Film Finance Readiness: 12 Questions Before Your First Meeting
A film finance meeting is easier to use well when the producer can separate what is known, what is assumed and what needs a decision. You do not need to pretend the project is finished. You do need a clear account of its current position.
This checklist is a preparation exercise for independent film and television producers. It helps you spot missing evidence before a promising conversation turns into a week of searching through old emails.
Start with the project, not the presentation
Before polishing another slide, write a short project summary: format, audience, stage of development, intended scale and the decision you want from the meeting. A request for feedback is different from a request for development support or a production commitment. Make that distinction explicit.
Then answer these twelve questions in a working document. Give every unresolved item an owner and a next step.
Which screenplay or treatment version is everyone assessing?
What evidence records the production company's position on the underlying rights?
Which key creative attachments are confirmed, and which are conversations?
What is the current budget total, version and preparation date?
What assumptions drive the largest costs?
Does the schedule support those assumptions?
Which finance is contracted, conditional, applied for or only being explored?
What conditions could delay the money arriving?
Which distribution or audience assumptions have supporting evidence?
What work remains before the project can progress?
Who is responsible for each missing item?
What specific response are you asking for today?
Use an evidence column
A green tick is useful only if another person can find the document behind it. Add columns for evidence, document date, owner and next action. Link to the current file rather than an entire folder.
For example, an invented project might list a location as “confirmed” because the owner liked the idea in a phone call. The evidence column reveals that access dates and costs are still unresolved. The useful correction is to change the status to “discussion in progress” and assign a follow-up. That is more credible than leaving an unsupported certainty in the pitch.
Keep the meeting pack small
Send the documents requested by the recipient. A concise overview, current budget summary and transparent finance position are more usable than an unsorted archive. Keep detailed supporting material ready to share when relevant, with access permissions checked in advance.
Put the version date on the overview. If a number changes after sending it, issue a short change note identifying the old value, the new value and the reason. Do not rely on everyone opening a silently replaced attachment.
Turn the conversation into a work plan
After the meeting, record questions, requested documents and agreed next steps. Distinguish interest from a commitment. A helpful conversation can advance a project without closing its finance.
Choose the three gaps that most affect the next decision and work through those first. This makes preparation a repeatable producer task rather than a last-minute performance before each meeting.
A practical starting point
The Causeway Film Finance Readiness Checklist is designed to help identify obvious gaps before a project reaches a financier. Use it as a structured starting point, then attach your project's actual evidence. If you also need to organise the wider development materials, the Starter Producer Pack is the next option to compare.
For a project that needs hands-on production planning, explore Causeway's production services.
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