FAQs

Ø Money Market

Q: Is this Money Market program operated through a legally-licensed securities broker?

A: Absolutely. They (our primary broker) are licensed, bonded, and incorporated in the State of New Jersey.

Q: What access does the broker have to liquid funding sources who are potentially interested in indie films?

A: At this time, our primary broker has 7 indie finance deals pending (one of which happens to be "Prophets of the Fall" which was written and is being produced by our Executive Producer, Robert A. Boleyn) The sources of funding vary dramatically, from Trusts to private equity, and the size of the deals range from $350K to $25 MM.

Q: What pool are investors drawn from and what is their relationship to the broker?

A: The "pool" is the broker's current/on-going network of funding sources, some of whom they've used previously, others of which are newly established relationships with viable and credible funding sources.

Q: What is the point of the "3 sources per package" and "additional submission" fee?

A: It's there strictly to protect the interest(s) of the filmmaker. Too often the plan and info go out willy-nilly to far too many places, and word gets around that it's not getting interest. Once that happens, your project slows to a crawl and prospects of finding the right investor for it diminish quickly. So we limit the amount of activity to what you, the filmmaker, want in terms of exposure to potential sources. thereby reducing the chance of "over-exposure."

Q: Can you provide a more detailed explanation of the Basic, Professional, and Total broker package offerings?

A: Yes!

-Basic - This is a simple cover letter, attached to whatever docs you submit to us, which goes along with the package offering from the broker. If you're extremely confident in your package, have partial funding already in place, or have good relationships already with investors, this is probably the route for you.

-Professional - Cover letter, accompanied by script coverage (a copy of which is provided back to you) which includes a creative analysis of the script itself. This is for filmmakers who have a great project, but haven't done the necessary leg work of putting all the pieces in place, haven't had a "formal" coverage/analysis completed, or who need a little extra assistance in convincing investors of the creative merits of the project.

-Total - Cover letter, creative analysis/coverage, and a business analysis. This is for filmmakers who know they've got a killer project, but aren't so well versed, trained, or aware of the business necessities of getting investors on board. In conjunction with our broker, we assist you in filling in any blanks, and provide "filler" for some of the necessary info (ROI, project comparisons, etc) where necessary to be able to provide the sources a complete and professional package vs.. simply handing them a script and saying "You gotta do this movie."

Q: Why is there an "Up-front Fee" and "Success Fee?"

A: We charge a minimal up-front fee which covers our administrative costs and bundling only. It's kept low to ensure no one feels "gouged" or taken advantage of, and to ensure that "cash poor" filmmakers can still get their project into the hands of qualified investor sources without having to take on huge financial burdens in advance.

Q: When and how do "Success Fees" get collected?

The only way we collect beyond the up-front fee is if we're successful in obtaining you acceptable financing arrangements for the project. And then we cap that amount (currently at $50,000) to ensure, once again, there is no exploitation or gouging occurring.

Q: What are the time frames for these processes to play out?

A: We have a "90 day response guarantee" which means we'll get you some form of "yes" "no" or "possible maybe" within 90 days. If not, you're free to go elsewhere and seek the funding. No harm, no foul essentially.

Q: What tools and history can you offer to allow our team to evaluate any type of probability for your broker to successfully raise the funds we're requesting?

A: Unfortunately, there is really no way to know from project to project what likelihood of success to expect. As will always be the case, investors and the funding game are fickle beasts. What smell like roses to one investor today, could smell like a skunk tomorrow to the same investor. That's why we offer the "90 day response guarantee" with all packages, to ensure that you're not left hanging for ridiculously long periods of time, waiting and wondering "can they really do what they say they can do?" If we don't, you'll know it in a comparatively short amount of time.

Q: Is there any sort of exclusivity required of filmmakers who utilize the Money Market program?

A: Never! While it's important to note that none of our offerings require any sort of "exclusivity" with our service or brokers, we do believe it's to your advantage to work with only one broker at a time. But it's never required. Which means you can put it out there to other brokers too. So long as you're aware that doing so could mean risking the sort of over-exposure mentioned in the answers above.

Q: How many projects does the program currently have in funding mode?

A: We are currently processing requests for information and/or funding packages for funding nearly 20 projects. The requests range from $300K to $6MM, and are for both production funding and P&A (Prints & Advertising) purposes.

Q: Are back end fees are an option if a broker's fee is not available up front?

A: No, the up-front fees are a requirement to get the process started for all clients. They cover simple administrative costs and package "bundling" fees and are separate and apart from "success fees." That's why we try to keep them so low, so "cash poor" filmmakers can still get their projects moving without taking on heavy financial burdens.

In addition, we only charge the back-end "success fees" if we are able to successfully secure your project financing.

Q: What is a realistic deadline to expect results?

A: Generally speaking, it's a crap shot. That's yet another reason we offer our "90 day response guarantee," which means you'll get a "yes" "no" or "possible maybe" within 90 days.

Q: What sort of guarantee of success do you provide?

A: We never guarantee we'll find funding for a project, since each one is a unique creature that the market will or won't accept based upon the current market trends/needs/interests.

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