Product Description

In this comprehensive guidebook, three experienced entertainment lawyers tell you everything you need to know to produce and market an independent film—from the development process to deal making, financing, setting up the production, hiring directors and actors, securing location rights, acquiring music, calculating profits, digital moving making, distribution, and marketing your movie. This all-new second edition has been completed updated.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8598 in Books
• Published on: 2005-02
• Released on: 2005-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Review
A marvelous primer that actually delivers what it promises. -- Geoffrey Gillmore, programming director for Sundance Film Festival

By using the authors' techniques and suggestions, the prospects of success are clearly enhanced. -- Robert Dowling, editor of The Hollywood Reporter

If you are in the independent film business, you must read this book. -- Cassian Elwes, William Morris Agency

This book is an invaluable how-to-do-it guide which belongs on your bookshelf if you produce independent films. -- Jonathan Dana, producer's rep

This is a true bible for all aspiring — and active — independent producers. -- Jean Picker Firstenberg, director/CEO of American Film Institute

From the Author
Balancing the inevitable tug between art and commerce is your job, but without film commerce, your art will never come into existence, much less reach an audience. The advice here reflects custom and practice in the entertainment industry here [in the Los Angeles area]. The emphasis is on the deals that need to be made. We give you an idea of the nature of various deals, point out the critical issues, and provide parameters that deals typically fall within and how they are documented. We hope this book can raise the level of sophistication of independent producers and result in more and better independent films being financed, produced, and distributed.

About the Author
Gunnar Erickson currently practices entertainment law with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Yale Law School. He has been active with the UCLA Entertainment Law Symposium and taught Entertainment Law at Pepperdine Law School, as well as frequenly spoken and written about entertainment matters.

Mark Halloran is a principal of Halloran Law Corporation. In his studio days, Mark was Vice President, Feature Business Affairs at Universal Pictures, and Business Affairs Councel at Orion Pictures. In private law practice, Mark was a founding partner of Alexander, Halloran, Nau & Rose, and Erickson, Halloran & Small. Mark specializes in entertainment financing, production, and distribution, and acts as an expert witness in film, television, and music litigation. Mark is co-author of The Musician’s Guide to Copyright (Charles Scribner’s Sons) with Gunnar Erickson and Ned Hearn and the current The Musicians Business and Legal Guide (Jerome Headlands Press/Prentice Hall). He is co-chair of the SC Institute on Entertainment Law and Business, and serves on the Board of directors of the Los Angeles Chamber Singers.

Harris E. Tulchin is founder and Chairman of Harris Tulchin & Associates Ltd., with affiliated offices worldwide. He is a graduate of Cornell University and Hastings Law School and has specialized in entertainment production, finance, and distribution, communications, and multimedia law since 1978. He has lectured extensively at forums such as UCLA, the American Film Institute, Independent Feature Project, The Sundance Producer’s Conference, the Cannes, Toronto, Los Angeles Independent, Hollywood, Venice, Edinburgh (Scotland) and numerous other Film Festivals and has published numerous articles on entertainment law. He has served as Senior Vice President of Business Affairs and General Counsel for Cinema Group for United Artists; Director of Business Affairs at MGM Television; and Counsel for American International Pictures and Filmways Pictures. In addition, Mr. Tulchin acts as an expert witness in entertainment litigation, is an American Film Marketing Association arbitrator, serves as a producer’s representative on scores of completed films, as well as film projects, and has served as Executive Producer of nine feature films, including the critically acclaimed "To Sleep With Anger," distribution by Song and Goldwyn, and "Guy," financed and distributed by PolyGram.

Customer Reviews

More Than a Great Book--It's a Public Service
This is more than a great book--it's a public service. The
authors share insights from their decades of legal and
entertainment production experience, in essence offering
thousands of dollars of free legal advice to aspiring
independent producers. Beyond offering a roadmap of business-
planning steps, the book includes templates of numerous legal
forms that an independent producer might need. Meanwhile, in
clear and artful prose, they alternate between You're-Not-God
straight talk and You-Can-Do-It encouragement. Between the
lines, there seems to be a genuine interest in helping
important stories and quality independent work to see the
light of day. I've read other books on the business side of
entertainment that were helpful, but this stands out as the
best of the lot.

The bible of independent film producer
If you are or want to become an independent film producer, this book will give you all of the business/legal knowledge of filmmaking you need. Even though I have not finished the book yet, I've already found this book to be extremely valuable. Because I am planning to produce a new film next year, I even called up Mr. Tulchin directly for legal advice. He was very friendly and took the time to give me great advices and was very knowledgeable in not just U.S. based entertainment law but also international entertainment law as well. Read this book and you will find it worth more than what you paid for!!!

Bravo!
The Independent Film Producer's Survival Guide is the most practical and concrete text on the Hollywood deal-making process that I have read to date. Its succinct presentation of the independent film business-legal process is welcome. Many of the real-world examples of independent producers struggling to secure the deal are thought provoking and encouraging. I believe that any independent film producer who reads and applies the information contained in the Survival Guide can only win. Film schools should seriously consider adding this publication to their list of reference texts.