...
Maybe you could get somebody a nice present?
Investment type: Revenue Participation Rights.
To begin with, for investors 100% of the adjusted gross proceeds from the movie go straight into your pocket.
Then, once you've gotten 115% of your initial investment back, that ratio adjusts, and 50% of the film's profits are yours in perpetuity. That's forever and that's a mighty long time.
Minimum Investment: $100.
Security Type: Revenue Participation Rights.
Round Size: Min: $10,000; Max: $850,000.
Interest Rate: Adjusted gross proceeds sharing agreement which provides the investors 100% of the Company’s adjusted gross proceeds up to the repayment amount of 100% of their investment, plus an additional 15% bonus, then a pro rated share of 50% of adjusted gross proceeds thereafter.
Length of Term: None.
Conversion Provisions: None.
Pre-Money Valuation: $2,000,000.00
That Christmas Movie LLC wants to produce a movie with you. Until recently, most people couldn't easily invest in motion pictures. Only high net worth individuals (less than 3% of the population) had these opportunities readily available to them. If you wanted to help make a movie, your only choice was crowdfunding like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, but you weren't allowed to share in any profits the movie might have.
That's all changed with the implementation of the JOBS Act. Now you can invest as little as $100, and own a piece of this film. Our movie is the first feature length narrative film to give you this opportunity under Regulation Crowdfunding rules in the United States. By investing, you will be a part of filmmaking history.
Our short term goal: produce the best Christmas movie we can and release it during the 2017 holiday season, with the aim of attaining profitability in one season.
Our long term goal: continue to market the film to create a revenue stream for decades to come, because we believe that Christmas movies are an evergreen asset.
I'll Be Next Door For Christmas is a warmhearted, upbeat comedy about a family that's crazy for Christmas. Except for the 16-year-old daughter -- her family’s over-the-top Christmas celebrations have made her life miserable. When her out-of-state boyfriend decides to visit for the holidays, she’s determined to spare him her family’s Christmas obsession, so she hires actors to play her parents and stages a fake Christmas dinner in the empty house next door. What could go wrong?
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"I love Christmas movies. They’re all about family — whether it’s about finding your real father and teaching him the meaning of Christmas (“Elf”); wondering what would happen if you’d never been born and never had a family (“It’s a Wonderful Life”); convincing your parents that you MUST have a Red Ryder BB gun (“A Christmas Story”); dealing with those annoying relatives who ruin your Christmas before making it the best one ever (“National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation”); or replacing your parents for Christmas only to learn there's no substitute for family ("I'll Be Next Door For Christmas"); — it’s always about the holiday putting a family through a crisis only to become stronger in the end. And always with a healthy dose of comedy.
What a great metaphor for life! All families go through crises, and good Christmas movies remind us that we can get through it and become a stronger family, laughing together in the end (if we don’t kill each other first).
There are a lot of great Christmas movies, but I wish there were more. And that’s why I wrote this story. And that’s why we’re making this film."
-- David Willis, Director/Producer/Writer
Produce the film for a lean budget, skip distribution fees, and sell right to the source where people are watching movies with their families: iTunes, Google Play, Hulu, and cable TV video-on-demand. The MBA types call this "disintermediation." We call it outsmarting the system. And it means profit participants will receive the biggest possible share of the income stream, since the film avoids paying the traditional 35% - 40% distribution fees.
Distribute in Select Theatres via Tugg
"I've known David Willis for my entire professional career, and I know him to be a smart, incredibly funny artist who approaches his art with the same kind of passion that I do. He has keen insight into human behavior, a deliciously skewed take on the world, and a heartfelt desire to break new ground in the world of filmmaking."
-- Marc Cherry, "Desperate Housewives" Creator / Executive Producer
"I've had the pleasure of working with David Willis many times over the last 15 years and have always found him to be funny, talented, and a pleasure to be around. He has an agile mind, and a quick wit and eagerness to always explore new facets of the business..."
-- Christopher Lloyd, "Modern Family" Executive Producer, Co-Creator
"If I invest in this movie, what will I get?"
