Let's test this new hybrid model and see if film can actually deliver for investors.
We are raising AU$1 million to produce VENTURA — a fully developed Australian murder mystery thriller with attached international talent — using realtime LED volume technology that cuts production costs by up to 80%. No government grants. No studio overhead. Clean chain of title, 100% ownership of IP.
One Film. No Overhead.
Every Dollar On Screen.
AU$3–$5M to Make. Rarely Profitable.
The average Australian feature film costs between AU$3–$5 million. At that price point, the economics rarely work for private investors. A film needs to generate too much revenue just to break even — before a single dollar flows back to the people who funded it.
Crew Costs Eat the Budget
A traditional production employs 50+ below-the-line crew across multiple departments. Transportation, location permits, set builds, and catering for a 30-day shoot consume the majority of the budget before a single frame is shot. None of that appears on screen.
Studios Create Overhead Before They Create Films
Most production companies raise capital to build infrastructure — staff, offices, development slates, R&D. Investors end up funding wages and overheads for months or years before a single film goes into production. That is not what we are doing.
Government Funding Dilutes Your Position
Soft money from government agencies demands pro-rata copyright shares and first-position recoupment corridors. Investors who rely on these schemes find their IP diluted and their recoupment position subordinated to bureaucratic priorities. We take no government money.
How VENTURA
Gets Made for AU$1M
LED volume virtual production — the same technology used in The Mandalorian, The Batman, and Dune — converts the physical, logistical cost of filmmaking into a digital, pre-production problem. Environments are built once in Unreal Engine 5. The crew shrinks from 50 to 15. The shoot compresses from 30 days to 15.
Instead of scouting, permitting, and travelling to remote locations, environments are built in Unreal Engine 5 during pre-production. A digital asset is reusable. A location is a recurring, non-recoverable expense.
On an LED volume, the Gaffer's role merges with the VP Supervisor's role. Lighting is controlled digitally. A crew of 50 is replaced by 10–15 highly skilled, cross-disciplinary professionals.
By eliminating company moves, weather delays, and set strikes, productions on LED volumes achieve 8–10 pages per day vs. the industry standard of 3–4. This halves the shoot duration and all associated costs.
The most expensive aspect of post-production — VFX compositing — happens in real time on set. The director sees the final image in the monitor during filming. This eliminates 70–80% of traditional post-production VFX spend.
A Legislatively Guaranteed
Buyer's Market
The Australian Government's Streaming Content Requirement Bill 2025 mandates that Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ invest a minimum percentage of their Australian revenue into qualifying local content. This creates structural, legislatively guaranteed demand for cost-effective, high-quality Australian feature films.
VENTURA — a contained murder mystery thriller with attached international talent — is precisely the kind of film these platforms are now legally obligated to acquire. At AU$1M production cost, even a modest streaming acquisition generates a strong return for investors.
| Competitor | Their Model | Our Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional AU producers | $3–$10M budgets, location-based | 80% lower cost base, faster turnaround |
| VP facilities (NantStudios) | Stage rental, no IP ownership | Vertically integrated, own IP slate |
| International low-budget | Offshore, no AU content qualification | Qualifies for Producer Offset + streaming quotas |
| VFX-heavy genre films | High post costs, long timelines | ICVFX eliminates 80% of VFX spend |
For the first time in Australian film history, the demand side of the equation is legislatively mandated. The risk is not whether buyers exist — they are legally required to buy. The risk is whether the film is good enough to pass muster. That is where the team's track record becomes the investor's primary assurance.
AU$5M → AU$1M. Every dollar accounted for.
Why we reject SPAA mandates: Industry body SPAA enforces minimum crew requirements and rigid award structures that serve crews, not producers. By operating outside SPAA guidelines, Ventura can hire the right number of people for the job — not the number required by red tape.
VENTURA — The Test Run That Proves the Model.
