Your Production Partners from Script to Screen

We’re seasoned industry pros who handle the business headaches so you can stay focused on what matters: getting your movie made.

Who We Are

60+ years

Of combined industry experience

80+ projects

Across film and television

From script development to festival premieres and distribution deals, we guide independent teams through all of the nitty gritty details that set you up for success.

With decades of industry experience, we’re here to help you navigate the business and logistical needs of your production. Our comprehensive services are designed to smooth your path from development all the way through distribution, so you can plan ahead and keep your money where it matters: on the screen.

Our Projects

  • Poster for the movie "The Friend" featuring a woman with blond hair and a maroon beanie, an older man, and a large black and white dog in the foreground.
  • Promotional poster for the film 'All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,' featuring a person with short, curly hair looking out of a window, with text reviews and film details overlaid.
  • Promotional poster for the show "The Problem with Jon Stewart" featuring a close-up of Jon Stewart's face and upper body, wearing a gray sweater, with the Apple TV+ logo at the top.
  • Poster for the film 'Cha Cha Real Smooth' featuring three characters with the film's title in large letters over the image and release date in June.
  • Close-up of a man and woman facing each other with their noses nearly touching, with text overlay describing the movie "Together".
  • Poster for the film Maggie's Plan featuring a woman sitting on a bench talking to a man in an outdoor setting with a modern, decorative background.
  • Movie poster for 'Only Lovers Left Alive' showing a man with shoulder-length hair sitting on a velvet sofa with a guitar, and a woman lying with her head on his lap. The poster includes reviews, cast, and festival info.
  • Movie poster for the film 'Paterson' showing a man and woman lying in bed, cuddling with their eyes closed. The poster includes quotes praising the acting and film, with the title 'Paterson' at the bottom.
  • Close-up of a man's face with long hair, beard, and intense expression, with the title 'PIG' and the name 'Nicolas Cage'.
  • Poster for the film 'Pieces of April' featuring a young woman with red hair and freckles, Central in the image, with smaller images of various characters and city scenes around her.
  • Promotional poster for the movie 'Theater Camp' featuring diverse cast of characters, with some in comedic poses, set against a background of trees, clouds, and a theater stage, promoting the film's release in July.
  • Close-up of a woman's face with smoky eye makeup and partially visible lips, with a large eye fiber effect. The title 'Luckiest Girl Alive' is overlaid. Text indicating it is based on a New York Times bestseller, available on Netflix, released on October 7.
  • A promotional poster for the Hulu original documentary 'Hip-Hop and the White House,' featuring a giant hand holding a vintage radio microphone above the White House, with the text displaying the documentary's title, release date April 22, and Hulu logo.
  • Poster for the movie "New York, I Love You" features a heart shape filled with scenes of diverse couples and individuals in various settings. The background is red with white text listing cast members along the edges and movie title at the bottom.
  • Close-up of a man with gray hair and a blue shirt, smiling slightly, with documentary film information and the title 'FAUCI' on the poster.
  • A movie poster for 'Montana Story' featuring a young woman in an orange jacket and a young man with long blond hair, sitting on a horse against a cloudy sky background.
  • Film poster in black and white with red accents for "Coffee and Cigarettes," directed by Jim Jarmusch. The top features portraits of cast members, and the title is across the middle in bold red and white lettering. The bottom has smaller portraits of additional cast members and credits.

WHO WE SERVE

We help position you for success at every stage of production and distribution

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Great idea but can’t get it off the ground?

Illustration of a movie clapperboard with a play button in the center.

Ready to shoot but buried in paperwork?

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Overwhelmed by festival choices and need a strategy?

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You want your film to be seen but you don’t know how to get it out there?

WE CAN HELP

Avoid expensive mistakes before they cost you

Save money, reclaim time, and skip the panic. We’ll guide you safely through the business minefield because we’ve been there before.

Licensing Landmines

Don’t let unforeseen licensing fiascos kill your distribution deal.

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Delivery Chaos

Get paid sooner by getting the right delivery documents to distributors on time.

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Festival Fumbles

Don’t let scattershot festival submissions distract you from real distribution opportunities.

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Our Services

Choose from our essential production package or our à la carte services. From development to distribution, we’ll help you build the right package for your needs and budget.

  • A comprehensive package of production services to take you from preproduction through delivery. We’ll help you build the right package for your needs and budget.


    What’s included:

    • Structure & Finance

      • Determining optimal corporate structure

      • Corporate and LLC creation

      • Obtaining appropriate production insurance

      • Setting up payroll

      • Advising on tax credit requirements

      • Access to our network of insurance, accounting and legal professionals

    • Crew & Unions

      • Sourcing great cast and crew for your budget level

      • Completing the SAG, WGA, DGA, and IATSE signatory processes (if applicable)

    • Budget & Schedule

      • Addressing major budget and scheduling issues

    • Rights & Clearances

      • Music licensing

      • Industry standards for clearance of props, sets, wardrobe, etc.