You'll own a piece of the company (revenue participation rights -- please refer to Terms section and attached documents for exact terms). And there are some great perks for early investors, like behind-the-scenes peeks, visiting the set, a producer credit, meeting the cast, walking down the red carpet at the premiere, not to mention an EXTRA 15% RETURN for all investors this round! (See below for details.)
That Christmas Movie LLC, the company you're investing in, has a single purpose: to make and market the motion picture "I'll Be Next Door For Christmas," and to derive revenue from that intellectual property.
Production (Crew, Locations, Equipment) | $354,000 |
Cast (Union Scale) | $131,000 |
Post Production | $98,000 |
Contingency | $69,000 |
Insurance, Legal, General Expenses | $62,000 |
StartEngine Fee | $51,000 |
Marketing | $50,000 |
Unit Production Manager | $15,000 |
Screenplay | $10,000 |
Director | $10,000 |
Total | $850,000 |
This is the Production Budget for the movie.
A film budget is a living, breathing document and will adapt to changing conditions, such as: weather, actor availability, script rewrites, location variables, etc. But we anticipate that the proportions of the various departments should remain roughly the same. Money we raise over $850,000 will go to things like: add more shooting days, increase the music budget, cast a name actor as guest star, and increase production value.
There's a phrase in our business: "Put it up on the screen." It's referring to money in the budget that pays for something that shows up on the screen. If producers rent swanky offices in Beverly Hills instead of modest ones in North Hollywood, those extra dollars spent don't appear on the screen. Using that money to increase the art department budget or hire a more famous actor is money that will be seen on the screen. "Put it up on the screen" is the motto our company lives by. It makes for a better movie artistically, and it makes more sense financially because a higher quality film sells for more.
In addition to self-distributing in North America, we will sell the foreign rights to an established international distribution company. We have already received offers from such distributors with minimum guarantees in the $200k-$300k range.
Worldwide box office continues to rise, and is reflective of the demand for entertainment.
Home Video Sales
In addition to video-on-demand on cable, iTunes, etc., we will also release the film on DVD and Blu-ray. We will strike a deal to manufacture and distribute the film on physical media throughout North America -- targeting big box stores like Walmart and Target. Why? Because the DVD/Blu-ray market was a $5.49 billion industry in 2016.
The Comedy genre grabs the second biggest market share.
Market Share for each genre from 1995 - 2017.
(Source: The Numbers)
Worldwide box office (in billions) over the last five years.
(Source: Box Office Mojo)
"Home video will reach $20.9 billion, up from $20 billion in 2016 during the same period, and of that, both streaming video and TV video on-demand will jump from $11 billion to over $15 billion by 2020. The United States has a mature subscription TV market and thanks to rising bundle prices and premium service increases, will grow modestly from $101.8 billion to $102.3 billion by 2020. The U.S. M&E market, which represents a third of the global industry, and is the largest M&E market worldwide, is expected to reach $771 billion by 2019."
Investors could benefit from the many ways movies generate income:
There isn't much direct competition in this space. The major studios don't make many live action family Christmas movies. That's why when you ask people what Christmas movies they like, they often mention ones made years -- even decades -- ago.
And the Christmas movies on cable (such as Hallmark) are certainly very Christmas-y, for which we say "Yay!" But they're not full on comedies, like our movie is. We come from a strong comedy background. (Didja see our credits?)
Our goal with this movie is to help you get your Christmas on, hang with the fam, and shake with laughter like a bowl full of jelly.
Movie | Year | Budget (in millions) | Worldwide Box Office (in millions) |
It's a Wonderful Life | 1946 | $3.1 | $9.5 |
A Christmas Story | 1983 | $3.25 | $20.6 |
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation | 1989 | $22 | $189.9 |
The Santa Clause | 1994 | $27 | $71 |
Elf | 2003 | $32 | $220 |
Christmas With the Kranks | 2004 | $50 | $96.4 |
Four Christmases | 2008 | $80 | $168.3 |
Almost Christmas | 2016 | $17 | $42 |
(Source: The Numbers.) This chart is box office for theatres only, and does not include DVD, Blu-ray, iTunes, and all other revenue sources. We will rely heavily on video-on-demand (VOD) for revenue, similar to the release model used by the film "Bachelorette," which grossed only $418,000 in theatres upon initial release, but simultaneously made $5.5 million from VOD.