This is a single-film investment. We are not raising capital to build a studio, hire staff, or fund development. We are raising AU$1 million to produce one fully developed, talent-attached feature film — and prove that the hybrid model works. If VENTURA succeeds, a 5-year slate follows. If it doesn't, investors are not left funding an empty office.
One Film. All the Money On Screen.
VENTURA is an original murder mystery thriller — fully developed, budgeted for the AU$1M hybrid workflow, and ready for immediate pre-production the moment funding is in place. There is no development phase. No waiting. No burning investor capital on wages and offices while we "get ready."
It is a contained, high-tension genre piece that perfectly leverages the strengths of the LED volume: controlled environments, moody dramatic lighting, and intense character-driven performances — the ideal test case for the model.
By delivering VENTURA on time, on budget, and to a standard that satisfies major streaming platforms, we prove the entire thesis. Every subsequent film on the 5-year slate is de-risked by this single proof of concept.
Emily is one of the leading stars of the British stage. She's also a streamer favourite having starred on massive hits like The Crown, The Royals, and starring alongside Tom Hardy in Prime's smash MobLand, also starring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan.
A 5-Year Slate of AU$1M Films. Built on Proven Technology.
Investors in VENTURA gain first right of refusal on every subsequent film in the slate. A successful proof-of-concept unlocks a repeatable, scalable production model — one AU$1M film per year, each benefiting from the same cost structure, the same workflow, and the same 30% effective Producer Offset as a guaranteed first return. The studio infrastructure is built only after the model is proven, not before.
The proof-of-concept investment
Greenlit if VENTURA succeeds
Greenlit if VENTURA succeeds
The Returns. Private equity only.
The Producer Offset is a statutory, refundable tax mechanism under Division 376 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 — not a grant. It cannot be withheld on creative or political grounds. The statutory rate is 40% of Qualifying Australian Production Expenditure (QAPE). Because certain costs (development, producer fees, legal, finance charges) do not qualify as QAPE, investors should model on a conservative effective rate of 30% of total budget — AU$300,000 on a AU$1M film. This is returned to investors as a guaranteed first-position cash return before any profit distribution occurs.
| Step | Action | Responsible Party | Duration | Cumulative from Wrap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finalise production accounts & prepare audited QAPE schedule | Production Accountant + QAPE Auditor | 4–8 weeks | Month 1–2 |
| 2 | Submit Final Certificate application to POCU | Producer | 1 week | Month 2 |
| 3 | POCU assesses application and issues Final Certificate | POCU (Federal Arts Dept.) | 6–12 weeks | Month 3–5 |
| 4 | Lodge SPV company tax return with ATO, attaching Final Certificate | Accountant | 2–4 weeks | Month 4–6 |
| 5 | ATO processes return and issues electronic offset payment | ATO | 2–4 weeks | Month 5–7 |
Investor Summary: From the end of principal photography, investors should model on receiving the AU$300,000 offset within 5 to 7 months of wrap. Given Ventura's 6-month production-to-delivery cycle, investors can expect the offset approximately 11 to 13 months after the initial investment is made. This payment is not contingent on box office performance.
M0: AU$1M invested. M11–13: AU$300k offset returned (guaranteed, not performance-linked). ~M18: AU$2.1M first-position return — total AU$2.4M back on AU$1M. Producer earns nothing until both tiers are paid in full.
Three-Scenario Model — VENTURA
Based on real-world comparables including Nefarious (US$1M budget → US$5.8M theatrical), Watcher (US$3.2M worldwide theatrical + Shudder SVOD), and Talk to Me (AU$4.25M → US$91.9M). AU$1M budget, murder mystery, one recognisable Australian star.
| Revenue Stream | Conservative | Base Case | Upside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian theatrical | AU$240K | AU$480K | AU$960K |
| International theatrical (MGs) | AU$360K | AU$720K | AU$1.8M |
| SVOD / streaming deal | AU$360K | AU$720K | AU$2.4M |
| PVOD / transactional VOD | AU$120K | AU$240K | AU$600K |
| TV rights (AU + international) | AU$180K | AU$360K | AU$720K |
| Airline / ancillary | AU$60K | AU$120K | AU$240K |
| Total gross revenue | AU$1.32M | AU$2.64M | AU$6.72M |
Base case note: The AU$2.64M base-case return on AU$1M invested represents a 164% net return. Figures are based on comparable indie genre films including Nefarious (2023, US$1M budget, 5–6× theatrical return) and Watcher (2022, US$3.2M worldwide theatrical + Shudder SVOD deal).