      • US Copyright Office filings and recordations

      • Review of main and end credits

      • Preparation of billing block and talent obligations summaries

    • Contracts & Negotiations

      • Negotiating the business terms for agreements with writer, director, cast, crew, sales agents and distributors

    • Support for Documentaries

      • Negotiating the business terms of key subject & access agreements

      • Archival licensing

      • Managing the process of obtaining a “fair use” opinion from legal counsel

    • General Guidance

      • General production advice, and more!

  • Looking for something specific? We provide specialized guidance on financing resources, festival & distribution strategy, music supervision, archival licensing & more.

    Our additional services:

    • Optioning screenplays and other literary material

    • Financing, Tax Credit Resources and Guidance

    • Script Analysis

    • Budget/Schedule Analysis

    • Talent Acquisition (for both cast & crew)

    • Hands-on clearance coordination during production and post

    • Music Supervision, Clearance and Licensing

    • Archival Material Clearance and Licensing

    • Festival Strategy

    • Distribution Strategy

    • Delivery Services

Our Team

Close-up of a middle-aged woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing glasses on top of her head, a peach-colored blouse, earrings, and a purple lanyard, inside an art gallery with framed photographs on the wall.

Alexis Alexanian

Producer & Production Consultant

Alexis Alexanian is a seasoned producer with over 25 years of experience. From her early production work on A League of Their Own and Striptease, Alexis went on to produce indie projects including Sundance favorite, Pieces of April, the hit tv series Long Way Round (Apple tv), and Maggie’s Plan.

She’s headed up production for startup entities Elixir Films, InDigEnt and Locomotive, and worked with the completion bond company FFI to solve major challenges on big budget features.

Alexis is well known for her non-profit work as President of New York Women in Film & Television and currently on the Board of BAFTA North America. Between teaching for NYU Tisch, Sundance Institute, and Maine Media, Alexis consults for filmmakers and financiers navigating challenges in content creation.

A woman with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, glasses, and a black top with purple accents, smiling indoors with a view of a marina and hillside cityscape in the background.

Stacey Smith

Executive Producer & Business Affairs Consultant

Stacey Smith is an experienced producer and business affairs executive who sees the big picture but also sweats the details. After beginning her career in entertainment finance, she began her long association with internationally renowned and fiercely independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, running his production company for sixteen years and playing a key role in many of his films, including as producer of Cannes Grand Prix du Jury winner Broken Flowers. 

Today, Stacey provides executive producing and business affairs services for independent feature projects, manages film catalogues including Jarmusch’s, and has delivered films to all major US distributors, including Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, Disney, NEON, A24, Bleecker Street, Universal/Focus Features, IFC Films, Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+, and HBO Max.  

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiling, wearing a striped shirt over a black top, gold earrings, and a delicate gold necklace against a plain white background.

Rebecca Ross

Business Affairs Consultant & Music Clearance/Licensing

An established business affairs consultant in the film and music industries, Rebecca Ross has a passion for connecting music with media. Her career began as a paralegal at the entertainment law firm Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, supporting a wide range of clients including scripted and unscripted TV/film production companies, creative studios, podcast producers, video-game developers, and talent. She then joined the business affairs team at Kobalt Music Group, expanding her knowledge of music publishing and copyright litigation.

Rebecca specializes in navigating the complex world of music rights and permissions, securing synchronization and master rights and negotiating music agreements, along with handling business affairs delivery for feature films, documentaries, and TV. 

We’ve helped hundreds of creatives bring their dreams to life. Let us help you too.

Simple illustration of a glowing light bulb with rays emanating from it on a pale yellow background.
A simple line drawing of a fishing bobber with a fishing line, set against a light purple background.
Illustration of a movie clapperboard with a play button on it.
Line drawing of three people watching a video on a large screen with a play button inside a circle, on a light green background.

FAQs

  • Anything from micro-budget to low-seven-figure features and documentaries. We tailor scope and pricing to match your resources.

  • It’s never too early. We can help you at any stage—from script development, mid-production, post-production, and beyond. The earlier we start, the more time and money we can save you.

  • Yes. We complement legal counsel by handling the day-to-day business and delivery tasks that often fall through the cracks.

  • Jumpstart Production Services is not a law firm, and our services shall not be construed as legal or financial advice or the provision of legal services of any kind.

    When legal counsel is needed, we’ll refer you to a trusted entertainment attorney.

  • Pricing depends on your project’s size and needs. After you complete the short intake form, we’ll scope the work and customize pricing.

  • Absolutely—from our à-la-carte services you can pick and choose which service(s) you need. These include festival submission strategy, distribution strategy, delivery services, and more.

Start preparing for the best possible outcome because your film deserves to be seen.