the producer’s craft · 2018-10-08 · • recommended readings: covey, stephen r.: the 7 habits...

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1 The Producer’s Craft By Petr Sladecek E-mail : [email protected] Cell : 00420 723 919 408 FAMU INTERNATIONAL PRAGUE, 2018

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Page 1: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

1

The Producer’s Craft

By Petr SladecekE-mail : [email protected] : 00420 723 919 408

FAMU

INTERNATIONAL

PRAGUE,

2018

Page 2: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Contents

• Managing Yourself (slides 3 - 7)

• Marketing (slides 8 - 20)

• Legal an Business Affairs (slides 21 - 26)

• Development and Pre-production

(slides 27 - 29)

• Production (slides 30 - 36)

• Post-production (slides 37 -39)

• Distribution (40 - 42)

Page 3: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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2

Managing Yourself

• What means to be a Producer ?

1. One who often initiates the project and holds / trades the rights to the film and represents all contracted authors and performers in licensing

2. The Triangle: Producer - Scriptwriter - Director

– Good Producer – Good Business person, Manager & Able to Assess the Idea, Synopsis, Script

Producer

ScreenWriter

Director

-Entrepreneur-Organizer-Controller-Money (Budget)

Page 4: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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The Producer‘s task - create and implement a strategy of the project, gain involvement of other people and put together the finance, legal, artistic, marketing and business structure of the project. A producer is a business person and manager, above all.

He /she delegates vast majority of the work related to the project on other people.

He / she is also liable to loss and failure of the entire project, since producing is always a risky business, some even say a lottery.

Managing Yourself

Page 5: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Managing Yourself

A successful producer needs to determine thetarget audience, assess market potentialslocally as well as internationally, predicts bothcosts and revenues.

Producer analyzes, plans, communicates, organizes, co-ordinates, controls, makes sounddecisions… producer is manager.

Therefore, the producer does not neglect someuseful techniques of time management, settinggoals and objectives, project planning etc.

Page 6: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Managing Yourself

It is all about your way of thinking …

– Make first things first, be proactive, no excuses, try to control as much as you can, be stubborn and tenacious!

– Bear in your mind that – often - roughly 80% of the revenues come from 20% of the best customers, 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes, 80% of the information needed you can find in 20% of the text in a book etc. - Learn to be ECONOMICAL: The Pareto Rule 80 /20

– The prevention of problems is a key, also an art to use the right opportunity. Only the experienced producers know what they can prevent from happening, and where the right opportunity lies. Even they, however, make mistakes.

• Planning

– Wishes > Goals > Objectives

– Goals : Long Term Plan

– Objectives : SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely)

• Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,

Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle. The Secret of Achieving

More with Less, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 1998

Page 7: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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5

Managing a Yourself

various planning techniques

• Ishikawa’s Fish Bone Diagram

Activities Goal

• Planning Project :

– GANTT diagram

– NETWORK, PERT Drawings

– Logical Frames

– Movie Magic Shooting Plan

Page 8: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

Marketing is a process responsible for identification, forecast and satisfaction of the needs and wants of the customers - with a profit (if it is a profit oriented project).

Film marketing is an activity that helps the movie get through various distribution channels (cinema, video, TV etc.) to its target audience, any time within the life span of the film (producer´s copyright lasts 50 years in Europe).

A film producer has many customers, in terms of stakeholders of the final product. The stakeholders are the key authors and performers, distributors, co-producers, sales agents, banks, local and international film funds etc.The main customer, however, is a viewer. The film for a producer always works as a product, i.e. „anything that can be offered to a market for attention, acquisition, use or consumption.“ (Philip Kotler, 1984)

Marketing

Page 9: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Marketing

� USP -The Unique Selling Proposition - is the feature and benefit that differentiate you from your competition.

� 3 step Product Analysis (adopted from The Open University)

Core Product – Not Tangible : Needs, Wants, Wishes

Actual Product – Product itself

Augmented Product – Additional services provided

� Nowadays ‘Core Product’ considered more important, so the marketers do not sell commodities or services, but rather the solutions to problems, requirements or desires.

