Film Financing Today: How to Finance a Film Between $1MM-$3MM

Hosted by Jeanette B. Milio

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Jeanette B. Milio

Webinar hosted by: Jeanette B. Milio

Producer with Over 500 Hours of Film & TV Content in US, Europe, Dubai & South Africa

Jeanette Milio is a producer, executive producer, and financier of motion pictures and television programming. Over 25 years and working across three continents, she has been involved in the production of over 500 hours of content for film and television, with a total production value of over $250 million, including Academy Award-winning talent in front of and behind the camera. Credits include TIMESHARE starring Nastassja Kinski, Timothy Dalton, and Kevin Zegers for FOX Family/ABC Disney, 13 starring Jason Statham, Academy Award-winner Mickey Rourke, Sam Riley, Ray Winston, Michael Shannon, and Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent for Paramount Vantage, THE EXPERIMENT directed by Paul Scheuring, starring Academy Award-winners Adrien Brody and Forrest Whitaker, for Sony and Netflix, and DARK TIDE, starring Academy Award-winner Halle Berry and directed by John Stockwell for Lionsgate. Throughout her career, Jeanette has been involved in financing over 45 film and television projects for HBO, Showtime, ABC, USA Network, Disney, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and others.Jeanette previously managed a media fund for Far East National Bank, which funded 40 film and television projects, leading to her structuring her own media fund in 2009 that financed theatrical features with a production volume of $60 million. Recently, Jeanette focused on developing, financing, and production of television series. She co-created, co-financed and executive produced the beauty competition series GLOBAL BEAUTY MASTERS (TLC) and its spin-off series THE LOOK ALL-STARS (CW Network). She managed the renowned dog series TV series and brand DOG WHISPERER WITH CESAR MILLAN, which aired for nine seasons on the National Geographic Channel and sold in over 180 countries. Jeanette B. Milio is a member of the Producer’s Council for The Producers Guild of America, Women in Film, and the Cannes Film Festival Producer’s Network. Jeanette co-founded the Film Finance Forum in Zurich with Winston Baker, teaches Entertainment Finance at UCLAx, and is the author of the industry guide for film and television finance, ENTERTAINMENT FINANCE TODAY, a comprehensive guide in film and television finance. Full Bio »

Webinar Summary

With numerous financing options available and platforms for distribution, there's never been a better time for $3 million and under films from great new talent. With guidance from a producer and financier on over 45 films and television projects, you won't have to wait for a studio green light to bring your low-budget film to reality.

Is your desire for your script to be a commercial film holding you back from producing it yourself?

Are you overwhelmed by the thought of coming up with those big numbers and convinced only a big studio could bring your project to life?

Whether you're making an intimate character study or a high-concept comedy, there's no need to wait to produce your film.

Investors and producers avoid films in the $1 to $3 million range as these lower budgets are riskier, but the returns have the greatest rewards if you produce them correctly. In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you'll learn the optimal way to finance your $1 to $3 million film and make a profit by choosing the best project for the market, attaching great talent to build a package, and assembling a great business plan that attracts investors. You'll understand the financing, production, and distribution options available to low-budget films, how to secure and structure the various finance sources, and how to optimize distribution agreements.

Showing you the ropes is acclaimed producer Jeanette Milio, who has worked on over 45 film and television projects with major studios and producers, such as Netflix, Disney, Sony, Paramount, HBO, Showtime, and many more. Her films have starred major stars, including Academy Award-winning performers Halle Berry, Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, and Mickey Rourke. As a member of the Producer's Guild of America, Women in Film, and the Cannes Film Festival Producer's Network, Jeanette has deep industry knowledge for domestic and international markets at every budget level.

Jeannette brings extraordinary knowledge for your benefit and will be available for questions so that you can ask for information specific to your project. You'll also have access to the recording to revisit the lessons and be provided with exclusive handouts from Jeanette, including:

  • Financial Planning Tools
  • Sample CAMA (revenue/profit) agreement
  • Sample story rights agreement (option)
  • Sample talent offers for director and cast (pay-or-play)

 

Praise for Jeanette's Previous Stage 32 Teaching:

"Jeanette has invaluable knowledge and made me feel like seeing my movie on the big screen was possible." -- Phillip F.

