@ottomobiehl
You could say, "Hey, business man X, name brand actor Y is interested in being in my movie." You could get all sorts of funding that way if you put in the funding contract that actor Y will be in the movie as a condition of funding. Sam Raimi did Evil Dead with no name actors and by just going around to dentists and such in a suit asking for money. You don't NEED big actor name actors. It sure helps, but you can probably get by with charm. :-)
