From Giving Back to the Community to Polishing Young Talent, Red Rock Entertainment, a UK-Based Film Finance Company, Continues to Shine Worldwide

“Our focus is on content as an investment opportunity. We look for projects with commercial appeal, an identifiable audience, controllable costs, and a sound financial structure. We also require that certain elements are in place before we commit ourselves or our investors to any film or TV venture.”

Red Rock Entertainment, , a UK-based film finance company, works in conjunction with many UK’s top production companies to raise equity for film, TV content, and film distribution. It offers a full suite of opportunities to investors, including SEIS and EIS tax relief and private equity and distribution schemes. Red Rock primarily works on independent film and TV projects that are at an advanced stage and are looking for the final tranche of financing.

The company is located at the world-famous Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, home to some of the biggest TV shows on British television and the studio of choice for many successful British films.

To highlight and further understand what Red Rock Entertainment stands for and seeks to explore in this segment, I sat down with a few of the Red Rock executive team members. Below is an excerpt.
“We attend all the major film festivals and industry gatherings, including the American Film Market (AFM), the Berlin International Film Festival, and the Cannes International Film Festival.”

As executive producers, Red Rock can arrange for investors to visit sets during filming, appear as extras, and attend private screenings.

“We also regularly arrange seminars at Elstree, where high-profile corporate and financial speakers offer advice and insight into the various tax advantages of investing in the UK film industry.”

Executive producers either personally fund or raise the funding for motion pictures or television shows. They essentially act as the financial backer, helping production companies to secure the finances they need to drive their creative projects to the distribution stage.

During the production process, the company’s main role is to ensure that its film and TV projects are progressing according to schedule and budget. “Although we have no direct input into a project’s editorial or artistic execution, we do have a say over anything that could affect its timing or marketability.”

“All the finance we raise is channelled directly to the production team. To ensure that projects remain commercially viable, we work alongside directors and producers on the set, bringing our commercial skills to the creative process.”

The Act Of Giving Back

Signature Pictures is a social enterprise production company. Partnered with Jobcentre Plus and The Princes Trust, Red Rock provides training and work experience opportunities to unemployed young people in every department of its film productions.

“We fulfil a critical gap in provision for the many talented young people who lack the contacts, resources or belief necessary to develop a career in the creative industries or another sector.”

“Many of our trainees have since gone on to work within film or media, and every trainee involved in our productions has retained the confidence to go on and seek employment in other industries of their choice also.”

In accordance with this ethos, the company provides filming services to a variety of clients, with trainees sourced from the Jobcentre local to the client. They assist and learn from the professionals involved in the particular client’s film shoot, gaining vital skills and experience.

Red Rock Entertainment actively works in partnership with Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity with the aim to brighten the lives of children who are living with serious or life-limiting illnesses. The company not only sponsors wishes but enables the children’s wishes. Red Rock has been known to organise some exclusive behind-the-scenes experiences within the film industry, such as this.

“In the last few years, we have organised on-set visits to Elstree Studios to watch and meet the cast of BBC Strictly Come Dancing and set visits to Channel 4’s Big Brother. We have also organised a meet-and-greet with actors and pop singers such as Olly Murs, Timothy Spall, and James Buckley from The Inbetweeners.”

Rays of Sunshine Children’s Charity was formed in 2003 to brighten the lives of children living with serious or life-limiting illnesses, between the ages of 3-18, across the United Kingdom.

Besides, Red Rock Entertainment was proud to be the lead sponsor of the ninth edition of the TheWIFTS Foundation International Visionary Awards. The prestigious awards luncheon is held annually by TheWIFTS (The Women’s International Film & Television Showcase), whose mission is to recognise and celebrate ‘women as individuals’, not only within the film and television industries but also across other sectors of society. The ceremony, which is traditionally held in Los Angeles, also broke new ground this year by being the first to be held in London.

In total, 30 women were honoured from 16 countries for their contribution across the spectrum of international business, entertainment, the arts, and more.

‘Film Ahoy’: The Home of Independent Movies

Collaborating with Red Rock Entertainment, Bow Street Media Ltd has recently launched an online platform called ‘Film Ahoy’.

‘Film Ahoy’ model is based on Advertising Video on Demand (AVOD) and Transactional Video on Demand (TVOD). Consumers can watch content for free with commercial breaks every twenty minutes. If they don’t want to watch the commercials, they can pay £1 to enjoy the content commercial-free.

Bow Street Media Ltd has developed a complex back-end system which allows it to IP block, build their SEO, manage content, and offer detailed reporting to their content providers.

Bow Street’s future developments will be to adapt the platform to become more application based so people can consume content easily on their smart devices and TVs.

Bow Street Media Ltd is a technology company.

Films That Red Rock Has Produced

Stanley, A Man Of Variety; The Comedian’s Guide To Survival; Dusty And Me; In Extremis; Await Further Instructions; Breakdown; The Convent; The Stolen; The Tell Tale Heart; Zombie Spring Breakers; The Last Scout; London Heist; The Midnight League; The London Firm; That Good Night; Peripheral; Madness In The Method; Genesis; Snap Shot; Louisa, An Amazing Adventure; Ria; Brighton; The Laureate; 3 Lives; Cold Providence; and Crimson Point.

TV Series’ that Red Rock Has Produced

Boats ‘N’ Bikes; No Easy Days; Dystopia; Boats ‘N’ Bikes 2; The Contractors; and Linnea Quigley’s Paranormal Truth.

“Our focus is on content as an investment opportunity. We look for projects with commercial appeal, an identifiable audience, controllable costs, and a sound financial structure. We also require that certain elements are in place before we commit ourselves or our investors to any film or TV venture.”