Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to your questions about Greelistu, supporting projects, and more.

General

What is Greelistu?

Greelistu is an online film studio presenting professional films and series in development to their audiences. The audience gets to have a real influence on which feature films or series get made by making an advance payment for a streaming ticket.

Streaming ticket… how does that work?

You advance a payment today for a ticket to stream the films and series of your choice when they are completed. The ticket includes a membership to the First Run. When your project is ready for release, you will receive your ticket (an access link) and an invitation to the festive First Run online premiere, an exclusive venue for those who supported the film and helped make it happen.

What is First Run?

First Run is a new window of release, an exclusive access for those who support film and series projects in development on the Greelistu platform. Members, i.e. the ones who bought a streaming ticket, get invited to the First Run premiere of their films and series when they are completed and ready for release. It’s a lifetime access and you can watch them whenever and wherever you are in the world.

What does Green Lighting mean?

Green Lighting is a “go ahead” term and marks the start of production. It is given when the financing of a project matches the budget level needed to go through with the production and carry it out according to plan.

What do you mean by Filmmakers?

When we talk about Filmmakers we usually mean the Producer, the Director and the Writer. They can also be called Content Creators or Talent. These three functions/professions form the creative triangle behind the creation and development of most films and series. It does not mean there are always three people with distinct functions, the constellations can vary, but most often include between two to five people.

What do you mean by Independent Producer?

When we talk about an independent producer, we mean a producer running his or her own company, developing, financing and producing films and/or series of any kind.

Why?

Why should I pre-buy a film?

Pre-buying films and series is a win-win situation. You get to choose and be instrumental in making sure the films and series you love and really want to see get made You gain an insight into the filmmaking process and get to peek behind the scenes. It’s a great way to bring forth the stories you love, and support the filmmakers you believe in. You will receive news updates, get words from the director and cast, get invited to special screenings, get an opportunity to visit the set during shooting, receive exclusive offers, participate in various competitions, and more.

Why Greelistu?

For All the Stories Untold. There are some great stories out there having a hard time to get produced. It is a time consuming process to get project financing, some stories don’t fit the current industry’s formulaic and excluding system of selection. We open up for new stories and perspectives, increase the flow and broaden the variety of entertaining and engaging films and series.

For the engaged audience. Films and series are made for audiences, but usually, the audience does not know what projects there are to be had, and have no say in the matter. We want to empower the audience with a real influence on which films and series get made. We want the audience to get a broad and engaging supply of films and series of their own choice. And a much asked for early access to the films and series they have chosen.

For the passionate filmmakers. We want to encourage and empower filmmakers and storytellers by creating a direct link to their audiences. We want to make it possible for them to get their stories into production. We want them to get fully paid, retain creative control, and receive a fair share of profits. In short, we want to make the everyday life of independent producers and content creators easier, enable them to develop and create continuity in their operation.

How is Greelistu good for producers and distributors?

The Producers get their projects fully financed, including their own work and development costs, guaranteed distribution and international sales, lower financial risk, a shorter path to break-even and 80% share of profits. They also get an opportunity to build a trusted fanbase and sustainable and continuous production activities over time.

Distributors and Sales Agents get a valuable access to a broad supply of entertaining, audience validated projects in early stages. They lower the financial risk as well as obtain an efficient and secure delivery of art-work and master-materials.

What are Greelistu’s main objectives?

Greelistu aims to create transparent and sustainable financing of film and series projects and increased value for all the main stakeholders in the film industry. We want to increase the audience’s influence on which films and series get financed, produced, and distributed. The aim is for all projects to be fully financed and paid for when they go into production and get released. The goal is to increase the flow of projects and broaden the content by opening up for new talent and storytellers. Greelistu aims to lower and balance the overall financial risk, establish transparency into financing and flow of revenues, and make sure production budgets are adequate for each project.

Payments

How do I keep track of my purchases from Greelistu?

You should have received an email confirmation from greelistu.com containing the receipt for your purchase and the title of the film or series. You can also find your ticket and the receipt in your account. After reviewing your email, if you believe you were charged in error, please contact us! We’ll get it sorted out.

Can I cancel my payment?

Yes, you can cancel your payment within 14 days of the purchase.

What if the project I bought doesn't get made?

If the film or series you selected for some reason don’t get made, you get credit points on your account that allow you to redirect your streaming ticket to another film or series in the studio.

How much of my payment goes to the film/series?

70% of the payment is allocated to the project and paid out to the film producers once the project gets Green-lighted for production. Greelistu retains 30% for the platform’s operation, content production, project marketing, and sales activities.

The Films & Series

What is required for a project to be published on Greelistu?

Project-wise, there needs to be a completed script, containing the story and characters. There needs to be a vision for how to tell the story. And there needs to be a capability to go through with the production.

Creator-wise, it means there are scriptwriters and/or creators attached, there is a capable director and/or creator (for series) on board with a vision of how to tell the story. And there is a skilled producer who can implement, organize and oversee the whole production process, making sure there is a completed film or series to release.

What kind of projects can be published on Greelistu?

Greelistu works with films and series that resonate with the audience. They can be of all genres and all budget sizes. The stories can be in the form of fiction, documentaries, or animations. They can be contemporary or historical. They can be adventures, family, thrillers, drama, romance, comedy, horror, and everything in between.

