Wilfrid Laurier University
Waterloo, Ontario
English and Film Studies
FS209a: The Business of Film
WINTER 2015
Instructor: Wendy Donnan
Office: 2-127
Phone: 519-884-0710, ext 4306
Email: wdonnan@wlu.ca
Room : 2C17 8 :30 am – 9 :50 am
Office Hours: Thursdays 10 am – 11:30 am
_________________________________________________________________________
“We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnawbe and
Haudenosaunee peoples.”
I.
COURSE INFORMATION
a.)
Course Description
The aim of this course is to give students a thorough overview of the business environment in which
films, television programs, and other moving image productions are financed, developed, produced
and distributed. Students will be provided with real life experiences, practical realities, as well as a
keen understanding of the film business.
In this course you will learn how to develop a media property, focusing on the required business
skills. You will be instructed in the practicalities of financing and producing films. This includes topics
such as understanding legal affairs (e.g. the “chain of title” or ownership for a media property, deal
memos, contracts, completion bonds, E&O and other insurance), financing film development,
sourcing and applying to funding agencies such as the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm, the
OMDC and the CMF, negotiating co-productions and private production financing, applying for tax
credits, and knowing the requirements of the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office. Having
gained an understanding of film finance and production, students then learn how to tap into
channels of distribution for film and media content by exploring the role of broadcasters and
distributors in today’s media environment. Topics addressed in this section may include: marketing;
social media and online distribution; film festivals and other markets; and film festival planning and
management. By the end of this course, student should have the solid core knowledge of the
business practices of film needed to enter into the film and visual media industry in Canada today.
III.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course allows students to gain the background business knowledge and practical business skills
necessary for entering into the contemporary film and media industries in various capacities.
Students will learn how to develop a media property from start to finish, focusing on the business
skills necessary to do so. They will then learn how to market and promote it.
REQUIRED /OPTIONAL TEXTS
The following course materials are required for participation in this class:
1.)
Course Package.
Specially-designed materials have been developed for this course including readings, cases, and
examples for class discussion and course assignments. Access these materials in the
MyLearningSpace site developed for this course.
2.)
Texts.
The following texts and e-books are also required reading:
Development and Other Challenges: A Producer’s Handbook (available free on the Telefilm website)
file:///C:/Users/7/Documents/producer-handbook_0.pdf
Chapters from supplementary books will be included in reading assignments. The list of
supplementary readings is below.
3.)
Iclicker
You must have an iclicker to register your marks for the in-class quizzes and to register participation
marks. These are available at the WLU Bookstore.
Supplementary Readings
The Movie Business Book, Jason E. Squire, 2004.
Minding Movies: Observations on the Art, Craft, and Business of Filmmaking, Bordwell and Thompson,
2009.
Pierre Bourdieu. The Field of Cultural Production. Columbia University Press. 1993.
Schuyler M. Moore. The Biz. Silman-James Press. 2011.
Mark Harris. Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood. Penguin, 2008.
The independent filmmaker's law and Business guide financing, shooting, and distributing independent
and digital films, 2nd ed. Garon, Jon M. Chicago, IL : Chicago Review Press 2009.
The Business of Show Business: Film Business Essentials for Getting Your Film to Market, edited by Anne
Marie Gillen. This free e-book was put out by AFM and Focal Press. It focuses on the American
market features some useful sections.
www.focalpress.com/showbusiness
Screendaily Canada Special 2014 (a copy is on reserve in the library or available at
www.screendaily.com.)
C.)
Course Assignments
1.)
In-Class Quizzes (20%)
Students will be required to take four in-class quizzes for assigned readings (unannounced). The
format will be objective (i.e., multiple-choice, T-F), and the content will be simple facts from the
readings and lectures with the intent to encourage prior reading of material and class attendance.
You will require an iclicker for these quizzes, which can be purchased from the Laurier Bookstore.
Clicker Registration
You need to have an iclicker for class participation.
You are responsible for purchasing your clicker from the Laurier Bookstore.
You are required to register your clicker online via MyLearningSpace
(https://mylearningspace.wlu.ca).
When you login you will see a course called “Clicker Registration for Winter 2015.” To register your
clicker, follow these steps:
1. Enter the “Clicker Registration for Winter 2015” course by clicking on the title.
2. From the homepage, click on the “Click here to register your clicker” link.
3. Enter your clicker serial Remote ID in the box provided.
4. Click on the ‘Register’ button.
Please note: Failure to register your clicker in this way may result in loss of clicker marks. You MUST
complete the registration to have your clicker marks assigned to you. If you registered your clicker in
Fall of 2014, you may not need to register again, but please CONFIRM that your clicker is registered in
the registration area in MyLearningSpace. If you registered your clicker in previous years, you MUST
register it again for this term.
