Protocol UK, Fintage House join forces on new service

Protocol UK and Fintage House, the revenue rights collection agencies, are joining forces to form Protocol International.

The merged entity will focus on the proactive collection of film and TV revenues across all platforms and will aim to complement Fintage’s Collection Account Management operation. The move was announced by Robbert Aarts, Fintage’s co-chief executive, and Protocol UK’s Lindsey Hunt and Rebecca Roffey.

Fintage senior executive Peter Kostene, who has worked in international licensing and film distribution rights for more than ten years, is seconded to the new venture with Hunt and Roffey and all three will attend European Film Market, which kicks off this week in Berlin.

Protocol International will offer a range of unique financial services representing producers, financiers and sales agents across their full library or portfolio of investments. This will include collecting money due under distributor agreements, outsourcing for contracting and rights management, providing distributor services and advising on best practice. Key to its offer will be its proactive collection services, that will “utilise all possible means” to avoid costly distributor defaults

Roffey, who previously worked at Aramid Capital, will oversee business development and portfolio analysis; while Hunt, who has over 15 years experience in interatational collections and has also previously worked for Aramid, will be responsible for distributor evaluations, collections, cashflow projections and box office data among other things.

Roffey said: “Robbert, Peter and I discussed that Fintage’s strength is in the disbursement of revenues to a film’s participants. What was needed was for a separate – but equal valued operation that is proactive in actually getting the money collected. With Lindsey and my own track record, combined with Fintage’s global infrastructure, including its international offices, we have the skills, experience and wide reaching network of relationships that is unrivalled in the industry. Both Lindsey and I are thrilled to be working with Fintage and are convinced that sales agents, producers and financiers will get a terrific cost benefit by using our services.”

Protocol will also tap into Fintage House’s extensive network of international offices and reps around the world as well as the analytical data Fintage has accrued in its 25 years of operation as the leading entertainment financial services operation.

Robbert Aarts Co-CEO of Fintage said that Protocol and its clients will benefit from “the wealth of data we have on our books, on all aspects of distribution, broadcasting, music, digital and secondary rights exploitation”.

He add: “This knowledge and ongoing evaluation process allows all sectors of the industry to come together to promote the sustainability of continued film sales and investment, in a secure and confidential environment.  Any client coming into Protocol has an instant network and infrastructure to draw upon. In the current state of the economy and the film business, honouring commitments and a cost-saving solution is more needed than ever.”