What kind of projects will not be published on Greelistu?

Greelistu does not accept pornography, excessive violence, hate, propaganda, or discrimination against any group of people for any reason, be it gender, race, origin, sexual orientation, or religion.

Why are there not more films and series on the platform?

Everything has its beginning. Between 20-30 projects will be published on the platform every year, building up to a broad variety of engaging stories by filmmakers from all over the world for the audience to choose from.

Film selection, financing & distribution – The traditional way and the Greenlighting Studio way

How are films and series traditionally selected?

In the current marketplace, decisions are made based on estimates and guesses of each project’s commercial/market potential based on the story, cast, talent, and budget. With these estimates in hand producers seek financing from official bodies, private investors, and industry presales. So, trying to get their projects to the next stage, filmmakers are very dependent on broadcasters, fund and institution’s officials, risk-capital investors, distribution and sales company staff, each with their own set of goals, instructions, time schedules, and interests to carry out in the selection process.

How is the financing traditionally done?

The financing process is time-consuming, opaque, and complex. The estimates at the base of each project’s potential are notoriously unreliable. Various funds and financing bodies are ruled by rigid regulations, often politically orientated and contradictory to each other i.e. one fund rules out the other, making the puzzle of film financing a living hell for producers. These conditions can have negative and even damaging effects on the projects and the filmmakers often lose both creative control and their initial rights in the projects in the process.

So, most films and series start off with a huge debt, very unsure results from the onset, and the route towards break-even and profit is a long one. This is a harsh environment for the individual production companies. Even though they take the larger part of the initial risk for the development and financing, it puts them last in line for profit sharing and prohibits them from creating a sustainable business.

How is Greelistu’s financing model different from the traditional one?

Basically, Greelistu turns the decision making and logistics of traditional film financing around and starts by turning directly to the audience. By presenting films and series projects in early stages to the people they are meant for, Greelistu seeks the audience support in order to have the projects paid for before going ahead with productions, creating a new center of power in the film industry.

What about distribution?

Distribution usually starts for real when the production is completed, but the work preferably starts already during the development. Films are made for audiences and need to be put forth to them in order to gain their value. Creating the concept, marketing the project to audiences, and building the marketing and distribution strategy needs therefore to start early in order to create an awareness of the project and find the best distribution strategy. Traditionally the audience is not really involved in this part of the process. But Greelistu is based on the belief that the audience has the qualifications needed for judging the potential of a story and sees the audience as a strategic partner in the process of selecting and financing projects and invites them to be a part of their making and promotion.

Are Greelistu projects going to be seen in cinemas, streamers and broadcasters?

Yes, definitely. Turning directly to the audience for project selection and support through pre-sales and First Run does not mean Greelistu neglects or rules out other ways, means, and channels of distribution. Each project has its own quality, audience, and distribution potential. Greelistu operates its own International Sales Department working diligently towards as wide a distribution as possible for each project for the good of all; the market, the audience, and the filmmakers.

Film making

What goes on during the film production process?

Film Production is an intricate process of bringing a project through the various stages of film making, from the story idea and all the way through to the distribution of the finished film or series. It is both a creative and technical process that can take years to finalize.

Development

Everything starts with the script, which is the base of any film and series. It needs to both tell an engaging story and contain the elements needed to work out the budget and schedule the time it will take to carry out the production. The producer, scriptwriter, and director are usually the core team working at this stage, with some input from other main creatives. Projects presented on Greelistu have a full script and the budget figured out. Identifying the main cast and team members as well as further script-polishing and budget trimming runs alongside the financing process. When the budget level is reached the project gets the Green Light for production.

Pre-production

Now that the project is green lighted, the heat is on and preparations for production begin. This is when the hiring and contracting of cast and team is implemented, locations decided on, the script broken down into the shooting schedule, set design and construction carried out, costumes designed and picked out, and all the logistics for travel, lodging, transport, and catering during the production is worked out in detail. Pre-production often takes 3-6 months and involves a large part of the team and the main cast.

Shooting

Commonly lasting between 5-12 weeks, depending on the project. This is where the quality of development and pre-production work is put to the test. The shooting dates are set and there is no going back. All hands are needed on deck, a large number of cast and team working relentlessly according to the schedule worked out on beforehand, until every scene in the script is recorded. Cost and work efficiency is crucial, this is the stage where most of the budget is allotted and the screen value created.

Post-production

The frenzy of shooting is over, the production team and cast have been released and the shooting material is in the can, or on the server rather. Now it needs to be put in order and the film edited. Editing is a creative process where the editor brings forth the best of the shooting material, acting, and story. Then the visual effects are added, colors are corrected, the sound design and the music scoring finalized, ending with the sound & music mix. The post-production often takes around 4 to 8 months and basically involves producer, director, editor, sound designers, music composer and musicians, visual effects technicians.

First Run Release

Greelistu rolls out the digital red carpet and welcomes you to the premiere! The event marks the lifelong digital access release of the completed films and series to the audience who supported their making.

Still Have Questions? We’re Here to Help!

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Reach out to us directly, and we’ll make sure you get the support you need.