Elsa Ramo Elsa Ramo is one of the top entertainment attorneys in the industry today and the managing partner of Ramo Law. Recently named to Variety’s 2019 “Dealmakers List,” Elsa Ramo has represented over 100 films and 50 television scripted and unscripted series in 2019 alone, including Emmy award-winning shows and films which debuted at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.Her clients include Imagine Entertainment, FOX, Balboa Productions (Sylvester Stallone’s production company), Scout Productions (creators and EPs of QUEER EYE), Boardwalk Pictures (EPs for CHEF’S TABLE) and Skydance. Zev Raben Providing guidance and advice to financiers and distribution companies, Zev Raben brings his depth of legal experience to bear for his clients in all aspects of their varied businesses. While his practice is primarily focused on representing financiers and distribution companies, Zev also assists producers in all areas of their creative pursuits. He has worked with producers whose films have been recognized by Sundance Film Festival and SXSW. His past experience as an entertainment litigator makes him well equipped to identify potential issues early on in transactions. His recent projects include the upcoming Bruce Willis film HARD KILL, 2020 Sundance standout FOUR GOOD DAYS starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis, and the award-winning A PRIVATE WAR starring Rosamund Pike and Jamie Dornan. Sean Pope Sean works with producers and production companies focusing on all aspects of production legal services from development to distribution, with a particular focus towards documentaries and docu-series, and corporate formation services. Prior to joining Ramo Law in 2016, Mr. Pope worked at a boutique entertainment transactional and litigation firm providing legal services for producers, writers, actors and musicians. His past projects include the upcoming Liam Neeson thriller HONEST THIEF, Netflix documentary THE BLACK GODFATHER, and hit Netflix docu-series CHEER. Full Bio »
Learn How to Find Investors and Secure Financing for your Feature Film
PLUS! See a Mock Investor's Closing Call
As the landscape of independent film continues to evolve, a clear funding path has developed for films budgeted between high-six figures and $10MM. Indeed, it’s become an effective “sweet spot” for investors. At this budget you can typically attract and secure some star power, one important step toward increasing the odds that your investors will see a return on their investment. But this is just one reason why this budget range is attractive to many investors. There are many more variables at play which will help you raise money for a film or project in this price range. But first, you must understand some tried and true principles that will help you find investors, present your project in the proper fashion and lock them down for an investment.
Knowing how to raise money intelligently for films and projects within this budget range can be your calling card toward a powerful career in the independent producing space. Simply put, those who understand the strategies and methods that can help your investors see a return get to keep those investors time and time again. And those investors can, and usually do, bring along more investors if they're happy. While everyone says that raising financing is the hardest aspect of filmmaking, there are smart ways to find money that you may not have thought of, and there are also ways you can expand your dollars once you start raising funds for your project. In addition, there is a well-known group of professionals and creatives that have been working on films in this budget range for years and it's important that you know who they are, how to approach them and what the expectations are once you do.
Founded by Elsa Ramo, one of the top entertainment attorneys in the industry today who has been named to Variety’s “Dealmakers List,”, Ramo Law PC provides comprehensive legal services to its clients in the entertainment industry with a specialized focus in representing financiers, producers, directors, distributors, studios and production entities in all transactional aspects of film, television and digital content. The firm provides experienced legal services to optimize its clients’ financial, legal and business position in the financing, production, and exploitation of their content. Ramo Law has represented hundreds of films and television series both scripted and unscripted series, including Emmy award-winning shows. Clients include Imagine Entertainment, FOX, Balboa Productions (Sylvester Stallone’s production company), Scout Productions (creators and EPs of QUEER EYE), Boardwalk Pictures (EPs for CHEF’S TABLE) and Skydance. Elsa and her associates are bona fide experts when it comes to the nuts and bolts of finding financing for your independent film.
Elsa and her senior associates Zen Raben and Sean Pope will join forces to demystify the film financing process so that producers, writers, directors, and financiers can understand the basic yet crucial components of how independently financed films are funded. They will begin by discussing entity formation. They will explain why you need to form an entity for your production and what type of entity you should form, as well as what state you should form it in. They will go over the information you will need to form the entity, the forms that need to be filled out with the state, and how operating agreements work. They will also teach you what a waterfall is and why you should include one in your operating agreement. Next, Elsa, Zev, and Sean will delve into important things to keep in mind specifically for your LLC formation, including the state of formation, deciding if it will be member-managed or manager-managed, who should be in control of creative decisions and who should be in control of business decisions. They will then talk about equity investment and go over who exactly provides equity investment, what investors get out of it, where the investment gets placed and why investors are motivated. Next, Elsa and her associates will explain debt financing. They will teach you the four common types of collateral in debt financing, and four types of debt you will be dealing with. They will go over the key terms and considerations you should know, and just like equity investment, they will explain who provides debt investment, what the investor gets out of it, where the investment gets placed and why investors are motivated.
