Hello, my name is Kathryn Arnold. I am an award winning film producer and executive with over 20 years experience in the entertainment industry, specializing in film development, finance, production, distribution, and international sales. As a producer and a consultant, my mission is to provide insider access to those who are looking to successfully navigate the complex landscape of Hollywood’s talent, financing and distribution worlds. It’s a tricky arena, and I want to share my knowledge of having produced a variety of forms of media, including film, television, live streaming and documentary specials. In addition to producing and consulting, I serve as an expert witness on cases involving entertainment industry related issues in both State and Federal courts. Those issues include loss of wages, economic damages, economic forecasting, breach of contract, chain of title and intellectual property rights among others. It is my goal to provide intelligent, substantial and compelling consultation and testimony that leads to a beneficial and responsible resolution for my clients.
Netflix clearly has changed the face of how we consume content. They pioneered the concept of “binge-watching” by releasing an entire season of episodes for a new series in one day. This drew viewers to their platform and created stickiness for the viewer who would then look for more content to “binge.” One of the primary tenets Netflix vowed to uphold, was that they would not exhibit their original content in traditional movie theaters. That is all changing as...
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The independent film world has depended on international sales to territories throughout the world for financing thousands of films over the last 30 years or so. An important element is that a sales agent/production company has been able to pre-sell individual territories, obtain contracts for up front minimum guarantees, and then procure bank loans against those contracts as collateralized debt financing. Scott Roxborough reports in the Hollywood Reporter today that with the advent of a single European Digital Market, those pre-sales...
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Investing in films is a risky and speculative business. The allure of potential 9 figure returns is extremely enticing to an investor. The business is sexy (stars, red carpets, potential big money, being a part of “Hollywood.”) However the ultimate returns often allude the very person that put up their hard earned equity. So many factors go into the success of a film: A good script, A-list talent, a top-notch director, timing, strong marketing, word of mouth, and the list...
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Film packaging agents working in film finance divisions at talent agencies wear many hats. They attach talent, directors and financing for in-house projects the agency represents. They work with outside producers and package projects to pull financing together. They represent finished films for sales and worldwide distribution. And they do all the above. Packaging agents are often times the core element of a film getting funded, as they understand the pre-sales and domestic distribution markets and have their finger on...
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