Table Of ContentMake Your Movie
What You Need to Know About the Business and Politics
of Filmmaking
Make Your Movie
What You Need to Know About the Business
and Politics of Filmmaking
Barbara Freedman Doyle
AMSTERDAM (cid:129) BOSTON (cid:129) HEIDELBERG (cid:129) LONDON
NEW YORK (cid:129) OXFORD (cid:129) PARIS (cid:129) SAN DIEGO
SAN FRANCISCO (cid:129) SINGAPORE (cid:129) SYDNEY (cid:129) TOKYO
Focal Press is an imprint of Elsevier
FocalPressisanimprintofElsevier
225WymanStreet,Waltham,MA02451,USA
TheBoulevard,LangfordLane,Kidlington,Oxford,OX51GB,UK
#2012ElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.
Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic
ormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,oranyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,
withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.Detailsonhowtoseekpermission,further
informationaboutthePublisher’spermissionspoliciesandourarrangementswithorganizations
suchastheCopyrightClearanceCenterandtheCopyrightLicensingAgency,canbefoundatour
website:www.elsevier.com/permissions.
Thisbookandtheindividualcontributionscontainedinitareprotectedundercopyrightbythe
Publisher(otherthanasmaybenotedherein).
Notices
Knowledgeandbestpracticeinthisfieldareconstantlychanging.Asnewresearchandexperience
broadenourunderstanding,changesinresearchmethods,professionalpractices,ormedical
treatmentmaybecomenecessary.
Practitionersandresearchersmustalwaysrelyontheirownexperienceandknowledgeinevaluating
andusinganyinformation,methods,compounds,orexperimentsdescribedherein.Inusingsuch
informationormethodstheyshouldbemindfuloftheirownsafetyandthesafetyofothers,including
partiesforwhomtheyhaveaprofessionalresponsibility.
Tothefullestextentofthelaw,neitherthePublishernortheauthors,contributors,oreditors,assume
anyliabilityforanyinjuryand/ordamagetopersonsorpropertyasamatterofproductsliability,
negligenceorotherwise,orfromanyuseoroperationofanymethods,products,instructions,or
ideascontainedinthematerialherein.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Applicationsubmitted
BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
ISBN:978-0-240-82155-9
ForinformationonallFocalPresspublications
visitourwebsiteatwww.elsevierdirect.com
12 13 14 15 16 5 4 3 2 1
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Acknowledgements
ThankstoallthefriendsandcolleaguesatChapmanandthecheerleaderswho
helped to make this happen.
And for their patience and invaluable contributions, in order of
appearance:
Andy Horwitz
Allison Ewart
Priscilla Elliott
Cornelius Uliano
Bryan Schulz
Harry Ufland
Brent Lilley
Robert Kaplan
Michael Shoob
Walter Coblenz
Travis Knox
Jawal Nga
Shana Feste
Jacob Chase
Christopher Cronyn
Linda Montanti
Paul Seydor
Dawn Taubin
Russell Schwartz
Pat Quinn
Ted Mundorff
Derek Horne
Special thanks to Jeff Lancaster and to all my students, past, present, and
future.
Extra special thanks to Ray, who listened and continues to listen to it all.
And of course to Seamus and Murphy.
v
Introduction
What You Should Know . . . and
Why You Need to Know It
Make Your Movie is a practical guide to navigating the complex and confus-
ing business and politics of the film industry. You may be a film school grad
or someone who’s known what you wanted to do since you got that video
camera for Christmas or since you saw Star Wars. You’ve read the books,
attended the workshops, made the 20-minute short, maybe submitted it and
been accepted into a festival, and you’re ready to make a feature. You have
confidence in your skill. You’ve written or found a story. You have a script.
The characters are original. The setup is unique. All you need is the money,
the cast, and the opportunity. You’ve made it your business to understand
how to make a movie. The question you now have to ask yourself is, do
you understand the business of how to get a movie made?
