Investor Agreements

Get Certified in Investor Agreements

Taught by Sean Pope, California Entertainment Attorney

An investor agreement in the film or TV industry is an agreement between the production company and a financier, in which the financier commits to financing part of or the whole production costs of the film. Furthermore, the finance agreement sets out the terms and conditions to which the financing of the film is subject, such as the conditions precedent (which can be the attachment of a certain actor or director, or a certain budget range, or commitment of other financing sources).

An equity investment agreement occurs when investors agree to give money to a company in exchange for the possibility of a future return on their investment. In the film industry, the equity investment agreement points out to which conditions the investment is subject, how the equity investor will recoup its investment and premium, and what share of net profits the investor will receive if the film is financially successful.

In this certification module, you’ll learn the basics of what an investment agreement is and how it is used in the film and TV industry. The goal of this module is to help you become familiar with the structure, usage, and standard deal terms for this type of agreement. 

The course will cover:

• Corporate formation
• An overview of the equity of a film
• Who provides equity investments
• What does an investor get
• Gross proceeds
• Net proceeds
• How the money is disbursed when it comes in
• What motivates investors

What is Individual Certification?

Individual Certification is a single course centered around one subject. Upon the completion of viewing this course and passing a test you will receive a Stage 32 Certificate in this area of production.

You can pause your course and go back to review sections as you are learning, which you will be tested on. You will be given three attempts to pass the test. If you do not pass you will need to re-enroll in the course.

After you receive your Stage 32 Certificate, you will also be listed in our master database accessible by film commissions and productions that are looking for talent. A Stage 32 Certification badge will be added to your Stage 32 profile, so when you are networking on Stage 32 people who are hiring will know that you have completed Stage 32 Certification. In addition to Stage 32, we recommend you post your Stage 32 Certificate on other social media profiles.

About the Instructor

Over 90 minutes of instruction, you will learn directly from California attorney Sean Pope, a senior associate at entertainment law firm, Ramo Law. The Ramo Law firm has produced and financed hundreds of TV and film projects. Sean works with producers and production companies focusing on all aspects of production legal services from development to distribution. He serves as counsel for Emmy award-winning companies Boardwalk Pictures (“Chef’s Table”) and Scout Productions (“Queer Eye”). He also represents production companies such as Caliwood Pictures (“A Nice Girl Like You”) and The Solution Entertainment Group (“Blacklight,” “Killerman”, “Line of Duty”, “Honest Thief”), and he recently provided representation on the 2022 Sundance films “The Exiles,” “Brainwashed,” “Descendent,” “Watcher” and “TikTok, Boom.”

(Payment plans available at checkout)

THIS COURSE IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE, NOR IS STAGE 32 OFFERING A LEGAL OPINION. THIS PRESENTATION HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. ONLY YOUR ATTORNEY CAN ADVISE YOU WHICH LAWS ARE APPLICABLE TO YOUR SPECIFIC CASE AND SITUATION. WHILE THE PRESENTER HAS USED REASONABLE EFFORTS TO INCLUDE ACCURATE AND UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES OR REPRESENTATIONS AS TO THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT AND ASSUMES NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ERROR OR OMISSION IN THE CONTENT. THIS COURSE IS PRESENTED ON AN “AS IS” BASIS.”