� For Film : Core Product = Theme, Message, or just Entertainment

Page 10: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Marketing

� 4P /9P Theory - Marketing Mix (a slightly different 4 C framework is often being used)

1. Product – Film itself : Usually start with some Market Research

2. Place – Distribution (Cinema, Home Video, TV etc.)

3. Price – Cost side/ Revenue side

4. Promotion – Marketing Communication

5. People

6. Processes

7. Physical Evidence/Checks of Quality (or Packaging, Positioning etc.)

Page 11: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Marketing

1. The film, as any other product, is Mortal. There is a limited time scale for a

producer to generate the revenues exclusively, depending on the copyright law.

Producer´s copyright lasts 50 years in Europe now.

• Product Life Cycle (adopted from The Open University)

Time

Intro

Growth

Maturity

Decline

Possibility to extend its lifecycle by Advertisement

Page 12: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Marketing

� The producers set

TARGET AUDIENCE

MARKET POTENTIALS (ASSESS POTENTIAL FUTURE REVENUES)

Typically, the films in theatrical distribution are focused on four main

targets / sectors:

MAINSTREAM (cca 13 - 25, e.g.Terminator)

CROSSOVER (cca 25 - 45, more artistic values, e.g. The Crying Game)

ART- HOUSE (e.g.Jarmusch, Wenders, Egoyan)

SPECIALIST (e.g. animated for pre-schools)

The markets you can generate your revenues from are LOCAL,

EUROPEAN and INTERNATIONAL.

Page 13: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Marketing

TARGET AUDIENCE

You choose the SEGMENT of the viewers. Not just the products, also the

segments of viewers are mortal...

• Segment is defined by – SIZE, IDENTITY, RELEVANCE and ACCESS

• Targeting

1. Single Segment Targeting – Niche Marketing

2. Multiple Segment Targeting

3. Full Coverage – For everyone, not often

- In TV, targeting is much more sophisticated and defined, socio-demographic (age,

sex, class etc.) and /or Psycho graphic (values and lifestyle - Lifestyle by

Kotler : AIO (Activity, Interest, Opinion) characteristics are employed.

Marketing any new product by Rogers (1962): There are always innovators,

laggards… Also there are six roles in the group of individuals, such as family,

who together take the collective buying decision (Webster and Wind, 1972)

-Innovators (2,.5%)-Early Adopters (13,5%)-Early Majority (34%)-Late Majority (34%)-Laggards (16%)

-Users-Influences-Deciders-Approvers-Buyers-Gatekeepers

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Marketing

By definition, a market SEGMENT is a group of present or potentional customers with some common characteristics, which is relevant in explaining (and predicting) their response to a supplier‘s marketing stimuli.

(Wind and Cardozo, 1974)

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Marketing

� Apart from the viewers, there are other important customers,

the stakeholders of your project

� Finance (co-producers, sponsors, funds, investors, sales agents*…)

� Distributors (local, international)

� Local Authorities

� Local Film Industry

� Film Festivals Jury

� Your Crew

* Sales Agents : Companies specialized in foreign sales and distribution.

E.g.. Fortissimo, Wild Bunch, Celluloid Dreams, Match Factory….

Page 16: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Marketing

� Mass Communication Vehicles

Type Vehicle ExamplesIm

per

sonal

Pers

onal

•Advertising•Sponsorhip•Sales Promotion•PR/Publicity•Event marketing•Guerilla marketing•Viral marketing•Content marketing

•Personal Selling•Direct Marketing Direct Mail •Trade Fair Film Festival/Market•Exhibition•Internal Media

•TV/Radio/Press•Cinema•Outdoor•Indoor

•Press Release

Page 17: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Marketing

Film Festival / Markets

� Cannes –MIP / MIPCOM (TV), Berlin, Rotterdam, Sundance, Toronto, Locarno etc. for documentaries – IFDA Amsterdam, MERCADOL Malaga, Sunny Side of the Docs, DOX Copenhagen, DocLisboa, DOK Leipzig, FID Marseille, IDFF Jihlava

for animation – Ottawa, Annecy, Animation Block Party, Anima Mundi

� Communication Mix

Most effective communication mix for film promotion - a combination of various vehicles.

