Company background: The film-making company "Creative Cinema" was founded in 2015 by a group of experienced professionals from the entertainment industry with a vision to create high-quality, innovative and socially relevant content for global audiences. The company had produced several successful films and TV shows that had won critical acclaim and awards. However, the company faced a funding challenge as it wanted to scale up its operations and diversify its content portfolio.

Challenges and opportunities: Creative Cinema faced several challenges in its efforts to raise funds for its business, such as:

• High upfront production costs that required significant investment in technology, talent and equipment
• Limited access to traditional sources of funding such as banks and venture capital firms due to the perceived risk and uncertainty of the film industry
• Limited collateral options apart from the intellectual property rights, which were subject to legal and market risks
• Competition from other film-making companies and streaming platforms that had stronger financial resources and distribution networks

However, the company also had some unique advantages and opportunities, such as:

• Growing demand for quality content across different platforms and formats due to the digital transformation of the entertainment industry
• Ability to leverage new technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence to enhance the viewer experience and reduce costs
• Experienced and diverse team with a proven track record of creative and financial success
• Potential for innovation in funding models that could attract new investors and partners

Innovative funding model: To address its funding challenges and leverage its opportunities, Creative Cinema adopted an innovative approach to funding. It developed a new funding model that combined traditional and non-traditional sources of funding and offered value-added services to the investors and partners. The key features of the funding model were:

• Film fund: Creative Cinema created a dedicated film fund that pooled funds from different investors and partners to finance the production and distribution of its films and TV shows. The film fund had a fixed term and target return, and investors could choose to invest in different films or the entire portfolio. The film fund provided investors with a diversified and professionally managed investment opportunity in the film industry, with the potential for high returns and social impact.

• Strategic partnerships: Creative Cinema entered into strategic partnerships with different companies and organizations that shared its values and goals. These partnerships provided access to new markets, technologies and talent, and helped mitigate risks and costs. For example, Creative Cinema partnered with a leading technology company to co-produce a virtual reality film that combined entertainment and education, and with a social impact organization to co-produce a documentary on a pressing social issue.

• Branded content: Creative Cinema developed a branded content division that created original and engaging content for brands and advertisers. The branded content division provided a new revenue stream for the company and helped build brand equity and customer loyalty for the clients. For example, Creative Cinema created a branded content series for a leading beauty brand that showcased the diversity and empowerment of women.

• Fan engagement: Creative Cinema engaged with its fans and followers through different digital and physical channels to build a loyal and passionate community. The fan engagement provided valuable feedback and insights on the audience preferences and helped increase the reach and impact of the content. For example, Creative Cinema organized a fan event for a blockbuster film that featured a meet-and-greet session with the cast and crew, a behind-the-scenes tour and a charity auction.

Results and impact: Thanks to these innovative measures, Creative Cinema was able to raise Rs. 50 crores in funding from a mix of investors, partners and clients. The film fund received a high rating from a leading rating agency, which further enhanced its appeal to the investors. The strategic partnerships and branded content division helped Creative Cinema expand its reach and diversify its revenue streams.