Since 2009 the crowdfunding Web site Kickstarter has matched artists and entrepreneurs struggling to finance creative projects with people on the Internet willing to contribute a little cash. The earliest adopters of the technology, on the pitching side, were small-time musicians, unestablished filmmakers and others with no clear access to capital.
Gradually, however, more prominent types have discovered the site. In March, Rob Thomas, creator of the TV series "Veronica Mars," and Kristen Bell, the star of the show, used Kickstarter to finance "Veronica Mars" the movie. They set a target of $2 million and ultimately brought in $5.7 million from more than 90,000 donors. In April, the actor-director Zach Braff raised $3.1 million for a follow-up to his 2004 directorial debut, "Garden State."
Over the summer Spike Lee, the two-time Academy Award nominee, took in $1.4 million for an untitled film about "human beings who are addicted to blood." And two weeks ago Maria Pinto, who designed a dress Michelle Obama wore at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, launched a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of reaching $250,000 for a new line of women's clothing.
Kickstarter, once the domain of unknowns seeking their first big break, is now also a resource for big names intrigued by the potential of micropatronage. Not surprisingly, this cultural shift has spurred howls of protest, with critical essays on celebrity "panhandling" washing over the media.
There are two main arguments against the celebrity invasion. First is that it's in poor taste for the rich-and-famous to solicit money from the public when they presumably have access to more traditional financing or might even be able to self-finance projects. The second is that, like affluent professionals descending on a cheap, hip neighborhood, celebrities are making Kickstarter less hospitable to aspiring artists. In May, the director Kevin Smith said he would never "suck any loot out of the crowdfunding marketplace that might otherwise go to a first-timer who can really use it."
The aversion to deep-pocketed stars on Kickstarter is understandable. But a big name does not guarantee access to financing for creative projects. Even established artists may struggle to attract investment — a point Mr. Lee made about his own experience in defending his decision to try crowdfunding. Besides, anyone who feels uncomfortable is under no obligation to give.
And contrary to what some believe, Kickstarter is not a zero-sum game. Instead of vacuuming up finite resources, celebrity campaigns seem to widen the donor pool. Forty-seven percent of Mr. Lee's backers had never before contributed on Kickstarter. Once drawn in by a celebrity, donors may patronize lesser-known artists. As the Kickstarter founders wrote on their blog in August, the "Veronica Mars" and Zach Braff bids "brought thousands of new people to Kickstarter who have since pledged more than $1 million to 6,000 other projects."
The gentrification of Kickstarter doesn't seem to be hurting its original inhabitants. It may even be helping them.
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