"Some Kickstarter backers of the Veronica Mars movie hoping to watch it online experienced problems Friday when attempting to view the title via Flixster/UltraViolet, the distribution service chosen by the filmmakers.
Meanwhile, those who didn't support the film were able to easily download it using services like Amazon or iTunes, or simply catch the premiere at a local movie theater.
For the backers who experienced difficulties with Flixster/UltraViolet and opted to purchase the film on another platform, the studio sent out a message on Saturday offering a full refund of the price charged on another service, or a $10 refund of their Kickstarter pledge used for the digital download.
There may be a lesson here for other studios involved in such projects in the future. That lesson? Listen to your fans. Unlike most studios facing the wrath of unhappy fans, Warner Bros. Pictures issued a fairly rapid and detailed response to unhappy Kickstarter supporters. That quick response was almost certainly linked to the fact that the fans made the project possible in the first place."
Lesson #1: Treat your backers like investors. If you make a mistake, be quick to admit it and right it. It can be annoying if you have no control over the mistake, but they made your dream possible.
For backers, it's kind of cool the amount of power and attention a group of people supporting a public endeavor like a film project can command. Communities around campaigns kind of remind of communities around subreddits.
