ABSTRACT

For aspiring producers and directors who need to learn film finance from the ground up, this revolutionary new book teaches the fundamentals, through the voices of more than 60 successful independent producers. Using a research and data-based approach, award-winning professor David Offenberg combines the wisdom of well-known and successful producers into one fun, easy-to-follow guide.

Within, readers will learn how to talk to potential investors and what those financiers will expect from them in return. The book is also packed with informative anecdotes and examples to enrich each chapter and contextualize the film financing landscape. As the book progresses, equity, debt, revenue, profits, and their role in your movie will be explored. Accessible information about tax incentives and profit participations is included to help emerging filmmakers build out a workable financing plan. The book combines hard numbers and data sets, with direct guidance from successful producers, to construct a holistic overview on how you can turn your new-found financial knowledge into funding for your movie.

This ground-breaking book is a must-read for any aspiring producer or director who wishes to gain an informed and easily digestible understanding of film finance.

chapter |4 pages

Introduction

part 1|77 pages

Business and Finance Basics

chapter 1|6 pages

The Wisdom of the Crowd

chapter 2|12 pages

The (Movie) Business

chapter 3|14 pages

The Language of Business

chapter 4|11 pages

Debt Financing

chapter 5|11 pages

Participation and Deferred Compensation

chapter 6|11 pages

Tax Incentives and Soft Money

chapter 7|6 pages

Budgets

chapter 8|4 pages

Four Paths to Funding Your Budget

part 2|63 pages

Financing Your Film

chapter 9|4 pages

First Law of Film Finance

chapter 10|21 pages

The Market Value of Your Film

chapter 11|17 pages

A Financing Plan

chapter 12|19 pages

Equity in Independent Film

part 3|34 pages

Beyond the Basics

chapter 13|7 pages

Experience Matters

chapter 14|8 pages

People Matter

chapter 15|3 pages

Pipelines Matter

chapter 16|3 pages

Luck Matters

chapter 17|9 pages

Many Other Things Matter Too

chapter 18|2 pages

Action Plan