Quick note, which I intend to elaborate more upon.
Film Financiers are known entities, individuals, with histories, track records, accountability. I'm often approached by mysterious sources offering funding with unheard of simplicity and requirements.
If someone has no online presence, no company which can be tracked, no examples of funded films, and are in general difficult to obtain information upon, they are most likely not legit.
Sounds obvious but even to a seasoned professional these approaches can seem enticing. In 2024, no one is "hidden" online who has not made an effort to be and a lack of transparency is a bit of a red flag.
Obviously, one never pays for a finance opportunity ("legal deposit", etc.) Run away.
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Fantastic advice, Jack Binder! Thanks for warning everyone!
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Jack Binder, I'd love to publish a Stage 32 blog on this very subject! I'm sending you an email to discuss. =)
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Jack Binder nicely put, Jack.
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This is a masterclass in 5 paragraphs, Jack Binder. So many are blinded by their desire to succeed that they accept almost anything at face value. It's dependent on the individual to do their due diligence which is easier than ever these days thanks to the interwebs.
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What stops you from just meeting them in person? You can judge someone so much better in person. Maybe you are not giving yourself chances to grow because of your fear of the unknown:)
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Richard "RB" Botto there's that phrase again, RB, 'due diligence'. We should keep that in the forefront of our minds, when we are approached by people who offer us great opportunities, but the only real opportunity is for them to fill their pockets with our hard earned cash.
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Not to answer for Jack, but his track record speaks for itself. There is only so much time in a day and there are plenty of legitimate people who understand that their path to success is to have a presence and represent themselves properly. I've never met one "financier" who hides in the shadows who ever came through in any legit way.
It's called building a reputation. And if you have juice behind your words, you understand that it behooves you to do exactly that.
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Or it maybe a good subject for a Stage32 webinar, Ashley Renee Smith so that people really focus on due diligence and their responsibilities to check out the credibility of those offering financial assistance?
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ask for the name of their CPA. If they say no or don’t have one then pass.
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Great post Jack. No such thing as too much due diligence, there are so many tools available to run background checks on people or corporates - should they get past the 'duck' test (walks like a duck etc.) Great advice as always and couldn't agree with you more.
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This is an excellent post Jack, transparency is key.
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So very true, Emma Louise Smith