The Independent Film Producer's Survival Guide: A Business and Legal Sourcebook

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 thelines, there seems to be a genuine interest in helping important stories and quality independent work to see thelight 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.

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!!!

One thing that isn't taught that much at film schools is how many contracts are generated and how much time you spend negotiating deals. Our first film is still in post-production (April 2003) and we already have a filing cabinet filled with contracts and paperwork. I wish this book had been available when we started production. The chapter on delivery requirements alone is worth every penny. In it you'll find out what a distributor will want along with your film. Don't forget the still photographer on the set and behind the scenes! Great and easy read, too.

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.

This book not only lays down everything you need to make and sell an independent film but even provides you with the forms and contracts to do it with! It is a very easy read and the experience these authors have in unsurpassed in the film industry so listen to what they have to say!