CAM AGREEMENTS (CAMA)

A Collection Account Management Agreement is the appointment of a neutral, third-party to receive and disperse revenue from the distribution/exploitation of an independent film or episodic series. This is a multi-party agreement signed by the producer(s), financier(s)/investor(s), sales agent(s), and distributor(s) that formalizes the revenue “waterfall”. The CAM (Collection Account Manager) will open a bank account where all distribution revenue will be deposited, and the monthly bank statements will be made available to all signatory parties to the CAMA. The CAM will begin paying out on the first dollar to all impacted parties, which includes guilds, investors, profit participants, distributors, producers, etc. on an annual, semi-annual, or quarterly basis.

For Producers, this relieves a massive administrative burden that lasts for years - you should be making more films, not crunching numbers! In certain instances, having a CAMA in place prior to production may waive certain guild requirements, like residual bonds. It can also help build trust and accountability when approaching investors and financiers by demonstrating that there is a formal process in place for the management of distribution revenue. A CAMA also will enforce expense and validate expenses allocated by sales agents or distributors before they are allowed to be deducted from any revenues - never fear the mysterious marketing budget again! It’s also a fantastic option to create a sustainable and fair profit participation pool or deferred compensation model for your cast and crew that you won’t have to manage yourself.

For Investors, a CAMA is a surefire way to guarantee that you get your money when you’re supposed to and that no “funny math” is taking place between the revenue being paid out to the production and making its way to your bank account. It also is a way to ensure that if the production company goes belly up, you still get what you’re owed.

For Distributors, working under a CAMA is a way to demonstrate fairness and transparency to potential clients in a segment of the industry that - let’s face it - is not percieved as fair or transparent by filmmakers and investors.

CASE STUDY SAMPLES - COMING SOON.

PCAM SERVICES

PCAM are similar to CAMA services, with the difference being it’s purpose. PCAM stands for Production Cashflow Account Management. Our PCAM services are designed to insert a neutral, third-party into the development, pre-production, production, and post pipeline that manages the disbursement of the revenue based on certain milestones or checkpoints being met; all of which is laid out in a formal agreement.

It’s also a great way to “hold funds”, for example when you have an investor commit to only funding post-production but your production financier won’t kick in until you’ve secured your funding for post. In this situation, we would be able to provide the documentation necessary to help get the deal done. And just like with a CAMA, investors are far more comfortable with a neutral, third party being involved knowing that their funds won’t be used and that they aren’t being given the runaround.

But the most common use of Escrow Services is releasing funds on a timeline, eliminating the risk of more funds being used in production than were allocated, and not cannibalizing your post budget. And of course situations arise where maybe that money can be re-allocated. We can help that process move and ensure the paperwork is all on the up-and-up, establishing fairness and transparency to all impacted parties.

digital rights servicing

The distribution world is changing. And the reality is, if you don’t have a big name either acting in or directing your film (or in the case of a show, a known showrunner or creator), you won’t get that big release. Those days are over. Now you have other options to get there. One is using a company like ours, where you pay an annual fee, and we deal with getting it out to platforms and all the accounting and tracking, and then you get paid like clockwork every 3 months.

Plus, if you have a profit participation pool or profit share with investors, talent, crew, whomever - we can even manage that for you to at a heavily discounted rate.

business affairs consulting

Yes - any and all things related to running the business side of your film or show. With an extensive background in legal and financial fields, as well as a decade in the entertainment industry, we know what works and what doesn’t and how to set yourself up for success in navigating the turbulent tides of this industry.

We offer a flat rate for the kind of “one-off” or “pick your brain” issues of $150/30 min or $250/hr, as well as offer monthly fees and project based fees that will vary depending on the scope of work.