A Sipp investor has urged others to follow his lead and use Sipps to back the British movie industry.
The private investor network The Ideas Factory has raised finance for many recent British films like The Machine (pictured) - which won the 'Best Picture' award at the recent 2013 Raindance Film Festival - and the forthcoming Twitter-inspired LA Slasher.
Jonathan Willis, the founder of TIF, has a background in film, TV and publishing, and says he has put his expertise to use by investing a significant proportion of his own Sipp in films and TV production companies through TIF.
Mr Willis says: "Investment in film and media provides experienced and knowledgeable retirees a chance to become actively involved without being as committed as they would be if they were an employee.
"Many retired investors can offer an intellectual contribution that is at least - if not more - valuable than their financial contribution. This type of investment often also comes with other benefits, such as walk-on parts, days on set and work experience for family members."
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His tips for Sipp investors looking to invest in film and TV:
- Retired investors interested in TV and film opportunities should look for those that are different or exciting and offer a variety of income opportunities beyond the box office
- That means potential for merchandising, spin offs into other media channels, multimedia potential, interactivity and second screen, plus sequel potential
The advantages for investors is that the yields may be higher than a traditional pension scheme and they have much more control although there can be significant risks if a film flops at the box office.
To spread risk, Mr Willis recommended investing "small interesting chunks" rather than putting "all one's eggs in a single basket."
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One positive aspect of investing in films, he said, was that investors can spend time carefully looking for the right investment - hearing the producers and director at an investment pitch and making sure they understand the project's business plan. It's important, however, to check that a scheme is Sipp compliant, he added.
Jonathan has also originated a TV show format that is currently under option by a major US network and at commissioner level in the UK. This he put through the TV company for which his firm, TIF, raised funds, and into which he invested pension funds.
The Ideas Factory (TIF) was founded in 2010 by Jonathan Willis, Jason Kluver and Heath Lansbury and is now a UK-wide private investor networks. It connects entrepreneurs with investors through a network of 35,000 members, and has raised more than £15m for start-ups in the last 36 months. TIF works with an average 40 companies a year.