"This webinar is truly amazing and informative. Jeanette is such an expert!" -- Margaret M.

"She was very knowledgable, thorough and wise. The content was well organized and she explained things well. I learned a lot." --Heidi H.

"I finally learned the language of the banks. I had operated in lower budget arenas where 100% equity was the name of the game. As I move up in budget range, having a working knowledge of where the money comes from , when it comes, and what it is called (as well as what it costs) made this worthwhile. What I didn't learn (because time ran out) was the HOW." -- JK

"I've been trying to figure out how to make a low budget film and didn't realize how much I DIDN'T know until I took this course from Jeanette. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance." -- Zachary M. 

 

 

What You'll Learn

Step 1: The Project – Understand the importance of choosing the right project

  • Choose the right kind of film for your budget range
  • Understand what genres works best in today’s marketplace
  • Mainstream films vs. Arthouse films – Understand your options and obstacles
  • Choose the right project: The story that sells today and why
  • Understand the distribution options for low budget films
  • Protect your project
  • Understanding the pitfalls of securing your rights
  • Establish a clean title (= Chain of Title)
  • Create value
  • The importance of packaging the right director
  • How to attach a meaningful lead actor
  • Elevate the value through “packaging”

Step 2: The Finance Sources & Partners

  • Choose the right finance partners for your low budget film
  • Understand what financiers are looking for
  • Establish a financial plan that generates profits
  • Understand what project details are important in a business plan to secure financiers
  • Finance Sources
  • Understand the various finance sources that are available to your today
  • Debt financing
  • Senior lending
    • Junior lending
    • Bridge lending
  • Distribution financing
  • Presales and minimum guarantee license agreements
  • Co-production agreements
  • Banked commissions
  • P&A financing
  • Non-recoupable finance sources = “Free Money”
  • Production incentives U.S. production incentives
  • International incentives
  • Brand integration
  • Understand what brands need to provide sponsorships
  • Music investment
  • Understand what music investments require
  • In-kind services
  • Understand how to secure in-kind deals
  • Deferments
  • VFX deferments
  • Post-production deferments
  • Fee deferments
  • Equity investments
  • Understand equity investment options and related terms
  • Establish risk mitigation for your investor

Step 3: Distribution

  • Understand distribution options, terms, and conditions
  • Project valuation and market verification
    • The importance of estimates & presales
  • Distributors and Sales Agents
  • The importance of understanding the difference between both
  • Distribution deals
  • Theatrical distribution options today
  • Deals with studios, networks, and streamers
  • Pitfalls of Distribution
    • Understand “the devil in the detail”

Step 4: Revenue Protection

  • The optimal balance for finance sources to generate profits
    • Design a solid finance plan
    • Design a solid recoupment plan
    • Include Collection Agents – “Profit Police”
    • Protect your budget: Completion Bond insurance

Step 5: Execution

  • Establish a business plan for your project
  • Important elements to include in a business plan
  • Key points that attract investors
  • Term sheets for investors
  • Do’s and Don’ts when presenting your business plan pitch to investors and buyers

Q&A with Jeanette

Take Away Documents

  • Financial Planning Tools
  • Sample CAMA (revenue/profit) agreement
  • Sample story rights agreement (option)
  • Sample talent offers for director and cast (pay-or-play)

About Your Instructor

Jeanette Milio is a producer, executive producer, and financier of motion pictures and television programming. Over 25 years and working across three continents, she has been involved in the production of over 500 hours of content for film and television, with a total production value of over $250 million, including Academy Award-winning talent in front of and behind the camera. Credits include TIMESHARE starring Nastassja Kinski, Timothy Dalton, and Kevin Zegers for FOX Family/ABC Disney, 13 starring Jason Statham, Academy Award-winner Mickey Rourke, Sam Riley, Ray Winston, Michael Shannon, and Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent for Paramount Vantage, THE EXPERIMENT directed by Paul Scheuring, starring Academy Award-winners Adrien Brody and Forrest Whitaker, for Sony and Netflix, and DARK TIDE, starring Academy Award-winner Halle Berry and directed by John Stockwell for Lionsgate. Throughout her career, Jeanette has been involved in financing over 45 film and television projects for HBO, Showtime, ABC, USA Network, Disney, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and others.