Remember: there is always B2C and B2B aspect of your marketing communication !

� Different Promo Techniques in Different Stages of Production

� Development and Pre-Production : Website, PR/ Publicity, Press Conference

� Production : Still Photo, Showreel, Trailer

� Post Production : Promo through Distributors and Exhibitors, screenings

� Distribution: Advertising, Sales promo, Direct Marketing, Guerilla, Viral, WOMM, Event

Theatrical Release Campaign Starts (typically in the Czech Republic)

1) 6 months before distribution : Posters in Cinema (A3, A1 app. 5$), Sales Promotion

2) 2-3 months before : Trailers (app. 50$), Showreels

3) 1 month before : Starts advertising through mass media

-2-3 weeks : TV, radio spots, Outdoor advertising

Page 18: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Marketing

� Sales Pitch Package

1. Script / Synopsis (Both Local language and English)

2. Approximate Budget & source of finance

3. List of main roles + cast

4. Director + his profile and CV ( more important in Europe)

5. Producer +his profile and CV (more important in States)

6. If the film is in production : Photos, Press Kit, Trailer/Show Reel….

Synopsis (or Treatment):Short version of ScriptSometimes Short synopsis or Premise, Premise Pilot-In the beginning, usually it’s more important than full script

Page 19: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Marketing – Promotion

•Developing a Communication Plan •Common way to create your own communication plan (orig. diagr. The Open University)•Next page - a simple example of a communication plan, for e.g. a launch of digital TV FEBIO TV

Issue Definition

Briefing/Brainstorming

Marketing Objectives

Defining Target Audience

Behavioral /Communication Objectives(enquiry, trial, purchase, repeat purchase, switch)

Creative Content(emotional response, benefit claim)

Media Selection

Review and Feedback

Page 20: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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The campaign - between the license award and FEBIO TV launch

Objective - motivation for set-top box purchase

Vehicles - PR, above and bellow the line

- sales promotion at Český Telecom selling points

Target groups - general audience - potential set-top box buyers

Subject - FEBIO TV, also the consortium of TV license holders, mux operators, set-top box

distributors etc.

Content - arguments for set-top box purchase, benefits of digital TV

Mediamix - press, internet, radio and TV, events

Budget - 5 mil. CKR

Note - timing is of an essence, also digital TV penetration increase:

- above the lines before Christmas (gifts), PR and below the lines follow

- second wave of classic advertising in March

- PR and bellow the lines April, May

- advertising continues in June

4th campaign - FEBIO TV launch

Objective - teasing FEBIO TV, programmes, benefits

Vehicles - PR, above and bellow the lines

Target groups - target audience

Subject - FEBIO TV

Content - FEBIO TV aims, slogans, claims, programmes, hosts and other personalities

Mediamix - press, internet, outdoor, cinemas, events, TV and radio

Budget - 1,5 - 3 mil. CKR

Note - timing 3 weeks before, 2 weeks after the launch

Example of a campaing:

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Legal & Business Affairs

• Copyrights in Europe

� In hand of a Producer - there are exclusive or non-exclusive rights to the work (for a territory, language, number of uses and term) - to exploit, reproduce, prepare derivative works, translate, distribute copies, perform or display in public in entirety or in parts, broadcast or narrowcast, license, sub-license, assign on a third party…The copyright holder (producer, publisher) holds the rights 50 years after first publication.

