Financing

Hey guys. A quick reminder that Film Con Hollywood (hosted by Stage 32 and the LA Acting Studio) takes place this Saturday at the LA Convention Center. The buzz is high, the stage is set and we’re fired up to bring you a full day of keynotes, panels, workshops, networking, pitching, screenings and more.   Whether you’re an actor, screenwriter, filmmaker, producer, content creator, film financier or are looking to further your career in the film, television or content creation business you wi...

Last week we brought in the Emmy-award winning producer Kip Konwiser for an incredible 90 minute Q&A that left all of the creatives listening motivated and inspired. Kip has had a storied career having worked with Netflix, HBO, Sony Pictures, 20th Century FOX, Paramount, Lionsgate and more. For nearly three decades he's worked with some incredible talent including Darren Aronofsky, Laurence Fishburne, Clint Eastwood and much more. In this inspiring webinar we talked about whether or not you n...

We’ve all heard the stories. Paranormal Activity, a film with a budget slightly less than a used Honda, made $193 million worldwide and launched a profitable franchise. That film’s progenitor, The Blair Witch Project, had a $60K budget and turned out a $250 million box office haul. The most profitable films from 2010 to 2015 were all horror films. 10. The Last Exorcism ($68M gross vs. $1.8M production budget) 9. Annabelle ($257M vs. $6.5M) 8. Chernobyl Diaries ($37M vs. $1M) 7. In...

We have been working around the clock here and I am honored to share some of the incredible talent we are bringing into Stage 32. From a Sundance-winning creative executive, an Emmy-Award winning producer a financier and much, much more, we have some exciting things coming up at Stage 32.     Follow the links for more info!  Writer Development Lab: From Concept to Ironclad Outline FREE WEBINAR - 60 Minutes With Emmy Award Winning Producer Kip Konwiser What They Don’t Teach You In Film...

This couldn't be a more exciting week! We're in the thick of Sundance and it's been great to see all the deals being made on films that have been made by Stage 32 members and executives. Plus, to round out the week, we're going to be announcing our Stage 32 Feature Screenwriting Contest winners! Waking up this morning we received some really great news that two filmmakers, Sev O'hanion and Natalie Qasaban, were in an epic all night negotiation. They sold the worldwide rights to the film that S...

Independently produced films and TV series generally work with a Recoupment Schedule for the allocation and distribution of revenues to multiple beneficiaries. Each film or TV series is different in set-up, with its own unique production team and financing structure. Usually, production financing is put together from several separate sources which may include so called soft money, debt financing, equity investments, tax credit financing, or pre-sales.  Financiers of the project, together wit...

The difficulty in raising capital for any venture is two fold: first off, the market is crowded with opportunities that are currently earning strong returns. The stock markets, the bond markets and the traditional high yield sectors of real-estate, speciality finance and lending all present solid outlooks financially.   Second off, speculation is the killer of many financial deals. Being pragmatic and logical – who wants to invest in an opportunity when the return not only is unlikely but the...

On behalf of the entire Stage 32 team, I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!    So what are your goals for the year? Have you laid them out? Broken them down? Arranged them in a sensible fashion which will make the journey fun and rewarding as opposed to filled with pressure and anxiety? I'd love to hear what you're looking to attain in the coming 12 months. Further, for those willing, I'd also love if you'd share your strategies designed to set yourself up for success. Let's...

It was another incredible year at the American Film Market (AFM). Due to the sheer amount of content being created, purchased and distributed in the current climate, the attendees had a little jump in their step this time around. For the second straight year, I had the pleasure of leading the Producing Studio Films on an Independent Budget panel. This was a lively and passionate discussion featuring both similar and diverging opinions on the current state of indie film producing, film financin...