21 PT Movie Maker Mini Course1

The OFFICIAL 21 Part
Movie Maker Mini-Course

________________________________________________
by
Los Angleles Based Independent Producer

Jason P. Brubaker
www.FilmmakingStuff.com
©2010 Brubaker Unlimited LLC

All rights reserved worldwide.
No part of this ebook may be copied or sold.
6767 Sunset Blvd. #153
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Phone: 310-746-3868
www.FilmmakingStuff.com
AND
www.MakeYourMovieNow.com
are Productions of Brubaker Unlimited LLC
Take Action! : The OFFICIAL 21 Part Movie Maker Mini-Course : by Jason Brubaker
I dedicate this book to my mom and dad.

Thanks for believing in me even when things
seemed impossible.
“You never know which ripple

will hit the shore first.”
– Joe Surges
2010 Brubaker Unlimited LLC All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this ebook may be copied or sold. http://www.filmmakingstuff.com
Page 2 of 61
COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK NOTICES

This eBook is Copyright © 2009 Jason P. Brubaker (the “Author”). All Rights Reserved. Published
in the United States of America. The legal notices, disclosures, and disclaimers at the front of this
eBook are Copyright © 2009 Law Office of Michael E. Young PLLC, and licensed for use by the
Author. All rights reserved.
No part of this eBook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system
-- except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine,
newspaper, blog, or website -- without permission in writing from the Author. For information,
please contact the Author by e-mail at [email protected] or by mail at Brubaker
Unlimited LLC; 6767 Sunset Blvd #153 Los Angeles, CA 90028.
All trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All references to
these properties are made solely for editorial purposes. Except for marks actually owned by the
Author, the Author (as both author and as publisher) does not make any commercial claims to
their use, and is not affiliated with them in any way.
Unless otherwise expressly noted, none of the individuals or business entities mentioned herein
have endorsed the contents of this eBook.
LIMITS OF LIABILITY & DISCLAIMERS OF WARRANTIES