Jeanette previously managed a media fund for Far East National Bank, which funded 40 film and television projects, leading to her structuring her own media fund in 2009 that financed theatrical features with a production volume of $60 million. Recently, Jeanette focused on developing, financing, and production of television series. She co-created, co-financed and executive produced the beauty competition series GLOBAL BEAUTY MASTERS (TLC) and its spin-off series THE LOOK ALL-STARS (CW Network). She managed the renowned dog series TV series and brand DOG WHISPERER WITH CESAR MILLAN, which aired for nine seasons on the National Geographic Channel and sold in over 180 countries.

Jeanette B. Milio is a member of the Producer’s Council for The Producers Guild of America, Women in Film, and the Cannes Film Festival Producer’s Network. Jeanette co-founded the Film Finance Forum in Zurich with Winston Baker, teaches Entertainment Finance at UCLAx, and is the author of the industry guide for film and television finance, ENTERTAINMENT FINANCE TODAY, a comprehensive guide in film and television finance.

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Testimonials

"Jeanette has invaluable knowledge and made me feel like seeing my movie on the big screen was possible."

- Phillip F.

 

"Jeannette is very experienced and knowledgeable. her enthusiasm is contagious. It was one of the best, if not the best stage32 webinar I attended.What was particularly excellent is that she used examples with number, it felt really real and concrete. Especially for new filmmakers, it seems that distributions and sales are a big secret, very difficult to find any info on the internet."

-Vanessa S.

 

"Jeanette is out of this world. Amazing."

-Javier B.

 

"Jeanette's conference was astounding, definitely she is a real professional, thank you very much for putting this together."

-Rene L.

 

"She was very knowledgable, thorough and wise. The content was well organized and she explained things well. I learned a lot."

-Heidi H.

 

"I finally learned the language of the banks. I had operated in lower budget arenas where 100% equity was the name of the game. As I move up in budget range, having a working knowledge of where the money comes from , when it comes, and what it is called (as well as what it costs) made this worthwhile. What I didn't learn (because time ran out) was the HOW."

- JK

 

"Jeanette is has a wealth of information and she showed up and showed out. I can't wait to listen to the playback, Awesome! "

-Delsi C.

 

 

Questions?

If you have a generic question about Stage 32 education you can take a look at our frequently asked questions section on our help page, or feel free to contact support with any other inquiries you might have.
 

Reviews Average Rating: 5 out of 5

  • EXCELLENT. The moderator interrupted her about three quarters of the way through to let her know that they were running out of time, but Jeanette was still able to cover her entire presentation thoroughly and with ease. With the value of information that she was sharing, it would've been nice to just let her keep going!