Elsa, Sean, and Zev will even stage a mock closing call between a producer and senior lender to demonstrate what it looks like to lock in funding from an investor. Finally, Elsa, Sean, and Zev will give you an invaluable closing checklist, walking you through everything you need to keep in mind when going after funding. Expect a thorough, comprehensive and undeniably helpful guide to give you the tools you need to find the funding for your next project. This is designed for all levels but particularly effective for those that are currently producing and/or packaging a feature film.
Praise for Elsa's, Zen's and Sean's Stage 32 Webinar:
"It was absolutely brilliant! One of the best webinars I've attended yet! Loved the mock call. That was so educational!" --Becca G.
"They are all knowledgeable and had a great presentation" --Carlos B.
"Great webinar financing. Will be watching again." --Martin R.
"AMAZING WEBINAR!!!" --Stephanie D.
Elsa Ramo, Zen Raben & Sean Pope, Ramo Law PC
Q: How do I watch my webinar live?
A: If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Go to Webinar, you will receive an email from Go to Webinar with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. You can also access your webinar link in your purchase history located under settings in the top right-hand corner of your Stage 32 profile.
If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Zoom, you will receive a separate email from Zoom with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. Your login link will not be in your Stage 32 profile. If you did not receive your link via Zoom please email support@stage32.com.
Q: How do I watch my webinar on demand?
A: You will be able to watch your webinar on demand as many times as you’d like inside your Stage 32 profile. The recording is processed and posted between 24-48 hours after the webinar concludes. You can follow the instructions below.
YOU MUST HAVE A STAGE 32 PROFILE TO WATCH YOUR VIDEO – STAGE 32 IS FREE TO JOIN
If You Already Have a Stage 32 Profile:
Q: What is the format of a webinar?
A: Stage 32 Next Level Webinars are typically 90-minute educational broadcasts that take place online using a designated software program from Stage 32. Your webinar will be taught by a working industry professional with in-depth teaching on a topic. If you are able to attend live you will be able to ask your Stage 32 Educator questions during Q&A.
Q: What are the system requirements to watch my webinar live?
A: You will need to meet the following system requirements in order to run the webinar software: Windows 7 or later Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.
If you have Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.9 (Mountain Lion): The webinar software does not support these operating systems. If you are running one of those operating systems, please upgrade now in order to be able to view a live webinar. Upgrade your Windows computer / Upgrade your Mac computer.
Q: What if I cannot attend the live webinar?
A: If you cannot attend a live webinar or purchase an on demand webinar, you will have access to the entire recorded broadcast, including the Q&A.
Q: Will I have access to the webinar afterward to re-watch?
A: Yes! Like all Stage 32 education, after the purchase of a live or on demand webinar, you will have on-demand access to the recording.
Q: How do I get a copy of the handouts provided?
A: If the webinar you take included handouts you can find them as downloads underneath your on demand video. You must be logged into your Stage 32 profile to view the video and get the handouts by clicking settings in the top right hand corner, then clicking purchase history.
Q: What if I need accessibility and accommodations?
A: Email support@stage32.com to request accommodations.
Thanks for your loyalty to Stage 32 Education. We value having you in the Stage 32 community.
If you have any further questions, we are always happy to help. Please contact Stage 32 support at support@stage32.com.
