Erick Gordon, VP of FilmHedge, shares how understanding risk, return, and reliability wins you funding
By Carole Dean
If you’re creating powerful stories but feel blocked when it comes to funding, my recent interview with Erick Gordon on The Art of Film Funding Podcast is one you won’t want to miss.
Erick is the Vice President of FilmHedge, and what he offers filmmakers is not theory—it’s a real path to financing. He explains how you can access up to $25 million for your film when you treat filmmaking as both art and business.
With experience as a financier and a professor, Erick breaks down what filmmakers need to know to attract serious investors. More importantly, he gives you permission to think bigger.
“We’ve created something as close to bulletproof as possible,” Erick said. His insight into the economics of filmmaking could shift how you approach every project from this point forward.
This conversation is about changing how you see yourself—not just as a storyteller, but as a creative professional who can confidently structure success.
Let’s unpack what that means—and how you can claim your piece of it.
Film Is a Serious Asset Class—And Investors Are Taking Notice
According to Erick Gordon, we are entering a new era where film is no longer seen as a speculative endeavor, but a credible and strategic investment. Private credit institutions, like FilmHedge, now approach film financing with the same diligence and systems they use to evaluate any commercial asset class.
“Anybody who wants to make money in this specific asset class needs to be in film,” Erick explained.
FilmHedge underwrites close to $1.9 billion in loan requests annually and maintains a strict internal policy to protect their investors’ capital. They have helped finance over 50 films and television projects, and they’ve had no defaults.
Why Being Bonded Is Non-Negotiable for Serious Film Financing
FilmHedge underwrites close to $1.9 billion in loan requests annually and maintains a strict internal policy to protect their investors’ capital. They have helped finance over 50 films and television projects, and they’ve had no defaults.
Their success, Erick says, is grounded in structure. One key requirement is that every project be bonded—meaning the production is insured and managed with accountability from start to finish. If a project lacks this, no matter who is involved or how promising the concept is, it does not move forward.
“I don’t care if you’re on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” Erick said. “If your film isn’t bonded, I can’t help you.”
This approach ensures that filmmakers who meet specific requirements can access funding with consistency and clarity. And it means investors can support projects without unnecessary risk.
Proper Packaging Builds Trust
If there is one message Erick repeats, it’s this: packaging is foundational. Without it, a film cannot be financed at the institutional level.
“Your script is important,” Erick told us, “But what makes it viable is having real attachments—people with signed agreements and shooting windows. That’s what gives the project financial value.”
He emphasized that a pitch deck is not a package. A package is a full financial and creative structure: contracts with cast and crew, a bonded production schedule, international presale interest, and a plan for domestic distribution.
To support filmmakers in building these packages, Erick created BizOfFilm.com, an online course with lectures, quizzes, and four full textbooks. The goal is to help filmmakers approach the business side of film with the same focus they bring to writing or directing.
“I don’t want filmmakers to be intimidated by this,” he said. “I created this for people who want to understand how films get financed. Because once you know how the system works, you can work within it.”
Using Tax Law to Attract Equity
An important part of film finance today is understanding tax incentives. In our conversation, Erick focused on Section 181, a federal tax provision that allows investors to deduct their full investment in a qualified film project from their taxable income.
“Last year alone, we used Section 181 in eight projects,” he shared. “And we saved our investors over $70 million in taxes.”
When combined with state-level incentives—which can offer rebates or credits between 30% and 40%—filmmakers can dramatically reduce the out-of-pocket expense of making a film. This also gives potential equity investors a strong financial reason to support your work.
Erick was quick to point out that this isn’t theory—it’s law. Filmmakers can look it up in the tax code themselves. But FilmHedge also provides guidance and legal support, so that filmmakers and investors can navigate these tools with confidence.
Knowledge Builds Resilience
At one point, Erick offered a helpful analogy. He described a large office building where one day, all the cars in the parking garage stopped working. Out of a thousand people, only a handful would know what to check first or how to fix the problem. Those are the people, he said, who took the time to learn what’s under the hood.
“Most people know how to start the car and drive. But few ask why it works,” he said. “And in filmmaking, it’s the same. The ones who ask ‘why’ are the ones who keep moving forward.”
He reminded us that talent is only part of the equation. In his view, drive, discipline, and a willingness to learn are just as important. And he’s seen these qualities in filmmakers all over the world—from Cannes to Martha’s Vineyard to Atlanta.
Learning to Think Like an Investor
When I asked Erick how filmmakers can become more effective in their financing efforts, his answer was simple: learn to think like the people you’re asking to support you.
“You have to build your film the way you would build a product,” he said. “Not because your story isn’t important, but because an investor is looking at risk, return, and reliability.”
Inside his course, the first textbook is called The Truth About Packaging. It’s 184 pages, and it outlines the full framework filmmakers need to follow. From cast agreements and distribution strategies to presale values and ROI projections, every piece matters.
Erick walked us through how certain actors are added to films specifically to increase international value. He gave the example of Bruce Willis, who appeared in several films that might have seemed outside his usual genre.
“If you ever wondered why a major actor is in a small foreign film,” he said, “the answer is likely international presales. Their name sells the movie in that market. It’s part of a larger financial plan.”
Understanding this helps filmmakers move from being purely creative to becoming strategic—and that shift often leads to getting funded.
Film Financing Is Learnable—and Necessary
Erick’s passion for film is evident in every word. He wants to see more filmmakers succeed—not by chasing luck, but by understanding how money flows through the industry.
“We’ve built a system that works,” he said. “It’s as close to bulletproof as we can make it. But filmmakers have to do their part. They need to bring us a real package. That’s how we can help.”
At From the Heart Productions, we believe the same. Creativity is the soul of cinema, but structure brings it to life. When you pair vision with knowledge, doors begin to open.
Carole Dean is president and founder of From the Heart Productions;
It is a 501(c)3 non-profit that offers the Roy W. Dean Film Grants and fiscal sponsorship for independent filmmakers. She is creator and instructor of Learn Producing: The Ultimate Course for Indie Film Production. Essential classes for indie filmmakers on how to produce their films.
She hosts the weekly podcast, The Art of Film Funding, interviewing those involved in all aspects of indie film production. She is also the author of The Art of Film Funding, 2nd Edition: Alternative Financing Concepts. See IMDB for producing credits
