Have you ever considered renting out the gear you own? If there's a large sum of in-demand lights and lenses for example. Given how expensive all of this stuff is, and how slow it can be to make it all back, the first thing I'd have in mind is how to pay it off or at least breakeven using it beyond my own personal use.

People don't open their wallets for Art

I always appreciated the productions I'd work on that knowingly pissed their money away on creating something, knowing that the recognition would be received but absolutely none of that money would return. In some ways it was more for the accolades that could come and potentially push them forward with other productions.