Use case
Kickstarter video ads: film the founder, get finished 9:16 ads
A Kickstarter campaign needs a horizontal campaign film and short vertical ads that bring people to it. Cutroom makes the vertical ads from one clip of you explaining the project, with captions and b-roll.
In short
- A Kickstarter campaign needs two kinds of video: a horizontal campaign film, and short vertical ads that point to it.
- Cutroom makes the 9:16 ads, one per clip you film. It does not make the campaign film.
- Run ads before launch, during launch week and in the last 48 hours.
- Kickstarter says 75% of successful campaigns feature a video.
- Your first video is free with no card, and a 30-second ad costs about 110 credits.
The two videos a Kickstarter campaign needs
Most campaigns use two kinds of video, and they are made in different ways.
- The campaign film explains the project and why you made it.
- The launch ads are short videos on Meta and TikTok that send people to the project page.
- Cutroom makes the ads only. It does not edit the horizontal campaign film.
Campaign film and launch ads compared
| Video | Shape | Where it runs | Made with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campaign film | Usually horizontal | Top of the project page | A timeline editor or a video team |
| Launch ads | Vertical 9:16 | Meta and TikTok ads | Cutroom, one clip per ad |
Video: Campaign film
- Shape
- Usually horizontal
- Where it runs
- Top of the project page
- Made with
- A timeline editor or a video team
Video: Launch ads
- Shape
- Vertical 9:16
- Where it runs
- Meta and TikTok ads
- Made with
- Cutroom, one clip per ad
What the campaign film should do
The campaign film sits at the top of your project page, and Kickstarter's own guide says what belongs in it.
- Kickstarter asks you to start with a quick introduction to yourself and your project.
- Kickstarter asks you to share your journey, what inspired the project and why it matters.
- Kickstarter says authenticity is key, and that 75% of successful campaigns feature a video.
- Kickstarter's guide sets no length, so say what the product is before the backstory, and a viewer who stops early still knows what you made.
- Show the prototype working if you have one, because backers are paying for something that does not exist yet.
- The film is horizontal and belongs in a timeline editor. Cutroom makes the vertical ads that send people to it.
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
When to run Kickstarter video ads
The campaign sets the calendar. Each stage gets its own 30-second clip, and Cutroom returns each one in about a minute.
- Pre-launch ads run for weeks before launch, collecting followers for your pre-launch page.
- In launch week you usually want a second ad within days, so film a spare clip before you launch.
- When you pass a stretch goal, film a short update that says what the new goal unlocks and how long is left.
- In the last 48 hours, run a reminder with the deadline on screen.
One campaign, four vertical ads
Each ad is its own clip of about 30 seconds. The same prototype footage can sit under each of them.
Pre-launch
why you built it, pointed at the pre-launch page
Launch day
the prototype in hand
Mid-campaign
a backer update or a stretch goal
Last 48 hours
the reminder with the deadline
Three Kickstarter ads to film
Each one is a single clip of 30 to 60 seconds, filmed on a phone by the founder.
- The first ad explains the problem you had, what you made, and the one reason it is different. Run it before you launch.
- The launch-day ad shows the product working, with your own clips laid over each part.
- The update or last-48-hours ad thanks backers, says where the campaign stands and gives the deadline.
How it works
Upload the clip and Cutroom returns an edited 9:16 video in about a minute.
- Cutroom tightens the pauses, and adds b-roll, burned-in captions and an opening headline.
- Delete a sentence in the transcript and the video rebuilds around it.
- Highlight a phrase and a clip lands over exactly those words.
- Upload clips or stills of the prototype, and Cutroom uses them before any stock footage.
- Record a new clip with a different opening sentence, and run both ads to see which works.
- You download a 9:16 MP4 for Meta Ads Manager or TikTok Ads Manager.
The editor: the transcript on one side, the ad on the other
Highlight a phrase to place a clip, delete a line to cut it. There is no timeline to learn.
B-rolls · 5
1
2
3
4
5Most face serums make one big promise, then quietly do nothing. This one has three ingredients, works in ten days, and costs less than your coffee habit. If your skin doesn’t change, you get every cent back.
highlight = b-roll · struck out = already cut
▸ 0:07 / 0:26 · shot 1 of 5
- 1B-roll on the exact wordsReal footage, placed where showing beats telling.
- 2The opening headlineWritten from what you said. Pick one it drafted, or write your own.
- 3Captions in 40 themesPick a theme, then its font and colour.
- 49:16, ready to exportExport renders one vertical MP4.
Other video tools crowdfunding founders use
VEED can edit both the campaign film and the ads. OpusClip clips long recordings, and Cutroom finishes the ads you film.
- VEED is a browser editor with fundraising and pitch templates, AI avatars and automatic subtitles.
- OpusClip turns a long recording, such as a launch livestream or a founder interview, into captioned clips.
