I just saw a report that said the Feds are rolling up an indie film scam like a cheap carpet.
It seems some modern day Eliot Ness called shenanigans on the activities of Q Media Assets, and Cinamour LLC for running a boiler room operation. For those of you who aren't hep to the lingo of big money long con grifters, a "boiler room" is a room literally filled with telephones and people trained to use them. In this case the telemarketers would callsuckers leads and tell them about a "wonderful investment opportunity."
The opportunity would be the chance to put money in an independent movie. This opportunity came with a guarantee that 93% of their money would be visible on screen, and that they will receive a 1,000% return on their investment. The scam came from the fact that these "producers" spend less than 1/3 of the $25 million they raised to make and release, two indie films, while pocketing the remaining 2/3s, and instead of the 1,000% promised return, thestooges investors got somewhere between jack and squat.
Now I am shocked and appalled by such scams. Because for every investor burned by such a scam, a thousand will avoid getting involved in independent film at all.
But what shocks and appalls me more, was the apparent ease at which these scammers raised $25 million.
Why can't I get some of that action?
So this is where I throw my hat in the ring, and make my pitch to raise money for at least two independent movies.
GIVE ME $25 MILLION!!
I will use that money to make two films of about $10 million a piece for production, then use the bulk of the rest to sell the two movies to a decent distributor who will actually release the film within the decade.
I won't promise you a 1,000% return on your investment. Because I'm not a liar, and you are not an idiot.
What I can promise you is that I will--
- Not waste money on stars who can't deliver at the box office.
- Make a movie with a decent story with commercial appeal.
- Not waste your money on 3D.
- Do everything I can to sell that movie, not only to a distributor, but to the public.
There's a very good chance that you could lose the entire investment, because success in the movies is largely a crap-shoot. What could bomb one day can be a blockbuster the next. So will advise, nay, insist, that you only invest what you can afford to lose.
At best you can get a good return on your investment, at the very least you can tell the chicks that you're a "for real movie producer," and have the paraphernalia to prove it.
And that is my honest investment pitch.
So let's just sit back and watch the money roll in.
It seems some modern day Eliot Ness called shenanigans on the activities of Q Media Assets, and Cinamour LLC for running a boiler room operation. For those of you who aren't hep to the lingo of big money long con grifters, a "boiler room" is a room literally filled with telephones and people trained to use them. In this case the telemarketers would call
The opportunity would be the chance to put money in an independent movie. This opportunity came with a guarantee that 93% of their money would be visible on screen, and that they will receive a 1,000% return on their investment. The scam came from the fact that these "producers" spend less than 1/3 of the $25 million they raised to make and release, two indie films, while pocketing the remaining 2/3s, and instead of the 1,000% promised return, the
Now I am shocked and appalled by such scams. Because for every investor burned by such a scam, a thousand will avoid getting involved in independent film at all.
But what shocks and appalls me more, was the apparent ease at which these scammers raised $25 million.
Why can't I get some of that action?
So this is where I throw my hat in the ring, and make my pitch to raise money for at least two independent movies.
GIVE ME $25 MILLION!!I will use that money to make two films of about $10 million a piece for production, then use the bulk of the rest to sell the two movies to a decent distributor who will actually release the film within the decade.
I won't promise you a 1,000% return on your investment. Because I'm not a liar, and you are not an idiot.
What I can promise you is that I will--
- Not waste money on stars who can't deliver at the box office.
- Make a movie with a decent story with commercial appeal.
- Not waste your money on 3D.
- Do everything I can to sell that movie, not only to a distributor, but to the public.
There's a very good chance that you could lose the entire investment, because success in the movies is largely a crap-shoot. What could bomb one day can be a blockbuster the next. So will advise, nay, insist, that you only invest what you can afford to lose.
At best you can get a good return on your investment, at the very least you can tell the chicks that you're a "for real movie producer," and have the paraphernalia to prove it.
And that is my honest investment pitch.
So let's just sit back and watch the money roll in.
*crickets*
I would seriously give you some money. I don't have 25M, but I would contribute. Oh, you were kidding?
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