MINI-MAJORS
Orion was a mini major. Mini majors do the same type of deals as majors, except they're a lot more vulnerable, since the minis don't have the theatrical and international clout of the majors. So you should be doubly more cautious about what you get up front.
Always claim that you made the movie for more, when you negotiate a distribution deal. If you are an experienced film maker and the movie you've just completed looks like a $5,000,000 independently produced movie, and your budget is really $1,500,000, you should claim your movie was shot for $5,000,000 "including deferments." The distribution company will want you on the hook (they like to see independent producers twist in the wind,) so they'll offer you "half your budget" up front, plus points. Their reasoning is this: "If the movie doesn't perform at the box office, let him take a beating too!"
Since most likely the executive who said that about you will "no longer be with the company" by the time your movie is out, you don't have to worry about getting any more money, you won't, no matter how your movie did. Be thankful that you recovered your budget and made another $1,000,000 to boot. This is as good as it gets with minis. And they're not always around for you to pin your hopes on either.