- Choose VEED if you want one editor for the campaign film and the ads, and you like to edit.
- Choose OpusClip if you stream a launch event or record long interviews.
- Choose Cutroom if you want each ad back finished from one clip, without editing.
Three video tools for a crowdfunding launch, side by side
Prices as published on each vendor's own pricing page on the day shown. Plans change, so check the page before you pay.
| Tool | Best for | Editing approach | Platform | Pricing from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One editor for the campaign film and the ads | Browser timeline with templates, auto subtitles and AI generation | Browser, mobile app | Free plan; Creator $10/user/month, annual | |
 OpusClip | Clipping a long recording, such as a livestream, into shorts | AI picks clips from long video and captions them | Web, mobile | Free plan (watermark); Starter $15/month |
| Cutroom | The founder's 9:16 ads, from one clip each | You upload a clip; b-roll, captions and a hook are placed for you | Browser | First video free, no card; Lite $19.99/month |
VEED
- Best for
- One editor for the campaign film and the ads
- Approach
- Browser timeline with templates, auto subtitles and AI generation
- Platform
- Browser, mobile app
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Creator $10/user/month, annual
- OpusClip
- Best for
- Clipping a long recording, such as a livestream, into shorts
- Approach
- AI picks clips from long video and captions them
- Platform
- Web, mobile
- Pricing from
- Free plan (watermark); Starter $15/month
Cutroom
- Best for
- The founder's 9:16 ads, from one clip each
- Approach
- You upload a clip; b-roll, captions and a hook are placed for you
- Platform
- Browser
- Pricing from
- First video free, no card; Lite $19.99/month
Prices and plans read from each vendor's own pricing page on 21 September 2026.
What Kickstarter video ads cost
A 30-second ad costs about 110 credits: 100 for the edit plus 20 per finished minute. Ad spend is paid to Meta or TikTok.
- Five ads for one campaign, covering pre-launch, launch, two updates and a reminder, come to about 550 credits.
- That fits inside one month of Lite.
- Basic adds generated music and avatars.
Cutroom plans for a crowdfunding campaign
The free video exports with a Cutroom mark across the middle; Lite and up remove it.
| Plan | Price | Credits | 30-second ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| First video | Free, no card | 600 | 1, made within 7 days |
| Lite | $19.99 a month | 1,250 | About 11 a month |
| Basic | $39.99 a month | 2,500 | About 22 a month, plus music and avatars |
| Premium | $79.99 a month | 5,000 | About 45 a month |
Plan: First video
- Price
- Free, no card
- Credits
- 600
- 30-second ads
- 1, made within 7 days
Plan: Lite
- Price
- $19.99 a month
- Credits
- 1,250
- 30-second ads
- About 11 a month
Plan: Basic
- Price
- $39.99 a month
- Credits
- 2,500
- 30-second ads
- About 22 a month, plus music and avatars
Plan: Premium
- Price
- $79.99 a month
- Credits
- 5,000
- 30-second ads
- About 45 a month
Questions people ask
- How long should a Kickstarter video ad be?
- 30 to 60 seconds, long enough for one idea. Your clip can run up to 3 minutes, and you delete lines in the transcript until the ad fits. Captions are burned in, so it works for people scrolling with the sound off.
- Should the founder be on camera in a crowdfunding video?
- Yes, if you can. Kickstarter's guide says authenticity is key and asks creators to share their backstory. A founder talking to camera with the prototype in hand shows who is behind the project. One clip on a phone in good light is enough.
- Can I use footage of my prototype as b-roll?
- Yes. Upload clips as MP4, MOV or WebM and stills as PNG, JPEG or WebP. Cutroom uses them before any stock clip, and fills anything they do not cover with free stock footage. You can also highlight a phrase to put a clip over exactly those words.
- Can I make pre-launch ads before the prototype is finished?
- Yes. A pre-launch ad explains the problem and the idea, so no working product is needed. Send people to your Kickstarter pre-launch page, where they can ask to be told when you launch. Film a second clip once the prototype works.
- Does Cutroom work for Indiegogo as well as Kickstarter?
- Yes. The 9:16 MP4 does not depend on the platform. You point the ad at your Kickstarter or Indiegogo page in Meta Ads Manager or TikTok Ads Manager. The same three ads work for both.
- How much do crowdfunding video ads cost to make?
- Your first video is free, with no card, and you have 7 days to make it. After that, Lite is $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits. A 30-second ad uses about 110 credits, so five ads use about 550. Ad spend is paid to Meta or TikTok.
- Can Cutroom edit my Kickstarter campaign film?
- No. Cutroom exports 9:16 only, from one speaker per clip of up to 3 minutes. A multi-camera 16:9 campaign film belongs in VEED or another timeline editor. Cutroom makes the vertical ads that send people to it.
Film why you built it in one clip and upload it. Your first video is free.