Couldn't you connect with fans equally well with some kind of "likestarter" campaign where you say "we'll only make the movie if we get 100,000 likes on Facebook"? That wouldn't shift financial risk to the fans.
I laughed at the idea that a "Like" is equated to connecting with brands; only FB can really think that. It's cheap, shallow, and an extremely poor signal. I bet your every startup here can tell you they have walked into hundreds of sales offices; the buyer loved their product and how it could do this and this and that; but you didn't ask t hem if they would BUY it and they won't when you come back after building it. Not that the same would follow in the case of Braff's endeavor.
Financial risk!? I bet the risk is higher you incur a medical bill just thinking about how up in arms folks are about fans being able to donate direct to Braff -- the artist -- AND probably being delivered half a dozen goodies.
Even without the perks, the basic idea is that you pay money to allow someone to make something that you want made, so there's still the risk that it isn't completed or differs from what you were promised.
