Mini-Major Studio
A Mini-Major Studio is a film company operating between the major studios and independent producers — large enough for wide theatrical releases but more flexible and creatively independent than the majors.
Line by Line
Line by Line refers to a detailed budget review examining every individual production expense — conducted when a production is over budget or when financiers require full financial accountability.
Modified Low Budget
Modified Low Budget is a SAG-AFTRA contract tier for independent feature films with budgets roughly between $700K and $2.5M — offering reduced performer minimums to make union production accessible.
Negative Cost of a Film
The Negative Cost of a Film is the total production and post-production expense of completing a film — before marketing and distribution costs — the baseline figure for recoupment calculations.
Off-The-Tops
Off-The-Tops refers to expenses deducted from a film’s gross revenues before any profit participation calculations — distribution fees, residuals, and other charges taken before the remaining revenue is shared.
Overall Deal
An Overall Deal is an exclusive multi-year contract between a content company and a creator — paying them to develop projects exclusively for that company while prohibiting work for competitors.
Packaging Fee
A Packaging Fee is charged by talent agencies when they assemble multiple clients into a single project package — paid by the production company and a major source of industry controversy.
Payroll Company
A Payroll Company is a specialized service that handles all payroll processing for productions — managing union calculations, Coogan Law withholding, residuals, and tax reporting for cast and crew.
Points
Points are percentage shares of a production’s profits — typically net profit — offered to talent as part of their compensation, with one point equaling one percent of the relevant revenue base.
Projection
A Projection is a financial forecast estimating a production’s future revenues and profitability — used during development and fundraising to evaluate viability and present to potential investors.