Adjusted Gross vs. Net Profit: When to choose the smaller, surer slice?

Hey everyone,

I'm prepping for a negotiation on an indie feature right now, it's a really interesting character piece, got some great talent attached. We're looking at shooting on an ALEXA Mini LF, mostly with some vintage glass I love, SkyPanel X for the key. Everything's coming together, but I'm trying to figure out the backend.

I keep hearing about how 'net profit' deals are often a mirage, essentially amounting to nothing once all the 'expenses' are tallied. My current offer has a decent percentage of net, but I'm wondering about pushing for a much smaller percentage of 'adjusted gross.'

In real-world scenarios, when you've been in these situations, when is it genuinely worth it to take that smaller percentage of adjusted gross, even if the net profit offer looks bigger on paper? Has anyone had a situation where the larger net profit deal actually paid out significantly for them, or is the adjusted gross always the safer bet for actual money in your pocket?