Film Business Production

Today's most acclaimed film directors reveal intimate behind-the-scenes details of their most influential work and their unique approaches to their art. In the companion to the Silver Plaque-winning Starz/Encore documentary series, this book offers interviews with 13 top filmmakers. Contains each director's filmography, complete listings of major awards, and cast credits for all films discussed.

More than 85 years after his untimely death at just age 37, Irving Thalberg remains a legendary Hollywood figure. Called the “Boy Wonder of Hollywood,” Thalberg quickly climbed the ranks at MGM studios to become one of the most powerful and high-profile producers of the time, elevating filmmaking to an art form. In this definitive biography, Bob Thomas brings Thalberg's legend to life, recounting how the producer's remarkable talent for developing stars and scripts led to the creation of beloved movies such as Ben-Hur, Romeo and Juliet, and Camille.

Hollywood produces its on-screen heroes to take crucial steps to achieve their goals, and often against all odds. These same principles can be applied to anything you are seeking to accomplish or improve in your own story or life. Recognizing and following these proven and tested, cinematic stages of the hero's transformation will help you exponentially upgrade your process, mindset, awareness, and ultimately fine-tune your purpose.

How to Score in Hollywood reveals the secrets to a movie’s success and profitability. Entertainment research expert Kevin Goetz, founder and CEO of Screen Engine, draws on almost four decades of experience to show how strategic decisions—from development to release—help minimize risks and maximize returns. Armed with audience insights and data-driven strategies, Goetz demonstrates how every film should make money when made and marketed for the right price.

The definitive biography of movie executive and philanthropist Sherry Lansing traces her groundbreaking journey to become the first female head of a major motion picture studio, shares behind-the-scenes tales from movie sets and Hollywood boardrooms, and explains what inspired her to walk away from it all to start the Sherry Lansing Foundation.

Women have been instrumental in the success of American cinema since its very beginning. One of the first people to ever pick up a motion picture camera was a woman, as was the first screenwriter to win two Academy Awards, the inventor of the boom microphone, and the first person to be credited with the title film editor. Throughout the entire history of Hollywood women have been revolutionizing, innovating, and shaping how we make movies. Yet their stories are rarely shared. This is what film reporter Alicia Malone wants to change. Backwards and in Heels tells the history of women in film in a different way.

Sex on sets: India's first intimacy coordinator, Aastha Khanna, wants to create a safe space for performers

It’s not enough to have a great reel and be nice to deal with, if the value of the product you are selling or the service you are delivering is not clearly explained to the client. You have to be able to present the prices of your service offerings in a professional manner and overcome clients’ objections ahead of time. The issue of presenting your prices has raised a healthy argument.

10 Keys to Making a Low-Cost Documentary Feature describes a low-cost approach for producing a feature-length documentary with a budget under $50,000. It features an approach I have used that combines interviews with interviewees and experts along with B-roll shots of activities to use with voice-overs from the interviews. It also suggests ways to find interviewees, obtain funding for the film, and more.The book is formatted like a journal, so readers can write down their ideas for what to do after reading each tip.

10 Tips for Promoting a Local Screening of Your Film describes some ways to promote a local screening. It suggests different promotional strategies for putting on your own event or helping an organization promote your screening. Then, the audiobook focuses on how to use Eventbrite and Meetup to sign-up attendees and receive advance payments. The audiobook is formatted like a journal, so listeners can write down their ideas for what to do after reading each tip.

10 Tips for Making a Final to Do List for Distributing Your Film summarizes the key tasks to do to successfully distribute your film. It features key marketing and promotion tasks, such as creating a poster, trailer, and press materials, setting up a website or page on your website for the film, making arrangements with a website, and more. The book is part of a series of short books, in which each book features tips and techniques for becoming more successful in the film industry.

Survivor on Set: The Aftermath of Sexual Abuse Book 1: Survivors Have Special Needs: On Set is a brief but detailed non-fiction manual to help Film & TV producers, cast & crew get a better understanding of what its like to be a sexual abuse survivor on set & provides helpful tips & suggestions on things you can do to help create a more supportive safe space for your actors who may struggle with what we call survivor moments when everyone else is okay. We have quotes from anonymous, anonymous actress & anonymous actor speaking from real life experience.

10 Legal Basics for Producing a Feature Film or Documentary describes the major legal documentaries you need to produce a feature-length film or documentary. It covers the basics of getting a fictitious name, filing for a copyright, obtaining E&O and other types of insurance, creating release forms for actors, interviewees, crew members, and other film participants, and much more.