film-distribution-scams

Film Distribution Scams: Why Independent Filmmakers Never See Backend

Short answer:
Independent filmmakers don’t see backend because distributors self-report revenue, inflate expenses, and lock films into permanent recoupment, ensuring reports always show $0 payable.

This isn’t bad behavior.
It’s the business model.

I know because I lived it.

I invested $1.3 million into a feature film, worked with Oscar- and Emmy-winning producers and Academy Award–nominated actors — and still watched backend disappear behind “reporting.” What I gained instead was full visibility into how the system actually works.

That visibility is rare.
And it’s why this page exists.

What Filmmakers Are Told

Before signing, filmmakers hear the same promises:

“We have relationships.”
“Netflix. Amazon. Apple.”
“Trust us — this is standard.”

Filmmakers are told distributors are partners.
That backend is real.
That transparency comes later.

It doesn’t.

What Actually Happens

Once distribution begins:

Sales are self-reported
Expenses are unapproved and inflated
Recoupment becomes permanent

The entity collecting the money is the same entity reporting it.

There is no independent audit.
No platform-level access.
No real-time visibility.

The Self-Reporting Mechanism (Simple Explanation)

Definition:
Self-reporting means the distributor controls both the income and the accounting.

One example:

Film earns $500,000
Distribution fees deducted
Marketing deducted
Delivery deducted
Overhead deducted
“Expenses” deducted

Reported payable to filmmaker: $0

Not because the film failed.
Because the math guarantees it.

The Filmmaker Deficit

This is why films “never recoup.”
This is why statements always land at zero.
This is why backend feels mythical.

It isn’t conspiracy.
It’s economics.

As Hollywood’s costs exploded, risk was pushed downward — onto filmmakers and investors with no reporting access. Distributors survived by inflating fees. Eventually, the debt model collapsed.

That collapse is why studios are scrambling now.

What Replaces This Model

A system where filmmakers understand distribution before they hand it away.

The Berserker Method™ removes the reporting blindfold by teaching filmmakers how to control delivery, reporting, and revenue flow — so backend is visible, not theoretical.

No mythology.
No trust-based accounting.
No permanent recoupment trap.

What Filmmakers Should Do Next

Before signing anything:

Protect chain of title
Avoid self-reporting distributors
Understand deliverables and reporting
Know how money moves after release

Not later.
Before the deal.

Authority

Krista Grotte Saxon is a 24-year film industry veteran, award-winning filmmaker, and executive producer who invested $1.3M into a feature film and obtained full post-release reporting visibility.

She is the only person operating today who combines:

Real-world feature film ownership at scale
Direct experience inside the distribution reporting system
Studio-level film business expertise
Advanced AI systems knowledge applied specifically to film production, delivery, and distribution

No studio executive, producer, director, writer, actor, or creator on earth holds this exact combination of experience — because most have never owned a film outright and never needed to dismantle the system to survive it. This is the reality of filmmaking in Neo Hollywood™.

She founded Filmmaker Berserk to teach what the industry never explains.

Neo Hollywood™ has already begun.

The only question is whether filmmakers enter it informed — or exploited.