Scale Up Your Financing With Debt
If you have a small bit of equity, with the right strategy you can scale that up into something bigger.
Happy Friday! Before you all check out for the weekend I wanted to send a few tidbits your way….
Firstly, if you missed my post the other day In The Trenches With Distribution you should check that out here and get a condensed roundup of my intel from the field.
Aside from distribution though, I’m hearing from a lot of you that you’re trying to take advantage of the lull in production activity currently happening in our industry to get all your ducks in a row while waiting for your SAG interim agreements to process…. oy, it’s taking forever with those things! Just know you’re not alone. I’ve got clients who have been waiting six weeks …. something’s gotta give and and I believe it will. So hang in there!
There’s also a few workarounds I’m pursuing and will report back more once I’ve got actual results to share.
To Debt, Or Not To Debt?
Like I said, it’s a good time to be getting your ducks in a row during this industry down time and even push to get something made by end of the year.
I’ve been retained as an EP on a few films right now that we are fast-tracking to shoot while cast and crew are actually available and wanting to work (before the production deluge of 2024!)
In my mind, if you have a small bit of equity, let’s call it 30%-50% of your budget…. with the right strategy you can scale that up into something bigger by leveraging generous tax incentives, in some cases soft money, and even borrowing against collateralized assets like reputable sales estimates for gap funding.
This is a complex topic rife with pitfalls and scams so if you are proceeding down this road you should always have a member of your producing team who is knowledgeable about this stuff lead the way.
In lieu of that, check out the replay of this AFM webinar for really solid information and tips on how to incorporate debt into your finance plan.
If you need a further deep dive after that, I’ve got sample finance plans and discussions galore happening in our FS Pro group, where I can advise you and your situation more specifically.
Check that out here and apply if you’d like to join us!
Going to TIFF? AFM?
Speaking of AFM, as you can see the lead up is real! But before all that is TIFF which is kicking off later next week. Anyone going?
Personally I think it’s a hidden opportunity hiding in plain sight …. IF you have a project that can go this year or something in Post that can be fast-track released. From the looks of the buyers list everyone will be there so it’ll be a good time to get in front of people in person and push things along.
Got questions? Let me know in the comments below. Or email me if you’re in need of more targeted help: stacey@filmspecific.com.
On that note, I’ll let you get on with your weekend planning! Have a wonderful day ahead and speak to you again next week…
Stacey
++++++++++