Financing commitment without 10-15% 'skin in the game' for early investors?

Hey everyone, as a gaffer, I'm usually focused on the gear, making sure the AMIRA is singing with the SkyPanel S60-C, or that the Forza 720B is punched just right. But I'm dipping my toes into producing a short narrative film for a friend, and we're hitting a wall with financing.

We’re hearing a lot about the importance of having 10-15% 'skin in the game' to show commitment to early investors. The problem is, our team simply doesn't have that kind of capital upfront. We're all passionate and resourceful, trying to leverage in-kind donations and deferred rates, and we’ve already locked down a few key crew members based on the script and our collective track record. We've even managed to secure some gear commitments. For example, I've got my eye on some good rates for lighting packages and we feel confident in the production value we can achieve. But it's not cash.

How do filmmakers without that significant personal financial commitment adapt their financing stack to still signal genuine commitment and attract those crucial early investors? What strategies have you seen work? I'm curious about the specific mechanisms beyond just 'good script' or 'strong team'.