A NEW EXCLUSIVE WEBINAR Learn How To Improve, Fix and Perfect Your Film In The Edit Room From An Award-Winning Editor Real-world case studies of visual and audio materials examples will be referenced and used by Won! No matter how well your shoot goes, there’s a high probability that when you go to piece the footage together in the edit room, you’ll find yourself wishing you had gotten more takes, more angles, another line read, and simply more elements than what you have. But there is usually no way to go back and reshoot what you now feel you need. This is a where it becomes vital to have an editor who knows how to work with the footage you have, and employ the many tricks of the trade at their fingertips, to edit together the great story you want to tell. In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you’ll learn why the phrase “fix it in post” is commonly used in Hollywood as you learn editing tricks, visual hacks, and simple effects that can solve numerous problems in post-production. The edit room is a new chance to perfect your story so in this essential webinar you’ll also cover how use these techniques to strengthen the overall story as you and your editor take on the role of post-production “writer,” “translator,” and “technician” while editing your project. Taking you through these need-to-know editing tips and tricks is Won Novalis. With 15 years of experience in screenwriting and editing in feature films, commercials, and short form, the awarding-winning editor leads his team at the production company, Cry, to deliver the quality polish of a big post-house at a fraction of the cost. He’s worked with numerous major companies, including commercial clients GE and United Way. Won is a fast-paced, meticulous editor who envisions the end goal and uses feeling and intuition to craft stories to their final stage. Whether you’re an editor looking to improve your craft or you’re a filmmaker looking for solutions for your project, you'll leave this webinar armed with many tricks of the trade that you can start implementing today. PRAISE FOR WON'S PREVIOUS STAGE 32 EDUCATION: "I've cried so many times over long editing days. Novalis is so smart and passionate, and gives the best feedback on edits that I know I'll never have those same issues again!" -Jack K.
Writing the hero or main characters of your story is always fun. You typically have an immediate sense of who your character is, what they like, where they live, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they relate to the world around them. What may not be as easy and might be considerably more difficult is writing your supporting characters - particularly when it is a large ensemble of characters that you need to introduce. It is just as important to develop your supporting characters as it is your main ones. Your supporting characters add tremendous value to the arch of your main character’s journey and therefore require a sincere investment to their development. A supporting character can be a sidekick, sibling, or best friend of the main character. Whoever they are, they have an important role to play in your story. The last thing you want is to leave the potential of the supporting character sitting on the back burner. It’s time to bring them up front and really brainstorm what they can bring to the table of your script. A supporting character can greatly enhance your subplot and move the general plot forward if you truly understand how to utilize them. We have the tools to help you master this exactly. Jordan Barel is a seasoned filmmaker, television coordinator, an award winning publisher, and business owner who founded Loaded Barrel Studios, publishing graphic novels and obtaining international awards, including the Independent Publishing Book Awards (2012, 2013), The LA Book festival, the Geekie Awards ®, and many others. He has optioned his incredible books and screenplays with producers such as David Uslan, Brendan Deneen who has done work for MARVEL Entertainment and DC, Jeffrey Erb, and Aaron Berger who has contributed to projects like TURBO and CRIMINAL MINDS. Jordan will demonstrate the effective approach on how to utilize your supporting characters to enrich your storytelling. Jordan will discuss how your supporting characters can be utilized to bring depth to your story and connect it to the Hero’s Journey of the main character in your script. He will also touch on using supporting characters as a unique element to deliver key exposition and tools on ways your supporting characters can deliver a subplot. Jordan will break down case studies of various film types and how they use supporting characters & sub plots in story. By the end of this webinar, you will feel well-equipped with ideas on how to strategically use your supporting characters to magnify your story to its fullest potential. Jordan is thrilled to deliver this exciting material to members of the Stage 32 community. PRAISE FOR JORDAN'S TEACHINGS: "It was absolutely excellent information." - Gerri G. "Great speaker, lots of great info. Thanks!" - Ron H.
Learn how to secure money for your film even after an investor says "no" from a producer whose raised over $15MM for her own projects and whose films have been in theaters, on HBO, Hallmark, Starz, Showtime, and more. Plus! You will receive an Investor Pitch Flow Chart, Sample Sponsorship Tiers, Sample Wish List, and a Sample In-Kind Letter of Intent to use on your own projects! Many filmmakers run into the same problem over and over again during their careers: they write a great script or find an exciting piece of IP, finish development, set up a meeting with an interested investor to fund the project then…the investors passes for any number of reasons. At this point, many filmmakers stop trying with that investor, curl into a ball and question why they chose this crazy industry, indulge in a pint of ice cream or bottle of wine, and threaten to quit the business. However, this does NOT need to be the case! There are steps that you can take with the investor who said "no" that can lead you to money for your film and we archer to show you how it's done. So, what exactly do you do when you get the dreaded "no" from a potential investor? This exclusive Stage 32 webinar will help you to make a little mindset shift and see every “no” as a wonderful opportunity to still finance your film…which oftentimes becomes the case! Here's how it's done... More often than not, the investor is excited about the project (they did take your meeting after all) but the financial ask is a bit too steep for their capabilities at the moment. So, it makes sense to approach them again with a new strategy. The strategic shift you need is simple and