The Frankenstein Method: How Piecemeal Financing Is Crippling Great Films It’s one of the strangest and most frustrating parts of filmmaking: before a single frame is shot, producers are often forced to "sell" the movie—based on a script, a wish list of actors, and some glossy artwork. These are called presales, and they’re used to secure loans from banks or gap financiers. While this model has become a norm in the indie film world, it’s also one of the biggest reasons so man