How A Producer Is Paid: Share Analysis Review

How A Producer Is Paid: Share Analysis Review

Below are terms referring to how a producer is paid; important information that every producer should understand. Total Distributor’s Net: This is the sum of all income, after expenses, from the all the major earnings categories. Production Financing Expenses: This is the producer’s cost of interest and fees for production...
Basics of Entertainment Law

Basics of Entertainment Law

What a Producer Needs to Know This is a primer for producers in the entertainment industry and will cover the basic legal aspects a producer should understand when involved in litigation. This introduction to entertainment law will cover producer-attorney relationships, basic negotiating technique, and how to avoid pitfalls in finding...
Quick Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Scripts and Actors

Quick Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Scripts and Actors

Directing isn’t always easy, and having a few strategies in hand can be helpful in difficult situations. Here are a few tips to get you going: 1)      Always Move Your Story Forward Every scene in a movie should be building up and moving towards the finale. Blocking refers to the...
Film Production Notes: Director's Role

Film Production Notes: Director’s Role

You are a director. You don’t need to father the play. Your role in the making  of a play is to help the play to see the light of the day.  This is a task similar to a task of a doctor or nurse- you need to let the process...
Reality Television: Seven Reality Show Types

Reality Television: Seven Reality Show Types

The world today is defined by lists. From the top ten celebrities, to the highest paid stars in Hollywood, everything can be turned into a list. So why leave reality television out of the fun? While there’s no official list of reality television subgenres, any producer would define reality television...
Latest entries
Is Acting For You?

Is Acting For You?

This article is a guide to determining if you can survive the difficulties of an acting career. Think about how you’d answer the questions below. Do you really love acting? The best thing to do is to focus on your love of acting, not the negatives and disappointments that you’ll inevitably encounter. To engage with...
Shooting On Digital vs. Shooting On Film

Shooting On Digital vs. Shooting On Film

In film production, the postproduction process officially starts after the principle wrap is complete. However, the Editor and Editor Assistant have started the process much sooner. Many aspects of postproduction differ from the production process. For instance, postproduction lasts much longer than production, often twice as long, and requires a significantly smaller crew . The...
Working With The Hollywood Studio System

Working With The Hollywood Studio System

“The Hollywood producer changes the director because the film’s not working.  He changes the writer because it’s Tuesday.”– Film industry joke Studio development and the distribution machine Hollywood studios are basically distribution companies that bankroll both development and production within one integrated company.  Their strength lies in the fact that they see success in terms...
Is Digital Democratization Of Content A Myth?

Is Digital Democratization Of Content A Myth?

Anticipating the future “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.”—Alfred Hitchcock In the early 2000s, through books such as Lasica’s Darknet: Hollywood’s War against the Digital Generation (2005), we were led to believe that the power of the internet would free up content and democratize filmmaking.  These claims were...
Selling Your Own DIY DVDs

Selling Your Own DIY DVDs

You may be able to sell copies of your film on DVD on your own.   If this idea appeals to you, here are some tips on how to go about it: Start early, by replicating your own DVDs and selling them during the festival run.  If people love your film, they’ll probably want to buy...
Writing A Script

Writing A Script

What is a script? At a minimum, scripts are made up of dialogue and audio content. They may also have other information that helps producers, directors and others working on the set see what they need to do and when. Purpose of a script Having a script serves a number of purposes. It helps the...
The Importance Of The Paper Trail

The Importance Of The Paper Trail

As you make your film, you may be tempted to put off organizing your documentation until later. Fight this temptation with all of your might. After all, a consistently high level of record keeping throughout the filmmaking process can ensure that the production continues smoothly and without confusion. Careful organization can also assure a cheaper...
Take Control Of Your Creative Output Without Losing Your Sanity

Take Control Of Your Creative Output Without Losing Your Sanity

The film industry is a minefield today, and the combined pressures of imaginative script creation and successful marketing leaves many of us feeling tired and discouraged. To eliminate the potential for burnout during the long and stressful process of film creation, keep these essential points in mind. Mental Health Usually considered an afterthought by busy...
Gear On The Morning Of The Shoot

Gear On The Morning Of The Shoot

Equipment It is not necessarily a good idea to buy your own equipment. This can upset equipment rental companies who are trying to make their own living. However, if you do buy your own equipment, making sure that the equipment looks professional will benefit you in two ways: it will impress the filmmaker with your...
Chicken Soup for the Screenwriter

Chicken Soup for the Screenwriter

Scripts are your babies. You create them, nurture them, and polish them into perfect expressions of your creative vision. Sometimes, you do such a good job someone decides to finance a movie based on your baby. It’s the culmination of all your work. It’s also the point where you’re most likely to lose the very...
Do-It-Yourself Distribution Pitfalls

Do-It-Yourself Distribution Pitfalls

Independent filmmakers face a multitude of theatrical release options. Whether you go the traditional route with full bookings or you’re looking for a one-night showing in the local art house, you can succeed by setting appropriate goals, managing expectations, and avoid these common pitfalls: The Unsuccessful Pitch When trying to distribute your own film, getting...
Indie Film Production Hurdles

Indie Film Production Hurdles

Over the course of an independent film production, the producer’s responsibilities stretch the gamut from psychologist to policeman to accountant to salesman with a host of other tasks filling the gaps. And while there’s no magic formula to becoming a successful producer, the good ones all share one important characteristic: belief in the film they’re...
Film Production Insurance Primer

Film Production Insurance Primer

Acquiring film production insurance is a daunting task for many producers. Yet financiers, local governments, and vendors won’t work with you without appropriate coverage. Besides, insuring the production can help you remain profitable despite losses due to schedule delays, re-casting, re-shooting, equipment breakdowns, and a host of other risks. So how do you maneuver through...
Conventions and Procedures of Hiring a Film Crew

Conventions and Procedures of Hiring a Film Crew

Taking on a significant role in the production of a film such as Production Manager or Production Coordinator, is a challenging task with diverse responsibilities.  One of those duties is to assemble personnel to work on the hundreds of different aspects making up the film.  It’s certainly true that when you’re young, you’ve probably become...
Script Production: How to Express your Notes to the Writer

Script Production: How to Express your Notes to the Writer

So you’ve finished reading your writer’s script and have prepared your notes and questions. In a way, that was the easy part of the job: now you need to relay your notes to your writer in such a way that he or she accepts them willingly and without feeling defensive. It is not uncommon for...