Film Business

Since 1998, Steve Balderson has made 17 feature films. Looking back on these years of productivity, Steve has crafted a volume of invaluable perspective, tips, how-tos, and general philosophy about making independent films, no matter the budget, no matter the location. Balderson worries little about who he will offend.

David Mamet went to Hollywood on top—a super successful playwright summoned west in 1980 to write a vehicle for Jack Nicholson. He arrived just in time to meet the luminaries of old Hollywood and revel in the friendship of giants like Paul Newman, Mike Nichols, Bob Evans, and Sue Mengers. Over the next forty years, Mamet wrote dozens of scripts, was fired off dozens of movies, and directed eleven himself. In Everywhere an Oink Oink, he revels of the taut and gag-filled professionalism of the film set.

This audiobook provides comprehensive practical techniques and strategies to move you gracefully through the rough terrain of producing an independent film that resonates and reaches your intended audience. 

Howard Hughes was one of the most amazing, intriguing, and controversial figures of the 20th century. He was the billionaire head of a giant corporation, a genius inventor, an ace pilot, a matinee-idol-handsome playboy, a major movie-maker who bedded a long list of Hollywood glamour queens, a sexual sultan with a harem of teenage consorts, a political influencer with intimate ties to Watergate, a Las Vegas kingpin, and, ultimately, a bizarre recluse.

In How Star Wars Conquered the Universe, veteran journalist Chris Taylor traces the series from the difficult birth of the original film through its sequels, the franchise’s death and rebirth, the prequels, and the preparations for a new trilogy. Taylor provides portraits of the friends, writers, artists, producers, and marketers who labored behind the scenes to turn Lucas’s idea into a legend.

Down and Dirty Pictures chronicles the rise of independent filmmakers and of the twin engines - the Sundance Film Festival and Miramax Films - that have powered them. Peter Biskind profiles the people who took the independent movement from obscurity to the Oscars, most notably Sundance founder Robert Redford and Harvey Weinstein, who with his brother, Bob, made Miramax an indie powerhouse.

Barry Avrich - a self-made, Montreal-born film producer-director, flamboyant advertising executive, and legendary biographer and connector of moguls and stars. For over three decades, he has relentlessly produced films on some of the most notorious show-business titans and also found the time to market and promote feature films, concerts, and the biggest shows on Broadway.

If you've ever dreamed of being in charge of your own network, cable, or web series, then this is the book for you. The TV Showrunner's Roadmap provides you with the tools for creating, writing, and managing your own hit show. Combining his 20+ years as a working screenwriter and UCLA professor, Neil Landau expertly guides you through 21 essential insights to the creation of a successful show, and takes you behind the scenes with exclusive and enlightening interviews with showrunners from some of TV's most lauded series.

If you want to use SCRUM to develop movies and TV shows, Agile SCRUM for Film-Makers is the reference guide you've been looking for. Author Carey Martell explains the principles and method of SCRUM and describes flexible, proven approaches that can help you implement it far more effectively in your production team.

Almost everything you know about Mickey Mouse is wrong: He wasn’t Disney’s first star; Steamboat Willie wasn’t his first movie; Mickey wasn’t a nice guy - and Walt Disney didn’t invent him. In 1928, two very different best friends invented Mickey Mouse. And the success tore them apart. Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks’ friendship is a story of betrayal, love, war, money, power, tragedy, intrigue, humor, despair, and hope. You’ll love them both - when you don’t want to drop anvils on their heads.

Did you know that the UAE ranks first among Middle East and North African countries in terms of economic freedom? That it also ranks among the top nations in the world in terms of security, stability, and diplomatic influence? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t know much about UAE’s legal system, its business environment, your rights and responsibilities. UAE Business Essentials is a no-nonsense guide to help you understand the system, protect yourself and thrive in one of the most vibrant economies in the world.

As author Ethan Mordden looks back at Chicago's various moving parts - including the original 1926 play that started it all, a sexy silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, a talkie remake with Ginger Rogers, the musical itself, and at last the movie of the musical - we learn how the American theater serves as a kind of alternative news medium, a town crier warning the public about the racy, devious interior contradictions of American society. Opinionated, witty, and rich in backstage anecdotes, All That Jazz brings the American musical to life in all its artistry and excitement.

Hoy, más que nunca, es difícil para los cineastas independientes ganar dinero con sus películas. Desde los distribuidores depredadores que los estafan hasta los agregadores de películas que se aprovechan de ellos, las probabilidades están en contra de los cineastas independientes. El antiguo modelo de distribución para ganar dinero no funciona y tiene que haber un cambio. El futuro del cine independiente es el cineasta empresarial o Filmtrepreneur.

Today's world wants to know you and the real story behind why you do what you do. Whether you have a product to sell, a company mission to share or an audience to entertain, people are far more likely to engage if you deliver a well-crafted story with an emotional core. Bobette Buster is a story consultant, lecturer and screenwriter who works with major studios and in top film programmes all over the world. She shares the tools used by some of the world's best storytellers and helps you apply them to your own.

If you're looking for a step-by-step launch framework for your upcoming Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaign, this is the handbook for you! I'll teach you how to use crowdfunding to raise money online and bring your project to life. We're at the beginning of a movement as transformative as the industrial revolution. Never before in history have authors, musicians, artists, and film producers been able to connect with massive online audiences and get funding for their creative work.

For filmmakers and video producers who struggle with sales and marketing. This book will help them build an automated marketing and lead generation system. Unlike DIY marketing efforts, which often rely on luck, this book offers a proven road map to building commercial confidence and attracting more clients. This book is for you if you run a small video production business and you want to position yourself to dominate your market, charge premium prices, and enjoy a six-figure video production empire!

Warner Bros. Studio is best known as a media conglomerate with a broad range of intellectual property, spanning movies, TV shows, and streaming content. Despite popular interest in the origins of this empire, the core of the Warner Bros. saga cannot be found in its commercial successes. It is the story of four brothers—Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack—whose vision for Hollywood helped shape the world of entertainment.

A clinical psychologist and writer/producer share secrets to overcoming presentation anxiety and crafting the perfect "award-winning" pitch - no matter what industry you work in!

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.

The world has changed. Competition used to define the marketplace, separating winners from losers in a cut throat game of money-making. Businesses sacrificed everything trying to achieve the coveted number one spot. No matter the price, they’d spend time and energy chasing industry domination. But these tactics don’t ensure ultimate success, and when they’re implemented, businesses are forced to scale slower and hire more people in hopes of remaining relevant. Thankfully, there’s a better way. Author Chad Jenkins discovered a winning formula that creates a much higher return.