Business of Film

Welcome back to the Business of Film podcast, episode #86. The two founders of the company are Forrest Lucas (owner of Lucas Oil, the naming rights to the Indianapolis Colts football stadium, the auto-sports cable network MAVTV and Lucas Oil Speedway) and Ali Afshar (current race car driver, producer and actor). They brought on Scott Kennedy (Open Road Films, Miramax and MGM) as President of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution. Forrest is based on the Warner Bros lot and plans to release seven “high-end, commercial films telling inspiring and purpose driven stories” in its first year of operations. Connect with us on INSTAGRAM or any other social @Crafttruck

Welcome back to the Business of Film podcast, episode #8. Christopher Woodrow, the Chairman and CEO of MovieCoin just us for an in-depth conversation on the next generation of film financing. MovieCoin is a next-generation financial technology company focused on leveraging blockchain technology, digital assets and proprietary applications to create a new standard currency for entertainment financing, business transactions and consumer payments. Hope you enjoy this one! Connect with us on INSTAGRAM or any other social @Crafttruck

Welcome back to the Business of Film podcast, episode #84. Patrick Corcoran is the Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of the National Association of Theatre Owners. This has been an amazing year for film. The industry is approaching, for the first time ever, $12 Billion of box office. The simple fact that we can even talk about this as a possible reality is truly remarkable. Especially considering all of the change in the industry. In this wide ranging conversation with Patrick, we cover everything from theatrical release windows, to what theatre owners really want, and the ever changing landscape of cinema. Hope you enjoy this one! Connect with us on INSTAGRAM or any other social @Crafttruck

Welcome back to the Business of Film podcast, episode #83. Matthew Helderman is the founder and CEO of both Buffalo 8 and BondIt Media Capital. With a background rooted in media production, finance and digital technology he leads the team of both businesses on a daily basis. Helderman is a regular speaker at international media and technology conferences. Helderman graduated from Lake Forest College with a B.A. in Philosophy. I’ve wanted to have Matthew on the pod for some time. BondIt sees an incredible amount of deal flow every week. And that makes him the kind of guest we love here on the business of film. Why? Because he can cut through the noise and tell us exactly what’s happening in the market. We talk about the current state of the industry. How producers are currently financing their films? What’s working and what’s not. As a premiere film and media debt financing company, BondIt has financed over $60M in debt across 230 projects. Find out more about Bondit Media Capital. Hope you enjoy this one! Connect with us on INSTAGRAM or any other social @Crafttruck

Welcome back to the Business of Film podcast, episode #82. Bob Bassett is the Dean of Dodge College of Fine Arts at Chapman University. The Hollywood Reporter ranked Chapman’s film program #6 in the country. Lots of great stuff here. Connect with us on INSTAGRAM or any other social @Crafttruck

Welcome back to the Business of Film podcast, episode #81. On this episode we talk with co-directors Ben Foster and Mark Dennis and do a case study of their mind-bending sci-fi film Time Trap. The film is about a group of archaeology students trapped inside a mysterious cave where time passes differently underground than on the surface. Ain’t It Cool News called it “a mind-bending shift in the space time continuum”. IndieWire called it an “innovative new sci-fi adventure that rips apart both space and time at its very seams.” So yah, it’s fun. I saw it. I really enjoyed it. And I was excited to tear through the fabric of time and figure out how they did it. CHECK OUT THE TRAILER: Lots of great stuff here. Connect with us on INSTAGRAM or any other social @Crafttruck

Welcome back to Business of Film podcast, episode #80. Today I sit down with a film student in the Creative Industries program at Ryerson University who is specializing in the Business of Film. The interview was filmed and this episode is the unedited complete interview. Here’s a list the questions asked and answered on the episode: 1) What motivated you to work in the film industry? (1:55) 2) How did you get your first job in film (3:17) 3) What are the roles and responsibilities of a producer (6:08) 4) What is an Option (8:00) 5) What is the job of the producer, part 2 (9:45) 6) What is the producers relationship with cast/crew (12:02) 7) What is an Executive Producer (13:30) 8) What do you take away from your experiences a producer (17:00) 9) What is your favorite part of being a producer (18:00) 10) Least favorite part of being a producer (19:08) 11) On starting a production company (24:10) 12) Freelancing vs. Getting a job (26:06) 13) How do you start a production company (28:10) 14) Does Canada have a viable film industry (29:48) 15) How do you find what you want to do (37:30) 16) Strategies for getting into the film business (38:38) 17) How do you negotiate for film rights (43:00) 18) Tips on negotiation for film rights (46:30) 19) Why be a producer? (48:30) Here’s the complete video of the interview: Also, if you have any comments or questions, just write’em below or find us on Twitter.

