Financing / Crowdfunding

Hey, Will Ash. I suggest budgeting to bring on a dedicated team from the start. Using AI for proof of concept videos, trailers, etc. is frowned upon heavily in the industry by producers, directors, writers, etc.

You could post an ad for a production team, cast, and crew on Stage 32's Job Board (www.stage32.com/find-jobs).

I suggest checking out this blog called "The Importance of Community and Collaboration in the Television and Film Industry" (www.stage32.com/blog/the-importance-of-community-and-collaboration-in-th...).

I also suggest checking out Stage 32’s Financing Blogs (www.stage32.com/blog/tags/financing-85).

Thank you again Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Will Ash.

Definitely agree with Maurice about AI's reception in the professional realms including not only producers but also writers, director, actors, and more. Authenticity is a highly valued aspect of products and services in so many ways.

Hi Will! I agree with everyone about the use of AI; however, there's nothing wrong with visiting a site like Artlist or Shotdeck to pull pre-produced clips and edit them together for a moving mood board. It is done all the time to get the "flavor" of the project across to interested parties. I know of decently budgeted indie films and even some series that have progressed with a motion board as part of the package.

Indie films with no big names mostly disapppear into the void. In my HO. You need big name actors and directors. That means you need money. You mentioned 20 million with production and publicity included. If you get that money and the LOI letters, all the rest will magically appear. Doesn't matter if your script is AMAZING. You won't get distribution, or if you do, you won't make anything. Too many films to compete with.

There are exceptions. I'd LOVE to see recent ones that make money with no big names.

Hugh Esco A distributor or investor might first inquire about the attached "stars" as it can influence heavily marketing and sales.

@Kenneth George

hahahahaha! and who owns the local business, who is involved in filming, who buys goods and services? no, these are not unemployed people. these are the elites of the region where tax benefits exist. the elites give benefits to the film industry with one hand, and with the other hand, they take real money for the sale of goods and services. no, this is not theft, but the stimulation of the economy ... for the wealthy.

Arthur Charpentier oh Arthur, please. A form of corruption? How ridiculous. Please know what you are talking about, before you start throwing around accusations of corruption.

Kenneth George I’m well aware of that, Kenneth. That wasn’t my point, which was that the UK government is now bemoaning the very problem they have caused.

The UK film industry is more akin to a cottage industry, due lack of help to educate private investors, leaving independent production companies with a hand-to-mouth existence. This means that most companies work with freelancers, because they cannot afford to maintain full-time staff. The minister seems unaware of how most production companies work The industry cannot sustain its existence with his kind of policy.

Some thoughts: Investing in film is not more risky than property or business start-ups.No investment is risk-free. I would probably say that film is less risky than say investing in property where the investor may be waiting for 5-10-15 years for an increase in capital yield and during which time there may be many phenomena that can reduce the profitability of the property.

Geoff Hall I can’t really get into whether the UK government caused the current challenges in the industry, but I do think there’s always room to improve how policy supports creative sectors. At the same time, there’s the principle of a free market — and too much interference can sometimes be a highly disruptive force, creating unintended (or maybe intended) consequences.

It’s also worth highlighting that tax incentives are not unique to film and TV. Other sectors — such as real estate, manufacturing, technology, and healthcare — all benefit from their own incentive structures, depending on what the government is aiming to achieve at any given time from a public policy standpoint.

On the freelance side, while it’s not perfect, it does offer flexibility for producers working under tight budget constraints. That said, it comes with real trade-offs for creatives. It’s a complex balance between creative freedom, financial sustainability, and fair working conditions.

Regarding your other point — that I can speak to. Investing in real estate is significantly different from investing in film. While some forms of real estate investing can be just as risky as film (e.g., in politically unstable regions), real estate is generally considered “safer,” if for no other reason than the presence of tangible collateral.

Risk isn’t necessarily bad if it’s calculated. High risk often comes with the potential for high rewards — it’s why government treasuries pay differently than corporate bonds.

Startup investing, which carries a roughly 90% failure rate, might be more comparable to indie film in terms of risk where according to the Independent Film & Television Alliance, only about 10–20% of independent films recoup their investment through theatrical and ancillary revenues. These are probably not figures I should be citing when in the market for funds to develop a slate of projects but disclosing risk factors to investors is paramount.

So, we can say that indie film and startups share similar risk profiles — but putting real estate in that same category is probably a stretch, if you know what you’re doing. :)

Arthur Charpentier Someone like Michael Jordan earned about $90 million in salary over his entire NBA career — not including endorsement income. In retirement, however, he reportedly earned around $300 million in 2024 alone in royalties from Nike. When you're operating at that level of wealth, you're typically no longer “employed” in the traditional sense. Instead, your income comes from passive sources — like royalties, dividends, capital gains, or interest — generated by various investments.

While some members of the super-rich may stay active running businesses, most prefer to hire professionals to manage operations while they focus on deploying capital for the highest return. Their “work” becomes more about capital allocation than day-to-day management.

