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.