I am looking for an attorney who is an expert in legal matters surrounding film funding, for commercial exhibition and distribution.
I am inspired by director Sam Raimi and his team's method of sourcing investors for 'Evil Dead' (1981), by first crafting the legal contract with an attorney before approaching investors. The investors were promised a percentage of the revenue generated.
I am yet unclear what the sources of generation of revenue for my project can be (ie. TV, galleries and museums, cinema theatres, video on demand?). What sets my work apart, is that I have already produced and finalised the audio track (soundtrack) of the project in the entirety, and 15 minutes of the actual film is already produced, the length of the work will be in the 40-45 minutes range.
I am looking to raise 4400-4500 USD.
Here is information that I was able to uncover about the preproduction and funding of 'Evil Dead' (1981), through an AI response generation platform:
"before Sam Raimi (along with producer Rob Tapert and star Bruce Campbell) went out to raise money for The Evil Dead (1981), they legally structured the way they would take investments by having an attorney prepare a formal investment document. Here’s what that involved:
The Legal Document They Prepared Raimi and his collaborators consulted a Detroit lawyer (Phil Gillis, a friend of Tapert’s family) to get legal advice on raising funds. Based on that advice, they formed a limited partnership — a legal entity — which became Renaissance Pictures.
The attorney helped them draft a limited-partnership offering document (often called a limited partnership agreement or legal offering prospectus in that context). This document was the legal contract they would show to potential investors when soliciting funds.
What the Document Contained The offering document essentially laid out the key terms of the investment opportunity:
Structure of the partnership: It defined the limited partnership — Renaissance Pictures — as the legal vehicle for the project.
Investment terms: It explained that the filmmakers were selling shares in the movie; they offered up to fifteen shares at $10,000 each.
Escrow conditions: All investment money was to go into an escrow account that could not be accessed by the filmmakers until a minimum number of shares — nine, or $90,000 — had been sold. This was the amount they estimated they needed to begin shooting.
Rights, risks, and responsibilities: It spelled out what investors owned, what risks they were taking, and the rights and duties of the partners and the investors.
Return projections: Raimi and his team promised investors they could double their investment in two years — though that was essentially a projection/bluff to help attract financing.
Investor communications: The plan included sending out bi-weekly newsletters on production progress and giving each investor two tickets to the world premiere.
Purpose of the Document The main goal of this legal document was to:
Make the offer to investors legally credible — having a formal limited partnership and a written offering made the project look legitimate rather than an informal “friends chasing a dream.”
Comply with legal requirements for selling investments — even in a small independent film context, the sale of shares had to be structured to protect both the filmmakers and the investors.
Set clear terms for who owned what and what investors could expect — including how and when funds could be used and what rights investors received in return.
The finished legal offering document was then presented to friends, family, and local professionals (doctors, lawyers, business owners, etc.) as they attempted to raise the funds needed for production."
What I practically need from you as an attorney - in the entertainment industry - is what source of revenue I can promise to my investor, in what way, and how to divide or sell, and promise the work to the investor. Ultimately creating the legal document for presentation to the investor.
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