RECOMMENDED READING
Click the tabs below to see resources on different areas of screen business. These areas are not discrete; most texts will touch on multiple aspects of producing and/or the screen industry.
- The Screenplay Business: Managing Creativity and Script Development in the Film Industry by Call Number: 791.43023/142Publication Date: 2012Bloore presents a theoretical and practical framework for understanding the business of independent script development, encompassing ideas about creativity, motivation, managing creative people, value chains and MBA leadership theories. This book addresses questions like: How do film scripts get written? What are the tensions between creativity and business? How can the writer, producer, director and development executive work together most effectively? Supported by contemporary research and extensive interviews, this book explains the international film business; provides practical advice on running script meetings and handling notes; and outlines how to build a sustainable business.
Producing with Passion by Call Number: 791.430232/84Publication Date: 2008Documentary filmmaker Fadiman chronicles over 30 years of experience searching out practical means of getting her productions funded, finished and seen. She talks balancing inspiration and commitment with financing, shooting, editing and promotion, with chapters on topics like building an audience community, attracting funding and feedback screenings.
Hands On: All Media Producing by Call Number: 791.430232/73 (2013 ed.)Publication Date: 2013A compendium of tips, advice and experiences for producers and filmmakers which aims to provide answer some of the most pressing question facing screen practitioners today, including ‘How do I produce for multiple platforms?’ The entire cultural and entertainment business landscape is changing in response to the growing integration of story, content and brand across media platforms, and this book will help you navigate these changes.
The Complete Film Production Handbook by Call Number: 791.430232/60 (4th ed.)Publication Date: 2010This handbook covers everything from pre-production through wrap and post production. It includes chapters on independent and low-budget filmmaking, television, commercials, incentives, effects and new media. In addition to advice on negotiating good deals and valuable industry survival tips, you'll find essential production and accounting forms and releases, and a sample pre-production schedule, pre-production and wrap checklists and post-production workflow charts.
Film Business: A Handbook for Producers by Call Number: 791.430232/40 (3rd ed.)Publication Date: 2006A detailed resource for novice filmmakers with strategies to help you build a business plan; select and analyse scripts; and develop deal-making tactics. With entertaining and informative anecdotes and advice from industry experts, this handbook provides the tools to succeed in different film-production situations and environments both financially and artistically. Written by a Sydney-born producer and director, this book is a go-to guide for those working on Australian screen projects.
Filmcraft: Producing by Call Number: 791.430232/96Publication Date: 2012This entry in the Filmcraft series provides a good overview of producing. The book is based on in depth interviews with successful film producers.
Producing and Directing the Short Film and Video by Call Number: 791.43023/75 (5th ed.)Publication Date: 2015Through extensive examples from award-winning shorts and insightful interviews, learn about common challenges filmmakers encounter during each step of filmmaking process. From pre-production to production, post-production and distribution discover techniques directors and producers use to overcome problems and get shorts made.
Rebel Without a Crew, or, How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker with $7,000 became a Hollywood Player by Call Number: 791.430233/RODR/1Publication Date: 1995Rodriguez discloses the strategies and innovative techniques he used to make El Mariachi on the cheap. Presented in a diary format, the book is a record of how Rodriguez became an independent filmmaking icon - from raising funds for a feature by working at a medical testing facility, to his experiences in Hollywood selling the film and promoting it at festivals.
Producer to Producer: A Step-by-Step Guide to Low-Budget Independent Film Producing by Call Number: 791.430232/88 (2nd ed.)Publication Date: 2017This is a comprehensive bible for emerging or professional producers working on low budget projects. Structured to guide the reader through production meetings, all aspects of film production are outlined in detail.
The Satchel: Production Budgeting and Film Management by Call Number: 791.430681/26 (2007 ed.)Publication Date: 2007Published by the Australian Film Commission, this kit progresses through their A-Z feature film budget template, providing detailed information and advice based on industry sources. Supplementary resources can be found on the AFC website, including samples of production forms and checklists to be used in conjunction with budget templates and the Satchel.
Not at a Cinema Near You: Australia's Film Distribution Problem by Call Number: 791.430688/40Publication Date: 2013Harris argues that the Australian film industry is caught in an archaic approach to distribution. Policymakers have conflated the film industry with the production sector for too long, failing to properly recognise marketing, distribution and exhibition as key factors that create demand. With reference to peer-to-peer, crowdfunded, low-cost and direct-to-viewer screen projects, this is an unflinching look at a new world of digital distribution.
