The entertainment industry is one that requires a tremendous amount of passion, patience and an enormous amount of luck. Thousands of projects are developed each year and only a handful get made and distributed. What continues to draw successful people from other industries into the film business? What drives them? What is their approach...
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To some, indie filmmaking is an art form, to others a dream of of seeing their story come to life on the big screen, however, it is meant to be a profitable business. Investors put money into a film, and expect to get their money back and receive a decent return on their investment. ...
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In the first installment of our interview with Michele Taverna of MonteCristo Entertainment, “The New Core of the Film Industry,” we discussed your position as sales agent being the “natural first stop” on the road to producing films. Let’s take a look at how you go about making the all important decisions on which...
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With the ever changing world of film financing and representation, the international sales agent is becoming the big hitter in the industry. It is a well-known fact that talent drives movie making. If a producer can attract a Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston to their project, the movie will be green lit....
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In Part I, we talked about Hedge funds and what they are looking for in terms of financing films. They prefer slates, which create a portfolio effect with which they can amortize the risk across a variety of film, genres and budgets. If that’s the game Hedges funds are playing, what are...
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Michael Mendelsohn is the Chairman and CEO of Patriot Pictures, and currently manages senior and mezzanine debt portfolios for banks and financial institutions specializing in entertainment. Michael has arranged production financing for over 258 films, including “Lord of War,” starring Nicolas Cage and Ethan Hawke; “Material Girls,” starring Hilary Duff, and “Holy Cross,” executive...
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Continuing the dialogue with producers Jonathan Dana and Cindy Cowan, let’s take a look at the shifting landscape of film financing and distribution. KA: Given the variable nature of the Domestic deal, what are your thoughts on the Domestic side of the business in general? CC: The overall Domestic side of the business...
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I often receive inquiries from around the world on how best to go about obtaining film financing. Projects come in all shapes and sizes – a wide array of genres, varying budgets and an assortment of experience levels. In every case, the biggest questions are: How do I put together financing for a movie?...
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California needs all the tools it can get in order to keep film, TV and commercial production in state. Many states throughout the US and countries abroad have active tax credit programs that lure producers, eager to cut costs, to their locale.
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In addition to film financing, the writer, producer and director deals are a major factor in getting films produced – each deal differs depending on the experience and clout of the players involved. These deals will in turn have a huge impact on back end money that may or may not be available for...
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