Please direct any questions about this process or about clickers in general to clickers@wlu.ca.
A clicker troubleshooting station is available at the help desk in the concourse (Waterloo).
2.)
Reading Summary (15%)
Students will be expected to summarize one of two assigned readings for the course. Your reading
summary should be a maximum of three pages, double spaced. You may choose from the following
assigned class readings which are in your course package: a) First You Get the Power, Then You Get
the Money: Two Models of Film Festivals OR b) Film Festivals, Bourdieu, and the Economization of
Culture.
3.)
Development Package for a Media Property- Group Project (25%)
Students will be assigned to groups of four students. You will be expected to present orally, and
post your written assignments on MyLearningSpace. Each group will have fifteen minutes to present.
The intent is to convince the class to support your project financially. Students must complete the
following components: a convincing pitch sheet, plus a financial, and web marketing plan for a
moving image production utilizing forms included in your course package and information provided
in lectures and readings. Students will be assigned either a documentary or a low budget feature film.
The intent is to raise money for the project, hence the presentation should include a pitch sheet
(rather than a lengthy treatment), and focus on the business aspects of the production, ie. how you
intend to raise the financing necessary to complete the project. Groups will then present this to the
class, with the intent of convincing a financier, such as a broadcaster or distributor, to support the
project financially. The written sections should be between 2-5 double-spaced pages (not counting
exhibits). Each person can work on one section. This plan should include the following components,
which should all be posted on the MyLearningSpace site:
a.
Short Treatment or pitch sheet. Use the format in your course package. This should
be a glossy two or three page document NOT a full treatment. A sample is in your
course package.
b.
Development Budget. Use the sample budget in your course package.
c.
Financing Plan. Use the financing plan provided in your course package.
d.
Crowd-funding Proposal. Similar to online kickstarter or Indiegogo projects
(www.kickstarter.com or www.indiegogo.com). Included in this will be a written description of the
project, video pitch where possible, pictures, and designated benefits for various levels of giving. For
examples of successful crowd funding projects, read the CMF trends paper on crowdfunding:
http://trends.cmf-fmc.ca/crowdfunding/
NOTES for Group projects: learning how to work effectively in a group is a critical part of working in a
media work environment, particularly in film or tv production.
Every member is expected to carry an equal share of the group’s workload. As such, it is in
your interest to be involved in all aspects of the project. Even if you divide the work rather
than work on each piece together, you are still responsible for each part. The group project
will be graded as a whole: its different components will not be graded separately. Your exam
may contain questions that are based on aspects of your group projects.
It is recommended that each group establish ground rules early in the process to facilitate
your joint work including a problem-solving process for handling conflicts. In the infrequent
case where you believe that a group member is not carrying out his or her fair share of work,
you are urged not to permit problems to develop to a point where they become serious. If
you cannot resolve conflicts internally after your best efforts, they should be brought to my
attention and I will work with you to find a resolution.
4.)
Participation and Attendance (10%):
Participation will account for 10% of your course grade. Assigned materials must be read prior to class
and active participation is required. Please note you must have an iclicker to register marks for class
participation. Students will have the opportunity to share relevant current events with others to
enhance their participation grade. Participation is calculated on the following scale:
9-10 = Exceptional contribution, well prepared and articulated.
7-8 = Good contribution, some thought and preparation.
5-6 = Moderately good contribution, little preparation.
3-4 = Present only (did not speak)
0-2 = Absent
5.)
Final Exam (30%):
The final exam will be scheduled in April and will consist of multiple choice, true and false questions,
and essay questions relating to course content.
IV.
COURSE OUTLINE
Day
1
Topic
January 6
Introduction to
The Business of
Film
Developing a
Property
Overview:
Course Content
2
January 8
Developing a
Property
Building the
Foundation:
Intellectual
Property and a
Clear Chain of
Title
Required Readings for Class
a) In class Reading. Patricia
Rozema’s Manifesto for Canadian
Movies Globe and Mail (course
package)
b) In Class Reading: Is 2014 the Year
Canadian Movie Viewing Habits
Changed Forever? (course
package)
http://playbackonline.ca/2014/11/18/is-2014the-year-canadian-movie-viewing-habitschangedforever/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_m
edium=email&utm_campaign=is-2014-theyear-canadian-movie-viewing-habitschanged-forever&_u=dHDnGX3LAXc%3d
Assignments/Questions
1) Is Rozema accurate in her
manifesto?