The creative process is challenging—the stuff of sleepless nights, shaping
an outline or pieces of dialogue to make your script sharper, funnier, more
real. You wrestle over a plot point or a motivation, you develop a character,
and you sweat to perfect a scene until you’re sure it’s playing just right. It’s
a struggle, but it’s exciting and invigorating and often—let’s face it—it’s
fun, because it’s a job that you want to do. You are dedicated to the idea of
getting your movie made.
OR ... You’re a creative problem-solver, a people person, someone who
wantstofindagreatstoryandgetitoutthere.Youaren’tawriterordirector,
but your strength is organization, and leading a team. You’ve always been
able to mediate between your friends, your family, and everyone looks to
you to help make things happen. You are a filmmaker, but rather than being
hands-onandmakingyourownfilm,yourtalentandacumenforputtingpeo-
pleandprojectstogethermightleadyoutohelpafilm—orseveralfilms—get
cast,financed,distributed,andpromoted.Maybeyou’llendupataproduction
company,amanagementcompany,orastudio.Youwanttomakeacareerof
workinginapivotalpositionintheIndustry,tobesomeonewhoinsomeway
influences the life of a movie.
No matter your exact goal, the problem is this: you want to make movies
that will be seen outside of your living room and appreciated by an audience
beyond your friends and family. You would like your work to be seen at art
xiii
xiv Introduction
houses or multiplexes or on TV, not just online. You need the resources to
make the kind of film that made you want to make films. That usually means
money. You the filmmaker must be not only a creative person in a world of
business people, but you must be the kind of artist that a business person—an
industry person—will want to trust with his or her investment of time, effort,
and money. You must find a way to convince the people with the money and
the experience to hop onto your bandwagon and not someone else’s.
The process of getting a movie made—searching out and assembling the
best cast, the best team, the best distribution, getting those butts in the seats,
andcomingupwiththewaytomakethebestfilmpossiblewiththeresources
available—canbeprolongedandconvoluted.Thefundraising,thepitches,the
meetings—so many meetings! meetings with development executives, crea-
tiveexecutives,productionexecutives,managers,agents,lawyers,unionreps,
completion guarantors, meetings with all the people who have the power to
helpyouortostopyoufrommovingahead—thatprocesscanbemanageable,
or heartbreaking, exciting or brutal, your personal black hole. Usually it’s all
those things at once.
And the business is changing. Many of the old rules don’t apply. Digital
technology, new audience expectations, and the economic climate have
changed everything. The people with the money and the power—the studios,
production companies, and agencies—are all asking the question “what’s
next?” You want the chance to give them the answer.
This book is not about the artistic or technical aspects of filmmaking, it’s
an overview, a guide to understanding the business part of the film industry
for people who are not businessmen. Make Your Movie is about how to work
withpeopleinthefilmindustry—aboutwhotheyare,whattheydo,andwhat
theywant.It’sabouthowtobecomeoneofthem,ifthat’stheroadyou’dlike
to take. They are the people who finance, invest, produce, package, market,
and distribute movies. They can green-light a project, tell you how long it’s
goingtotaketoshoot,howmuchit’sgoingtocost,whetherornotyoushould
go union, and if you do, how that will change the way you make the movie.
They can sometimes tell you in advance how much money your film will
make. They are the vendors, the bond guys, the insurance companies, the
attorneys, the exhibitors, and even your production crew. You know what
you’re worried about—getting your first chance. You know you’ll succeed
as long as you get up to bat. But unless you have a feel for why they worry
andforwhatallthosemeetingsareabout,youprobablywon’thavetheoppor-
tunity. You must acquire the soft skills involved in getting started and gain a
sense of the etiquette of the Industry, so when you do get your chance you
don’t blow it.
Here is a list of some of the positions I’ve held: line producer, unit man-
ager, and production supervisor on feature films (studio and independent),
made-for-television movies, documentaries, commercials, and industrials.
I’ve also been a production associate, production coordinator, reader, and
Introduction xv
consultant.I’vebeenassociatedeanofproductionattheAmericanFilmInsti-
tute, a chair in the Film Department of Brooks Institute of Photography, a
guest lecturer at various college and university film programs, a panelist at
film festivals, and now I’m a chair and professor at Chapman University’s
Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. In one way or another, my career
has been spent making movies or helping people to get their movies made.
