Customer Reviews

The Movie Business Book: Second Edition

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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.

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.

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.