NextTV

I was recently asked about finding an investor for a web series.  Below is the email exchange that I believe can be a good way to begin the conversation that, I’m sure, many of you either have great insight into or your own questions about…

Nice to hear from you and thanks for joining us at NexTv Entertainment.

In answering your question, the first thing I would identify is how you intend to get your investor’s money back.  Once you have a clearer sense of that, you can begin figuring out who might be a legitimate lead to follow.  Aside from government and arts foundation grants (which should be looked into for a budget as contained as this), no one outside of your family is going to invest even $5, if there is no clear path for getting that money back.

So, what’s the plan?  Is there an idea or concept that could be part of a bigger online business?  So, if the series is about kids selling lemonade, could you set up a website that is a destination for consumers looking to view kids content, for example?

Is there a theme or throughline that could be relevant to sponsors?  Again, a series about kids selling lemonade could be very relevant to those companies that make lemonade (MINUTE MADE, etc…).  You could approach them to ask for sponsorship in exchange for product placement or for integrating their brand into the simple web site, or web page, even, that will house your series.

Find some reason why a company might want to throw a few dollars/pounds your way, then talk to their business development/marketing people.  It could even be a small local business that sees value in supporting local artists (again, in exchange for you working hard to promote them).  Maybe you suggest that you publicize through social media and all tools at your disposal that you were able to make this because of a grant from Mike’s Pub…huge supporters of local artists and local business pros.

If you want an individual to throw money your way, you need to formulate a plan for them too.  It’s tough to make money on a web series unless there is some OTHER mechanism in place for bringing in revenue.  You could even create t-shirts and merchandise that you plan to sell through the series, giving the investor 110% of their investment back.  Once that threshold is met, you’ll split all profits 50/50.  So for example, if they invested $5,000, all revenue flowing in to the business would go to them until $5,500 (110%) was collected.  Then, every penny after that could be considered profit.  You would have to work out a deal that specified how your expenses, if any, were recouped as well (cost of t-shirts, cost of website, etc…)  The less complicated you make it the better!  You do NOT want lawyers going back and forth about it or it will never, ever, ever happen (…ever).

We were able to secure financing for an indie pilot because a smart man who owns a distribution company that focuses on dvds of tv shows believed that even if we didn’t sell the show to a network, he could probably cover his investment by releasing it as a dvd.  He happened to have been a fan of the local, live show that we are adapting for tv, so he was motivated to make this great thing happen…but he was in a position to invest only because he was a smart guy who was not in the habit of throwing money away.  He had to feel strongly that there was a real possibility that he could recoup his money.

Whatever your plan is, make sure it is realistic, well thought-out and clear.

Or, of course, you can offer sex for money…

Randy Becker
NexTv Entertainment

www.nextventertainment.com

HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO SECURE FINANCING FOR YOUR WEB SERIES? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU…leave a comment or just email me at rbecker@nextventertainment.com

As part of our mission of providing meaningful tools for filmmakers and content-creators we have created the FILMMAKER’S JOURNAL.  This will be an ongoing series where we follow several filmmakers as they put their projects together.  Some will begin further along in the process than others.  All can benefit from building an audience before their work is even completed.

PLANS is a feature film project that I think may be particularly interesting to follow

Below is an email sent to me by Jason Phillips (Director, Co-writer of PLANS).

And so it begins…

Randy,

As discussed, we are in full pre-production for our neo-noir thriller entitled  ”Plans”, without any initial funds or budget.

Our goal is to produce a knock-out, professional quality feature, demonstrating that indie filmmaking is not only alive and well, but more accessible and possible than ever, using only available resources, talent and the support of the indie film community.

We’d be ecstatic if you, NexTv and the NexTv community wanted to jump on board with our project and proved this to be true.

Let’s put the power back in the filmmaker’s hands.

Together.

Our work to date is available for viewing at plansmovie.com and our Facebook page for “Plans”.

-Jason Phillips