Producer's Business Handbook

John J. Lee, Jr. is a global entertainment finance and distribution executive whose work spans productions totaling over $470M in cost and $4.5B in global rights earnings, and has led the vision, launch and/or expansion of multiple entertainment and media companies with successful exits.Anne Marie Gillen is an independent Producer, Consultant, and Lecturer who is extensively experienced in development, financing and worldwide distribution. Projects have premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, New York Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, and been nominated for Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Emmys, Independent Spirit and DGA Awards. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America and co-founder of the Social Impact Entertainment Task Force and forged a relationship with the United Nations. As an executive, she served as COO of actor Morgan Freeman’s company Revelations Entertainment, and was Founder/CEO of Electric Shadow Productions financing and producing Fried Green Tomatoes.

"As an independent producer I have relied heavily on The Producer’s Business Handbook since the First Edition. The current insights, tools and forms that Ms. Gillen and Mr. Lee include in this new edition are invaluable for presentations to investors, studio heads or your own internal Green Light team. By applying logic and organization to the creative process the reader of PBH5 comes away with an impressive array of business and management skills that lead to success....This Edition offers everyone from digital media students to seasoned film professionals exactly what they need to see their dream become a reality in the AI Digital age. The wait is OVER! Thank you for PBH5!"Cameron Kim Dawson, Writer, Producer (including the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise)"While there seem to be an endless number of books and resources on the creative and technical film making processes of physical production, this is the only book that clearly pulls back the curtain and guides the producer through the complete business process of developing and producing a global, major studio distributed independent production... This methodical layout of the various business, greenlighting and financing systems is, simply put, the film producer’s Bible. You will never find me attempting any stage of a production without my well-worn copy in hand."Jason Brents, Producer and OneDoor Studios LLC Founder and President"PBH5 is invaluable for anyone contemplating jumping into the shark tank of Showbiz."Steve Ecclesine, a dyed-in-the-wool independent producer of 15 motion pictures and over 700 TV episodesPraise for the 4th Edition “This is the single best work on financing independent films. Mr. Lee presents an overall structure clearly and efficiently. This is not a ‘war stories’ book. The landscape of the film business is changing rapidly and this is one of the only producing books about real producing. Mr. Lee and Ms. Gillen address one of the most difficult aspects of producing—financing—in a direct way that lays out the tasks and challenges an independent producer needs to know; they do not sugar-coat the business—it’s all business; they explain the intricacies of financing while making it understandable. There is more to financing a film than developing a business plan and this book shows why.Don Smith, Associate Chair & Associate Professor, Film & Video Department, Columbia College

• IntroductionChapter 1 The IndustryChapter 2 Video Streaming and Theatrical DistributorsChapter 3 International TerritoriesChapter 4 Social Media Marketing & DIY (See Hybrid) DistributionChapter 5 Ancillary Arenas, Rights, & ProductsChapter 6 Production FinancingChapter 7 Production IncentivesChapter 8 GuarantorsChapter 9 Attorneys, Negotiations, & Entertainment LawChapter 10 Talent Agents & ManagersChapter 11 Production, Development, & Producing Company StructureChapter 12 Development FinancingChapter 13 The TeamChapter 14 Production Company OperationsChapter 15 The Producer’s BusinessChapter 16 Reports, Data, & Producer PrinciplesIndex