� Author’s rights - since the moment of creation. (Moral) Personality- relatedandProprietaryMoral rights must not be transferred and cannot be waived. They are the right to control publication, the right to withdraw the work, the right to have authorship accurately attributed and the right to maintain integrity of the work. Even after author’s death, the work may only be used in a manner not reducing its value and the author must be stated. Proprietary rights may be transferred, traded, inherited…they are (now) valid 70 years after the author’ s death.

Page 22: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Copyright-protected work

� IT IS� an unique result of creative activities (not

mechanical or technical)� expressed in perceivable form, including electronic� existent regardless of its extent, purpose, or

singnificance

� IT IS NOT� a theme, data, idea, procedure, principle, method

etc.

Legal & Business Affairs

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• Some Terms

• Synchronization R. : Producer guarantees that all authors and performers rights/works have been properly synchronized with the work

• Mechanical R. : The right to reproduce, make any number of copies from the original.

• Music R. : Grand R. (as opera or Ballet etc., administered by publishers) and Small R. (mostly soundtracks, administered by collective societies in each country)

• Secondary, Non-Theatrical / Ancillary R. : Cafés, Restaurants, Public Spaces, Publishing /Merchandising, Airplanes, Buses etc.

• Format R. : especially in TV, rights protecting specific shows (i.e. Big Brother)

• Performer’s R. (very similar to author’s rights) • The Film Authors: In Europe, Director is consider as Author of the film

work. The authors of its parts are also Scriptwriter and Music Composer (if there is an original music score), also DOP, sometimes.

Legal & Business Affairs

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Legal & Business Affairs

The author’s works are used through THE LICENSE AGREEMENTS.

The Contract is

•Agreement (there are both offer and its acceptance; termination)•Between competent parties (issues of minors and people with diminished mental capacity - intoxicated or insane)•Based upon genuine assent ( mutual mistake of fact, nondisclosure /misstatement, fraud issues)•Supported by consideration ( a promise must be obtained for something in return - tax purposes) •Lawful Objective (effects of illegality, lack of good faith etc.)•In a form required by law (mostly in writing)

Page 25: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Legal & Business Affairs

The issues related to Author‘ s Rights:

� Moral Rights

� Unfair Competition� Privacy and Publicity ( shooting in public spaces, public persons etc.)� Defamation- libel, slander. False information that exposes the person to hatred,

contempt or ridicule, causes the person to be shunned or avoided, or injures in his /her occupation.

� Proprietary Rights

� Unfair Competition� Format rights Copycat. The plaintiff must prove that protected work was a basis for the

infringing element.� Breach of exclusivity. Typical of the TV world for the rights of films with many Intl

coproducers and distributors. The preliminary injunction released by the courts prevent TV station from airing such film.

� The copyright infringements are typically resolved by civil/business remedies (the infringer has to recover damages, sometimes even lost profits). Serious commercial piracy is a criminal offence.

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Legal & Business Affairs

Business Negotiation

� STRATEGY – is your PLAN, before the business meeting takes place. The decision whether negotiate alone or in a couple, review of the last deal ( if there is a history), thoughts about the venue, preparation of goals, objectives and BATNA (Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement, i.e. the B plan).

� TACTICS - implementation of strategy in course of the business meeting. Win-win (ideally), win-lose or lose- lose potential outcome. The BATNA in practice - if the final (counter) proposal is better, then say yes to the deal. If worse - then your BATNA to be applied. Be careful about various manipulative techniques used by the other party, assess how far you can go in bargaining.

� Recommended readings: Tracy, B.: Advanced Selling Strategies, Simon and Schuster, 1995, Raiffa, H.: The Art and Science of Negotiation, Belknap Press, 1982, Fischer-Ury -Patton: Getting to Yes, Houghton Mifflin Co.,1991, Ury,W.: Getting Past No, Bantam Books, 1991, Ury, W.: The Power of Positive NO, Bantam Books, 2007

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Development and Pre-production

• Development - takes from 3 month till 10 years or a lifetime… It finishes once you have a developed script, the filming locations found and the finances for your film completed. An estimated budget is being calculated.

