Customer Reviews

Filmmakers and Financing: Business Plans for Independents, Third Edition

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I found the book to be perfect in describing how to set up an independent film company. The Sample Business Plan for a Fictional Company (in the Appendix) is written in plain english which made it easy to see how one could put together their own thorough business plan. I definetely enjoyed the book and am working on my business plan for my independent film company as I type this.

"Filmmakers and Financing..." is pretty good at helping you piece together a business plan for making a film (or creating a production company) and is better than a lot of the material on the web related to general business plans because it deals with issues specific to films and the filmmaking business. On the other hand, another reviewer has suggested that the book wasn't specific enough and that the example "fictional" business plan didn't seem to have enough substance. I agree with that comment. The author, who helped the "The Blair Witch Project" folks with their business plan, could have suggested some real-life examples (tough to walk the fine line drawn by naturally protected "proprietary information"). It's nice to see what a multi-million dollar production company business might look like, but I have to say that if I'm going to handle that kind of money, I'm probably going to retain a consultant to help prepare my business plan--maybe even the author! It's a good review of things you should know. Glad I read it. I think I'll pass it along to the next person.

I bought this book to get detailed information about how to build a business plan for my start up Film Company. I was very excited when I saw the overview of this title and the fact that it now included a CD-ROM.

After going through the entire book in just a few days (I must admit it's a quick read) I found that the explanations were just slightly above basic knowledge and the CD contains only a few forms and worksheets to fill out. The best chapter (Chapter 10), which has a sample business plan, is NOT included in the CD-ROM! This was a complete disappointment since I expected to use this as digital blue print to fill in the blanks for my own business plan.

All things considered I did learn some useful principles on how to prepare and present information to potential investors and how to analyze some number (getting them boils down to research and a lot of work, which the Levison herself will admit to) but I really expected more out of the author of the business plan for the Blair Witch Project.

A decent book into the ins & outs of film making from the production side of the house. Though not 100% comprehensive it makes an excellent addition to a production library.

I was excited to receive this book and the CD-ROM with business plan templates - until I actually tried to the use the CD-ROM in my computer. If you're a Mac user - like many filmmakers - it only works with Classic, i.e. OS 9.2 or lower. If you're on a newer Mac running OS10.2, it may not have Classic on it. I spoke to tech support rep at the publisher Elsevier who ran through a well rehearsed litany of excuses: "every Mac has OS 9 on it... Blame it on Mac. They made OSX before they did due diligence on the [publishing] industry... It takes four years to develop a program... We have 10,000 titles." Now I'll have to find an OS9 disc and load it on, bit of a hassle.

When settling down with my attorney about creating a business structure and investment documents for my first indie feature film he asked me if I had a business plan. My answer was, "I haven't even thought about it." Movie production is a business and should be treated as such. A business plan is a roadmap for how you plan to create a movie that can return a profit to the investors. I've written several business plans for businesses outside of the entertainment industry, but show business has it's own set of performance metrics that Louise covers well in her book. Investors look for and expect a business plan, especially those who have not invested in films before. The CD is a bit disappointing in content. It would be nice to have several premade templates to get the ball rolling.

I have been working on a business plan for well over a year. I was so frustrated. My business partner suggested we buy this book. We ended up finishing the plan in a few weeks... Her book is amazingly helpful. I look forward to updating this review once we receive the funds!! Thanks for writing it and helping fellow filmmakers...

A great place to start for the indie filmmaker

I am an independent filmmaker. I also run a film festival called The Gangrene Film Festival. I have striven for years to get a feature length project off the ground. The task is daunting and scary for someone who doesn't know the business.

Filmmakers & Financing is an excellent place to start. I found this book highly useful. The book teaches in a simple, step-by-step format how to put together an excellent business plan for your film. It teaches what investors are looking for in a business plan and how you can get their ear with a professional, well-researched prospectus.

It is not enough just to be an artist and to be passionate about your craft as a filmmaker; these things won't get you financial backing. You must explore the market and analyze your future film's possible place in that market. This book teaches you how to do just that.

Hope this helps.

-Craig Nybo, co-author of [ ... ]

The business plan in the book is a pretty good template to get you started, but it's an insult that the CD that comes with it doesn't have the business plan on it. So here I am at 3:45 AM typing it from scratch, using the CD as an all night coffee coaster.

Most of the information in the book isn't new or that different from many other "how to finance" books. However, being able to find it all in this one comprehensive read is great. I found the financial plan chapter very informational because of its attention to detail. The sample business plan in the back of the book is pretty good for practice as well, although I would be wary to say it's a perfect example. Some of the chapters lag a bit in my opinion, but still are resourceful.