32531 - Laboratory Of Management Of The Film Industry

Learning outcomes

The student is expected to learn the basis of managerial and organizational methodology in the film and multimedia sector. In particular, the student is expected to: - get an national and international overview of the film industry and its players - learn the basis of movie production: pre-production, production and post production - understand the roles of producers and distributors in the market.

Course contents

Commerce and art collide in the film marketplace every day. Is there a line between business and
art, content and promotion, the bottom line and award accolades? In this course, students will
explore the reality behind big budget art.
The course will detail the life of two fundamentally different film products: the independent and
studio produced films. From concept inception to final net revenue reality, students will
investigate basic aspects of development, finance, production, marketing, and distribution.
The course will focus on the U.S. production distribution studio machine as the primary market
muscle for the largest product. Then we will integrate the international territories' product into
the independent and/or local language subsidiary structure to provide a worldwide perspective on
film profits and artistic budget realities.
Course Objectives:
• Provide an overview of the history of film from a business perspective to better
understand the growth of the domestic industry
• Learn the basic terminology of filmmaking production and finance
• Outline the modern studio structure; marketing vs. production, what is the pipeline of
various types of film - from art house, to genre, to tent pole, and in-between.
• Chart the course of a project once green lit either independently or via studio
financing
• Explore the fundamental connections between the business and the creative process
• Learn the team players and their responsibilities on a film in production
• Define the major tools of the marketing executive, their budget, partnership structures
and the essence of timing media for film campaigns
• Explore the connection between concept and placement into the market, what makes
for ‘sticky' product and what compromises a hopeful release plan into disaster

Readings/Bibliography

Entertainment Industry Economics, by Harold L. Vogel
Story, by Robert McKee
Film & Video Budgets, by Michael Wiese and Deke Simon
Independent Feature Film Production, A Complete Guide from Concept Through Distribution, by
Gregory Goodell
Turning Points in Film History, by Andrew Rausch
The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene
Acting without Agony, An Alternative to the Method, by Don Richardson
Film Directing, Shot by Shot, Visualizing from Concept to Screen, by Steven D. Katz
Texts:
Filmmakers & Financing, Business Plans for Independents, by Louise Levison
Marketing to Moviegoers: A Handbook of Strategies Used by Major Studios and Independents,
by Robert Marich
The Filmmaker's Handbook, A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age, by Steven Ascher &
Edward Pincus
Industry Trades:
Daily Variety
Daily Hollywood Reporter
Los Angeles Times, Calendar Section
Sunday New York Times
Weekly sources for discussion:
Nielson and Marketcast film tracking (provided)
Boxofficemojo.com
IMDB.com
Studiosystem.com
Yahoomovies.com
Moviefone.com
Rottentomatoes.com

Teaching methods

A detailed syllabus of each class  will be given during the first lesson.

Assessment methods

Grading - Your grade will be judged as follows: clarity of your logline concept is worth 50% of
the assignment; marketability comments worth 20%; business models, 10%; casting ideas, 10%;
short synopsis, 10%. The essence of a good film pitch is that all creative and business elements
make sense with one another. The document can be understood like a business plan – the sum of
its parts must make sense and add up correctly. Keep this in mind as you prepare the assignment.
Total possible points: 100.

Office hours

See the website of Jonathan Theodore Baker