The materials in this eBook are provided "as is" and without warranties of any kind either express
or implied. The Author disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including, but not limited to,
implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The Author does not
warrant that defects will be corrected, or that that the site or the server that makes this eBook
available are free of viruses or other harmful components. The Author does not warrant or make
any representations regarding the use or the results of the use of the materials in this eBook in
terms of their correctness, accuracy, reliability, or otherwise. Applicable law may not allow the
exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you.
Under no circumstances, including, but not limited to, negligence, shall the Author be liable for any
special or consequential damages that result from the use of, or the inability to use this eBook,
even if the Author or his authorized representative has been advised of the possibility of such
damages. Applicable law may not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability or incidental or
consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you. In no event
shall the Author's total liability to you for all damages, losses, and causes of action (whether in
contract, tort, including but not limited to, negligence or otherwise) exceed the amount paid by you,
if any, for this eBook.
Facts and information are believed to be accurate at the time they were placed in this eBook. All
data provided in this eBook is to be used for information purposes only. The information contained
within is not intended to provide specific legal, financial or tax advice, or any other advice
whatsoever, for any individual or company and should not be relied upon in that regard. The
services described are only offered in jurisdictions where they may be legally offered. Information
provided is not all-inclusive, and is limited to information that is made available and such
information should not be relied upon as all-inclusive or accurate.
For more information about this policy, please contact the Author at the e-mail address listed in the
Copyright Notice for this eBook.
AFFILIATE COMPENSATION DISCLOSURE
This eBook contains hyperlinks to websites and information created and maintained by other
individuals and organizations. The Author does not control or guarantee the accuracy,
completeness, relevance, or timeliness of any information or privacy policies posted on these
linked websites.
You should assume that all references to products and services in this eBook are made because
material connections exist between the Author and the providers of the mentioned products and
services (“Provider”). You should also assume that all hyperlinks within this book are affiliate links
for either (a) the Author or (b) someone else who is an affiliate for the mentioned products and
services (individually and collectively, the “Affiliate”).
Page 3 of 61
The Affiliate recommends products and services in this eBook based in part on a good faith belief
that the purchase of such products or services will help readers in general. The Affiliate has this
good faith belief because (a) the Affiliate has tried the product or service mentioned prior to
recommending it or (b) the Affiliate has researched the reputation of the Provider and has made
the decision to recommend the Provider’s products or services based on the Provider’s history of
providing these or other products or services. The representations made by the Affiliate about
products and services reflect the Affiliate‘s honest opinion based upon the facts known to the
Affiliate at the time this eBook was distributed by the Affiliate.
Because there is a material connection between the Affiliate and Providers of products or services
mentioned in this eBook, you should always assume that the Affiliate may be biased because of
the Affiliate’s relationship with a Provider and/or because the Affiliate has received or will receive
something of value from a Provider.
Perform your own due diligence before purchasing a product or service mentioned in this eBook.
The type of compensation received by the Affiliate may vary. In some instances, the Affiliate may
receive complimentary products, services, or money from a Provider prior to mentioning the
Provider’s products or services in this eBook.
In addition, the Affiliate may receive a monetary commission or non-monetary compensation when
you take action by clicking on a hyperlink in this eBook. This includes, but is not limited to, when
you purchase a product or service from a Provider after clicking on an affiliate link in this eBook.
EARNINGS AND INCOME DISCLAIMER
No Earnings Projections, Promises or Representations
For purposes of this disclaimer, the term “Author” refers individually and collectively to the author
of this eBook and to the affiliate (if any) whose affiliate links are embedded in this eBook.
You recognize and agree that the Author has made no implications, warranties, promises,
suggestions, projections, representations or guarantees whatsoever to you about future prospects
or earnings, or that you will earn any money, with respect to your purchase of this eBook, and that
the Author has not authorized any such projection, promise, or representation by others.
Any earnings or income statements, or any earnings or income examples, are only estimates of
what you might earn. There is no assurance you will do as well as stated in any examples. If you
rely upon any figures provided, you must accept the entire risk of not doing as well as the
information provided. This applies whether the earnings or income examples are monetary in
nature or pertain to advertising credits which may be earned (whether such credits are convertible
to cash or not).
There is no assurance that any prior successes or past results as to earnings or income (whether
monetary or advertising credits, whether convertible to cash or not) will apply, nor can any prior
successes be used, as an indication of your future success or results from any of the information,
content, or strategies. Any and all claims or representations as to income or earnings (whether
monetary or advertising credits, whether convertible to cash or not) are not to be considered as
"average earnings".
Testimonials & Examples
Testimonials and examples in this eBook are exceptional results, do not reflect the typical
purchaser's experience, do not apply to the average person and are not intended to represent or
guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. Where specific income or earnings
(whether monetary or advertising credits, whether convertible to cash or not), figures are used and
attributed to a specific individual or business, that individual or business has earned that amount.
There is no assurance that you will do as well using the same information or strategies. If you rely
on the specific income or earnings figures used, you must accept all the risk of not doing as well.
The described experiences are atypical. Your financial results are likely to differ from those
described in the testimonials.
The Economy
The economy, both where you do business, and on a national and even worldwide scale, creates
additional uncertainty and economic risk. An economic recession or depression might negatively
affect your results.
Page 4 of 61
Your Success or Lack of It
Your success in using the information or strategies provided in this eBook depends on a variety of
factors. The Author has no way of knowing how well you will do, as he does not know you, your
background, your work ethic, your dedication, your motivation, your desire, or your business skills
or practices. Therefore, he does not guarantee or imply that you will get rich, that you will do as
well, or that you will have any earnings (whether monetary or advertising credits, whether
convertible to cash or not), at all.
Businesses and earnings derived therefrom involve unknown risks and are not suitable for
everyone. You may not rely on any information presented in this eBook or otherwise provided by
the Author, unless you do so with the knowledge and understanding that you can experience
significant losses (including, but not limited to, the loss of any monies paid to purchase this eBook
and/or any monies spent setting up, operating, and/or marketing your business activities, and
further, that you may have no earnings at all (whether monetary or advertising credits, whether
convertible to cash or not).
Forward-Looking Statements
Materials in this eBook may contain information that includes or is based upon forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the securities litigation reform act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements give the Author's expectations or forecasts of future events. You can identify these
statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They use words
such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” and other words and
terms of similar meaning in connection with a description of potential earnings or financial
performance.
Any and all forward looking statements here or on any materials in this eBook are intended to
express an opinion of earnings potential. Many factors will be important in determining your actual
results and no guarantees are made that you will achieve results similar to the Author or anybody
else, in fact no guarantees are made that you will achieve any results from the Author's ideas and
techniques found in this eBook.
Purchase Price
Although the Author believes the price is fair for the value that you receive, you understand and
agree that the purchase price for this eBook has been arbitrarily set by him. This price bears no
relationship to objective standards.
Due Diligence
You are advised to do your own due diligence when it comes to making business decisions and
should use caution and seek the advice of qualified professionals. You should check with your
accountant, lawyer, or professional advisor, before acting on this or any information. You may not
consider any examples, documents, or other content in this eBook or otherwise provided by the
Author to be the equivalent of professional advice.
The Author assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages resulting from your use of any
link, information, or opportunity contained in this eBook or within any other information disclosed
by the Author in any form whatsoever.
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONDUCT YOUR OWN INVESTIGATION (PERFORM DUE

