mediamoghul_newlogo_2.JPGWhether you’re a major studio or a first-time indie director, film financing is a tricky business. Coming up with a great idea for a film is hard enough, and finding the needed dough to make that great idea into a movie can be an intimidating endeavor. Lucy Sato, vice president of MediaMoghul.com, understands this, and she and her staff are determined to make the process easier for everyone involved. “It is amazing that in this day and age it is still the accepted norm… that creative people with talent and ideas must spend years trying to establish the contacts with the major players who can offer them a deal and finance their project,” Sato says. “But unfortunately, most of the time, most people do not get any funding! And the few that do get the funding usually end up with little creative control… which is a ridiculous situation.”

MediaMoghul.com is a Website that aims to democratize the financing process by connecting artists with backers and helping them to sell their projects, piece by miniscule piece, until a project is fully funded. For instance, a moviemaker can post a description of a film he or she is working on as well as the percentage of the project that he or she is willing to sell off in return for funding. This amount is then divided into points of $10 or $15 increments, which are purchased by “investors” (or Average Joe movie fans looking to own a piece of a project) visiting the site. At the end of the process, you’ll have the money you need to get your film up and running, provided by movie lovers instead of faceless corporations. “Let’s face it, give or take the few indies that make it, mainstream entertainment is pretty stagnant at the moment,” notes Sato. “Yet there are thousands of interesting films out there, waiting to be financed and released—and the public wants to see them!”

For more information, visit www.mediamoghul.com.

Sound Off: MediaMoghul.com is innovating the way indie moviemakers can finance their work. What are other ways in which we can democratize the moviemaking process, and bring movie fans and moviemakers closer together?