Description
Book SynopsisTapping experts in an industry experiencing major disruptions, The Movie Business Book is the authoritative, comprehensive sourcebook, covering online micro-budget movies to theatrical tentpoles. This book pulls back the veil of secrecy on producing, marketing, and distributing films, including business models, dealmaking, release windows, revenue streams, studio accounting, DIY online self-distribution and more. First-hand insider accounts serve as primary references involving negotiations, management decisions, workflow, intuition and instinct. The Movie Business Book is an essential guide for those launching or advancing careers in the global media marketplace.
Trade Review"As storytellers, it’s vital to know both creative and business issues. This book is a valuable source for navigating your career."
—Stan Lee, Founder, Board Chairman, Chief Creative Officer, POW! Entertainment
"A valuable book full of smarts and straight talk. I use it in my class at USC."
—Leonard Maltin, Film Critic and Historian
"If anyone is still crazy enough to want to be in the movie business, they should absolutely read this book!"
—Tom Rothman, Chairman, Motion Picture Group, Sony Pictures Entertainment
"This book covers all the bases for anyone interested in film, from running a studio to distributing your own indie film. Squire has assembled an impressive group of professionals who make their living making movies. Who better to learn from?"
—Mary Sweeney, Chair, Film Independent Board of Directors
"The Movie Business Book provides a very comprehensive look at the film industry, not from the perspective of scholars, but from that of practitioners. This will be a very valuable book for students interested simply in how the industry works, and for those interested in a career within that industry. Given its perspective, this collection provides a wonderful resource and a complement to other film studies texts."
- Paul Soukop, SJ, Santa Clara University, in Commercial Research Trends, vol.35 issue 4
"If you are on the business side of filmmaking — or aspire to be — then I recommend this book to you without hesitation. It not only provides solid, up-to-date information but also some great role models of top people in the industry. Read up, then come back and help me make a movie!"
- J.Ott from makethemovie.com
Table of ContentsIntroduction - By Jason E. Squire
I. THE CREATORS
The Entrepreneurial Producer - By Michael London (Producer, West Los Angeles, CA)
The Director - By Doug Liman (Director, Producer, New York, NY)
A Filmmaker's Journey - By Jay Duplass (Co-Writer, Co-Director, Actor, Los Angeles, CA)
II. THE PROPERTY
The Screenwriter - By David S. Goyer (Screenwriter, Director, Producer, Los Angeles, CA)
Representing the Screenwriter - By Jewerl Ross (Owner, Silent R Mangement, Los Angeles, CA)
The Story Editor - By Romy Dworman (Senior Vice President, Story Department, Universal Pictures, Universal City, CA)
Exploiting Intellectual Property Rights - By Joel Gotler (CEO, Intellectual Property Group, Los Angeles, CA)
III. THE MONEY
Movies, Money and Madness - By Peter J. Dekom (Entertainment Lawyer, Los Angeles, CA)
Getting Paid! - By Rob Aft (President, Compliance Consulting, Los Angeles, CA)
Analyzing Movie Companies - By Harold L. Vogel (Financial Analyst, Vogel Capital Management, New York, NY)
IV. THE MANAGEMENT
A Chairman's Perspective - By Alan Horn (Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios, Burbank, CA)
Marvel Studios - By Kevin Feige (President, Marvel Studios, Burbank, CA)
The Movie Company as Financier-Distributor - By David V. Picker (Former President, Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, United Artists, New York, NY)
The Independent Spirit - By Barbara Boyle (Professor and Associate Dean, Entrepreneurship, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, West Los Angeles, CA)
V. THE DEAL
The Entertainment Lawyer - By Linda Lichter (Partner, Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Feldman, Inc., West Hollywood, CA)
Business Affairs - By Stephen M. Kravit (Executive Vice President, Business Affairs, The Gersh Agency, Beverly Hills, CA)
The Completion Guarantee - By Steve Mangel (President, UniFi Completion Guarantors, Los Angeles, CA)
The Talent Agent - By Jessica Tuchinsky (Producer, Former Talent Agent, Creative Artists Agency, Beverly Hills CA)
VI. PRODUCTION
Production Management - By Micahel Grillo (Executive Producer, Los Angeles, CA)
The Social Network: Production Workflow - By Allen Kupetsky (Second Assistant Director, Los Angeles, CA)
VII. MARKETING
Motion Picture Marketing - By Blair Rich (Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Pictures Worldwide Marketing, Burbank, CA)
Market Research - By Kevin Goetz (Founder and CEO, Screen Engine/ASI, Los Angeles, CA)
Film Festivals and Markets - By Steve Montal (Film Festival Consultant, Los Angeles, CA)
VIII. REVENUE STREAMS
Release Windows and Revenue Streams - By Linda Benjamin (Former Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, Relativity Media, Beverly Hills, CA)
Studio Accounting - By Ilan Haimoff (Partner, Green Hasson Janks Accountants, Leader, Contract Compliance and Forensics Department, Los Angeles CA)
IX. THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION
Studio Distribution - By Daniel R. Fellman (President, Warner Bros. Pictures Domestic Distribution, Burbank, CA)
Independent Distribution - By Tom Quinn (Former Co-President, RADiUS, The Weinstein Company, New York, NY)
X. THEATRICAL EXHIBITION
The Exhibition Business - By Shari E. Redstone (President, National Amusements, Norwood, MA)
The Independent Exhibitor - By Robert Laemmle and Greg Laemmle (Laemmle Fine Arts Theatres, Los Angeles, CA)
XI. HOME ENTERTAINMENT AND SELF-DISTRIBUTION
Home Entertainment - By Ronald J. Sanders (President, Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Entertainment Distribution, Burbank, CA)
Online Self-Distribution - By Jamie Wilkinson (Co-Founder and CEO, VHX Corporation, Brooklyn, NY)
XII. THE DIY MODEL
DIY: An Introduction - By Jason E. Squire (USC School of Cinematic Arts, Los Angeles, CA)
Producing in the DIY Model - By Eric B. Fleischman (Producer, Los Angeles, CA)
XIII. CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Consumer Products - By Al Ovadia (President, Al Ovadia & Associates; Former Executive Vice President, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Los Angeles, CA)
XIV. INTERNATIONAL
Global Markets - By Rob Aft (President, Compliance Consulting, Los Angeles, CA)
An Overview of the Chinese Film Industry - By Shaoyi Sun (Professor of Film and Media Studies, Shanghai Theatre Academy, Shanghai, China)
XV. THE FUTURE
Entertainment Technologies: Past, Present and Future - By Dan Ochiva (Founder and President, NYC Production and Post News, New York, NY)
