Reviews

The Producer's Business Handbook 

by John J Lee Jr.

Reviewed by James MacGregor

Focal Press, Boston, 2000

ISBN 0-240-80396-5

£29.06 inc CD Rom

Yes, it's an American publication and yes, it thinks the home market is the US of A as though nobody anywhere else ever makes motion pictures and yes, anywhere else is overseas and yes, the film business models it advocates are US-centric, but lets face it, America has dominated the motion picture industry from the time the first movie camera was hand-cranked and dominated it successfully. A carefully structured examination of current independent production practice across the pond is bound to teach the rest of us a thing or two, or ten.

This book does that and more. If there is one business bible every indie producer needs on his bookshelf, this is it. If you don't believe me, then try James Pasternak, acclaimed screenwriter, director and producer, and a faculty member of the LA film school, where his credits include having trained two Oscar winning directors. After 35 years making films and helping his students raise finance for films they needed to make, even post-graduation, he thought he knew pretty much all he needed to know about producing films - until he read this book. Then he realised that for 35 years he had been fighting his way through a tough, highly competitive game without actually knowing any of the rules. Just think of this as the rule book.

The approach Lee has taken is to critically examine the producing model used by that small core group of independent producers who turn a profit on every picture they produce. Using this example as best practice this handbook shows how to achieve fully-funded development, bank production financing and global distribution. Fully-funded development allows talent to be a attached and full market analysis, needed to package the movie for the market.

Using clear non-jargon, Lee takes us carefully through every facet of production, big and small, showing clearly the critical role each part plays in helping achieve the whole, whether sweet-talking a distributor to committing to take a developed picture (not forgetting how to pressure them if they waiver) or how to raise the bank loan needed to produce it.

He throws in a flurry of paper, in the form of model contracts, but cautions readers to consult their lawyers before signature, but probably the best learning tool in the book is the CD Rom inside the back cover, with spreadsheets covering pretty well everything a producer needs to know or analyse for his slate of projects.

A producer taking inspiration from this book is going to need them, because Lee is a determined advocate of the multiple picture development approach beloved of the Hollywood studio system. Lee shows why this is a successful model to follow and adapts it for the indie producer. Those who have struggled hard to get your one-at-a-time pictures green lit, or then found yourself losing control of the project to the whims of financiers, take note. There is a far better, easier way to do it and to do it successfully.  

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