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Film Business Affairs 101: From Chain of Title to Recoupment
On Demand

Film Business Affairs 101: From Chain of Title to Recoupment

Taught by Sidney Chiu
$49.00
Sidney Chiu
Taught by
Sidney Chiu
Production Manager

Summary

Learn from an international producer whose films have won awards at TIFF, Zurich, and the Pan African Film Festival

 

Get a Chain of Title Certificate, Equity Term Sheet, Cashflow template, Recoupment Schedule, and Int'l Distribution & CAMA Agreement that you can apply to your own film!

 

PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 webinar is now available to watch on-demand and no longer live.

Getting a film made isn't just about a great script and the right cast — it's about understanding the business machinery that turns a passion project into a financed, distributed reality. Whether you're chasing your first greenlight or you've produced a dozen films, mastering business affairs — clean rights, smart financing structures, and contracts that protect you at every stage — is what separates the producers who keep getting films made from the ones who don't. This is the foundation that makes that possible.

 

The producers who thrive are the ones who get this right early. They secure a clean chain of title, choose the right entity structure, and build a realistic budget tied to a smart financing plan — and that's what lets a great project actually make it to set, instead of stalling out. Like building a house, a firm foundation lets you stack as many floors as you want. This webinar gives you that foundation.

 

You'll be learning directly from Sidney Chiu, a producer with a track record of getting international productions financed and made. Sidney's credits span award-winning coproductions across Canada, Germany, and South Africa, including Love Jacked (Best Narrative Feature, Pan African Film Festival), Coconut Hero (Best Film in Focus, Zurich Film Festival), and Bang Bang Baby with Jane Levy and Peter Stormare. Sidney also served as Production Manager on Finding Mr. Right, which grossed over $80 million, and produced A Night for Dying Tigers, which premiered at TIFF. This is someone who's navigated the exact financing, packaging, and distribution challenges you're facing — and come out the other side with produced, recognized films.

 

You'll learn:

  • The four pillars of producing — development, financing, production, and distribution — and how they connect, whether you're financing your first project or your fiftieth
  • How to access financing and soft money from the international marketplace, including the cash rebates and funding incentives available worldwide
  • Why clean chain of title and incorporation matter for securing production financing
  • How to best utilize your lawyers and chartered accountants, and how to mix private and public funds across domestic and international coproductions
  • The producer's role during production, including securing necessary licenses and E&O insurance
  • How to navigate distribution contracts, recoupment schedules, financing waterfalls, and CAMAs

 

With hundreds of cash rebates and funding incentives available globally, there's real opportunity out there for producers who understand how to access it. Mastering the fundamentals of production financing is what gets your project greenlit — and a sustainable financing plan is what gets it made.

 

PLUS! You will receive the following handouts to help you:

  • Equity Term Sheet Sample

  •  Cashflow

  • Recoupment Schedules, Int’l Distribution Agreement & CAMA Agreement

 

 

Praise for Sidney's Previous Courses

"I would have been happy for this course to have gone on for days. Sidney is a very talented lecturer. I couldn't be more grateful." -- Attendee Canadian Independent Screen Fund Webinar

What You'll Learn

Incorporations: Why Every Production Needs A Proper Business Structure

  • Understanding production entities and why films are typically incorporated

  • Setting up the right structure for financing, tax incentives, and distribution

  • Common mistakes filmmakers make when forming production companies

 

The Development Process: Building A Strong Foundation For Financing

  • The phases of development from concept to greenlight

  • Securing rights and establishing a clean chain of title

  • Option agreements, life rights, underlying rights, and adaptations

  • Why legal documentation can make or break your financing strategy

 

Production Financing & Packaging: Positioning Your Project For Investment

  • Understanding the key elements that make a project financeable

  • Packaging talent, attachments, and strategic partnerships

  • Public versus private financing sources

  • Domestic and international financing opportunities

  • Evaluating financing structures and avoiding common pitfalls

  • Understanding soft money, tax incentives, grants, and rebates

 

Production Budgets & Financing: Creating A Sustainable Financing Plan

  • Determining the appropriate budget level for your project

  • Aligning creative goals with financial realities

  • Combining equity, debt, incentives, and distribution advances

  • Understanding investor expectations and risk management

  • Creating realistic projections that support long-term success

 

Production Contracts & Commercial Lending: Navigating The Financial Landscape

  • Essential production agreements every producer should understand

  • Working with attorneys, accountants, banks, and lending institutions

  • Cash flow management and production financing mechanics

  • Understanding deliverables required for financing and distribution

  • Protecting the production throughout the financing process

 

Working With Funders, Unions & Distributors: Managing Stakeholder Relationships

  • Building productive relationships with investors and financing partners

  • Understanding union and guild obligations

  • The producer's role throughout pre-production, production, and post-production

  • Securing licenses, clearances, and Errors & Omissions insurance

  • Meeting contractual obligations while keeping the project on track

 

Exploitation, Distribution & Recoupment: Understanding How Revenues Flow

  • Distribution agreements and what producers should look for

  • Understanding Collection Account Management Agreements (CAMAs)

  • Recoupment schedules and financing waterfalls explained

  • Maximizing long-term value across domestic and international markets

 

Q&A with Sidney

 

Who Should Attend

  • Emerging filmmakers preparing to finance their first feature or independent project
  • Producers looking to strengthen their understanding of financing, packaging, and distribution
  • Writers and directors who want to understand the business side of getting their projects made
  • Industry professionals working with international coproductions or seeking soft money and tax incentive financing
  • Anyone involved in production who wants a clearer grasp of contracts, recoupment, and CAMAs before their next deal

Executive

Sidney Chiu
Sidney Chiu
Production Manager at

With a focus on films with international appeal, Sidney Chiu’s producing credits include LOVE JACKED a Canada South African romantic comedy co-production starring Amber West and Keith David – winner of the Best Narrative Feature at the Pan African Film Festival (Los Angeles) 2018. COCONUT HERO, a Canada German coproduction with Six Island Productions and UFA Fiction directed by Florian Cossen and Lola nominated, winner of the Best Film in Focus at the Zurich Film Festival in 2015, BANG BANG BABY starring Jane Levy and Peter Stormare for Scythia Films winner of the Claude Jutra Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. Sidney was also the Production Manager on the Mandarin romantic comedy FINDING MR. RIGHT, which grossed over $80 million. THREE DAYS IN HAVANA starring Gil Bellows directed by Tony Pantages and Gil Bellows, shot in Havana Cuba with E1 distributing in Canada. Sidney’s first produced feature entitled A NIGHT FOR DYING TIGERS written/directed by Terry Miles premiered at TIFF in 2012.

Testimonials

Praise for Sidney's Previous Courses

"I would have been happy for this course to have gone on for days. Sidney is a very talented lecturer. I couldn't be more grateful." - Attendee Canadian Independent Screen Fund Webinar

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