Film Financing Red Flags
+ last day 15% off Funding Strategies Playbook registration
One of the things I love to do most with filmmaker and production company clients I consult with is steer them strategically away from the scheisters, rif-raf, and bottom feeders of the film financing and distribution worlds. That may sound harsh but if you’ve spent any amount of time trying to round up financing or distribution for your films, sadly you know what I mean.
Everything from companies purporting to have money they don’t, to trying to insert themselves in the middle of what you could be doing yourself, to unsavory characters who will flat out lie and steal from you, I’ve seen it all.
One of my favorite stories of outright theft is back in my sales agent days when distributors from far flung countries and regions would send their ‘representatives’ to film markets to collect (aka steal) DVD screeners of films we were selling (literally pack them into wheeled suitcases), and bring them home to pirate and sell from folding tables on the streets. Yes these screeners were watermarked but no matter! 🤦🏻♀️
I’ve also advised clients on steering clear from certain ‘financing partners’ as well as lenders who charge loanshark level rates and fees. It goes without saying that you should be doing your due diligence on any financing company you plan on working with.
For example, I often avoid sales companies as finance partners who require the most unrealistic list of A-list talent that can’t possibly be secured. It’s like they’re laughing as they send you on a wild goose chase and I think to myself, if I could get that level of A-list talent you’re asking for, I certainly wouldn’t need the likes of you!
Finding legit folks is just one of the obstacles to getting your projects funded these days. Getting paid is another. For most of us filmmakers and producers we don’t get paid our fees until principle photography commences. That could means months or years of working for ‘free’ while we line up all the financing pieces necessary to get our projects off the ground.
It’s one of the reasons I’m leaning heavily this year into the market-based financing framework that’s worked for me in the past. There’s nothing magic about it and it’s not fool proof but it helps keep things on track and moving which is half the battle.
I’m documenting this system in my upcoming funding strategies playbook course because every little bit of efficiency helps expedite the financing process.
Today is the last day to save 15% on registration fees. The course begins on Jan. 22 (not Jan. 16 like previously stated) and will show you how to avoid the bad guys and accelerate the process to getting financed (and paid).
Click here to register
Upcoming EFM
If you’ve got your eye on upcoming EFM like I do, with about a month to go it’s a great time to prep for launching a project there. Get in touch if you have specific questions about your projects and how it relates to the first big film market of the year. You can email me at stacey@filmspecific.com
Alright everyone, I’ll leave you with that for today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead and speak to you again next week!
Stacey
++++++++++