Financing / Crowdfunding

Great to see the call to arms for original stories by the master of box office behemoths.

Spielberg stressed that studios like Universal need to keep investing in original films like “Disclosure Day” instead of reboots, sequels and spinoffs.

“If all we make is known, branded IP, we’re going to run out of gas,” Spielberg said. “There is nothing more important than giving the audience visual stories, and they can be in any form, but we need to tell more original stories.”

As the microdrama space expands from China to the rest of the world, Hollywood is taking notice.

In a rare SAG sanctioned project 'Playback' has become a signatory of the actors union.

www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/playback-my-drama-exclusive-se...

www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/holywater-22-million-fi...

I've been around the periphery of crowdfunding for many years. I have been contacted by an apparently legitimate crowdfunding for equity group. Our project will be ongoing not a one time thing and could have worldwide appeal. Do you think any significant number of Stage 32 members would participate?

Great European TV market overview analysis by our colleague Ben Keen. While it's not all great news for the international television programming marketplace, there is a balancing underway from the lofty content race to the post-pandemic doldrums.

One key takeaway is the importance and opportunities in collaboration to raise the necessary tv budgets to compete. In a word - coproductions.

Coproductions are key to tiling together production investment. They require experience, knowledge, and skill in arranging and budgeting, for multiple territories, currencies, production methods.

www.broadbandtvnews.com/2026/04/15/content-arms-race-over-as-str...

For help with coproductions for film or television feel free to reach out via www.filmbudget.com worldwide

The Winston Baker Film Finance Forums are always a highlight of Cannes and provide valuable insights and connections. If you are attending Cannes consider taking in this opportunity.

The new The Super Mario Galaxy Movie just pulled in $16.8M on a Monday, the biggest Monday of the year so far, bringing its total to over $207M in just six days.

Read about it here: https://deadline.com/2026/04/box-office-supar-mario-galaxy-movie-monday-...

That’s not just a strong opening… that’s sustained momentum. This kind of performance isn’t just about marketing or nostalgia, it’s about risk mitigation. Compare that to Sinners, one of last year’s breakout original hits. No pre-existing IP, it was an original concept and yet it opened with $45.6M+ in the US. It went on to gross $244M+ worldwide (later reported at closer to $284M+) and was one of the highest grossing original live-action films in recent years. It didn’t have the built-in safety net of a global franchise… but it connected.

Both paths are working, but they require completely different strategies and expectations. If you’re developing a project right now, are you thinking about how to position it as a “safe bet”… or how to make it undeniable enough to break through as an original?

And from a financing standpoint, what do you think investors are actually more open to right now?

Hi everyone, I’m producing The Festival Abides, a two-day community festival in Los Angeles on August 8–9, 2026—created in memory of my dad, and inspired by the spirit of The Big Lebowski: connection, humor, and just showing up for life. This isn’t just a concept—it’s already in motion. Tickets are live, we have a fiscal sponsor, and we’re in active talks with venues. The experience: * Day 1 (Park): dog show, scavenger hunt, kids’ crafts, vendors, food trucks, and an outdoor film screening * Day 2 (Bowling Alley): bowling, costume contest, trivia, screening, and a final “abiding toast” We’re building this for a targeted 200-person community event—intimate, curated, and designed to actually bring people together. I’ve launched a Kickstarter to help secure venue deposits, which is the critical step to lock this in. What I’m specifically looking for: * Cash sponsors/backers (top priority—this is what secures the venues) * Aligned brands (beer, coffee, food, lifestyle) for meaningful partnerships * Industry connectors who can make real introductions This project is personal, but it’s also practical—I’m focused on collaborators who can help make it happen, not just cheer it on. If this resonates, or you know someone it might resonate with, I’d love to connect and share more.

IRP.VC the powerhouse film financier behind Marty Supreme and MUBI backer has revealed the thinking behind the financier's objectives. Based upon market research and audience preferences they are focusing on teams that build value and projects that gain recurring audiences.

