Financing / Crowdfunding

Maurice Vaughan Nice! This looks to be a very productive company launch, which has been in the works for awhile. What makes this unique is the founder, Robert Rodriguez and Alexis Garcia. Garcia was formerly indie film head of sales for WME, which became WME Content, a true powerhouse in film distribution. Rodriguez needs no introduction.

While several companies and platforms have come out of the gate, turning to the crowd for participation and funding, this one is unique in regard to its industry clout. It should attract substantial filmmaker interest, and success.

Robert Rodriguez has always been a trailblazer in indie filmmaking, and Brass Knuckle Films seems like a natural next step in embracing audience engagement and alternative funding models. It’ll be interesting to see how this model impacts the indie film landscape moving forward, especially in terms of fan-driven development and creative collaboration. Thanks for sharing, Jack Binder!

This makes me a bit uncomfortable. As long as everyone is clear what they're paying for, which seems to be mostly fan access, it could be okay. Are they investors, though? Or is it more like donating to a Kickstarter and getting some swag in return?

Mike Boas It's more like Legion M or a film on wefunder. So actual equity. He's been working on this for about a year, so it's not something he just threw together. He got his start with a $7,000 feature shot on film, financed with him doing medical experiments, so he's not afraid to do what it takes and right now, filmmakers have to take matters into their own hands more than ever. There was recent article in Indiewire with Michael Bay and James Cameron saying they can't get things greenlit. So we will see a lot more creative financing to come. https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/michael-bay-james-cameron-st...

Good for Robert and Alexis, good for Texas

All you have to do is request my screenplay and I'll attach it to my email back to you. If you like it, you can Produce it, and I'll direct it, shoot it, and edit as well.

I’m attending 2nd class tonight. Looking forward to seeing Sara and everyone. I actually have two scripts: a romcom and a true life drama and I can’t decide which one to focus on in class. Probably the romcom because it has been developed most. Check out my new website: simplyfilmprod.com see you tonight!

Looking forward to another session!

Another problem is that actors don't submit pictures and resume.

Sadly, I've missed the first 3 sessions due to travel, work and family commitments. I've been reading the assignments and will catch up for the last two workshops. Is there a way to view the recordings? They are X'd out on the course page. Looking forward to finally being part of this. Cheers

Just watched the concept reel and it got me intrigued! Is there a logline or synopsis anywhere to get a better feel of the genre and intent? :)

Thanks for the feedback... but your questions mean that the reel failed in doing its job!

Rather than the usual reel of our own material and/or borrowing clips from existing films/series, I opted to go for sheer simplicity: stills with text over and funky music!

The idea was that the text told the logline (first part of the clip), while the images and music set the mood for it being a tongue-in-cheek action-thriller (or action-comedy - it depends on who you ask).

The text over the characters before their names appeared was supposed to serve as an introduction to each ("She no love you long time!").

The synopsis we're keeping pretty tight to our chest at the moment, as our partners will be shopping the package around.

It's all still very early days, but then, if we're going to do a crowd-funding, it should be either be around this stage or when we need X amount only to hit the budget requirement.

A genuine thank you for watching it though.

You're welcome! By all means, the reel did not fail in doing its job at all. It created a curiosity and engagement and that, to me personally, feels like the purpose of a reel.

Just watched it again and knowing the genre made me pay attention to a different set of details.

Especially now when mentioned that you're aiming for "action-comedy" There is a different "eye" watching it. The music in your reel matches the visual and can definitely used to amplify the story.

There is a great introduction to the characters and reveals a large part of their relationship to each other.

Another aspect is also that in between us we work with a whole different genre and this gave me an opportunity to learn from you in creating a "hook" in a reel.

Thanks, man, I'm really glad you both liked it and learned from it!

Creating a reel to sell a concept is kind of an artform in itself and a lot of people fail to grasp that, if one can set the mood and have a hook in 1 minute, the rest of the deck suddenly gets an automatic bonus!

From networking, I can tell you now that more and more people are asking for a reel, so if this clip helped you with your own ideas, it's definitely payment for your time.

The best of luck to you!

Dead Man’s Wire sounds interesting, Amanda Toney. I'm looking forward to seeing it. And gap financing sounds like a great option for indie filmmakers! I wonder if anyone here in the Lounge has used gap financing before.

Thank you Amanda Toney! This is a great shot in the arm toward confidence in the international sales market. Having an established debt film finance company wading into Gap Finance, to bankroll unsold territories, provides solid backing of the health of indie film territory sales, a very good market indicator.

I agree with Jack Binder, this is certainly an interesting development for filmmakers, especially those hunting for a final piece of financing, with the potential of giving non-traditional investors comfort knowing that there is possible support available from an established player in the space

This is a fascinating move and a great example of how indie film financing continues to evolve. It’ll be interesting to see how TPC’s involvement shapes the final stages of financing for indie features moving forward. Thanks for sharing this, Amanda!