Marketing to Moviegoers: A Handbook of Strategies and Tactics by Call Number: 791.430688/23 (3rd ed.)Publication Date: 2013Veteran film and TV journalist Robert Marich explores studio methods for marketing their films to consumers. Updated topics in this third edition include marketing using digital media; use of music in film trailers; marketing targeted at affinity groups and awards; booking contracts between theaters and distributors; the overlooked potential of drive-in theatres; and the revival of third-party-financed campaigns. This highly navigable handbook breaks down a complicated process into manageable strategies.
Filmmakers and Financing: Business Plans for Independents by Call Number: 791.430681/20 (6th ed)Publication Date: 2010Levison (writer of the industry-changing business plan for 'The Blair Witch Project') shows how to create a business plan while avoiding common mistakes. Learn how to attract and secure an investor in this jargon-free guide. Each chapter covers a different section of the business plan, including industry, marketing, financing and distribution. The sixth edition contains updated industry data; distribution information for online and foreign markets; and real-world examples of equity investors and markets. The companion website features exercises and spreadsheets to get you comfortable crunching numbers.
Film Marketing into the Twenty-First Century by Call Number: 791.430688/44Publication Date: 2015Drawing on insights from film academics and leading industry professionals, Mingant charts the evolution of modern film marketing. The book's first half covers geographical considerations and adapting marketing strategies for local audiences. The second half discusses marketing possibilities offered by social media and other participative websites. Straddling practical and theoretical concerns, and including a variety of international case studies, this is an accessible introduction to global film marketing.
Film + Video Budgets by Call Number: 791.430681/19 (5th ed.)Publication Date: 2010Simon is a writer, producer and director of documentary and dramatic programs for television and education. In this book he provides a good breakdown of every line item you will come across, whether shooting a student film or a full budget feature. The fifth edition of this standard includes new material on pre-production and HD films.
The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV, and Video Content by Call Number: 791.430688/33Publication Date: 2010Written by the insider who headed sales for Lucasfilm across distribution markets and managed the release of Star Wars Episode III, this book shows how all related media distribution markets, including television, video and online, work together and independently to finance and maximise profits on productions.
The Media and Communications in Australia by Call Number: 302.230994/19 (4th ed.)Publication Date: 2014Fully revised, the fourth edition of this comprehensive guide explains how communications technologies are impacting media industries; covers the main approaches to studying media; and contains new chapters on social media, gaming, apps, media regulation, ethics and privacy.
Embracing Innovation: A New Methodology for Feature Film Production in Australia by Call Number: 384.830994/35Publication Date: 2008Robert Connolly knows Australian cinema inside and out. This paper is his response to the question of whether Australian films fall to often into budgetary 'no-man's land': not big enough to compete with US studios yet too big to be commercially viable in a market flooded with independent films. This paper offers a ten-step plan for reducing production costs, including a first dollar share for filmmakers, fair returns for cast and crew, more realistic budget models and simplified reporting obligations.
The Movie Business Book by Call Number: 384.80973/16 (International 3rd ed.)Publication Date: 2006The revised and updated third edition of the industry classic - from the front lines of Hollywood and beyond. This edition goes beyond motion pictures to the broader world of entertainment and looks at sequels, spin-offs, soundtracks, video games, comics and television shows as well.
Handbook on the Digital Creative Economy by Call Number: 302.231/5Publication Date: 2013Digital technologies have transformed the way creative works are generated, disseminated and used. Cultural products are more accessible, but new challenges have arisen as established business models and the copyright system are proven inadequate, and the boundary between producers and consumers blurs. This book provides an interdisciplinary overview of academic research on the impact of digitisation in the creative sector of the economy.
Research Methods for Business Students by Call Number: 650.072/1Publication Date: 2016Fully revised for its seventh edition, this comprehensive textbook contains detailed chapters on choosing a topic; reviewing the literature; understanding philosophies; research design; access and ethics; data collection and analysis; and writing about and presenting your research. It includes step-by-step practical guidance on the research process; a clear glossary of research terms; case studies and examples of student and academic research; and topical news articles illustrating research in practice. The companion website contains tutorials on research software, quizzes, extra case studies and more.
The SAGE Handbook of Social Media Research Methods by Call Number: 302.231/7ISBN: 9781473916326Publication Date: 2017Sloan and Quan-Haase present a step-by-step guide to research projects that deal with "big and broad data." From the formulation of research questions to the interpretation of findings, this handbook goes well beyond describing the possibilities of social media research, taking the reader through real-world examples. Learn how to navigate methodological challenges on specific social media platforms, with chapters on Twitter, Weibo and Instagram.
