Oh, hi Mark.

So, I've written a 12-page, proof of concept short that I plan to produce/direct. Far from my first rodeo, however I do not have a feature under my belt. The plan for the film is to make it look like a million bucks and use it as a proof of concept vehicle for getting a feature made (by submitting to festivals as well as sharing with my network here in Los Angeles).

I have an investor potentially interested, but he obviously wants to know how he will see a return on his $$. Notwithstanding the obvious--that filmmaking is a gamble and for any number of reasons it could potentially never get turned into a feature--does anyone have advice on how to best structure a deal like this?

I can offer him partial equity on the project, but presuming it gets optioned into a feature, it becomes its own beast, so what happens to his equity then? (let's say he puts down $25k and I give him 50% equity in the short, how does that translate once it becomes a feature?)

I...don't know what I'm talking about. Would super duper appreciate any advice.