Sydney S This looks to be a great class for learning these fundamental elements of indie film financing. Understanding the forms of financing, methods, options, and requirements is important for filmmakers piecing together the elements of indie film finance.

My first impulse was to submit an animation proposal. But it Looks like they’re looking for documentary and live action narrative proposals to showcase Nikon equipment.

Although… stop motion might not be out of the question as it uses cameras/lenses.

Overall, this looks like a great incentive to put together project documents, even if just for practice. Script, budget, timeline, artist statement, etc.

Mike Boas Certainly and absolutely. Love that attitude and motivation.

100%, Mike Boas - if you're a filmmaker and have a short narrative or documentary film get in the game and let us know how it goes. Would love to hear about the process and experience.

Ordinarily I would never spend that much on a short. But I suppose if you were to actually PAY people, you could make a 30k budget.

Would it be kosher to build in pay for myself as editor?

Mike Boas Absolutely! Always value your talent and effort, and try to avoid the temptation to skimp on yourself!

What an amazing webinar for short filmmakers - this is such a hot topic - there are so many talented filmmakers here in the community who have made - or will make - short films and knowing how to monetize their films can be a game changer for them and their careers. Thanks for sharing, Sydney S!

"Netflix expects to spend in the neighborhood of $18 billion in cash on content in 2025" and "We’re not anywhere near a ceiling." I like the sound of that, Sam Sokolow! Netflix is one of my go-to streaming services right now. I'm excited to see what projects they bring to the platform (indie, studio, originals, and live events)! Thanks for sharing the article!

As we've emerged from the slow-growth of the past two years, Netflix appears to be hitting the gas pedal to the metal! Great news for the entertainment industry!!

Production funds should always go into a separate account, set-up as a SPV (special purpose vehicle) company (an LLC is standard) so as not to co-mingle a project's funding with other monies. This protects you from potential legal problems. As always, consult a tax / entertainment attorney.

Yes, if you have partners who all have shares in the film, LLC is the way to go.

It sounded to me like Ben was doing things on his own, with all his own money.

Indeed, however things change and a strong foundation avoids future nightmares.

Thank you, gentlemen.I think an S Corp would be more financially lucrative than an LLC, to dodge self employment tax. I always hear companies establishing themselves as LLCs, but it has never made sense to me when it comes time for tax season.

UPDATE: LLC has been formed. Currently on track to be taxed as an S-Corp (we'll change that if need be). NOW, I've heard Kickstarters are taxed at the END of the fiscal year. However, I've also read Kickstarters are taxed once FULFILLMENT HAS BEEN COMPLETED. Given that this is a movie, it's going to take some time. Also, does anyone know how the 1099-K form comes into play with any of this?

Super sexy information, I know. But they don't teach this in film school.

U.S. Majors is short for Major Hollywood Studios (WB, Sony, Paramount, Disney, Universal) Maurice Vaughan :) The inward investment currently also includes the major global streamers (Netflix, Amazon, AppleTV+, HBO Max, etc.)

Oh ok, Jack Binder. Those Majors. I thought you were referring to a group of investors. I've been learning more about film financing from your posts and the other resources on Stage 32. Thanks.

Thanks for the share, Jack Binder. It’s interesting to see the figures for inward investment and I think how reliant the UK film industry is, on international investment.

Is this a healthy thing? Also, see my share above, which seems to be at odds with this post and talks about the streamers pulling back on co-productions with British broadcasters? Thoughts please…

Geoff Hall The indie film market in the UK remains critically unfunded by local sources, and long has been. Regarding streamer cut-backs on UK broadcaster co-productions, this makes sense in the light of overall reductions in program counts. I would think the concept of co-production was more attractive for streamers in entering the market, obtaining access to UK talent, and distribution.

As streamers have looked to cut costs, and as they've gained experience and traction working with UK talent, perhaps they've determined they can rely less on these co-production collaborations. Likewise, the idea of sharing revenue would seem to have been counter-intuitive to their cost reductions.

UK film and television productions, and the talent they attract, are global assets and highly valued by producers. Combined with the consistent, lucrative film tax credit program, a lower cost structure for crew and materials, makes the UK a great place to film.

The inward investment will remain steady and ongoing in my opinion for all of these reasons.

Lastly, it seems tv series are preferred over film, to amortize costs over a larger viewing window.

Jack Binder thank you, Jack. With that in mind, as a producer it pays to have a mixture of formats - film, long-form, or limited series for TV, on your slate going forward.

This looks to be a very helpful and informative lab for filmmakers of all stripes to educate themselves on the finance landscape and practices and strategies involved for obtaining funding.

I couldn't agree more Jack! Will you be attending?

Hi, all! This lab is currently on early bird pricing this week!