Financing / Crowdfunding

From all facets of a traditional raise to soft money to crowdfunding strategies, this is the place to discuss, share content and offer tips and advice regarding raising funds for a project.

Jack Binder
Berlinale - Berlin International Film Festival and EFM European Film Market

As the Berlinale approaches (Feb. 13-23) 2025 Special, Panorama, Generation and Forum film titles in competition announced.

The Berlinale is the season's focus on cinema achievements, film finance, and distribution as the festival and film market coincide in Germany to showcase international film pro...

Expand post

Ewan Dunbar

Trades like Hollywood Reporter, Screen International and Variety also publish daily editions at these festivals and markets, so if you're not able to attend you can keep up with trends, what is sellin...

Expand comment
Jack Binder

Ewan Dunbar Absolutely, great information to share. Vital daily updates. Thanks!

Jack Binder
Film Finance - Questions to Ask, Deal Formation, Financial and Creative Control

Very good article by top entertainment attorney Schuyler (Sky) Moore. Sky lays out some of the key deal points and deal structure concepts to be aware of in the film finance organization of a production.

The more you know...

Go...

Expand post

Money In, Money Out, And Control
Money In, Money Out, And Control
This article discusses the key issues in every transaction: money in, money out, and control.
Maurice Vaughan

A lot of important questions to ask! Thanks for sharing the article, Jack Binder!

Keely Kemp

Nice, simple, easy to understand article! Seems like this article would be aligned with one's operating agreements with the "money in" people. Thank you for sharing!

Jack Binder

Keely Kemp Absolutely, as written by Schuyler, one of the top, foremost attorneys on the subject in the entertainment business.

Ashley Renee Smith

Thank you for sharing, Jack Binder! Film finance is such a complex topic, and I think a lot of us struggle to fully grasp all the moving parts—myself included! That’s why I really appreciate posts lik...

Expand comment
Jack Binder

Ashley Renee Smith My pleasure and thank you. Indeed, film finance contains complex and turbulent waters. In this area it is particularly important to not tread far offshore without a lifeguard. This...

Expand comment
Philip David Lee
Is Less is More, More is Enough or Enough is Enough?

Greetings Stage 32 Warriors,

So I climbed the magic mountain and talked to the Magnificent Maurice as to the content of a post I wanted to post without any post movement to another lounge As always, Maurice was prompt, polite and positive. He suggested to seek the advice of the community so I'm reach...

Expand post

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Philip David Lee. From what I've learned on here and what I've heard over the years, you need a business plan when you approach investors. Letters of Intent, a pitch deck, sizzle reel/proof-of-con...

Expand comment
Philip David Lee

Maurice Vaughan I hear that all the time. All of the same components but no one ever addresses the question of why? The problem with "over the years" is that what has happened over the years has prove...

Expand comment
The Fithian Group's Attend to premiere it's first film

I'll be keeping a close eye on this - the Fithian Groups new Attend distribution model matches indie films with theaters without traditional distributors in the middle. This is another sign - maybe a big one - that the independent film boom is growing and when filmmakers and indie producers find the...

Expand post

Jack Binder

Very interesting! Direct booking vs. Four-Walling...Especially interesting as offering by the head of the theater association. Thanks Sam!

Richard "RB" Botto

This is fascinating and, yet, kind of inevitable, no? One thing about this industry...it finds a way. Something new and revolutionary is always around the corner. That's why the day will always be own...

Expand comment
David Zannoni
Ask Me Anything (AMA) Wednesday 1/15 to Thursday 1/16- Understanding Collection Account Management

My name is David Zannoni and I am North America representative for Freeway Entertainment. I have been handling Collection Accounts for about 20 years, and have been involved in projects that have won Oscars, Golden Globes, Palmes d'Or and Golden Bears. Freeway is the leading global provider of Colle...

Expand post

David Zannoni

Hey Ashley Renee Smith! They essential differene between an independent production and a studio production, is that the studio production is typically fully done within the studios own ecosystem - whi...

Expand comment
Jack Binder

Hey David Zannoni , Would you suggest filmmakers forego paying for an attorney and just download templates from the internet for agreements, and then pray they hold up in court (for a win, in all mann...

Expand comment
David Zannoni

Hi Jack Binder, I most definitely recommend filmmakers to ALWAYS involve an attorney. It may be an expense but it is more than worth and it certainly pays back, as an attorney saves you a lot of heada...

Expand comment
Eugene Mandelcorn

What if you are working on an extremely low budget project. Are there any recommendations for legal without the expense of an attorney? I have found out in the past that finding the right attorney is like a marriage, the wrong one, and it can cause more problems than you already had.

David Zannoni

That is a very good point, Eugene Mandelcorn. There may be lawyers whose format is better adapted for smaller budget projects in the way they work and charge. Furthermore, on a lower budget film, the...

Expand comment
Stage 32 Certification partners with The Pittsburgh Film Office

Sharing my blog from today on our new local crew development partnership with The Pittsburgh Film Office. As production spreds all around the world, the need for qualified crew continues to increase in so many rising markets, which means opportunities are there for people who are certified and quali...

Expand post

Jack Binder

Great news, congratulations! Pittsburgh is an attractive city to film in for locations, crew, film tax credits, and of course setting.