ForthepasttwentyyearsIhavebeenfortunateenoughtoworkwithfilm-
makers at all levels of success, from Academy Award nominees and winners
tointerns.Listeningtothem,workingonfilms,andworkingwithstudentshas
taughtmethatyouhavetopayasmuchattentiontowhatisgoingonbeneath
the surface as to what is going on in front of you.
It’simportanttofocusonyourcraft with allyourenergyandtalent,butit
is also imperative that you realize that in a high-stakes, personality-driven,
high-visibility business, you have to watch and listen, ask the right people
the right questions, know when it’s personal and when it’s not, and develop
an instinct about the dance that goes on between the two.
Chapter 1
About You
Filmmakers,bynature,aredreamersandcommunicators.Morethantheneedto
have a stable income, health insurance, or a pension, a filmmaker feels com-
pelled to tell stories, to use a camera to find a new universe, or to explore
the old universe in a new way. Whether you are an aspiring screenwriter,
producer, director, cinematographer, editor, production designer, story editor,
development person, or production executive, there is a reason you have de-
cided that you want to work on movies more than you want security. Your
friendsandfamilymaysupportyourambition—ornot.Youmaycarewhatthey
thinkinanabstractway,butyou’renotabouttobeshiftedoffcoursefromdoing
what you want to do. You don’t want to be difficult, but you’re sure you’ve
found the thing you need, the thing you care about doing more than anything
else.You’vefound yourpassion.
Passion is a word you’ll hear used over and over to explain and describe
what it takes to work in the film industry. Passion is determination, and guts,
andlove.Anyoneofthethreeisnotenough.YouMUSTfeelpassioninorder
to want to stick with a processthat can be demeaning and demoralizing.
Filmmakersoften pass through a series ofstages:
Firstthere isThe Dream—I LoveFilm,IWill Make Films.
ThenThePep Talk—I’mTalented;Everyone Agrees that I’m Talented
Aftera while ...
Lossof Confidence—MaybeIt’s NotJust AboutTalent.
And Anger—Who DoThese People Think TheyAre Anyway?
Thisisthestagewhenmanypeopledecidethatthey’dbetterdosomethingless
randomandmorepleasantforaliving.IfthatfeelsOKtoyou,youshouldstop
readingrighthereandfigureoutwhatelseyou’dliketodo.Youwillsaveyour-
selfuncertaintyandpain.Everyproducer,director,andscreenwriterIknowhas
statedaboutmakingafilm,“Ifyoucanimaginebeinghappydoingsomething
else,do it!”
Ifyoucan’timaginebeinghappydoingsomethingelse,staywithmeforthe
finalstage:theRealization.BythetimeafilmmakerhasreachedRealization,he
or she is usually a little beat up and a lot less idealistic. The realization is,
there’s nosecret handshake, there’sjust figuringout the way things work.
MakeYourMovie:WhatYouNeedtoKnowAbouttheBusinessandPoliticsofFilmmaking.
3
#2012ElsevierInc.Allrightsreserved.
4 SECTION I FirstSteps(BeforeYouEvenThinkofShooting)
It’saboutart,butit’salsoaboutmoneyandpolitics.Thefilmmakerwhohas
nosenseofthepoliticsoftheindustryisasoldiermarchingintobattlewithno
armor. The cause may be noble, butheor sheisgoing to get hurt.
Understandingthebusinesswillnotgetyouthekeystothekingdom.Suc-
cessinthefilmbusinessisabouttalent,perseverance,timing,andluck.Asense
ofthewaythebusinessworkswillnotmakeyouabetterfilmmaker—alotofit
isabouttalent.Buttalentalonewillprobablynotgetyouwhereyouwanttogo.
Understandingthewaythingsworkcangiveyouaroadmap,awaytoremain
sane inthe midst ofa seemingly insane world.