• Financing

-Local Film Fund -Pre-sales, co-financing or co-production-Distributor’s or sales agent’s participation (MG – minimum guarantee)-European Film Funds (Eurimages, Media) -Others (loans, sponsors, private investors, PPL etc.)-Crowd funding

• Pre-production. An important decision, the decision that this film project will go into implementation, i.e. shooting, has been made. Producer deals with putting the people together, makes the technical script, the actual budget and the shooting plan.

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Eurimages : for member country only co-productions (not UK, Russia etc.)-can apply only up to 17% of total budget, 700.000 Euro max. This is a LOAN, repayable from the first revenues.

Condition for applying : should be co-producing, a film 70 min. plus-2 country : 80% (Own Country) + 20% (Foreign Country)-3 country : 80% + 10% + 10% Way to get fund-min. 1 year before production

Creative Europe (former Media plus) : only EU countries- for development (also distribution, promotion)

= for your at least second project (drama, doc, animation), 10,000 – 60,000 Euro possible

• EU Film / Media Institutions

• EURIMAGES - the film fund for producers, some distributors and exhibitors, European co prod.• CREATIVE EUROPE - for development, promotion and distribution, and MEDIA TRAINING, for

education and training• EUROPEAN FILM PROMOTION -gets together national institutions promoting local cinema• EUROPEAN AUDIOVISUAL OBSERVATORY - legal, economical and statistical service• EUREKA AUDIOVISUEL -European authors business contact support• EBU (European Broadcasting Union) - the association of public service broadcasters• ACT (Association of Commercial Televisions)

Development and Pre-production

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• Some things to take into consideration:

• Keep 10 % - 15% of the budget on your account as back-up (contingency) until production

is finished.

• Sometimes you can make barter deals - goods instead of money from each company ( film

stock, editing /sound facility, camera renting company etc.) and you can offer certain

percentage of rights or product placement.

• If short on cash, try to make defrerred payment agreements with your key authors and /

or performers, you can go to revenue-sharing contracts (e.g .3% from the revenue) in lieu

of cash ones with the authors, too, sometimes.

• In co-productions, there are often development agreements stipulated and clauses defining

responsibility of each co-producer, ownership of underlying rights, mechanism for

disagreements, statement of who is the executive producer, recoupment plans.

• The script contracts (both for existing literary work or original script) are often being signed

as options. Standard for an option is about 1 year and option represents about 2- 10 % from

the price of the rights. Payment is triggered by the future event (the production commitment)

and the rights agreement needs to be attached to the option agreement.

• Written contracts and release forms are important in any occasion.

Development and Pre-production

Page 30: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

Production is a short (in the Czech Rep. we shoot a feature film about 2 months, 5-6 days per week, 12 hours a day), intense and stressful activity. You have to have a back-up for pretty much everything and most of time you face troubles anyway, because of the weather...

The set is a kingdom of Production Manager. Some new very important people join the team, such as :Unit Co- ordinator, Location Manager and 1st Assistant Director.

Production

Page 31: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Two types of Budget

� Due to the different costing policy and diferent production calculating history, there are two basic different versions of budget employed.

� In the U.S., you can find the Movie Magic budget. The MM is Knowledge Based System that combines human and computer intelligence in order to make the calculations simple.There are above the line costs (rights, actors, director‘s fee etc.- paid by the producer directly) and bellow the line costs (paid by the company in charge of shooting).

� In Europe, the budget is typically based on stages (costs of the rights, preprations, production- picture and sound-, post-production, distribution and / or departments.

Production

Page 32: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Casting

Crew

•Director’s Crew - Assistant Director

•Production Crew – Executive Producer- Production Manager- Unit Coordinator- Location Manager- Secretary- Cashier- Accountant- Runnersc.f.) Production Facilities-Computers, office, mobile, telephone, translator etc.-All special Assistant

: Security, Animal Assi., Catering, Police, Fire Dpt. Etc.-Traveling cost, Per diem-Transportation -Legal Affairs

•Other Crew-Photographers-ClappersEtc.

