The Documentary Studio
Built for Scale
Fourth House Creatives produces tour documentaries for the world's biggest artists — $100,000 per film, $15,000 overhead, ultra-fast turnaround, and perpetual residual income on every project.
Four People. Zero Waste.
Every role is defined. Every person owns their lane. No duplicated effort, no permanent overhead between projects.
Extended network (variable cost, paid per project): 15–25 dispatch cinematographers globally, 2–3 contract editors, colorist, sound designer, VFX artist, merch manufacturing partners.
Audiences Crave Access and Authenticity
The music industry transformed. Fans want behind-the-scenes connection with the artists they follow. Labels know it. The platforms are paying for it. The gap is in who produces it.
Labels Are Already Raising Their Hands
We are not building demand. We are responding to it. Active interest from major labels and live entertainment companies puts a documentary pipeline in front of us before we spend a dollar on marketing.
$100,000 Per Film. $15,000 Overhead. $85,000 Profit.
Brand sponsorship is cut from the core model. If a label brings a brand willing to pay, we take it. Otherwise the economics stand on their own — and they stand tall.
- Full tour documentary (20–45 min)
- 7–10 day embed at major US tour stops
- Social clip package (vertical, square, horizontal)
- Platform-ready masters (Netflix, Amazon, Tubi, BET+ specs)
- Music clearance documentation (Music Bible)
- 2 rounds of artist notes included
- Covers Drew, Wanye, and John on the road
- Rent, car insurance, utilities, food, emergency fund
- Paid upfront by the label, separate from the fee
- Not FHC profit — it funds crew expenses
- Total label cost: $115K all-in
- Traditional studios need $500K–$676K for the same deliverable
- Lean 4-person core + AI post pipeline makes the margin structural, not lucky
- Plus our percentage of perpetual residual income on every film
7–10 Days on the Road. Hours in the Edit Bay.
Traditional documentaries take 6–12 months. We shoot the major US tour stops in 7–10 days, edit in hours for short tours and 2 days for longer ones, and screen while the buzz is still alive.
Pre-Tour — 3–5 Days
Capture rehearsal, wardrobe, green room, artist interviews, narrative setup. Drew + Wanye + John.
Tour Embed — 7–10 Days
Travel with the artist through 7 major US tour stops. Iconic venues, engaged crowds, personal-connection cities. Dispatch network crews cover the rest for B-roll and crowd shots.
Post-Production — Hours to 2 Days
AI-assisted editing, color, sound, and music clearance. Short tour means an edit measured in hours. Longer tour means 2 days. Traditional post takes 4–6 weeks. We do not.
Rapid Screening — While the Tour Is Hot
Theater events in LA, NYC, and Miami through our venue connections. The artist is still on the road. The buzz is alive. The documentary is fresh.
LA. NYC. Miami. Revenue While the Ink Is Wet.
Our theater connections in three major markets turn every documentary into a live event — ticket sales, merch, and content capture for the next project's marketing.
- Artist attends 2–3 screenings. LA and NYC mandatory.
- Surprise city announced 48 hours out drives urgency and social media.
- Every screening is filmed. Crowd, artist, energy — marketing for the next pitch and archive for the library.
- A 6-month post cycle kills momentum. Ours does not.
- Screen while the artist is still touring and the story is live.
- Faster turnaround means more projects per year with the same team.
One Film. Multiple Paydays.
| Revenue Stream | Amount | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Production fee | $100,000 | 50% on signing, 50% on delivery |
| Crew cost of living (label-paid, covers crew expenses) | $15,000 | Upfront |
| Theater screenings — LA, NYC, Miami | $25,000 – $81,000 | 1–3 months after delivery |
| Platform licensing (Netflix, Amazon, BET+, Tubi) | $50,000 – $200,000 | 6–18 months after delivery — 70–90% margin |
| Social clip licensing | $5,000 – $25,000 | 0–12 months after delivery |
| Archive footage reuse | $2,000 – $10,000 | 12–24 months after delivery |
| Total project lifetime value (24-month window) | $272,000 – $581,000 | Conservative — excludes merch backend and international |
One project generates $85,000 in production profit plus our percentage of perpetual residual income on licensing, screenings, and archive sales. That income does not expire. It compounds.
Perpetual Residuals Are the Real Asset
Production fees pay for this year. Residuals pay forever. Every film we deliver keeps earning across platforms, territories, and formats — and we own a percentage of that income in perpetuity.
$250,000 to Scale Infrastructure, Not Experimentation
Production is funded by label fees. This capital builds the infrastructure that lets us handle 10, 20, then 50 projects a year without breaking — and insures us against the unpredictable.
From 6 Films to 10. From Fees to Forever.
Ultra-fast turnaround changes the math. When editing takes hours instead of weeks, the same team ships more projects per year — and every one adds to the residual base.
Production profit (85%): $510,000
Plus: screening revenue, licensing, and perpetual residuals
Production profit (85%): $850,000
Plus: a compounding residual library across 16+ films
Deliberately conservative. Excludes brand sponsorships if a label brings one, merch backend, international sales, and platform pre-sales at $400K–$1.5M per project.
Three Months. From Capital to Screening.
- QuickBooks + Mercury set up, invoicing live
- Venue database in Airtable, Music Bible template built
- Pitch decks out to TDE, 300, EMPIRE, Live Nation
- First monthly financial close and investor report
- Close first label deal — $100K fee + $15K cost of living
- Confirm 7 major US tour stops + pre-tour days
- Vet and lock contract editor at a fixed rate
- Crew deployed: Drew, Wanye, John on the road
- Edit, color, sound, music clearance — done in days
- First screening event in LA with artist in attendance
- Platform licensing pitches to Netflix, BET+, Tubi
- Margins reviewed, pricing locked, network expanded
The Non-Negotiables
- No project starts without a signed contract. Cash flow is oxygen.
- No final cut ships without music clearance documentation. The Music Bible is a legal document, not a suggestion.
- No screening happens without a signed venue agreement. Verbal confirmations die.
- No one joins the Dispatch Network without a trial shoot. Not even if they shot for Beyoncé.
- The 3-month operating reserve is untouchable. Not for gear. Not for surprise opportunities. For payroll if a deal falls through.
- Drew shoots. Wanye documents. Yoshua manages. John handles logistics. Everyone stays in their lane.
- The 80TB archive is sacred. Every project adds to it. Every file backed up in 3 places. No exceptions.
- Investor reports go out on the 5th of every month. No exceptions. No delays.
The Demand Is Proven.
The Only Gap Is Capacity.
TDE, 300, EMPIRE, and Live Nation are interested. The model earns $85K per film before perpetual residuals. Turnaround is measured in days. The theater connections are live. $250,000 covers insurance, infrastructure, marketing, and scale.
The question is not whether the market exists. It is whether we build fast enough to capture it.
Smino Tour Documentary —
Proof of Concept
Pre-production and live tour footage produced and directed by Drew Brown ("The Film Lord"). Currently licensed and distributed on Spotify. Demonstrates the venture's core capability: cinematic-quality original content, cleared for streaming platforms, generating passive licensing revenue in perpetuity.