fatherhood and family interviews connected the audience to the emotional heart of the film.

Content Funnel

Asset                                                    Goal                                                           Result

Client introduction and booth announcement

Build early awareness and invite people to the booth

1,000+ views

Interview with Jorge Gutierrez

Add industry credibility and send viewers to the pledge page

8,300+ organic views, 641 engagements, 22 clicks to the pledge link

Challenges and How I Handled Them

  • Footage problems: I ran into issues while recording, so I found ways to fix and edit the video so it was still usable.

  • A client new to being on camera: Saraswathi found it hard to record herself. I explained why her presence on camera was key to getting views and showcasing her brand, and I helped her through it.

 

Results

  • Kickstarter campaign raised $20,077 against a $15,000 goal (133%) from 185 backers, an average pledge of roughly $109

  • The Jorge Gutierrez interview reached 8,300+ organic views with 641 engagements

  • The campaign ran with no paid advertising

What I Learned
Be prepared when it comes to video recording, interview questions, and communication. When I ran into problems with footage, I came up with ways to fix them in editing. I also learned how to explain to a client why being on camera matters, which got her to show up for the content that helped her reach more people.

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