The example of departments :

Production

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Equipment

Art Department

1. Camera 1) Camera Equipment (track, dolly etc.)2) Lighting (Lamp, Cable, Generator etc.)

2. Gaffer’s charge1) Best Boy (1st Assistant)2) His Electricians

3. Video (run with film camera to check after each shoot)4. Sound

-Sound Crew-Sound Material

5. Music-buying right? Or compose?

1. Studio, props, set etc. including animals, cars…2. Costume

-Main wardrobe and assistant-cleaning

3. Make-up-Make-up artist, and assistant-special make-up

Production

Page 34: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Production

Papers should be prepared for Production

• Shootin plan (time schedule, logistics)• Call sheet (who, where - everyday)• Storyboard (when making an ad)• Time Schedule, Transport Schedule• Daily Continuity Worksheet

The Production Crew come to the set first (then come the director’ s crew and the actors last) and leaves the last.

1) All technical equipment to be ready at the right moment2) All people involved to be ready at the right moment

Page 35: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

Insurance

In the Czech Republic, it is not common to insure the completion of the film, so you have to insure the people, equipment etc. The equipment is double insured - by the production and by the rental house.

The independent films in Europe have Completion Bond (Guarantee) from the insurance companies. Costs approximately 5-10% of your budget.

Production

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Production

Cash FlowExample : 20,000,000 czk of total budget

-Pre Production : 2,000,000 (4 months)-Production : 12,000,000 (2 months)-Post Production : 5,000,000 (5 months)-Distribution : 1,000,000 (1 month)

Financing (example):-Fund : 8,000,000 (1st 1,600,000 + 5th 4,000,000 + 7th 1,600,000 + 12th 800,000)-CTV : 8,000,000 (2nd 3,200,000 + 4th 1,600,000 + 6th 1,600,000 + 8th 1,600,000)-co-production : 3,000,000 ( 3rd 1 million , 6th 1 million, 9th 1 million)-Presale/Sponsor : 1,000,000 (only once they see the final cut : last month)Each source of money is planned differently. Some quite negotiable, compare

with your actual cash flow sheet.

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Production

Stage Month Income Outcome Income-Outcome Balance

Pre

Pro

du

ctio

n

1 1,600,000 – Fund 500,000 1,100,000 1,100,000

2 3,200,000 – CTV 500,000 2,700,000 3,800,000

3 2,000,000 – Co-production 500,000 1, 500,000 4.300,000

4 1,600,000 – CTV 500,000 1,100,000 5,400,000

Pro

du

ctio

n

5 4,000,000 – Fund 6,000,000 -2,000,000 3.400,000

6 2,600,000 – CTV + Co-production 6,000,000 -3.400,000 0

-Crisis!!

Po

st P

rod

uctio

n

7 1,600,000 – Fund 1,000,000 600,000 600,000

8 1,600,000 – CTV 1,000,000 600,000 1,200,000

9 1,000,000 – Co-production 1,000,000 0 1,200,000

10 X 1,000,000 -1,000,000 200,000

11 1,000,000 – Distributor 1,000,000 0 200,000

12 800,000 - Fund 1,000,000 -200,000 0

Total 20,000,000 czk

Example> Cash Flow sheet

Page 38: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

Just the first key persons remain with the film in post-production period, and some new (editor, sound engineer)join the team.

The post- production may take place in the classical way (labs) or in digital. Nowadays, the films are being edited on AVIDs

etc. mostly.

The process (off-line and on-line editing, sound mixing, color grading, special effects etc.) finishes after several months, the outcome is the 1st distribution print for the analogue cinema distribution, today rather DCP (Digital Cinema Package) for the digital one.

Post - production

Page 39: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

39

Producers welcome if the film can make money in the entire distribution cascade.

