Learn how to get financing for your indie film from executives at BondIt Media Capital, one of the industry's leading media finance companies. 

PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.

You might have the greatest script and top talent attached, but it takes money to make a movie.

This in-depth, 4-part on-demand course dives into all the pieces of the finance puzzle, where you can find them, how they fit together, and how you can create a plan for your indie film.

If you have the script, BondIt Media Capital can show you how to make it a reality in this ultimate guide to indie film financing. 

BondIt Media Capital is the world-renowned film, television, and media financier behind the Oscar-nominated LOVING VINCENT, the Bruce Willis thriller GASOLINE ALLEY, Kevin Smith's CLERKS III, Roland Emmerich’s MIDWAY, Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz's PEANUT BUTTER FALCON and many more.

Their projects have starred Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Nicolas Cage, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Liam Neeson, Mel Gibson, Kevin James, Morgan Freeman, Jason Sudeikis, Kevin Smith, and Samuel L. Jackson, and many other A-list names.

Over four sessions, BondIt executives will show you every aspect of independent film financing available to you. You’ll start and end the intensive with BondIt CEO and co-Founder Matthew Helderman, a producer on Spike Lee’s RODNEY KING for Netflix.

Matthew will teach you key film financing lessons, including the five stages of financing, the four primary quadrants of your finance play, sales receipts waterfall, and understanding the project risk so that you know how to approach financiers. Later in the program, he’ll use case studies to look over all that you’ve learned and the pros and cons of the financing opportunities available to you.

Joining Matthew as your hosts are Grady Craig and Tyler Gould. Grady is the VP of Business Development and Operations and is an expert in raising equity and creating a fantastic film package to grab investors.

Tyler, BondIt’s VP of Finance and Development, will teach you new financing options and how to weigh your options, from tax credits to grants to bridge lending and more.

In this class, you’ll receive a wealth of complex financing knowledge from four experts, getting the tools to follow in their footsteps and bring your indie film to the big screen by building the perfect financing plan for your own project. 

Praise for Matthew's Stage 32 Education:

"Matthew is one of the most knowledgeable people I've ever talked to about film financing and the industry at large. I would love to keep learning from him." -- Zuz R.

"Matthew has a brilliant mind that balances the business and artistic sides of the industry." -- Megan M.

CLASS ONE: FILM FINANCE 101

Taught by CEO and Co-Founder Matthew Helderman

• Understanding the Market
• The 5 Stages of Financing
• The 4 Quadrants of a Finance Plan
• Equity source
• Senior debt
• Mezz debt
• Tax incentives
• The Sales Receipts Waterfall
• Understanding The Project Risk to a Financier

Q&A with Matthew

CLASS TWO: EQUITY FINANCING 101

Taught by Grady Craig, BondIts VP of Business Development and Operations

• An Equity Financing Overview
• What is the timing of equity funding
• What are the risk & reward profiles
• Understanding ownership
• The 9 Different Sources of Equity
• The 4 Most Common Scams
• Creating Investor Security
• Your collateral
• Compatibility with other financing types
• The Elements Needed to Raise Equity
• The Key Elements to Packaging Your Film for Equity Investors

Q&A with Matthew

CLASS THREE: PRE-SALES, GRANTS, TAX CREDITS, NEGATIVE PICK-UPS, & MORE

Taught by Tyler Gould, BondIt's VP of Finance and Development

• Pre-Sales
• Understanding pre-sales
• The difference between a minimum guarantee (negative pickup), pre-sales), and a backstop
• Overview on what a sales agency does
• Difference between a sales agent and a distributor
• When are pre-sales paid
• The CAM Overview
• Current State of Minimum Guarantee and Pre-Sale Buying in the Market
• How do distributors typically offer MGs?
• Current status of the international market & historical trends in Asian, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America
• The demise of GAP lending on sales estimates
• How to cashflow completed projects' licensing payments
• Tax Credits
• Tax incentives overview (rebate vs. credit, transferable attributes, nuances of different states and countries, etc.)
• Why are tax incentives offered
• understanding qualified expenditures
• The current state of tax incentives (who's new, oversaturated, weak, and strong)
• Financing tax credits
• Grants
• Understanding grants
• Where to find and apply for grants
• Bridge Lending
• Demystifying what a bridge loan actually is
• When you need a bridge loan
• Can you afford a bridge loan?

Q&A with Matthew

CLASS FOUR: FILM FINANCE CASE STUDIES

Taught by CEO and Co-Founder Matthew Helderman

This class will look at Case Studies and examples that illustrate the concepts introduced in the first three classes. Those will include:

• Popular scams and matching funds
• Tax credit financing
• COVID financing realities
• A successful bridge loan on studio film
• A-List MG models
• Acclaimed film festival outcome vs. standard equity investment returns
• The rise of crowdfunding and the implications, opportunities, and realities
• Examples of defaulted or re-negged MG's
• Union deposits cast study

Q&A with Matthew

PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.

Directors (Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner) interested in perfecting their financing skills.

Writers (Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner) interested in perfecting their financing skills.

Producers looking to advance their knowledge of finances and budgeting for their next project.

Actors looking to understand finances when it comes to a project.