Welcome back to Business of Film podcast, episode #79. On this episode we welcome James Nadler, a writer/producer and currently the Chair of Creative Industries at Ryerson University. Here’s a quick video from interview: Also, if you have any comments or questions, just write’em below or find us on Twitter.

Welcome back to Business of Film podcast, episode #78. Screenwriter and now novelist, Elan Mastai, is our guest. On this episode we talk about Elan’s first novel, All Our Wrong Todays, and how Paramount Pictures ended up optioned the film rights with Elan adapting the novel for the screen. ELAN MASTAI is the screenwriter behind the successful indie movie The F Word (starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan), His other screenwriting credits include The Samaritan (starring Samuel L. Jackson) and Alone in the Dark, based on the hit video game. Here’s a quick video from interview: All Our Wrong Todays follows Tom Barren, an insecure underachiever living in “techno-paradise,” a Jetsons-esque version of Toronto in 2016 that includes teleporters, flying cars, viable moon bases… and the unveiling of the first commercial time machine, engineered by Tom’s celebrity scientist father. When an accident of fate derails the machine’s premiere mission, Tom – dealing with his own private grief – becomes an unwitting time-traveler, zooming into a previous era in an attempt to set things right. His rash decision triggers a chain of events that rips apart the very fabric of the universe and deposits him in the new 2016 – our 2016. Also, if you have any comments or questions, just write’em below or find us on Twitter.

Welcome back to Business of Film, episode #77. We welcome Sean Cisterna, independent director and producer to the show.  On this episode we learn what it takes to get started in the business and the secret to syndicated your film – hint: NOBODY DOES THIS!. Here’s a quick video from interview: Trailer for Sean’s latest film, KISS & CRY: Also, if you have any comments or questions, just write’em below or find us on Twitter.

Welcome back to Business of Film, episode #76. We welcome “film ninja”, Pasha Patriki, to the show.  Very excited about this. Here’s a quick video from interview: Also, if you have any comments or questions, just write’em below or find us on Twitter.

Welcome back to Business of Film, episode #75. We welcome Dan Landes & Peter Klass to the show to discuss their new whitepaper The Evolution of New Media: Making Money in a World Where Digital Streaming Rules. Dan and Peter work at the firm Green Hasson Janks, one of the premier audit firms in the United States. If you enjoyed this episode, I would encourage you check out our episode with Steven Sills which is all about Movie Money and Hollywood’s creative accounting practices. Also, if you have any comments or questions, just write’em below or find us on Twitter.

Welcome back to Business of Film, episode #74. We welcome Scott Abramovitch to the show. Today we dive into Scott’s Kickstarter campaign and talk about what it was like moving to LA and how he got started a little over a decade ago in the business. What I love about this chat is that we get into some of the marketing nuggets that one needs to think about before launching a campaign. The specific tie ins and angles and all that juice detail stuff that’s so important. Hope you enjoy this episode. Also, if you have any comments or questions, just write’em below or find us on Twitter.

Welcome back to Business of Film, episode #73. This week our guest is Marc Meyers, director of How He Fell in Love starring Matt McGorry (“Orange in the New Black”) and Amy Hargreaves (“Michael Clayton”). How He Fell in Love is a film that Marc wrote and directed. It’s a story of perseverance because when the time came to make the film or not, he knuckled down and got it done. Finding ways to ensure that cast didn’t have to travel by hiring local actors, working on the budget, and thinking about locations and how get the film in the can, is what got this film made; that, and a whole lot of passion. The film recently had it’s premier at the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Marc is a consummate professional and someone that I’m excited to have on the show so that he can share his story with you. Hope you enjoy it! Also, if you have any comments or questions, just write’em below or find us on Twitter.

Welcome back to Business of Film, episode #72. On this episode we take an in-depth look at the Tess Gerritsen lawsuit. I’m solo-podding it today. I read this article in the Hollywood Reporter and I got, well, very frustrated. So, I had to take the time to talk in great detail about the most recent judgement in this case, the implications it has for copyright and what it all means. It’s a pretty complicated case with some stunning realizations about the not only the law, but how IP is treated in general. It’s a complicated journey that we gone on here. At the end of the pod, and for the last 10 minutes, I detail what “I” personally think about the case and what I think should happen, or should have happened. Keep in mind, these opinions are my own, based on the information that is available to me via public record at this time. Here is Tess Gerritsen’s official statement from her blog. Regardless, it’s truly a fascinating case and worth the discussion. Also, if you have any comments or questions, just write’em below or find us on Twitter.