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Learn how you can make a profit from your film for yourself and your investors in this highly acclaimed on-demand webinar with Jeanette Milio, who has been involved in financing over 45 film and television projects! As an independent filmmaker or producer, you probably start working on a new project for creative reasons—the chance to tell an amazing story, build worlds, create something of cultural value. Yet your independent film is not just a creative endeavor; it’s also a business. You’re sourcing financing and bringing in investors, building a team, and creating a property that will (hopefully) ultimately make money. To operate successfully in the world of independent film and continue to make films that you’re proud of, you need to be able to understand the dynamics and the relation between financing, distribution and recoupment of film investments so you and your investors can both leave with a profit. The business side of films is often especially difficult for filmmakers and creative producers, but it's actually more possible than you think. No matter how big or small your film is, there are multiple ways you can find funding and multiple ways you can ultimately create profitability. And while it might not be second nature for creatives, once you get a handle on how to make this process work for you, you will also be able to create a business model that you can apply to your future projects, and eventually a portfolio of profitable assets (or films) that will serve as an effective and undeniable calling card as you continue to grow in the industry. Over twenty-five years and working across three continents, Jeanette Milio has been involved in the production of over 500 hours of content for film and television, with a total production value of over $250 million, and including Academy Award® winning talent in front of and behind the camera. Throughout her career, Jeanette was involved in financing over 45 film and television projects for HBO, Showtime, ABC, USA Network, Disney, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and others. Jeanette also managed a media fund for Far East National Bank, which funded 40 film and television projects, which lead to her structuring her own media fund that financed theatrical features with a production volume of $60 million. Jeanette’s decades working and finding success in the film industry has given her a unique and unrivaled perspective of how to finance film content and make a profit. Exclusively for Stage 32, Jeanette will give a realistic, accessible, and straightforward presentation of the best way to actually finance your film and make a profit in today’s market. She’ll go over the differences between the studio finance model and independent finance model and then delve into how distribution can work best for you and how you can take advantage of more options than you think. Jeanette will also lay out how you can establish profitability for your film by explaining the essential ingredients necessary for a profit, going over how to create a budget and teaching you how you can best align your interests with the investor’s. Jeanette will break down the financial sources available today and give you tips on how you should be balancing multiple sources and mitigate risks for investors at the same time. She’ll even walk you through the complicated “waterfall” process of recoupment. Financing your film is more possible than you might think, even if you’re just getting started, and Jeanette will give you the tools and confidence to be able to take the necessary steps for your own project.   PLUS: Jeanette will provide exclusive and helpful documents to take home with you after, including: Collection Account Management Agreement Example Pay or Play Offer Draft Finance Plan Template for Microsoft Excel   Praise for Jeanette's Stage 32 Webinar: “This was an excellent overview of all that is involved, and a great encouragement to reach out to people who do this kind of thing for a living, instead of trying to do it by myself for the first time.” - Sarah D. “Jeanette was so detailed about the how to's and why you need to take and research every step. I love getting the details that really feel behind the curtain.” - Melissa B. “I liked it. Specifically, the content. Jeanette was very informative and clearly knows her stuff.” - Crystal B. “Explanation of pre-sales and budget breakdown was very informative.” - Roc R.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Producing a $1 to $3 Million Movie

Learn how to make your $1-$3MM independent film AND make money doing it from a successful producer of over 45 film and television projects with Netflix, Disney, Sony, Paramount, HBO, Showtime, and more. Plus! You'll receive exclusive handouts to help you on your own projects! Is your desire for your script to one day be acquired by an established company holding you back from producing it yourself? You may want to really think about producing your movie independently. We are in a moment in time where independent films are making a big comeback and the industry is eager to support the indie filmmaker.  The truth is some of the greatest returns in filmmaking come from making a film for $1 to $3 million. Producing isn’t easy, but if you can create a quality story and project, then you can attract talent, build a great package, and win over investors. In this exclusive Stage 32 4-part on-demand class, you’ll learn the step-by-step process of producing a film with a budget of $1 to $3 million that can sell and generate profit. Over four on-demand sessions, you’ll cover how to make your project attractive to investors and talent, how to ensure your film gets the best sales distribution, how to finance it, and how to avoid pitfalls and eliminate risks during the filmmaking process. By the end of this class, you will walk away knowing how to make your film a reality and make money doing it. You’ll also receive exclusive handouts, including an adjustable finance plan for low-budget films, an option agreement, and a sample “pay or play” offers to attach your cast and director. Showing you the ropes is acclaimed producer Jeanette Milio, who has worked on over 45 film and television projects with major studios and producers, such as Netflix, Disney, Sony, Paramount, HBO, Showtime, and many more. Her films have starred top-tier talent, including Academy Award-winning performers Halle Berry, Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, and Mickey Rourke. As a member of the Producer's Guild of America, Women in Film, and the Cannes Film Festival Producer's Network, Jeanette will share with you her deep industry knowledge for domestic and international markets at every budget level. Learn how to bring your film to life on your terms and make your biggest goal a reality! PRAISE FOR JEANNETTE'S PREVIOUS STAGE 32 EDUCATION: "Jeanette has invaluable knowledge and made me feel like seeing my movie on the big screen was possible." -- Phillip F. "Truly an eye-opening course. In today's film market, it makes all the sense in the world to make your own film and Jeanette shoed me how." -- Mark M.

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