All revenue from VENTURA flows through a strict three-tier waterfall. The producer receives nothing until investors have collected both the guaranteed offset and their full first-position return. Only revenue above that threshold triggers the back-end participation split.
| Tier | Recipient | Amount | Trigger / Condition | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — First | Investors | AU$300k | Producer Offset — statutory tax rebate, not contingent on performance | M11–13 from investment |
| 2 — Second | Investors | AU$2.1M | First-position return from distribution revenues — 100% to investors before any producer participation | ~M18 (base case) |
| 3 — Back End | 80% Producer / 20% Investors | Upside only | Any revenue above AU$2.1M — producer's deferred fee only earned after full investor recoupment | Post-recoupment |
Investor Summary: On the base case, investors collect AU$300k offset (guaranteed, M11–13) then AU$2.1M first-position return (~M18) — a total of AU$2.4M returned on AU$1M invested. The producer earns nothing until both tiers are fully paid. Any revenue above AU$2.1M is split 80% to the producer and 20% to investors as additional upside.
Undiluted IP Ownership
No government agency demands. Investors retain 100% of copyright shares and first-position recoupment corridors.
No Bureaucratic Delays
No 6–12 month funding application cycles. No creative interference. We greenlight at the speed of the market.
Guaranteed First Return
The AU$300k Producer Offset is returned to investors before any profit distribution. It is a tax mechanism, not a grant.
Small Team. Maximum Expertise.
There is no studio. No permanent staff. No overhead before the camera rolls. VENTURA is produced by a lean, highly experienced core team — assembled specifically for this film, with no salaries drawn until production commences. This is how the AU$1M budget stays intact.
Ronan Glennane
Experienced Australian producer and screenwriter with a stellar reputation among talent agents and commissioners. Creator of the BBC World / UK.TV international thriller mini-series False Witness (2009), starring Dougray Scott, Richard Roxburgh, Claire Forlani, and Don Hany — winner of the AFI Award for Best Miniseries or Telefeature. Glennane's ability to develop high-end, award-winning original IP entirely in-house eliminates the need for expensive external script commissions. Ronan worked for nearly 20 years in distribution and released blockbusters like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Seven and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Fund One Film. Prove the Model.
We are raising AU$1 million to produce VENTURA — a fully developed, talent-attached murder mystery thriller. No government grants. No studio overhead. No wages before the camera rolls. Every dollar goes on screen. If the film succeeds, a 5-year slate follows.
- —AU$300k Producer Offset returned first (guaranteed)
- —50% net profit participation after recoupment
- —Executive Producer screen credit
- —First right of refusal on the 5-year slate
- —No government grants — no IP dilution
- —No studio overhead — all money on screen
This is the only investment vehicle currently open.
Register Interest in VENTURA- —All VENTURA investor benefits on each film
- —Reduced per-film risk through diversification
- —Priority co-production rights on slate titles
- —Quarterly investor reporting
- —Advisory board invitation
- —First look on all future productions
Available only after VENTURA proves the model.
No state agency grants. No bureaucratic conditions attached to your investment. You own your IP position outright — undiluted.
The 30% effective Producer Offset (AU$300k) is returned to investors first — before any profit participation — approximately 11–13 months after wrap.
We do not hire staff or build infrastructure before the camera rolls. Every dollar of the AU$1M budget is allocated to the production of VENTURA.