The independent film sector has collapsed into a binary of studio versus financialized sponsorship

Evidence

A more simplistic framework is establishing itself, an increasingly limited, binary option: either the studio model, mostly focused on pre-sold intellectual property and franchise blockbusters, or the financialized model, in which wealthy investors seek profit or status or both by sponsoring filmmakers who fit their objective. In an era of low interest rates, high wealth inequality, financial liquidity, and Wall Street speculation, the structure of the industry is transforming, including its margins. — Andrew deWaard, Derivative Media, 267

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s goal of tracing financial instruments — this is the pivot where ‘findies’ (financially engineered indies) replace studio-backed independent film.