Screenlight FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is a senior lender in film and media finance?
As a senior lender, we provide the primary debt for a project, which is secured by first-priority liens on the project's assets, distribution contracts, and tax incentives. In the capital stack, senior debt is the first to be repaid from the project's revenues before equity investors or mezzanine lenders receive payouts.
2. What types of media projects do you finance?
We finance a wide range of commercially viable entertainment content, including:
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Feature Films (studio and independent)
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Television Series (scripted, unscripted, and docuseries)
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Digital & Streaming Content
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Animation & VFX-heavy productions
3. What assets or collateral do you lend against?
We typically structure senior loans against high-quality, verifiable collateral, including:
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Minimum Guarantees (MGs) and pre-sales from reputable distributors.
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Tax Credits and Incentives (domestic and international rebates).
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Negative Pickups from major studios or streaming platforms.
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Unsold Territories (on a highly conservative, structured basis).
4. What is your minimum and maximum loan size?
Our sweet spot for senior debt typically ranges from $1 million to $10 million per project. For larger studio-level productions or slate financing, we can syndicate deals with our network of institutional partners to accommodate higher financing requirements.
5. Do you provide gap financing or equity?
Our core focus is senior secured debt. However, on a case-by-case basis and for projects with exceptionally strong underlying collateral, we can provide structured gap financing (lending against unsold territories). In some cases we can provide development funding. We do not provide seed equity.
Frequently Asked Questions (continued):
6. What do you require to evaluate a project for financing?
To conduct an initial review, we generally require a comprehensive submission package containing:
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Fully executed distribution agreements or pre-sale contracts.
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A detailed production budget and shooting schedule. For budgets over $3M, a bond is needed.
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A vetted finance plan showing all sources of capital.
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Profiles of the key attachment team (producers, director, lead cast, and sales agent).
7. Does my project need a completion bond?
If your production is up to $3M, Screenlight does not require a bond, if your production has secured one of the approved production companies as a partner on the production, MediaFusion Entertainment is one of them.
For productions of $3M and up, a bond is required to protect our investment and ensure delivery to distributors; we almost always require a completion bond from a reputable, A-rated completion guaranty company.
8. How long does the underwriting and closing process take?
Once we receive a complete submission package, an initial term sheet can be issued within 5 to 10 business days. The deep underwriting, legal due diligence, and final closing process typically take 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the complexity of the distribution arrangements and the multi-party agreements involved.
9. Can you cash-flow international tax incentives?
Yes. We have extensive experience cash-flowing state, federal, and international tax credits. The incentive jurisdiction must have a reliable, transparent legislative track record, and the tax credit application must be vetted by a recognized entertainment CPA firm.
10. How do I submit my project for consideration?
Producers or their financial representatives can initiate the process by sending an email to: compliance@screenlightmedia.com and send an executive summary. Please ensure your project has at least a portion of its distribution or collateral secured, as we do not review projects that are purely in the early script-development stage.