Jack Smith

Margie is a spooky cabin-in-the-woods horror short film, shot locally in the Santa Cruz mountains. 

We began preproduction work in 2022 and released the film in February 2025. For nearly 3 years I worked as a producer to coordinate communication between the Space Squid Films production team, crew, and supporters on social media and Kickstarter.

Leading the planning and execution of this campaign, my role involved social media and engagement strategy, graphic design, and donor communication. The process of creating this campaign followed the below strategy:

1. Pre-Launch Preparation (2 months prior to launch): 
   1. Initial planning, research, and goal setting
   2. Developing social media presence pre-launch
2. Kickstarter Page Creation and Review (1 month prior to launch): 
   1. Create content, produce graphics, identify key digital distribution channels
3. Launch (Day 0): 
   1. Social media engagement (Announcement post)
   2. Communication to cast/crew/supporters
4. Ongoing Promotion (Throughout the campaign): 
   1. Social media engagement (2-3 posts a week).
   2. Communication to cast/crew/supporters
5. Closure and Follow-up (End of campaign):
   1. Social media engagement (Announcement post)
   2. Communication to cast/crew/supporters
   3. Ongoing updates to donors via Kickstarter

My leadership in the planning and execution of this campaign fused aesthetic graphic design with clear and consistent donor communication. The comprehensive strategy ensured coherent and compelling promotion from pre-launch preparation through the end of the campaign.

Prior to my work on this Kickstarter campaign, my newly formed production company had no logo, social media, or brand identity. In order to reach our target audience, part of my job was to create from scratch a brand image and voice for all of our marketing and communications initiatives.

Positioning/Unique Selling Proposition: Space Squid Films is an independent film production organization that specializes in the collaborative creation and execution of narrative film projects, inviting diverse perspectives to collectively craft compelling stories in the Comedy and Horror genres.

Voice: Space Squid Films embodies a quirky and enthusiastic voice that connects with viewers in a fun light-hearted way.

Visual Style: Our digital footprint suggests a blend of professionalism with fun, campy vibrancy which aligns with our unconventional brand name and logo.

Brand Values: Space Squid Films values collaboration, creativity, and narrative storytelling. We believe in creating high-quality, memorable films by harnessing the power of local creatives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Target Audience: Space Squid Films aims to engage with those who appreciate indie films that offer something different from mainstream cinema. We utilize multiple digital channels as well as physical screenings to reach this audience.

Online Presence: Space Squid Films has an active presence on Youtube, where our films can be viewed for free. The brand also maintains robust engagement on Instagram, demonstrating a strong commitment to audience interaction and brand visibility.