The Movie Business Book: Second Edition [Paperback]

Jason E. Squire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1992 | ISBN-10: 067175095X | ISBN-13: 978-0671750954 | Edition: 2

Behind the glitter of Hollywood lies a high-powered, multibillion-dollar business whose workings are known only to industry insiders.

In The Movie Business Book, forty of Hollywood's most celebrated producers, directors, screenwriters, agents, lawyers, marketers, distributors, exhibitors, and deal makers reveal the secrets of their trade in personal accounts that are both highly informative and wonderfully entertaining.

This new edition -- fully revised and updated for the movie industry of the '90s -- includes such unique perspectives as David Puttnam on producers, Sydney Pollack on directors, Henry Jaglom on independent filmmaking, Mike Medavoy on studio management, Richard Childs on home video, Martin Polon on new technology, and thirty-four more.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Every facet of moviemaking is expertly discussed." -- American Cinematographer

"The Movie Business Book is almost certain to become one of the prime sourcebooks on the way movies are really made, equally accessible to the film-school novice, the sophisticated movie investor and the buff." -- Dallas Times-Herald

From the Inside Flap

Behind the glitter of Hollywood lies a high-powered, multi-billion-dollar business whose workings are known only to industry insiders. In The Movie Business Book, forty of Hollywood's most celebrated producers, directors, screenwriters, agents, lawyers, marketers, distributors, exhibitors, and deal makers reveal the secrets of their trade in personal accounts that are both highly informative and wonderfully entertaining. This new edition--fully revised and updated for the movie industry of the 90's--includes such unique perspectives as David Puttnam on producers, Sydney Pollack on directors, Henry Jaglom on independent filmmaking, Mike Medavoy on studio management, Richard Childs on home video, Martin Polon on new technology, and thirty-four more.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; 2 edition (November 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067175095X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671750954
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,021,988 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a look at the industry's structure + process; still current, December 2, 2000

By 

TG Smith "tgs" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Movie Business Book: Second Edition (Paperback)

This is a great book on the business of movies written by people who actually are in the business. Each section is tackled by someone specializing in that aspect of the industry, from writing and production to distribution and marketing. They discuss where the money goes and how they try to get it back, the risks, the rewards, for big studios and independents, and for distribution channels domestic and international. It details mostly the process and structure of the business and leaves out most of the name-dropping common in most other books about the industry. As such, it is somewhat lacking in case studies. But I found this omission to be helpful because it did not cloud the structures and processes the book was trying to illustrate. (For a more recent book that discusses implications and outcomes of these structures, look into "The Gross" by Peter Bart.)

The text is a bit old now (last revision 1992), but most of the contributors seemed to have hit on trends that have continued to this day. In terms of the industry's structure and process, the book seems very current. Inflate the cited figures and it could have been written yesterday.

I searched high and low for a decent book about the business and I finally found it in this text.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and well edited, August 22, 2001

By 

Aline Bernstein (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Movie Business Book: Second Edition (Paperback)

Lots of straight speak from people who really know the industry. For a newbie who wants to understand the mechanics and terminology of the business, this book is perfect. I haven't found a page yet that I wanted to skim over; there is no fluff. A wonderful bargain even at the ... list price.

Don't overlook this book despite the fact that it is ten years old. Sure, you'll need another source for DVD, new media and internet delivery. But this book covers everything up to home video very well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mouth watering info from the experts, July 8, 2000

By 

Frank (Montreal Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Movie Business Book: Second Edition (Paperback)

This book will provide the would be Entertainment Executive with relative info, numbers, stats, and life experiences of the various authors. Great analysis on the business that "never stays the same". Well presented perspectives that really give an inside glimse without the bother of Hollywood hype to distract from competant sources.