DILIGENCE) BEFORE BUYING PRODUCTS OR SERVICES FROM ANYONE VIA
THE INTERNET. THIS INCLUDES PRODUCTS AND SERVICES SOLD VIA
HYPERLINKS EMBEDDED IN THIS EBOOK.
Page 5 of 61
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................7
About Me.............................................................................................................................7
Instructions....................................................................................................................11
Filmmaking Success Mindset..............................................................................13
Lesson 1 – Get Powerful...........................................................................................15
GOALS................................................................................................................................. 16
Lesson 2 - Build a Reputation...............................................................................19
Lesson 3 - Learn To Build Rapport......................................................................20
Lesson 4 - Production Company.........................................................................23
Lesson 5 - How To Network....................................................................................25
Lesson 6 - Meet Rich People..................................................................................27
Lesson 7 – Your Screenplay..................................................................................30
Lesson 8 - Make Some Short Films....................................................................33
Lesson 9 - Break Down and Schedule..............................................................35
Lesson 10 - Cut Your Budget..................................................................................37
Lesson 11 - Create a Plan B.....................................................................................39
Lesson 12 - Get The Money.....................................................................................40
Lesson 13 - Get The Money Part 2........................................................................41
Lesson 14 - Schedule Your Movie.......................................................................44
Lesson 15 - Hollywood Publicity..........................................................................47
Lesson 16 - Local Publicity.....................................................................................49
Lesson 17 - Production Part 1................................................................................50
Lesson 18 - Production Part 2................................................................................51
Lesson 19 - Edit Your Movie...................................................................................53
Lesson 20 - Film Festivals......................................................................................56
Lesson 21 - Distribution...........................................................................................58
In Closing.......................................................................................................................60
Resources..............................................................................61
Page 6 of 61
Introduction
Picture this! By some miracle to end all miracles, born
of equal parts luck and blind determination, you’ve
gone against the odds. You’ve put together a cast and
crew, refined your script, found some financing and in
the process, you’ve somehow managed to make the
impossible possible. You’ve made your first feature!
Can you imagine the excitement, emotion and

applause of a packed audience during the premiere
your first movie? Can you imagine yourself walking
down the isle to claim your award? Can you imagine
yourself in the Q&A session after the screening? Can
you smell the popcorn?
Then my question is, what are you waiting for?
My name is Jason Brubaker. I’m a Hollywood based

independent movie producer. And I've spent the last
decade working in many capacities throughout the
motion picture industry. Most importantly, I've made
quite a few movies. Some good. Some not-so-good.
What I figured out in the process is a system for

making movies that allows me to continually make
movies and MAKE MONEY making movies.
And I have created this 21 Part Movie Maker Mini-

Course to share some of my experience with you.
About Me
Almost a decade ago, long before I made a single
penny making movies… I was stuck in my small town
living with my parents. To make ends meet, I took a
job selling dishwashers and garbage disposals.
Page 7 of 61
Back then, I was like a lot of people. I knew I wanted

to make movies, but had no idea how to get started…
I remember reading everything I could get my hands

on about the filmmaking process, hoping to find a
step-by-step system that would show me how to
meet wealthy people, get money, make a movie and
make money. The problem was, most the other
filmmaking material was limited to a lot of technical
stuff, like how to schedule a shoot, how to create a
budget and how to set up 3-point lighting.
Don't get me wrong, all that how-to movie making

stuff is very important! I mean, It's nearly impossible
to make a movie without a budget or a schedule. And
if you don't know a thing or two about cameras and
lenses and lighting and other equipment – the movie
making process can get overwhelming.
But if you're looking to add another one of those

overly detailed technical manuals to your overflowing
collection STOP! What you're about to learn about
movie making (from me) is a little different. Besides,
if you're like I was, chances are, you probably already
have enough of that stuff collecting dust already.
Seriously!
When I was starting my movie making career, I was

always frustrated with other material, because those
“experts” never seemed to answer the tough but
super important questions, like how to get money.
Ask around and most of these other "experts" still
suggest that all you have to do is find a willing dentist
and ask him for spare change.
Page 8 of 61
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a cavity drilled.

And it ain’t fun. The last thing I want to do is spend
more time with my dentist!
I knew the REAL answer had to be out there. So one

day, with a few hundred dollars in my bank account, I
quit my job and moved to New York City. It took
some time, but I eventually found work as an
assistant to an indie movie producer – A producer
who (by age 27) had already produced over a half
dozen features!
Working on the inside, I was finally able to uncover

little-known secrets about how independent producers
REALLY make a living making movies. I learned how
producers find investors and get money, how they
determine if screenplays get read or recycled…
I learned how producers utilize media and publicity to

market a movie and build buzz, how producers "work"
the film festivals… And most importantly, I learned
how producers SELL their movies.
With this knowledge, I started my own production

company, produced my first feature film and happily
cashed my first check! And through this course I'm
going to reveal secrets I wish someone told me.
As you get to know me, you'll find that instead of