� The film goes to the CINEMAS (movie theatres) first. � Then, after few months (e.g. mainstream movie) or max a year (art-

house film) this goes to ANCILLARY / NON THEATRICAL distribution (hotels, planes, boats etc., public spaces). Then to the TVOD(transactional VoD) market and PAY-PER-VIEW. It is from the month 3 to month 9 from the theatrical premiere, typically. There might be some Ultra VoD or premium VoD windows, too.

� The SVOD (subscriptional VoD) and PAY TV window strarts off afterwards. This is in the months 9 to 12 from the theatrical premiere, typically.

� The entire cycle of exploitation finishes on FREE TV, be it public or commercial. Month 12 + after the first release. The time periods designed in between time windows for each level of the distribution cascade are called HOLDBACKS.

� This standard running order is however optional. Producer, in an agreement with distributors, can change it, if justified. The new forms of distribution (e.g. a day-and-date release, using all distribution platforms at once) are coming into play.

Some useful information about distribution you can find at www.boxofficeguru.com, www.boxofficemojo.com or look into the trade press such as Variety, Screen Intl, The Hollywood Reporter, Moving Pictures Intl.

Distribution – CommercialApart from standard Commercial distribution, there is also Festival and DIY distribution option.

Page 40: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Distribution

• The local cinema distributors enter into co-financing agreements with local producers, sometimes. They invest the minimum guarantee (MG) - percentage of the producer´s future potential revenue (gross revenue minus the exhibitor’s a distributor´s portion).

• As the distributors of foreign films, they function as follows:

•Producer•Distributor•Studio•Independents

•Local Distributor(Buyer)

•Exhibitor (Cinema)

•Payment : Minimum Guarantee or Flat Fee•All distributing Materials come from A•B has to cover distributing materials and ask for permission in any changes

-Materials-Shipping-Versions-AD/PR Material -Cinema Control

/Office Overheads

A B C

•Payment –Terms of revenueNormal cinema-50:50(D)Multiplex – 50:50, 60:40(D)

Page 41: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Distribution

Organization of local Distribution Company

Managing DirectorBuyer

Supporter

Sales

Marketing Director

Programmer

PR/Hospitality

Accounting

For different channel, region etc.

Advertising/Publicity budgeting, Promotion

-Cinema Relation/Line upWith Multiplex, cinemas, film clubs etc.

-Should know what kind of film would work where and how long etc.-Also should know character of each cinema

Page 42: The Producer’s Craft · 2018-10-08 · • Recommended readings: Covey, Stephen R.: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster, 1989 ; Koch, R.: The 80 /20 Principle

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Recommended Readings

- Badal, S. : Swimming Upstream. A Lifesaving Guide to Short Film Distribution.Focal Press 2008

- Munroe, R. M.: How Not to Make a Short Film. Secrets of a Sundance Programmer. New York: Hyperion, 2009

- Riess, J.: Think outside outside the box office, Hybrid Cinema Publishing, 2010- Gillan, J.: Television and New Media. Must-Click TV, Routledge, 2010- Brown, R.: Byte-Sized Television. Create Your Own TV Series for the Internet,MWP,2011

- Bosko, M.S.: The Complete Independent Movie Marketing Handbook, Studio City, 2003- Cones, J.W. : Film, Finance and Distribution, Silman-James Press, 1992- Durie,J.: A Film Marketing Handbook, Barnes&Noble,1996- Eberts, J. – Illot,T.: My Indecision is Final: The Rise and Fall of Goldcrest Films, Faber&Faber, 1990

- Field, S.: Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting. Delta Publishing, 2005- Mc Kee, R.: Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting,Methuen Publ., 1998

- Voytilla, S.: Myth and the Movies, Michael Wiese Production, 1999- Friedman, J.: How To Make Money Scriptwriting, Intellect Books, 2003- Gore, A.: Chris Gore´s Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide. The Essential Companion For Filmmakers and Festival-Goers. New York: Watson-Guptill, 2009

- Marich, R.: Marketing for Moviegoers, Focal Press, 2005- Nichols, B.: Introduction to Documentary film, Indiana University Press, 2010