2) What are the challenges in getting
productions to market in Canada?
3) How have viewing habits changed
according to the Playback article?
4) What should producers take note
of in this article?
5) How is the Canadian market
different than the American market?
6) What strengths do we have as
Canadian filmmakers?
7) Why is it difficult to get films and
other productions financed in
Canada?
8) What does a producer do?
a) Read Chapter One of the Telefilm
guide Development and other
Challenges: A Producers Handbook.
Securing the Rights (4).
b) Look at the copyright agreement
(15)
c) Read: Articles in your course package:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/reporton-business/court-awards-5-million-incinar-case/article568952/
1) What is copyright? Why do you
need to worry about copyright?
2) What is a chain of title?
2) Can you copyright an idea?
3) What is intellectual Property?
4) Acquisition of underlying materialwhere to find it, how to get it.
5) Overview: Canadian Copyright Act.
6) Cinar VS Robinson: Case Study.
7) What does public domain mean
and when does something become
public domain?
http://www.canadianlawyermag.com/legal
feeds/1865/scc-extends-copyrightprotections.html?print=1&tmpl=componen
t
Toronto Star: What Copyright Law Means
to You
http://www.thestar.com/business/2012/11/1
0/what_the_new_copyright_law_means_f
or_you_geist.html
3
January 13
Developing a
property
Development
Financing:
a) Read Chapter Two of the Telefilm guide
Development and other Challenges: A
Producers Handbook. Financing
Development (8) Look at sample
appendix: budget for development
financing (54) cost report for
development (56)
b) The Movie Business Book: pp 39-48: My
1) How to build a development
budget.
2) The development schedule.
3) Development Financing Scenario:
what do funders require?
4) Should production be deal driven?
5) Is art/film a commodity? How is it
different than other businesses?
4
building a
Development
Budget and
Schedule.
Incorporating A
Company.
Movies: the Collision of Art and Money (in
your course package)
Jan 15
Read section C of the Telefilm guide
Development and other Challenges: A
Producers Handbook. Low Budget
Production. (
Getting Your
Property
Financed:
6) Is a business plan essential to
getting a production made?
7) What are your options for
development financing?
8) What funds have development
financing? Ie. Bell Fund.
9) What is the difference between
cash flow and a budget?
10) Should I set up a company for my
production and why?
11) Do I need an entertainment
lawyer?
1)
2)
3)
Development
Financing:
Rights,
Clearances,
agreements.
5
Jan 20
Getting Your
Property
Financed:
4)
5)
Review Section C Development and other
Challenges: A Producers Handbook:
Insurance pp. 79-80, and Ensuring
Completion, p. 85.
Read Section C
Insurance and
the Completion
Guarantee
6
Jan 22
Getting Your
Property
Financed:
Finalizing your
Production:
Budget, Tax
Credits, CAVCO,
the CRTC and
OMDC
Read Development and Other Challenges: A
Producers Handbook. Chapter Budgeting
(28)
Look at the following and be prepared to
discuss:
Canadian Film or video Production
Services Tax Credit:
http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1268752355851
Film or Video Production Services Tax
Credit:
Development agreements:
What is an option
agreement?
What is a literary purchase
agreement?
What is a screenwriters
agreement?
How is a deal memo
different than a contract?
Is an oral agreement a good
idea? Is it binding?
1) What is production insurance?
2) What is E&O insurance?
3) Do I really need production
insurance? Can I afford it?
3) What can happen if I don’t have
insurance?
4) What is a completion guarantee?
5) Do I have to have a completion
guarantee? Who does it protect?
1) What is CAVCO and how do I apply
for a C number?
2) What is the CRTC? How do they
impact me as a producer?
3) How do tax credits help you to get
financed? What tax credits are
available and how do you access
them?
4) Can I apply for provincial and
national tax credits and how do they
differ?
5) What is the OMDC? How can they
help me?
http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1268740529145
CAVCO (Canadian Audio-Visual
Certification Office)
http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1289829210951/
1289829210953
Ontario Film & Television Tax Credit
http://www.omdc.on.ca/film_and_tv/tax_c
redits/ofttc.htm
The Canadian Media Fund is sending a
guest speaker next class to discuss
funding applications. Familiarize yourself
with the fund and take advantage of this
opportunity to ask questions:
http://www.cmf-fmc.ca/
7
Jan 27
Financing: How
to Get Your Film
Financed
Read the 2014 CMF Trends Report and be
prepared to answer questions:
http://trends.cmf-fmc.ca/researchreports/keytrends_report_2014_mid_year
_update
GUEST SPEAKER
CANADIAN
MEDIA FUND
8
January 29
Financing: How
to Get Your Film
Financed:
Broadcasters,
Banks,
Distributors and
other Financiers.
a) The Movie Business Book: section 9,
page 375: Independent Distribution (course
package)
a) Bon Cop, Bon Grosses Film Journal
International (course package)
b) Bon Cop, Bad Times : too Many Canadian
Filmgoers Overlook their own Backyard This
Magazine (course package)
Looking online, find as many grants as you
can for Film and Television projects. Bring
a list to the next class and be prepared to
discuss.