involves thinking as creatively on the business end as you have on the artistic end. When you are in this critical phase of raising money for your film, you are relationship building; you need to think about how you can reposition the deal, create partnerships, or potentially find "soft costs" to cut your budget to save money thus sweetening the deal. Working these types of angles with the potential investors who say "no" starts up fresh conversations and can lead to the success you're looking for. You’ll find that with the right tools and mindset at your disposal, the investor who initially told you "no" will become the perfect resource to help finance your film, expand your network, and get your film closer to a green light into production. Teaching you how to turn a “no” into actual financing for your film is producer and executive Sara Elizabeth Timmins, founder of Life Out Loud Films. Sara Elizabeth has raised over $15MM for her own projects using the tactics she is sharing in her webinar. Her films have been seen in theaters, on HBO, The Hallmark Channel, Starz, Showtime and internationally. She has worked with talented actors like Josh Lucas, Jane Seymour, Ellen Burstyn, Chris Cooper and Mackenzie Foy and writers like NY Times Best Selling Author David Baldacci. Sara Elizabeth has found success on numerous films by leveraging people who initially said "no" to an investment but whose connections, resources, and passion helped her save hundreds of thousands of dollars in in-kind, sponsorship, donations and connections. PLUS! Sara Elizabeth will provide you exclusive handouts you can use throughout your financing process. Downloads include: Investor Pitch Flow Chart - This Is A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Navigate An Investor's “No” Into Multiple Options That Can Lead To Money For Your Project Sample Sponsorship Tiers Sample Wish List Sample In-Kind Letter of Intent What you learn from Sara Elizabeth today can help get your movie financed and made tomorrow! Praise For Sara Elizabeth's Previous Stage 32 Webinars "Sara Elizabeth is just phenomenal. She teaches through her experience and successes, which really helped me learn how to navigate my filmmaking process." -- Mary S. "I've taken a handful of filmmaking and producing courses and none have compared to working with Sara Elizabeth. She is not only knowledgeable, but also cares about her students and offers help in any way she can!" -- Amanda B. "Sara Elizabeth really impressed me across the board. Her expertise, personality, and approach to the business and art of making movies is really top notch." -- Nick L.
This is the 3rd installment of the Stage 32 + Bondit Media Capital Masterclass featuring Matthew Helderman (CEO of Bondit Media Capital) and Elsa Ramo (Managing Partner of Ramo Law).
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, with mistletoe, tinsel, sleigh rides, and, of course, a boatload of new Christmas movies. Indeed, for millions of families across America and the world, appetite is high for new Christmas-themed content. Hallmark alone is premiering 80 (!!) new Christmas movies this holiday season. That’s on top of the 90 they produced last year. And Hallmark isn’t the only player in the Christmas movie game. Many other networks and streamers have entered this space like Netflix, Hulu, Lifetime, Freeform, and BET, to name a few. With so many networks and streaming platforms hungry for Christmas content, there has never been a better time for writers and producers to bring their own Christmas story to the screen. If you want to write or produce your own Christmas film, there are a lot of opportunities available to you, but you first need to understand what this space is currently looking like and how you can best fit in. Who’s buying and selling? What makes a Christmas themed script successful and how can you best produce and assemble your film to make it marketable, unique, and exciting? Better understanding the context and current landscape can give your own Yule tide project the success you’re looking for. James Crawford is a producer and development executive currently at Fireside Pictures with several holiday titles—and several dozen other pitched projects—under his belt. While at Engage Entertainment, James developed, sold, and produced seven movies to Hallmark Channel over three years, including THE ROOFTOP CHRISTMAS TREE, SLEIGH BELLS RING and A DECEMBER BRIDE. In addition to his feature production experience, James has developed several one-hour television series, pitching to EPiX, WGN America, Cinemax, and Universal Cable Productions, among others. James worked as Creative Executive at Cartel Entertainment, a television and film literary management and production company, and was responsible for identifying, developing, and pitching content for its first-look deal with Entertainment One, including the Stephen King novel The Regulators. At Cartel Entertainment, James developed pitches for Amazon, FX, Hulu, Netflix, Cinemax, UCP, and other major networks. James has a storied background as a producer and executive and is intimately familiar with what it takes to turn a script into a produced holiday film. James will teach you how to write and produce a successful Christmas movie in today’s industry. He’ll begin by going over the market and explaining who is buying and selling. He’ll also outline what stories are popular right now. He’ll then delve into tips for writing an effective Christmas movie, both TV movies and films. He’ll discuss aspects like screenplay format, plotting and structure, themes to lean into and avoid, diversity, characters, and what the holiday film essentials are. Next James will go over how to produce a Christmas movie. He’ll talk about what a successful budget range should be and when to start pitching. He’ll explain how to cast your movie for success and where to spend your money in production. Finally he will go over distribution options for your holiday film and whether it can sell outside of the US. If you’ve always wanted to make your own Christmas movie or have a story that you think could work within the holiday market, let James give you the lowdown you need to take the next steps toward holly jolly success. Praise for James's Past Stage 32 Webinar "James was awesome. Clear, concise, and knowledgeable." --Stephen B. “James Crawford was very informative, and the way he brought the webinar across was entertaining and kept you engaged. I loved every bit of it! I hope he comes back for a round 2” --Imo C. "Super helpful and very clear. Right to the point. Not full of anecdotes but actual teaching." --Helena W. “It was very informative in a practical way. James was great!” --Dave M.