Jack Binder
France Tops European Box Office in 2024

Very interesting to see France taking top box office in '24. With a share of 44% French films, that is even more impressive.

Indie Film is indeed picking up worldwide by all accounts!

https://variety.com/2024/film/box-office/france-box-office-2024-europe-healthiest-market-1236262703/

Rutger Oosterhoff

Of course they shift away from Hollywood, Mark. Too many creatives, too late, start to understand that Hollywood is a pipe dream -- for them -- fabricated by... Hollywood. -- through every outlet rela...

Expand comment
Richard "RB" Botto

Another solid indicator, not only of the global expansion we speak about here daily and through Stage 32 Certification, but the return of theatrical.

Richard "RB" Botto

I would argue Rutger Oosterhoff that the very notion of Hollywood is the problem. Even Hollywood doesn't think Hollywood anymore. They think across the U.S. and international. Shooting in California h...

Expand comment
Jack Binder

Absolutely Richard "RB" Botto Theatrical as a marketing and financial lift for films remains a relevant and important window and the numbers back it up. More top filmmakers need to continue to demand...

Expand comment
Richard "RB" Botto

Agree fully, Jack Binder. There's a very good article on The Wrap today regarding the surge in theatrical and how 2025 projects to be a banner year. Unfortunately, it's behind their paywall or I would...

Expand comment
Netflix wins the 2024 media stock race

With shares up 90% over the course of this year, Netflix is the clear powerhouse here. Amazing considering they have little to no brick-and-mortar business. I found this to be a fascinating read. https://variety.com/2024/biz/news/media-stocks-2024-netflix-disney-warne......

Expand post

Media Stocks 2024 Winners & Losers: Netflix Soars, Disney Rebounds, WBD Flounders
Media Stocks 2024 Winners & Losers: Netflix Soars, Disney Rebounds, WBD Flounders
Netflix was the breakaway winner among media stocks in 2024, with its shares nearly doubling in price over the course of the year.
Dan MaxXx

Yep. They got $ to buy Disney in 2025.

Pat Alexander

Netflix's leadership team do seem to be true movie fans and know/can read quickly what movie fans like/want. Inevitably this helps them secure great titles that will boost subscriptions globally. Not...

Expand comment
Dan MaxXx

Pat Alexander actually Netflix stock mooned the past two years. It was $170-180 share in 2022 and now it's $900+ per. So whoever is in charge for past two years is cooking for hedge funds/investors.

Im...

Expand comment
Mark Deuce

Paramount?

Maurice Vaughan
Coffee and Content: Building Worlds and Pushing Boundaries in Film

Stage 32’s founder and CEO, Richard “RB” Botto, shares two videos in today’s blog.

In the first video, Adam Savage takes us inside the art department of SILO during the production of Season 2.

In the second video, RB talks about how filmmakers can get post-production financing.

Grab your coffee, te...

Expand post

Philip David Lee
What to Know About The Unknowns

Happy New Year everyone! Will it be a New Year or just a continuation of the old one? I wasn't really sure what Lounge to put this post Maurice, if there's a better place for this, I'm sure you'll move it over there.

So I was contacted by an entertainment attorney (20 years in the business) about pos...

Expand post

Philip David Lee

Arthur Charpentier Who said I didn't have stars? Who said I'm not planning an advertisement campaign? How do you define a star? Before every actor "became a star," they were unknowns. If you put anyon...

Expand comment
Arthur Charpentier

Philip David Lee

the budget of the film and your statements give the impression that there is no major star in the film. To get the rental you need, you need an advertising budget of about $15-30 milli...

Expand comment
Willem Elzenga

I also like to add that I have been working with a group of entrepreneurs for over 25 years to get gaming in to the cinemas - playing with a crowd together a specifically designed (story) driven enter...

Expand comment
Philip David Lee

Arthur Charpentier What exactly am I spending $15M-$30M on as far as advertising? Distributors like to make up costs on P&A without any accountability and absolutely no data as to how many people thei...

Expand comment
Arthur Charpentier

Philip David Lee, you're right if you have your own advertising platform. If there is no such site, you will most likely spend your advertising budget on bots. The time for viral advertising has passed, now you have to pay for everything.

Philip David Lee
What Should be the Investors’ Slant on a Slate of Films?

As an independent filmmaker, my job is to find funding for my projects and to make sure I deliver my investors, who have trusted me, with what is always a substantial amount of money, to give them a positive and profitable ROI on their investment. It basically comes down to just a few factors. One i...

Expand post

Jack Binder
Increased UK VFX Film Tax Credit Rules Take Effect Jan. 1, 2025

VFX spend in the UK has increased as of Jan. 1 to 29.5% for big budget productions, and earns increased film tax credit under the new independent film tax credit rules. Good news for productions doing post and visual effects in the UK, or anywhere, if the spend meets the 10% of budget threshold.

Ful...

Expand post

UK visual effects tax relief uplift comes into effect on New Year's Day | UK Screen Alliance
UK visual effects tax relief uplift comes into effect on New Year's Day | UK Screen Alliance
From today (1 January 2025), an increased rate of tax relief is now available for visual effects expenditure in the UK. UK Screen Alliance have long campaigned for a significant improvement in the scr…
register for stage 32 Register / Log In