Thankstonewtechnology,thesedaysitispossibletomakeafilmanywhere
intheworld.Youcanrentacamera(filmordigital),gatherupsomeactors,and
mountaproductionwithouteverleavinghome.That’sprobablynotquitewhat
youhadinmind,though.Ifyouwanttomakeafeaturethatgetsdistributed,and
thatwillbethe breakoutprojectthatpavesyourpathtomakingmorefeatures,
you will most likely have to relocate to a film center—in the U.S. that means
LosAngelesorNewYork.Unlikewritingabookorcomposingmusic,themaking
ofafilmisnotasolitaryexperience.Youmustworkwithotherpeopleatevery
stage.Youwillhavetolearntoeffectivelypresentyourselfandyourideas,to
instillconfidenceinthosewhohavefarmoreknow-howthanyoudo,torelyon
other people (some of whom you would never in a million years choose as
friends), and to compete with established filmmakers. All of this just to have
yourwork viewed, hopefully admired,and definitelycritiqued by strangers.
Makingafilmisacommitment.Ittakesaspecialsortofdisciplinetoresolve
todosomethingverydifficultwiththepossibilitythattheremayneverbeare-
ward.Inothertypesofwork,ifyouhangintherelongenoughthereisusually
somepromiseofsuccess.Butthereisnoguaranteethatyouwillevermakeyour
movie.Youmustbethekindofpersonwhocangetoutofbedeverymorning
knowingthatyouwillfaceindifferenceandrejectionandstillbereadytomake
thecalls,shakethehands,andpitchyourstoryagainandagain.Skillfully.With
enthusiasm.
The actual shooting of a movie can take from just three weeks to several
months,withseveralmonthsafterthatspentinpostproduction.Butitcantake
yearstofindmaterial,developorwriteascript,raisefunds,getpeopleonboard,
andcastactorswhowilladdsomethingtothedistribut-ability(notaword,but
anextremelyimportantconcept)ofyourproject.Itcantakeevenlongertomake
peopleawareoftheprojectonceit’scompleted,andtogetthefinishedproject
infrontofpeople.It’sanendurancetestwithlotsoftalkingandpushingwhile
trying notto seem asif you’re pushing.
Ifyouhaveahardtimedealingwithdifficultpeople,oryou’resomeonewho
doesnotworkwellwithothers,youwillhaveanespeciallytoughtimewiththe
process.Despite thestoriesoffilmmakerswhofinancetheirprojectsviatheir
owncreditcards,mostpeopleintheindustrybelievethatyoushouldnotinvest
inyourownmovie.Yourinvestmentwillbetime—notonlythetimespentput-
tingtogetheryourproject,persuading,andcajoling,butthetimespentfindinga
Chapter 1 AboutYou 5
waytoearnanincomethatwon’tkeepyoufromdoingyourprimaryjob,which
is getting the movie made. You will likely be spending time doing work you
don’t enjoy to support your basic needs of food and rent. If this is something
youdon’tthinkyoucandoandyou’renotindependentlywealthy,thenwe’re
backtothePassionthing.It’snotthatyouaren’ttalented,andit’snotthatyou
don’t care about yourfilm, it may simplybe that youwon’tlast.
Asthisbookmovesthroughthestagesandpeopleinvolvedinthebusiness
of filmmaking, I’ll be addressing the changing politics of the people and the
language—politicsmeaningthewaythingsworkbetweenpeopleintheindus-
try,whoneedswhoinordertomoveaheadandsurvive,thepeckingorder,and
themanagementofthoserelationshipstoyouradvantage.It’scrucialthatyou
knowwhohasthepowerandthatyougainasenseofhowandifyoucanfitin.
Asforthelanguage,understandingthelanguageoftheindustryisimportantfor
thesamereasonyouhireaguideortranslatororbuyaphrasebookwhenyou
traveltoaforeigncountry.Youdon’twanttosoundasifyoustudiedissuesof
Variety.Infact,youprobablyshouldn’tuseanyindustrybuzzwordsatallatthis
stage—you may sound like a poseur. But you should understand what people
are talking about before you’re ina meeting and they’re talking about you.
