When does pre-sales for debt financing NOT work for indie films?

Hey everyone, I'm a camera operator, typically working on projects with an ALEXA Mini or V-RAPTOR XL kit. I recently started looking at producing a short narrative piece, and the textbook advice I keep hearing for debt financing is 'secure pre-sales!' The issue is, for market 2025-2026, and with no bankable castattached (we're going for emerging talent), it feels like a total pipe dream for our thriller. We've got a solid script, good visuals planned, and I'm even thinking we can get some cool shots with a SkyPanel X and Titan Tubes. We've tried some initial outreach, but without a marquee name, we're hitting brick walls. When is 'get pre-sales' just not the viable path, especially when you can't guarantee theatrical distribution? What alternative financial strategies actually work in this specific scenario?