Mick Ebeling

Most indie filmmakers can’t answer a basic question. When do film investors actually get paid? Not in theory. Not in general. Not “eventually.” I mean specifically. Because behind every great film is a deal, and behind every deal is an investor asking: “When does the money come back?” I just published a clear, no-fluff breakdown that maps it out step by step. You’ll learn: • The two things that must happen before anyone gets paid • The three payment stages for investors (and why most filmmakers forget the last one) • How waterfall models actually flow—and what that means for your pitch deck This isn’t just financial structure. It’s about trust, transparency, and long-term thinking. It’s about treating your investors like co-creators, not cash machines. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/gVgsKDMd If you’re serious about producing work that gets funded, finished, and watched, this is essential reading.

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The Crime House Era Begins When PAVE Studios launched Crime House just over a year ago, we set out to create something different: a creator-first studio where the best storytellers in true crime could build long-term franchises with the infrastructure, creative freedom, and platform strategy to scale. Instead of focusing on an ad-supported network or a licensing business. That model is proving out. In our first year, we've launched eight original series. All have broken into the Top 10 podcast charts. We're delivering double-digit month-over-month growth and reaching millions of listeners and viewers. Our roster includes some of the most influential voices in true crime, horror, and mystery: Morgan Absher (Two Hot Takes, 60M+ annual listens), Kaelyn Moore (Heart Starts Pounding, 750M+ views), Heidi Wong (10M followers, TIME 100 Creators 2025), Katie Ring (1M+ followers) and now Sabrina Deana-Roga and Corinne Vien (Two Girls One Ghost, 7.5M+ YouTube views). Following the September launch of Crime House Daily, we're expanding our fast-growing portfolio of originals with two more creator-led, video-first series: Crimes Of... a weekly anthology series hosted by Sabrina Deana-Roga and Corinne Vien. Season one explores the real crimes that inspired Hollywood's most iconic horror villains from Norman Bates to Buffalo Bill. Each season will tackle a new theme, from infamy to unsolved cases to mysterious disappearances. Twisted Tales marks the podcast debut of Heidi Wong, one of the fastest-rising voices in horror storytelling. Each week, she unearths the chilling true stories behind the world's most terrifying legends from haunted dolls and cursed houses to the real-life cases that inspired horror's biggest blockbusters and the ones too twisted to make it to screen. These aren’t standalone shows. They’re original longform IP built for the long term. Video-first. Multi-platform. Designed to scale across formats and revenue streams. The genre is evolving. Audiences expect more than audio-only. Platforms are rewarding video. Monetization is shifting to diversified revenue streams. And the best creators need partners who can help them navigate all of it without losing what makes them unique. That's the studio we're building at #CrimeHouse. Creator-first. Platform-native. Built for what's next.

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Creators aren’t waiting for permission. They’re building IP, launching brands, and reshaping what “quality” looks like—on their own terms. If you’re coming from the studio world, you’ve got tools they need. But first—you have to speak their language. Here’s a breakdown of 20 key mindset shifts I’m seeing at the intersection of creators, capital, and content: https://lnkd.in/gnTJpRXw Open Gardens #youtubestrategy #contentstudios #digitalcreators #mediaplaybook

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