Producer to producer : a step-by-step guide to low-budget independent film producing / Maureen A. Ryan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ryan, Maureen A., 1962-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Motion pictures--Production and direction.

Motion pictures.

Low budget films.

Genre:

Low budget films.

Physical Description:

xxi, 395 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Studio City, CA : Michael Wiese Productions, ©2010.

Summary:

This text is a definitive step-by-step guide for low budget independent film producing. Filled with practical advice, producer Maureen Ryan has culled from her 20-plus years of production experience. The book takes you through the entire process of bringing a film into the world.

Contents:

Development : Finding the idea or material ; Study scripts ; Development process ; Obtaining rights to underlying material ; Screenplay creation and revision ; Screenwriting software ; Getting feedback on the script ; Script doctors ; Writer's Guild of America ; Log line: don't leave home without it ; Log line creation ; Creating a proposal ; producing a trailer ; Distribution plan ; Presales ; Sales agents ; Deliverables ; Development wrap up ; Final checklist before deciding to produce the film

Script breakdown : Nuts and bolts ; Breakdown details ; Breakdown for Red flag script ; Filling the breakdown sheet ; Breakdown analysis for Red flag ; Creating a tentative schedule ; How many days to shoot? ; Final analysis of Red flag ; Using the breakdown to adjust your script

Budgeting : Budgeting overview ; Everything but the kitchen sink ; Budgeting software ; Budget breakdown ; Estimated budget ; Spreadsheet mechanics ; Geography of the budget ; Top sheet ; Creating the estimated budget ; Detailed line items ; Cash flow ; Working budget ; Padding and contingency ; Budget actualization ; Tax resale certificates ; Tax incentives/credit

Funding : Pre-sales ; Sales agents ; Equity investors ; Deferred payment deals ; Union signatory film agreements ; Other funding options ; Community involvement ; How to ask for donations and discounts ; Grants ; Fundraising trailers ; Find a mentor or executive producer ; Beware of credit cards as a way of funding your film's budget

Casting : Hiring a casting director ; Attaching an actor or "star" to your film ; Pay-or-play deal ; Attaching talent and casting without a casting director ; The casting process ; Auditions/casting sessions ; Callbacks ; Extras casting ; Casting schedule ; To be union or not to be union ; Union paperwork

Preproduction : Production triangle ; Need to get the money in the bank ; Preproduction countdown ; Preproduction countdown explanations

Locations : Finding locations ; Create location lists ; The specifics of location scouting ; Location folders ; Check with local film commissions for leads ; Alternatives to hiring a location scout ; Finalizing location decisions ; Negotiating the deal ; Back-up locations ; Paper work ; Location release form ; General liability insurance certificate ; Co-ops and condos ; Permits ; Police/fire/sheriff's departments ; Tech scout ; Shoot-day protocol ; Run through with owner ; Leave it better than you found it ; Idiot check ; The day after the location shoot ; Tax incentive programs

Legal : It's all about rights ; It's all about liability ; Breakdown of a legal document ; Legal concepts ; List of agreements during each phase ; Legal corporate entities ; Never sign anything without proper legal advice ; Your lawyer is an extension of you ; Attorney as financier/executive producer/producer's rep

Insurance : Why do you need insurance? ; Common insurance politics ; Completion bond/guaranty ; How do you obtain insurance? ; How insurance brokers work ; Certificate issuance ; Insurance audits ; What to do when you have a claim? ; Things you should know ; Never to into production without insurance.

Scheduling : Overview ; Script breakdown ; Element sheet creation ; Creating the shooting schedule ; Scheduling principles ; Scheduling steps ; Stripboard creation ; Day-out-of-days schedule ; Scheduling each shoot day: how do you know yow long something will take to shoot? ; Feed your crew every 6 hours and other union regulations that affect the day's schedule ; Portrait of an assistant director ; Locking the schedule

Production : The night before your first day of principal photography ; First day of principal photography ; Wrap checklist ; Budget actualization ; Second day disasters ; Enemy of the production ; Cigars and fine chocolates

Wrap : Wrapping out ; Lost/missing/damaged ; Deposit checks and credit card authorizations ; Actualized budget ; Budget analysis ; Petty cash ; Wrap paperwork ; Wrap party

Postproduction : Picking a format ; High definition and standard definition video ; Camera text ; Telecine/color correct/transfer ; Types of color correct ; Film-to-tape vs. tape-to-tape color correct vs. Digital Intermediate (DI) session ; CODEC is king ; Postproduction sample workflows ; How to put together a postproduction team ; Preplanning is essential ; Deliverables ; Editorial notes ; Work-in-progress screening

Audio : Sound recording during principal photography ; How to get the best sound on set ; Room tone ; Wild sound ; Audio postproduction ; Building audio tracks/sound design ; Adding sound effects ; Creating and recording Foley work ; Recording ADR ; Laying in music tracks ; Sound mixing ; Dolby Digital(TM), DTS(TM), or THX(TM) ; Layback

Music : Creating a music soundtrack ; What rights do you need? ; Putting in the license request ; Music rights request letter format ; Negotiating for the music rights ; Most favored nation ; Out of copyright or public domain music ; Fair use ; E & O insurance ; Blanket TV agreements ; Music cue sheet ; Cease and desist ; What happens if you can't find the copyright holder? ; Music rights clearance person/company ; Original music composition for your project ; Music libraries and royalty free music ; Music supervisors

Archive materials : Archive and research ; Steps to acquire and use archive in your film ; Archive research ; Archive librarian ; National archives ; Fair use ; Archive usage and negotiation ; License paperwork ; Cease and desist

Marketing/publicity : Press kit ; Screeners ; Website ; Online social networking ; Blogs ; Media outreach ; How to hire a publicist ; IMDB.com

Film festivals : Fee waivers and screening fees ; Film festival strategy ; Film festival premieres ; Oscar eligibility ; Other awards ; Film festivals vs. film markets ; In or out of competition ; What to expect from a film festival ; Posters, postcards, and photos ; Technical issues at festivals ; Jury and audience awards

Distribution/sales : Sales agents ; International sales ; Theatrical/Television sales ; Home video/VOD sales ; Deliverables ; Self-distribution ; Future distribution models

What's next?

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

9781932907759

1932907750

OCLC:

456171301