Services Offered
Media Finance Structures, LLC offers a variety of specialty services to help you maximize your opportunities. Check out a partial listing below and inquire if the need is critical and timing short.
Litigation & Valuation
Expert witness in all manner of film and television disputes, with extensive testifying experience at trial and arbitration.  35 years of experience, both within and outside of the studio environment, provides unique hands-on examples that can help with trial strategy.  Prepare and evaluate media target valuations for potential lenders, investors and asset owners.

Litigation Support

  • International pre-sale contract disputes.
  • TV Series and motion picture financing claims of talent and financiers involving industry accounting standards, financing protocol norms and copyright valuations.
  • Establishing profit expectations for distribution contracts.
  • Determining value of loss of earnings claims.
  • Analyzing the composition and relevancy of Film Databases to support financial products.

Valuations

  • Damages and enterprise value for companies undergoing involuntary dissolutions.
  • Start-up development, production and animation companies.
  • Motion Picture and TV libraries.
  • Profit entitlements under contractual terms.
  • Interests in motion picture and TV products.
Consultancy & Compliance
All manner of advisory services for media companies currently operating or considering entrance into the space.  Having managed studio film assets, setup and run the financial and administration functions for the leading independent financier and distributor of its time and assisted a myriad of clients in our 15+ years of operation since, there are few instances where MFS does not offer insightful, hands-on expertise.  In addition, we are the go-to resource for compliance testing for all the major senior lenders credit agreements that have asset backed structures – trust the one company all the banks do to make sure you get it right up-front.

Investment Oversight and Advisory:

  • Senior credit commitments for under-staffed lenders.
  • Motion picture production companies for passive investors.
  • Distribution strategies for motion picture exploitation for investors and owners.
  • Administration for profit participants’ accountings and reportings.

Business Plans & Strategy Development

  • Preparation, due diligence on, and development of all manner of entertainment initiatives.

Financial Due Diligence

  • Acquisition (pre & post) analysis.

Compliance Related:

  • Debt covenants and value representations from senior credit borrowers.
  • Profit participation contracts.
Outsourced COO & CFO Services

Just starting out, have lost key staff at a critical time, have a project that is time-sensitive and extremely material that you just can’t get to and keep normal operations running – we’ve solved all these problems for others.  We have 35 years of experience running the financial and operational arms of major studios, leading independents, financing companies and media funds, and can handle the mundane to the mission critical, providing a peace of mind it’s going to be done right and on-time, so you can focus on driving the top-line.

Outsourced COO & CFO services:

  • Management of operations and accounting needs on a non-exclusive basis
  • GAAP Financials and audit coordination
  • Administration
  • Production
  • Participations & Residuals
  • Negotiations
  • Investor Relations
  • Credit Relationships
Financial Structuring
Got an idea of what you’d like to accomplish, but not sure how to get there? Need to re-finance a high yield product into something more manageable? Having trouble closing a talent deal or distribution agreement? Let us put our insiders knowledge to work for you so that the playing field is level to start. Negotiating success starts from better knowledge of the facts and the experience to know the end-game outcomes. After 35 years seeing and doing it from almost every angle, there is not much that can surprise us. Let us help you put your best foot forward.

Financial Structuring

  • Licensing deals with major international companies throughout the world
  • Credit agreements with major global banks
  • Tax and incentive structures for motion picture production throughout the world
  • Acquisitions of business interests

Contract Negotiations:

  • All manner of motion picture and TV related arrangements.
  • Distribution agreements
  • Production agreements
  • Financing agreements
  • Profit entitlements
  • Disposition agreements
Global Audit Solution
MFS’s global film audit solution combines the North American capabilities of John Zabel, the only former studio and major independent film company senior financial executive providing these services, and the European, Latin American and Pan-Asian capabilities of Christa Okkersen, 30 year veteran of all manner of participation audits. Get a global solution coordinated to your verification needs by seasoned auditors in the local jurisdiction and by a former insider that has actually negotiated for and against the major studios.

Get in touch:

Let's get started on your next project.
Reach out and solve your problem.

Phone: 805-527-9108    •    Cell: 805-358-3001    •    Email: john@mediafs.biz