Making Hollywood Happen: Seventy Years of Film Finances

Filmmaking is a business—someone has to pay the bills. For much of the industry’s history, that role was shouldered by the studios. The rise of independent filmmakers then led to the rise of independent financiers. But what happens if bad weather closes down a production or a director’s vision pays no heed to the limitations of time and money?

Enter Film Finances. The company was founded in London in 1950 to insure against the risk that a film would exceed its original budget or not be com...