****GUEST SPEAKER CANADIAN
MEDIA FUND. Rod Butler, Policy
Analyst, Regional Feature Film****
1) What are some of the current
trends in media and how might they
change how we produce or watch
shows?
2) How do these trends provide
potential to raise funds for your
projects?
3) Are internet content companies
such as Netflixx viable businesses to
fund your productions?
4) How have audience viewing habits
changed? What does this mean for
you as a producer of content?
****Group Projects Assigned ***
1) How do you raise money for your
production?
2) What do distributors do and how
can they help you?
3) What is a distribution advance?
4) Broadcasters and other content
purchasers: how do I approach them
and what do I need for a successful
pitch meeting?
5) How does a bank evaluate a
production loan? What do I need to
approach a financial institution?
9
Feb 3
Financing: How
to Get Your Film
Financed: Grants
Continued...
10
Feb 5
Grant Overview.
1) Go to the CMF Website, or pick another
relevant grant website such as The Bell
Media Fund (http://bellfund.ca/) Find the
grant section that is most relevant to you.
Review both the guidelines and the
application for your relevant grant. Come
prepared to discuss.
Overview Deal memos, license
agreements, contracts.
The Deal:
Deal memos,
Contracts and
License
Agreements
11
Feb 10
The Deal:
Coproductions
and Treaty
Coproductions
6) Why was Bon Cop, Bad Cop so
successful?
7) According to this week’s readings,
how do we determine that success?
1) Overview of Canadian Funding
Agencies. National and Provincial.
2) How do I create a successful grant
application?
3) What documents do I need to
apply for a grant?
4) What does “in-kind” mean and
why is it important to my grant
application?
5) What will be the greatest
challenges in being successful with
your grant?
1) Contracts versus deal memos. Can I
work with only a deal memo? Why is a
contract important?
2) Broadcasters and Content
purchasers: Licensing agreements
versus acquisition agreements.
3) What is the difference between a
pre-sale and an acquisition?
a) Read Development and Other Challenges:
A Producers Handbook (Part B, section 4,
Coproductions).
b) The Biz: Wedding Gets Big Fat Reception,
Advertising Age (course package)
1) What is a coproduction? What is a
treaty coproduction?
c) Big, Fat Breakthrough, Macleans (course
package)
3) My Big Fat Greek Wedding is a good
example of a successful CanadianAmerican coproduction. Why?
2) Why are coproductions a great way
of getting your production financed?
Look over Interprovincial Coproduction
Agreement in sample documents (67)
Read the Telefilm page on coproductions:
http://www.telefilm.ca/en/coproductions/c
oproductions/guidelines
Approved International coproduction
treaty Countries and MOUs
http://www.telefilm.ca/en/coproductions/c
oproductions/agreements
12
Feb 12
Go online and locate a sales sheet or web-
***Reading Summary Assigned. Due
driven sales campaign for a moving image
production you feel is particularly
effective. Check distribution sites, or
production sites.
3 March at beginning of class***
Promotions and
Marketing
The Importance
of the “One
Sheet” or Sales
Sheet
How is the sales sheet in your package
effective? How could it be improved?
2) What should be included in the
sales sheet?
1) Why is a sales sheet effective, and
what makes it effective?
3) How can you use the web to
improve your sales potential?
BREAK READING
WEEK Feb 16-20
NO CLASSES
13
Feb 24
Promotions and
Marketing
Crowdfunding
and Online
Fundraising
a) How new technologies secure a place for
the Arts Globe and Mail (course package)
b) Who Got Their Films Off the Ground Via
Indiegogo in 2014?
c) Kickstarter Creative Fundraising Globe
and Mail (course package)
http://playbackonline.ca/2014/12/11/whogot-their-films-off-the-ground-viaindiegogo-in2014/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medi
um=email&utm_campaign=who-got-theirfilms-off-the-ground-via-indiegogo-in2014&_u=dHDnGX3LAXc%3d
1) How do new technologies support
filmmakers and the arts according to
the Globe and Mail? Do you agree?
2) What is crowdfunding?