Learn how to make your acting reel stand out so you book more jobs from Kym Jackson, an actress who has worked on THIS IS US, CRIMINAL MINDS, NCIS: LOS ANGELES, S.W.A.T., SNITCH starring Dwayne Johnson, FATAL AFFAIR on Netflix, and more! There are only 3 spots left to work one-on-one with Kym in this rare opportunity that guarantees you focused attention. ***Flexible Learning: if you cannot attend any of the sessions live don't worry - you will be sent the links to the recordings of each session within 48 hours of the live session and you will have direct access to Kym on email to ask her any questions so you can keep up at your own pace and schedule.*** Payment plans available - contact edu@stage32.com for details As an actor, your acting reel is one of the most important tools in your professional arsenal. Your reel is a short video that encapsulates your craft and career highlights and shows casting directors, directors, and producers who you are, what you can do and what you have done. While creating a well constructed acting reel might seem like a no brainer, there are several imperative elements to consider when making your acting reel. The length, order of scenes, music, and editing of your reel are crucial in helping you put your best foot forward to industry professionals so you can book the job. Oftentimes, casting directors and producers will turn your reel off after just a few seconds if they don’t like what they see, making it essential that you make a strong impression within the first few seconds of your acting reel. Simply put, your acting reel must look and feel professional if you want to be a working actor. In this exclusive Stage 32 2-part lab, you will not only learn how to build a professional acting reel that will get you noticed, but you will also receive personal guidance and feedback on your current acting reel from an acclaimed acting industry expert. If you don’t have an acting reel yet, that’s fine! You will receive the same personal guidance on how you can and should create your reel that highlights your specific and unique abilities as an actor. Taking you through the step-by-step process of building your professional acting reel is Kym Jackson, working actress and author of the book The Hollywood Survival Guide For Actors. Kym is best known for her on-camera work on the hit CBS series CRIMINAL MINDS and NCIS: LOS ANGELES, the ABC series S.W.A.T. and the movies SNITCH starring Dwayne Johnson, FATAL AFFAIR on Netflix and countless other projects. Kym is also the founder of the Secret Actor Society. Over two interactive sessions, you will learn the fundamental tools to creating an outstanding acting reel and receive personal feedback on your own acting reel. Kym will review your acting reel (or body of work if you don’t yet have a reel) and will take you through a scene-by-scene analysis of how you can improve or build your reel. You’ll walk away from the two interactive sessions completely familiar with professional acting reel structure and the difference between an average reel and a strong, memorable reel that has an impact on the viewer. You’ll be able to see what is missing from those average reels and what to alter to improve yours. To guarantee all students receive ample one-on-one time with Kym, this course has limited enrollment and there are ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT. This is a rare opportunity to work with Kym on your reel and once spots are filled, they are gone for good! Kym has experienced firsthand the power and impact of an effectively crafted acting reel and she will be working with you to supercharge this most important marketing material that you have as an actor to make sure you and your work get noticed. PLUS! You will receive exclusive handouts to help fine tune your acting reel. Downloads include: Link to strong examples of both working actor and new actor reels List of US acting reel editors List of US acting reel taping companies Fundamentals of an Acting Reel Whether you’re a working actor with an existing acting reel that you are looking to level up or just starting your acting journey and need to build your first reel, this lab is the perfect opportunity to work directly with an industry pro to elevate one of your most valuable resources as an actor! "Stage 32 is the leader in entertainment industry education and I am honored they invited me to join their team of expert instructors. The next Meryl Streep or Robin Williams is out there just beginning their career and I love the idea that I might have the privilege of helping them along their journey!" - Kym Jackson