Note: Perks have been updated as of June 29, 2017. There is now no limit to the number of investors who can claim a particular perk, and some perks have had their requirements reduced and so are easier to claim -- especially tickets to the premiere. If you qualified for a perk before, you still get that perk. If you did not qualify before, you may now qualify based on the investment you already made. Of course, investments may be increased should you desire to claim a higher perk, since your investment level is the total of all your investments in That Christmas Movie together.
You are investing in equity in this offering. Perks are meant to be a "thank you" from the company for investing, and to provide you with an experience not available to the general public. If you qualify for a perk that can only be fulfilled by being at a certain place on a certain date (visiting the set, coming to the premiere, listening to a webcast, etc.), and you cannot make that time and place, we regret that we cannot change our schedule to accommodate any investor -- you'll have to forego that perk.
All investors receive the same pro rata share of the revenue whether or not they claim a perk.
Maximum $100,000 of Revenue Participation Rights ($100,000)
Minimum $10,000 of Revenue Participation Rights ($10,000)
Company | That Christmas Movie LLC |
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Corporate Address | P.O. Box 50201, Studio City, CA 91614 |
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Description of Business | Produce and market a motion picture. |
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Type of Security Offered | Revenue Participation Rights |
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Purchase Price of Security Offered | 1.00 |
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Minimum Investment Amount (per investor) | $100.00 |
Company Valuation | $2,000,000 |
Valuation Methodology | We have not undertaken any efforts to produce a valuation of the Company. The price of the shares merely reflects the opinion of the board as to what would be fair market value. It is based on the cost of producing and marketing the motion picture. |
A crowdfunding investment involves risk. You should not invest any funds in this offering unless you can afford to lose your entire investment. In making an investment decision, investors must rely on their own examination of the issuer and the terms of the offering, including the merits and risks involved. These securities have not been recommended or approved by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority. Furthermore, these authorities have not passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this document. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission does not pass upon the merits of any securities offered or the terms of the offering, nor does it pass upon the accuracy or completeness of any offering document or literature. These securities are offered under an exemption from registration; however, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not made an independent determination that these securities are exempt from registration.
Dear Investors in That Christmas Movie —
Again, thank you for your investment and for helping us reach $226,100. We’re going to put your dollars to good use to get you the movie you deserve.
We have some good news and some slightly disappointing news.
The not-as-good news is that we are not going to be able to release the film in the 2017 holiday season as we’d hoped we could. Our hoped-for release date was aggressively ambitious, but in the end we just didn’t get quite enough investment dollars to make it in time. We’re bummed about this, but that’s (quite literally) show business, so we must pivot and adapt. Not to worry, there are many holiday seasons to come, and many chances to profit from the film. If we let little delays like this get us down, well, we wouldn’t have made it this far in the business!
The good news is twofold:
Many of you entered our contest to act in a role in the movie, and that is ongoing. We are planning to launch more exciting contests, giving away Christmas trees, ornaments, wreaths, Christmas sweaters, etc. Prizes worth thousands of dollars. And we’re also going to have more opportunities for you to get involved in the film. Do you like to sing or know someone who does? Well, we’re planning to have a contest for some talented person to sing on the soundtrack of the movie! And there’s even more to come. Not only are we crowdfunding the money to make the movie, but we want to come to the crowd for some talent to be in the movie.
Thank you again for all your support. We were raising $10,000 a day for the last ten days of the campaign, so clearly the enthusiasm for our plucky indie Christmas movie is out there! If we reach that pace again, then our campaign will end in a month and we can start getting into preproduction.
Please spread the word about the wonderful Christmas movie you’re all making with us, and remember — only 153 days to Christmas!
— David Willis
The continuing Equity Crowdfunding campaign for That Christmas Movie is now live if you CLICK HERE.
Hello all. That Christmas Movie fundraising campaign ends tonight, July 11th, at midnight PST!
This is your last chance to get in on an amazing opportunity to join more than 470 people just like you who've invested over $187,000 so far.