2) What options are available for you
as a producer: ie. kickstarter.com,
indiegogo. How can you ensure a
successful campaign according to
Playback and the Globe and Mail?
3) Why is the Autobiography of Jane
Eyre such a successful crowdfunding
project?
4) How can you use Social Media to
enhance your crowdfunding project?
Also read the CMF trends paper on
crowdfunding, and the case study on The
Autobiography of Jane Eyre, and prepare
to discuss:
http://trends.cmf-fmc.ca/crowdfunding/
14
Feb 26
Promotions and
Marketing
Monetizing
Digital Media,
Social
Networking and
Using the
Internet as a
Promotional Tool
a) Monetizing Digital Media (CMF trends)
http://trends.cmf-fmc.ca/researchreports/monetizing-digital-media-trendskey-insights-and-strategies-that-work/
b) In Competition for the ‘Second Screen’
Film Industry Learns to Find its Fans Globe
and Mail (course package)
c) Minding Movies: Observations on the
Art, Craft, and Business of Filmmaking,
part one, page 39: Snakes, No; Borat, Yes:
Not All Internet Publicity is the Same
(course package)
1) What are the future trends for
digital media according to the CMF?
How do these affect producers and
filmmakers?
2) Read the articles and chapter
about integrating internet and film.
To what degree do web-based
technologies and social media
provide sustainable models for the
future of filmmaking?
15
March 3
Promotions and
Marketing
Distribution: Film
Festivals
a) First You Get the Power, Then You Get
the Money: Two Models of Film Festivals
Cineaste (course package)
b) Film Festivals, Bourdieu, and the
Economization of Culture Canadian Journal
of Film Studies (course package)
*** Reading Summary Due at
Beginning of Class***
Telefilm Festivals Directory:
2) Why should you plan your
production and leave room for
festival screenings?
http://www.telefilm.ca/en/festivals-andmarkets/festivals-directory
1) What film festivals are available to
you? How do they help you to
promote and sell your project?
3) How do Film Festivals work,
according to both assigned readings?
Should art take precedence over
economics?
16
March 5
Promotions and
Marketing
Film and
Television
Markets, and
Theatrical
Distribution
17
18
a) Cinema needs to Reset Itself,
Screendaily (course package)
b) Bridging the Gap: Film Festival
Governance, Public Partners and
the “Vexing” Problem of Film
Distribution Canadian Journal of
Film Studies (course package)
c) The Movie Business Book, section
4, page 148, A Chairman’s View
(course package)
March 10
Guest Speaker. www.mongrelmedia.com
GUEST SPEAKER
Visit the website before Tom speaks and
come prepared to ask questions.
March 12
Jon Hiltz is a seasoned producer and co
owner of an entertainment company that
1) How do producers and filmmakers
need to adapt to ensure the success
of their projects?
2) What does the writer of Bridging
The Gap see as the key problem to
getting films distributed in Canada?
Do you agree?
3) Why is theatrical distribution a
problem in Canada?
4) What other models can be used to
promote your project according to
Screendaily?
5) According to Tom Rothman at Fox,
how has the studio executive’s job
changed over the years? Is the battle
between art and commerce a modern
one?
Guest Speaker, Tom Alexander,
Director Theatrical Releasing at
Mongrel Media in Toronto. Mongrel
Media is one of the few Independent
distributors left in Canada.
Guest Speaker, Jonathan Hiltz,
Producer and Owner, Hiltz Squared
GUEST SPEAKER
19
March 17
WORKING CLASS
20
March 19
21
PRESENTATIONS
March 24
22
PRESENTATIONS
March 26
has produced many moving image
productions, from films, to TV series and
documentaries. He will talk about the
importance of the business side of film
and TV productions.
Entertainment.
http://www.hiltz2.com/
a) Work on your presentations in Class.
Note: the groups will try to persuade
people in the class to finance their
productions. You must convince them to
do so!
This is a working class. Come and be
prepared to ask questions or to
finalize your presentations.
PRESENTATIONS
23
March 31
PRESENTATIONS
24
April 2
EXAM REVIEW
Note: Final exam will be scheduled
later in the year.
Accessible Learning
Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to contact Laurier’s Accessible Learning Office
for information regarding its services and resources. Students are encouraged to review the
Calendar for information regarding all services available on campus.
Academic Misconduct
Wilfrid Laurier University uses software that can check for plagiarism, Turnitin.com. Students may be
required to submit their written work in electronic form and have it checked for plagiarism.
FOOT Patrol
After evening classes call 886-FOOT for a walk or drive home - No Walk is Too Short or Too Long!!!