What is a bridge (short-term) loan? By David Brown
FilmMoney’s Short-Term Bridge Loan: Fast Capital When Time is Critical
In the independent film world, the clock kills more projects than the script. You’ve secured financing, but closing takes weeks. Meanwhile, attorney fees are piling up, talent escrow needs funding, and your dream cast has a narrow availability window.
That’s why David Brown, founder of FilmMoney and FM Lending LLC, created the Short-Term Bridge Loan — a fast, flexible solution to help producers cover critical expenses during the financing close.
Why Producers Need Bridge Loans
Even with firm financing commitments in place, finalizing paperwork and setting up escrow can take 6–8 weeks. In that time, producers often incur:
Legal fees
Actor and talent escrow
Script development and chain-of-title cleanup
Early-stage pre-production costs
These costs can’t wait — and if you do, you risk losing talent or pushing the project indefinitely. “Bridge loans aren’t a luxury — they’re a lifeline. We step in so the deal doesn’t fall apart while the paperwork catches up.”
— David Brown, Founder of FilmMoney and FM Lending LLC
How the Short-Term Bridge Loan Works
FilmMoney provides fast, secured funding to help you bridge the gap between commitment and close.
Key Terms:
Loan Amount: Based on verified budget needs
Loan Term: 4–10 weeks
Premium: 15%–20% flat
Origination Fee: 3.5%–10% of the loan
Secured Lending, Creative Flexibility
Fast Execution – Legal docs and funding within days.
Secured Position – FilmMoney files a UCC-1 lien and copyright mortgage for protection.
Transition Planning – We coordinate with your financiers’ legal team for a seamless exit.
Repayment – Once your long-term financing closes, the bridge loan is repaid and liens are released or assigned.
Examples of Use Cases:
Holding a cast member by funding escrow
Paying legal teams for closing docs
Securing a bond package ahead of time
Keeping the production office open during the finance gap
Smart Structuring = Bigger Incentives
When possible, FilmMoney allows producers to classify bridge loan costs as eligible production expenses, making them rebate-eligible in states that support it. That can mean 20%–40% of your fees come back through tax incentives .
Bottom Line
The Short-Term Bridge Loan from FilmMoney and FM Lending LLC is fast, secure, and designed specifically for producers navigating the chaos between deal and delivery. If you’re in a closing crunch, we’re your reliable first-in lender — not your bottleneck.
Learn more at www.filmmoney.com