I posted this over in the Film Financing lounge, but it fits here as well.
Can indie film producers successfully raise money for a slate of films, or is that method reserved for large studios? For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term "slate financing," read on.
Slate finance is a method of risk diversification in the world of film finance, typically referring to when a studio works with a group of investors to finance a slate of films instead of just one film. The thought behind this strategy is that while investing in one film is considered risky, spreading an investment across several films of varied genres and budget ranges lessens the risk by providing more opportunities for an ROI. Three films fail, but one hits big, and you could not only cover your losses but maybe even come out in the black. In colloquial terms, investing in a slate means you're not putting all of your eggs in one basket.
While slate financing is commonly leveraged by big studios that churn out several titles a year, it's not something many indie producers will attempt because, for us indies, making one film is hard enough, but juggling several titles at once... It might be easier to splice an atom in my basement! Nevertheless, with a few successful films already under our belt and solid IP in development, it is something we're exploring at my small company. I'll let you all know how it goes.
Until then... is presenting a slate something you would ever consider doing? Do you have access to the IP? Access to the investment portals? Let me know what you think in the comments!
