The apocalyptic human-versus-machine showdown portrayed in Terminator Salvation was filmed in the deserts of New Mexico, a far cry from the beaches of the Virgin Islands. But the 2009 blockbuster had a VI tie that is becoming more common among moviemakers: the use of VI-registered companies to facilitate film financing.
Most big-budget films, such as Green Lantern or the Harry Potter series, are typically funded by major studios, but films with smaller budgets and the occasional blockbuster often find benefits in using VI structures, said Colin Riegels, a partner at the law firm Harneys.
“The mid-budgets and the low budgets are a very different kettle of fish,” Mr. Riegels said. “In those cases you’ve usually got the guys behind the films, usually the producers, are sort of scrambling around and getting cash from lots of different varieties of investors.”
See the Aug. 25, 2011 edition for full coverage.