Understanding the Producer’s Business

The Producer's Business Handbook 

Abel Ferrara, American screenwriter and filmmaker, once said, “Most filmmaking is about shaking hands and just starting.” Most people do not think or understand what needs to be done before a filmmaker gets to the shaking hands portion of the filmmaking process or what an executive producer is or does. To put it simply, the producer is the businessperson behind the web series, film, and/or television series. This is the person that obtains the funding, creates the business plan and the budget, and is responsible for every aspect of the filmmaking process. To get the reel rolling, the producer must plan on how much funding he or she needs, whom would be a potential investor(s), how to approach the potential investor(s), and obtain the funding. The bottom line is without funding there is no web series, film, or television series.

When I was creating a business plan for my final project at Full Sail University, my business plan was for a film production company. From my research, I had some knowledge on what a production company does. I did not truly understand it until I read the book entitled The Producer’s Business Handbook The Roadmap for the Balanced FilmProducer (third Edition) by John J. Lee, Jr. and Anne Marie Gillen. This book provided a more in depth view of a film production company including sources of funding, production incentives, Internet marketing, and entertainment law. This edition also provided access to spreadsheets including greenlighting worksheets, activity and cash flow projections, and target audience analysis. The chapter on funding included obtaining funding in both inside and outside of the United States. The best feature of the book was that it was written so that anyone could understand its content. By reading this book, I had a valuable understanding of the film production company and the producer, and was able to write a better business plan than I would have without it.  I highly recommend this book to all filmmakers.

The Software of Hollywood Screenwriters

Screenplay

The actor Hugh Laurie said, “Screenwriting is the most prized of all the cinematic arts. Actually, it isn’t, but it should be.” No matter what genre, all films and television series need the one key ingredient – the screenplay. After all, the screenplay is the blueprint, and without it, there is no film or television episode.

Writing the screenplays for Western Heights, I’m thankful that we have computers instead of typewriters. I can use a typewriter if I have too, but computers have word processors. Unlike a typewriter, word processing software allows you to write a scene, save it, and come back to it later.

These days, Hollywood screenwriters use screenwriting software. Screenwriting software allows the writer the ability to focus on the writing and not solely on the format. Most screenwriting software writes the screenplay in the format that Hollywood requires. There are so many to choose from. Which screenwriting software is the best one?

The Final Draft Pro is the screenwriting software many top Hollywood studios and companies are using. With recommendations from Tom Hanks, James Cameron, and J.J. Abrams, Final Draft is at the top of the list of screenwriting software. The software allows the writer to write for films, television, or theater. The feature panel system allows the writer to view his or her script cards while writing the script. The ScriptNotes allows the writer to keep track of feedback and ideas concerning sections of the script. The production features allows the writer to break down the script, prepare it for scheduling, and print out special reports like Scene and Location reports. Entertainment universities like Full Sail University require Final Draft Pro. Final Draft version 8 is available for Macintosh and Windows, and cost $249.95.

An alternative to Final Draft is Celtx. It offers both screenwriting and pre-production processes. Celtx allows the writer to write screenplays for film, television, theater, storyboards, comics, and novels. The writer has many options that Final Draft has. There are two versions – the free version and Celtx Plus. Celtx Plus offers a few more options for the writer like index cards with full view of the timeline and plot. Both versions are available for Macintosh, Windows, and Linux. Celtx Plus cost $14.99.

There are many more screenwriting software options. So which one do you purchase? The answer is simple. You purchase the one that meets your needs and the needs of your pocketbook. I am currently using Celtx, and I’m happy with it. However, if I get the chance, I will purchase Final Draft. After all, I want to use the software that most Hollywood screenwriters are using.