The Independent Filmmaker's Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Investors [Paperback]

Gabriel Campisi (Author), Fred Olen Ray (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786416823 | ISBN-13: 978-0786416820 | Publication Date: February 2004

Independent filmmakers by nature are creative individuals whose primary tools are their imaginations and ingenuity. They are cinematic storytellers. While some independent films take the film festivals by storm—distribution deals, sales to video outlets and cable television—others fall short. Luck and timing play roles in most success stories, but many independent filmmakers have taken the next step: They have carved out a clear-cut plan of action—a business plan—for their projects and careers, analyzing them for what they truly are: businesses.

This work helps to connect the creative process and the business side of independent filmmaking by providing a practical guide for assembling a business plan that filmmakers can present to producers and potential investors. A sample business plan and interviews with independent filmmakers and industry executives are included.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Independent filmmaker, Gabriel Campisi has won numerous awards and has received critical acclaim for his work as a writer, director and producer. He resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786416823
• ISBN-13: 978-0786416820
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #944,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading, May 2, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Independent Filmmaker's Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Investors (Paperback)

This book gets to the heart of the matter when it comes to telling students/readers what works and what doesn't, what is necessary and what isn't, when it comes to searching for funds for your project. A lot of the information appeared to be common sense, but then I realized it was the writer who made it appear so simple. I read another book where you had to be an accountant or attorney to make heads or tales of the information. This book spells everything out in plain English and makes you fully comprehend what you're reading with creative examples and comparisons. This book is essential reading for anyone seriously interested in taking the next step as a filmmaker.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book For Indie Filmmakers!, May 22, 2004

By 

Cathode Ray Shadow (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Independent Filmmaker's Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Investors (Paperback)

This book is well-written and straight to the point. If you're an independent filmmaker living in the U.S.A. and have a project that you need to get FUNDED, well, you're going to need a plan of action and a well-written business plan, whether your investors are friends and family or unknown doctors and lawyers.

This book takes you through the process, shows you what you need to compile, and gives great resource information for doing just that. There is also an excellent SAMPLE BUSINESS PLAN that you can use as a nice blueprint for your own personalized plan.

Mr. Campisi has been in the movie business a long time and has raised funds for quite a few business ventures (inside and outside the biz), so his knowledge and information is invaluable. This book cuts right to the chase and will get you motivated and on the road to securing funds for your project. It's a long and uncertain road, but this book, along with a few others, is a great way to get your business plan underway so you can get down to the business of making a movie!

Well worth the money.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's all in the plan..., June 18, 2007

By 

David Park (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Independent Filmmaker's Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Investors (Paperback)

This book has two sections: the first outlines the requirements of a business plan, and the second is a sample business plan, with the intention that you copy it and fill in the blanks.

The first section is very helpful in giving you an overview of what is expected in a business plan, and why. Most crucially, it gets you thinking about your investor and what they are looking for from the deal. Many projects that reach the business-plan stage fail because they to not acknowledge the business element of filmmaking, but focus on the artistic merits of the project. In reading the first section, you'll gain a good understanding of the steps to present your project to an investor. A slight weakness of this is the presumption that you'll have an army of entertainment lawyers to complete the funding process. This is advisable, but not always the case.

The second section, however, is where the book falls short. Reading through the business plan, it is laborious in its repetition - while there is a need to restate some facts or intentions, this plan goes overboard. It is also quite poorly structured: for example, half the plan is an overview of the filmmaking process that assumes your investor knows nothing about film. This information should be in an appendix - an investor should not have to wade through 20 pages of this before reaching the numbers and projections they're really interested in.

In summary, this is a good guide to the realities of presenting your project to investors, but it doesn't deliver as well on that promise as it could. Still a worthwhile read and a useful addition to any low- to mid-level filmmaker's bookshelf.