Want to simply make movies, or be in the film business?  If you are serious about asking investors for money to finance your filmmaking endeavors, show them that you have not only a story that will appeal to audiences, but a solid business plan for managing the life cycle of your project(s). 

 

If you want to cash in on the potential of the $8 billion independent film market, be part of this special seminar given by Louise Levison, creator of the business plan for the wildly successful low-budget film, The Blair Witch Project.  In this 2-1/2 hour class, Levison will take the mystique out of film financing and writing a winning business plan.  From the executive summary to the financial projections, you will learn how to research, organize, and present your case to investors. 

 

Topics include:

     Filmmakers as entrepreneurs

     Clarifying objectives and responsibilities

     What investors look for in a business plan

     Knowing what to include and not include

     Homing in on market segments and marketing

     Distribution channels and distributor strategies

     Developing assumptions and projections for revenue, 

          costs, profit, and cash flow

 

Louise Levison is president of Business Strategies (www.moviemoney.com), a consulting firm specializing in business plan packaging and venture capital financing, and publisher/editor of The Film Entrepreneur, a Newsletter for the Independent Film Investor.  Ms. Levison is an instructor in the Extension Program at UCLA and has been a Visiting Professor at the Taipei (Taiwan) National University of the Arts, the University of Montana (Missoula), and Chapman University, and conducted workshops at film festivals around the U.S. and overseas.  Her graduate education includes an M.A. in Asian Area Studies, an MBA in Finance, and she is a registered stockbroker. 

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Among the many kudos for her years of advice and counselling to filmmakers, you know how grateful the producers of The Blair Witch Project must be.  Rob Cowie, Producer, wrote this:  Thank you so much for all your help, from the business plan to the emails and introductions.  You have helped this film become what it is today.