How often do you get to be part of filmmaking history? We are the VERY FIRST feature length film in the United States to be made this way. The first one to allow you to become part of an Oscar and Emmy award-winning team, and to give you the chance to make money every holiday season, year after year, decade after decade from the movie's profits.
Movie distribution experts estimate $3.2 million in sales for our film over two holiday seasons. And with only an $850,000 budget, you can see how profitable it could be. With those sales, investors would more than double their money in less than two years.*
If you've already invested, please let your friends and colleagues know about this timely opportunity, or consider increasing your investment.
Only hours to go before this investment opportunity closes!
*(Note: although these estimates are based on industry-standard projections, we cannot guarantee those returns. Please read all disclaimers and investment documents carefully before investing. Use only risk capital.)
If you've been thinking about investing in That Christmas Movie, the window of opportunity -- and the the round -- is closing.
Come join us on this grand Christmas adventure, and have the chance to make money every Christmas season for decades to come!
Better scoot on over and invest before this round is over!
Don't miss out -- only 6 days left to get in on this round!
Remember, early investors get an extra 15% on their return.
We are so grateful to our early investors, that we want to reward them with… more returns! We've just added a new perk, the Early Investor Bonus:
Everyone who has invested so far in this round will now get an additional 15% return on their investment before the producers begin to get their share.
And this will also apply to anyone who decides to invest during the rest of this round — which closes on July 11th. This perk applies to anyone who invests $100 or more. (Hey, that's every investor!)
Yes, you heard right — all investors this round now get 115% return on their money first.
So if you’ve been thinking about investing, or increasing your current investment, you now have 15% more reasons to do it. We want to thank you for being an early investor and believing in our family Christmas movie.
This is just our way of celebrating a little Christmas in July!
"That's right, little boy, this paper says all investors now get 15% more return!"
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PERKS
Perks have been updated as of June 29, 2017. There is now no limit to the number of investors who can claim a particular perk, and some perks have had their requirements reduced and so are easier to claim -- especially tickets to the premiere. (If you qualified for a perk before, you still get that perk.) If you did not qualify before, you may now qualify based on the investment you already made -- it's completely retroactive.
Of course, your investment may be increased should you desire to claim a higher perk. Your investment total is cumulative.
We made this change to reward all our early investors. We greatly appreciate your investment, and look forward to making this journey with you all!
Here's a random Christmas cat picture. I guess they got a scooter for Christmas.
Hello investors, and those following That Christmas Movie on StartEngine. We hope you're having a good summer so far, like this snowman family. (Now you know where snowmen and their families go in the summer.)
Just wanted to let you know that our campaign ends on July 11, so there are only 2 weeks left to invest!
If you're still on the fence about investing, or thinking of increasing your investment, here are four good reasons to become part of our filmmaking family:
If the video doesn't play for you, you can watch it here instead.
Hello, everyone.
A cat (by the name of Parsley) plays a small but crucial role in the plot of the film, and we are delighted to announce that we have signed one of the most adorable cats on the internet to play the part of Parsley: Lil Bub!
Because Lil Bub is (a) adorable, and (b) has 5 million social media followers -- so we're not the only one who like her.
We're so excited that we made a special Lil Bub page to highlight her involvement in the movie. If you or someone you know is a cat lover -- then please send them here for more info.
Lil Bub is a special needs pet (you can find more about her here). So we're donating a portion of the producer's profits from the film to Lil Bub's Big Fund to the ASPCA. (BTW, this does not affect the investor's share at all.)
That Christmas Movie has exceeded their minimum funding goal and are continuing to accept investments through 7/11/2017.
Per their offering terms, and because their equity crowdfunding campaign has now exceeded the minimum funding goal by over 986%, they have decided to conduct a closing on 6/29/2017. If your funds have cleared you will have up until 48 hours prior to this closing to cancel your investment. If your funds have not yet cleared by this date, then you will be part of the next closing if and when your funds do clear.
We have begun the process of raising the limit to $1,070,000. Until that process is final, the investment page will show that "$100,000+" has been raised, even though more investor money is being added all the time, and the total continues to grow. We continue to accept investments, and all new investor money will go into escrow as usual.
So please continue to spread the word about our movie.
Our sincere thanks to all our investors.
-- David Willis
p.s. More exciting news to come soon!