Ex-Hello Sunshine and AGC Execs Launch Baseline Media Ahead of AFM

Two entertainment executives who have structured nearly $2 billion in film and television transactions have launched Baseline Media, a new advisory and executive services firm, on the eve of the American Film Market.

Wifreddy Chiang and Anant Tamirisa co-founded the firm to serve independent producers, production companies and financiers. Chiang previously ran finance and operations for Candle Media's production company portfolio, including Hello Sunshine, and helped build AGC Studios' financial infrastructure. Tamirisa served as Executive Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs at AGC Studios.

What does Baseline Media actually offer?

The firm provides integrated finance, operations and business affairs expertise, a combination the founders say has been "traditionally housed within major studios and established production companies." Their track record includes single-picture financings, film fund formation and production company operations, advising producers, financiers and investors on both sides of the studio-independent divide.

"Now more than ever, companies in the media and entertainment industry are in need of sophisticated finance and business affairs expertise, but most can't justify or afford bringing it in-house," Chiang said. "We have built and run that type of infrastructure on both the independent and studio side on multiple occasions."

Chiang added that Baseline delivers that expertise "in a hands-on, cost-efficient way, providing access to a team to assist in making the right strategic calls, closing transactions, and building a scalable business, while they can stay focused on growing their company."

Who are the launch clients?

Baseline opens with a client roster spanning production, financing and distribution:

• Brookstreet Pictures, financier and producer of "The Brutalist"
• Felix Culpa, Riley Keough and Gina Gammell's company behind Caméra d'Or winner "War Pony" and the Netflix series "The Body"
• Kaplan Morrison, whose credits include "The Brutalist," "The Testament of Ann Lee" and "Josephine"
• Ketchup Entertainment, the distributor behind the theatrical release of "Coyote vs. Acme"
• Wieden+Kennedy and its entertainment arm, a strategic partner on "Porto Rico," the upcoming feature starring Bad Bunny

The firm's individual project engagements include AGC Studios' "The Journeyman" with Patrick Schwarzenegger, Kaplan Morrison's "They Follow" — David Robert Mitchell's sequel to the cult hit "It Follows" — and Parallel 42's "Homewrecker," starring Allison Williams, Michelle Randolph and Simu Liu.

Why consolidate advisory services now?

Tamirisa argues that independent producers and financiers have long depended on a "patchwork of lawyers, accountants, financial advisors and consultants" to get projects financed and made.

"What makes Baseline unique is that we bring all of those capabilities together under one roof," Tamirisa said. "Rather than working with multiple advisors operating in silos, our clients have a partner who understands the full picture, from structuring and closing individual transactions to building the infrastructure needed to sustain and grow their businesses."

He called that level of coordinated support something "historically ... available primarily within larger studios and entertainment companies," which Baseline now extends to the independent community. The launch, timed to the American Film Market, positions the firm to capture deal flow from an independent sector that increasingly needs studio-grade infrastructure without studio-scale overhead.