Filmmakers and Financing: Business Plans for Independents / Edition 8

by Louise Levison

Overview

In this new and updated ultimate filmmaker's guide, Louise Levison gives you easy-to-use steps for writing an investor-winning business plan for a feature film, including:

• A comprehensive explanations for each of the eight sections of a plan

• Full financial section with text and tables
• A sample business plan
• A companion website with additional information for various chapters and detailed financial instructions ― advanced math not needed

• An explanation on how feature documentary, animated and large-format films differ

• A guide to pitching to investors: who they are, what they want and what to tell them
• Words of advice: Filmmakers share their experiences raising money from equity investors

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138947443
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/28/2016
Series:	American Film Market Presents
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	290
Sales rank:	711,186
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Louise Levison (www.moviemoney.com) has a 28-year track record creating business plans for films (both single and slates) and other entertainment companies. She teaches in the Extension Program at UCLA and is publisher and editor of The Film Entrepreneur: A Newsletter for the Independent Filmmaker and Investor. Her clients have raised money for individual films with budgets from $100,000 to $30 million and slates with budgets totalling up to $300 million. She regularly conducts workshops on financing for organizations and at film festivals. Levison holds an MA in Asian Area Studies and an MBA in finance.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - The Executive Summary: A Short Version of Everything

Chapter 2 - The Company: Who, What, When, Where and Why

Chapter 3 - The Film: The Investor Needs to Know the Whole Story

Chapter 4 - The Industry: The Facts and Nothing But

Chapter 5 - The Markets: The Spin

Chapter 6 - Distribution: Theatrical and the Changing Landscape

Chapter 7 - Distribution: Nontheatrical and the Wild West

Chapter 8 - Risk Factors: Truth in Advertising

Chapter 9 - The Financial Plan: How it Works

Chapter 10 - The Financials: Forecasting Without Fear

Chapter 11 - Sample Business Plan

Chapter 12 - Breaking the Rules: Documentary, Animation and Large Format

Chapter 13 - Other People’s Money: Them That Has the Gold Makes Some of the Rules

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

PRAISE FOR THE PREVIOUS EDITIONS:
Levison's book helped me create a straightforward and thorough business plan that ultimately raised $2 million for my new project.
-Stu Pollard, Producer/Director, Keep Your Distance

Buying this book is the first step to becoming a successful, independent filmmaker. It helped me launch my company.
-Rick Pamplin, The Pamplin Film Company

If Louise Levison's Filmmakers & Financing were only about business plans, it would be worth more than its cover price. In addition, Levison gives sage, savvy, and clear introductions to every important aspect of film business-marketing, distribution, varieties of investors, financing options-it's all here, including a sample business plan. This book is a "must have" for any filmmaker's bookshelf.
-Morrie Warshawski, Consultant, and author of Shaking the Money Tree: How to Get Grants and Donations for Film and Video, 2nd Edition

A must-have educational and reference tool to help you conquer current industry practices regarding finance, production and distribution. Louise has consistently delivered a plethora of information that is easy for a beginning filmmaker to understand, while at the same time very useful to the entertainment veteran. No filmmaker's library would be complete without it.
-J. David Williams, Distributor, Shiloh and The Omega Code

Need money for a movie? Here's the road map every indie filmmaker needs to find it. It worked for me!
-Paul Sirmons, Director/Producer, The First of May and Forevermore Films

Editorial Reviews

"How to raise funds for independent films was the best-kept secret in Hollywood until Levison’s book was published."

—Rick Pamplin, Producer/Director, The Pamplin Film Company

"An excellent, insightful guide to attracting financing for indie films.”

―Danny Glover, actor/Director/Producer

"Filmmakers and Financing is an indispensable navigational guide to successful financing, production and release of independent films. Louise Levison has synthesized her years of professional experience into an invaluable roadmap for the filmmaking community."

—William Nix, Executive Producer, Kahlil Gibran’s "The Prophet"

"Thank you so much for all your help from the business plan to the emails and introductions. You have helped this film become what it is today."

—Rob Cowie, Producer, The Blair Witch Project

From the Publisher