Fab Factory Entertainment is a Los Angeles and Hollywood based media group. What began three years ago as one company is now a group of six, with the principals holding stakes and operating several related businesses. They run an end-to-end production house, from ideation through film and TV delivery, plus a streaming network and stakes in independent film houses.
Co-CEO Rebecca O’Hara spends 75% of her time on film production: growth strategy and the models that greenlight a film. She and partner Steve Fabos are seasoned operators, but six early-stage companies scaling at once is a different game. Some days, she says, they were “in over our skis,” “drinking from a fire hose."
Having built and exited at scale, they hold a high bar for the back office, where clean books and tight controls are table stakes. Their time belongs on deals and growth, not chasing a bookkeeper.
Fab Factory looked capable from the outside. Underneath, the finance operation had not kept pace with the group’s growth.
Growth outran the back office. Investment and expansion outpaced the group’s ability to build a finance team, and standing one up from scratch was not realistic then.
No confidence in the numbers when it counted. Film funding runs on complex models and investors watching every line. Without that rigor, Rebecca says, “we were at a disadvantage.”
Brilliant creative talent, and a finance gap. The group is full of dynamic creatives who, by design, do not bring back-office knowledge, leaving gaps in cost controls, P&L confidence, and tax coding.
A fraud incident exposed missing controls. Just before SPRCHRGR came in, the group hit a significant fraud case. It was not a people problem; the procedures that would have caught it did not exist yet.
Scaling on a weak system multiplies errors. Rebecca knew the risk: layering growth on a shaky foundation would multiply mistakes as fast as revenue.
SPRCHRGR came in as the finance partner the group could not find anywhere else, able to pivot across six very different companies.
Rebuilt the fundamentals, fast. SPRCHRGR replaced what was not working with cost controls, P&L confidence, correct coding, and audit-ready books. Confidence came quickly, “just by asking the right questions and putting systems in place.”
Controls that prevent the next problem. New procedures closed the gaps that had allowed the fraud. In Rebecca’s words: “It wouldn’t have happened, and it won’t happen again.”
Modern systems beyond QuickBooks. New tools made the process self-sufficient, letting the group scale throughput without scaling headcount.
Dedicated service lanes and a weekly rhythm. Three dedicated service lanes meet with the group weekly, with daily or hourly access when a decision needs it.
A team that fits, on-site when needed. Rebecca calls the SPRCHRGR team available, easy to work with, and a consistent cultural fit, on-site when the work demands it. “There’s no static between them.”
Six months in, the change shows up where it matters most: how Rebecca spends her time and how confidently the group plans its next move.
Confidence in the numbers, every day. “Every day, I have confidence, and I can relay that to my team members whenever they question.”
Leadership looking forward, not down. Rebecca moved from muscling through financial details to running the bigger picture. “Now I can look forward, which is what I wasn’t doing before.”
Audit-ready books. Correct coding, clean year-ends and tax returns, and controls that hold up to scrutiny. “We’re audit ready.”
A growth engine built to scale. Most independent film companies make one or two films a year. Fab Factory finished its fourth halfway through this year and expects three or four more. The plan: double the slate or budget year over year, then scale with partners or exit.
Budget discipline as the differentiator. In an industry where money running out is the top killer, Rebecca is clear. “There’s a saying that the only people that truly make money are the lawyers. That’s not going to be our legacy.”
With SPRCHRGR handling the fundamentals, leadership spends its time on growth and deals. Asked what she would tell a founder weighing it, Rebecca does not hesitate: “Without hesitation. Yes.” A third party that finds “the real stuff” with no internal influence is invaluable.
“If you don’t trust your numbers, if you’re concerned about an audit, if you’re trying to do something different, SPRCHRGR is a great partner.”
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