In both the U.S. and the U.K., about 99% of all businesses are classified as small businesses, and the net worth of their owners varies widely. These owners are not all "elites" — many operate modest businesses and earn relatively average incomes.

Unfortunately, when governments introduce tax incentives to encourage investment, those incentives tend to disproportionately benefit individuals who already have capital to deploy. That’s just how the system is structured. It doesn’t automatically imply corruption, but in practice, those with wealth are the ones positioned to take advantage of such policies. There are some who a $5 million expense is the equivalent of you going to a mall to spend $100. They can afford to loose it and gamble investing in film.

In some cases — especially across industries with targeted tax breaks — there are legitimate concerns about conflicts of interest. It’s not uncommon to find situations where individuals help craft policy and then benefit from those same policies directly or indirectly. While this kind of behavior is relatively rare in well-regulated countries, it does happen — and it's not exclusive to the film and television industry.

Nurah Alli, congratulations on your progress. I do not have the experience to give advice. I only started in April of this year with songwriting and scriptwriting. However, if you need any music for your film, please let me know. I have written more than 400 songs across almost every style of music. I wish you continued success. Best wishes from an American in Germany.

Wyman Brent - Thank you so much Wyman. Do you have list of the songs that you have written and where I would listen to them?

Nurah Alli, you are welcome. More than 300 of my songs are on Bandcamp. Do you have a particular subject or style of music that is of interest for your project? Here is a link to my Bandcamp page. If you have any questions, please ask.

https://wymanbrent.bandcamp.com/

I was also contacted by a fake and reported them as well. They were claiming to be Oliver Stone, and I knew right away it was a fake profile! I mean why in the hell would Oliver Stone contact me a nobody. lol

Pink Matzke, I was also contacted by Oliver Stone. I flipped things on him. I kept his entire conversation and forwarded it to Stage 32. He requested 350 dollars to read one of my scripts. I knew his profile was fake when he sent me the connect request. I accepted so that I could keep track of him.

ya I knew it was fake immediately as well and reported it. We have to look out for each other!

Thanks for sharing the video, Ewan Dunbar!

This is fantastic, Ewan Dunbar! Thank you for sharing!

Ewan Dunbar Interesting interview. It covers most of the core components of film financing: tax incentives and credits (33%), presales (33%), and equity (33%). He also emphasizes the importance of attaching 'big names' to a project, which is crucial not only for marketing the film but also for securing financing.

@debbieseagle With regards to the deduction and profits my understanding is yes. This is awaiting renewal and a National film tax credit is in consideration as well. The reliability of Section 181 is open to interpretation for indie film investors. Studios and production companies with ongoing profits are best positioned to utilize the deduction. Varying legal advice exists as to whether individual investors can take advantage, as the language implies "those purchasing an asset" or similar, versus investing in a project. I tend to steer away from it as the top entertainment attorney advises against it and liabilities could arise if an investor were not to obtain the deduction. It is often sold as a simple matter, which it is not. I have used it however in the implementation of film tax credits and acquisition by a company for which it seems most intended vs. for investors. Only a top, senior entertainment attorney or very experience entertainment CPA as Ashley rightly commented could advise best.

Debbie Seagle If the Section 181 program continues, it would be very beneficial. Normally, when you acquire a capital asset, you have to depreciate the cost over a set period depending on the asset class—commonly 5, 7, or 10 years. What this program allows is for you to deduct the entire cost in the same year the expense is incurred, rather than spreading it out over several years. That immediate deduction can have a significant impact on cash flow and tax savings.

Thank you Debbie, let's hope H.R. 4840 The CREATE Act will be voted on and signed by the president sooner than later.

Thank you Jack Binder & Kenneth George ... I am trying to offer tax deductions to investors in the film. Sound like I should get a fiscal sponsor instead of trying to interpret § 181.

Debbie Seagle The way I see it, Section 181 is something that could appeal to any investor

Yeah one night I had Oliver Stone try to connect with me lol I approved his request but when I searched the name it came up no such person existed on here. Weird!

G.R. Barnett, there is currently a person claiming to be famed director Oliver Stone here on Stage 32. I accepted his connect request with the knowledge beforehand that he is a scammer. I sent a polite thanks for connecting message. I did so for two reasons. One is that I was then able to see his network list. It turns out that the scammer and I share nine contacts. I sent each of them a message with a warning. I also shared the above image of Barnella and the warning four places on Stage 32. The other reason I accepted and sent him a message is with the belief he will respond with a message further proving he is a a scam artist. I do my best to look out for other Stage 32 members.

Always report suspicious accounts to our support team at Support@Stage32.com. Thanks for sounding the alarm, Wyman Brent.

Great advice, Michael Fitzer, MFA. The concept and the characters are what get me to watch a movie more than anything else.

Michael Fitzer, MFA Risky title.. some might find it offensive,

love what the Duplass brothers have done. I am not looking for studio help or fat cat investors…but would love to identify a couple producers interested in commercial-leaning indie fare similar

to what the Duplass brothers produce. Small budget, done as much in house as possible…focus on story/emotion rather than car chases.