The company’s focus “is less on an individual project and more on whether the company behind it can create and grow value over time.”

"European investment firm IPR.VC recently published a white paper that argues entertainment financing is moving away from backing discrete assets — a film, a series — and toward continuous IP systems that build audience, engagement, and monetization across multiple formats.

The language can make it easy to dismiss: Hey, have you seen that new continuous IP system? I heard it’s awesome.

But beneath it is a much simpler idea: While a filmmaker may see themselves as someone who makes a great film, they’re being evaluated on whether that represents a repeatable business."

Interesting view from the financiers side of the equation. While quality independent film remains a solid cinema experience it's good to broaden one''s perspective with what the money players are extolling as their virtues.

Good luck in filmmaking.

Jack Binder, Producer, Founder www.FilmBudget.com Worldwide

I've been a member of Stage32 almost since its inception, and although I wasn't active on it for many years, I have enjoyed watching it grow as a safe space for seasoned pros and aspiring filmmakers to connect.

This is a safe space, but it is also one for honesty and transparency, so to anyone just starting out or maybe just a few years in and wanting to produce their first project, I want to offer some solicited advice (if you're poking around in this lounge, you're looking for advice). Here it is... START SMALL!!!!

Notice I didn't say "Dream small." I said, "Start small."

I get a lot of folks hitting me up for direction on how to bring their (insert MILLIONS here) production to life, when they've not even written, produced, or directed so much as a short film. Hear me now: I am not saying you can't make your multi-million-dollar epic. I'm just telling you not to focus on that as the first one out of the gate, because, plain and simple... unless you have a trust fund or a studio head as a parent... it won't get made.

Aim for some closer targets first. Start with a short. Get your hands on a great short film script or write one yourself. Build a stellar team to help you make it, and then once that is out into the world... make another, and then another. Work those creative muscles, start building that reputation. Get noticed for what you have done, and it will make what you are trying to do a little more realistic.

I hope this little bit of insight helps, but if you're still not convinced, do some research on those overnight successes the industry loves to tout. I do happen to know some overnight successes myself, and I can assure you... They spent decades getting there.

So, if you're just starting out, what's your next step? Let us know in the comments.

Most people in finance misdiagnose their own obstacles. They think they have a capital problem — not enough funding, not enough traction, not enough investor interest. But upstream, the real issue is almost never capital. It’s structure.

A capital problem is downstream.

A structure problem is upstream.

And the distinction between the two determines whether a project scales, stalls, or collapses.

A capital problem sounds like:

“I need more money.”

“I can’t get investors to respond.”

“My deck isn’t converting.”

“My projections aren’t strong enough.”

A structure problem sounds like:

“My identity isn’t defined.”

“My asset isn’t classified.”

“My documentation isn’t aligned.”

“My value isn’t legible to finance.”

Capital responds to clarity.

Clarity comes from structure.

Structure is upstream.

When the upstream layer is incomplete, every downstream financial tool becomes inefficient. You can have a perfect pitch deck, a clean CAP table, and a strong market — but if the structure is ambiguous, the capital won’t move.

Here’s the distinction most people never make:

Capital is a resource.

Structure is a system.

Resources flow through systems — not intentions.

Once the upstream structure is defined — identity, documentation, entitlement logic, asset classification — the downstream financial conversation becomes predictable. Investors stop “trying to understand” and start evaluating. Partners stop hesitating. The project stops wobbling.

Upstream clarity doesn’t make capital easier.

It makes capital possible.

Successful film and television lender FilmHedge's parent MediaHedge has secured an up-to $200m credit facility with a New York asset management firm.

Financing will expand CEO Jon Gosier's track record of backing film tax credits and pre-sales with funding capital.

According to the partners, the joint venture “will provide structured capital solutions to producers and studios, supporting a diverse slate of film and media projects across multiple genres and distribution platforms.”