Producers Overestimating Foreign Sales/Streaming Buyouts: What's the Biggest Pitfall?

Hey everyone,

Jordan Kemp here, aerial cinematography. Been on a few projects lately, mostly commercials and some narrative shorts. I'm operating with an ALEXA 35 and an ALEXA Mini LF rigs most days, so I'm usually brought in when there's a decent budget, often with SkyPanel X and Orbiter setups on the lighting side. This means I'm around a lot of conversations about financing and distribution.

I'm curious what you all think. I've heard producers talk big game about foreign pre-sales or streaming platform buyouts, and sometimes it feels a bit... optimistic. What's the most common and, crucially, the most detrimental mistake you've seen producers make when they overestimate these values in the current market? I'm trying to better understand the full financial picture, as it affects everything downstream.

Thanks for any insights.