The plan for The Good Man is for a new kind of filmmaking. The idea is to build a community around the project, in which investors, cast & crew, the production companies, and township residents all have a stake in the film.
We are funding it through a simple investment scheme. There are 400 project shares available at £150 each, giving a total budget for the production of £60,000. This figure is entirely for the production of this particular film – there are no salary or running costs coming out for Manifesto Films.
All returns made by the film will then be divided up in the following way:
40% to investors | 30% to the production companies | 20% to cast and crew | 10% to a township trust for local filmmakers/artists
In addition to the potential financial return (outlined in the next question), all investors will receive:
- a signed copy of the DVD and score;
- an invitation to a special screening; and
- access to a production blog, with updates and photos of the process and filming.
All investors’ names will appear in the film credits, and will also have opportunities to visit, and on occasion be extras, on set.
This will be in one of two ways. Either we will sell the film to a distributor, who will then arrange and manage distribution, or we will self-distribute. The first step will be to get the film into a number of major festivals around the world, and thus providing a platform for selling the film. If, for example, we were to sell the film to a distributor for £250,000, investors would receive 40% of that amount, £100,000 (or, if all 400 shares are sold, £250 per share).
If an insufficient number of shares are sold to make the project viable, we will simply return each person’s investment in full. If we sell a smaller number of shares and feel that the project is viable on a slightly reduced budget (for example, 300 shares giving a budget of £45,000), we will continue with the project and each share will increase in terms of potential return value (in the example above, a return to investors of £100,000 for 300 shares means each share would then be worth £333). The decision of whether or not to proceed on a slightly reduced budget would only be taken if it was very clear that the film could still be shot and finished.
It’s very simple to purchase shares. You can either do a simple bank transfer (cheaper for us as there are no fees), or pay through Paypal (no account required). Just click on the relevant link below and send your details. When you make your purchase you will receive an investment certificate detailing your investment. If you are considering purchasing a large number of shares, it may be more efficient financially to arrange this separately – please contact Stephen to discuss this.
Manifesto Films Ltd is a limited company and will be publishing clear and precise accounts for this project, which will be available to investors and the public. If you have any questions at all, please contact Stephen.