focusing on the stuff every filmmaker talks about, I've
made it an ongoing mission to help you work through
the tough stuff. With me (both here and on my
website), you'll learn strategies on how to find
potential investors, how to raise money for movies,
how to market your movie (and build buzz) and very
importantly, I'll teach you how to sell your movie.
Page 9 of 61
I warn you now, if you’ve not yet made a feature film,

the methods I reveal in my filmmaking courses are
unconventional, advanced and hopefully my
filmmaking stuff will blow your movie making mind!
If YOU have the desire to make your own movies and

actually get paid for your work, then I encourage you
to read every word I'm about to share!
I want to help you succeed!
Having worked in many different capacities in the

motion picture industry—from coffee fetcher to
development executive to producer. I have learned
that the thriving players in Hollywood possess (but
don’t often share) some important success secrets.
The secrets contained in this program took me over a

decade to uncover. In this 21 Part Movie Maker Mini
Course, I am going to reveal insights and secrets with
you so that you will reap the rewards of Hollywood
success faster than you ever thought!
If you have an idea for a movie, and the desire to

make a movie, then there has never been a better
time to take action and make your movie now!
Everything you’re about to absorb represents insights

I discovered only through trial, error, frustration and
sleepless nights. Had I known these secrets when I
was first starting out, I would have saved myself from
many disappointments and a lot of money.
Wouldn't it be great if you could work the system,

instead of working for the system?
Page 10 of 61
Let's face it, the old way of making movies is slow

and expensive and requires someone else to give you
permission or a “green light.”
But thankfully, new technology, especially in the way

your movies reach the world are creating exciting
(profitable) opportunities, that are so awesome, I
CAN HARDLY WAIT to share them with you!!!
Right now, with or without Hollywood, you have the

ability to make movies and with a couple clicks of a
mouse, reach a global audience! If you want to take
advantage of this opportunity, NOW is the day when
you stop dreaming and start DOING!
Instructions
The purpose of this 21 Part Movie Maker Mini-Course
Action Guide is to provide you with an overview of
how to make your own movies and show you how to
make money making movies. Additionally, where
helpful, I have offered tips and action steps that may
help you cultivate successful habits.
Throughout this program, you will be asked to think

about your beliefs, your fears, your peer groups, your
strengths and, at times, your bank account.
In order to derive the most benefit from the program,

you must keep this activity guide in a safe place. You
must tackle each activity with extreme honesty. Being
honest with yourself is the only way you’ll benefit.
Some of the activities will require that you do things

that may seem a little unrelated to making movies.
Page 11 of 61
Additionally, you may find that some actions, like

networking and setting up an initial meeting with a
potential investor requires more effort than others.
Rest assured that when you experience moments of

self doubt and feel like you lack necessary motivation
to move forward, it means you are venturing into new
realms of understanding. The result of completing
these exercises will allow you to experience life and
business outside of your comfort zone.
This 21 Part Movie Maker Mini-Course Action Guide is

provided as a PDF downloadable eBook. Ideally, you'll
want to read these words on your computer screen.
Also, where I thought it would help, I've included

related, live hyperlinks. Why? For two reasons. First
of all, I have recommended movie making resources
that might be helpful to your own filmmaking career.
Secondly, after you conduct your own research on the

products and services I recommend - If you think
anything seems helpful, and if you decide to make a
purchase, I'll receive a small compensation.
That's how I am able to offer this 21 Part Movie

Maker Mini-Course for a discount and pay for my
website. www.FilmmakingStuff.com
Page 12 of 61
Filmmaking Success Mindset
What I think about becomes real.
I play to my strengths. I support my weak areas with

talented collaborators.
I take advice from people who have actual

experience.
I spend time with people who make me feel better

about myself. I always work to make others feel
good too.
Following dreams is easier with money in the bank. I

save what I can.
I keep an idea book and write down movie ideas as

they come my way.
My word is trust. I never break my word.
I deserve Hollywood success because I am creative

and passionate.
I always bring my ideas to fruition.

Page 13 of 61
YOUR 21 Part
Movie Maker
Mini-Course
First of all, thanks for taking part in the official
Filmmaking Stuff "21 Part Movie Maker Mini-Course."
Second, let me just say this right from the start: I bet
you have read a bunch of other filmmaking related
resources. And if you're like me, you're probably fed
up with all the material that always seems the same,
written by people who never made a movie.
So here's the deal-e-o: After spending the greater

part of a decade in the movie biz, and after making a
gazillion shorts, THREE features and all the mistakes
that go with it, I am going to do my best to provide
you with the filmmaking stuff that I know now – the
same stuff I wish I knew then. Deal? Also, if you get
an email from me, please take the time to open it. :)
This Action Guide contains 21 lessons and provides a

series of action steps. If it's OK with you, I decided to
cut all unnecessary fluff and simply provide you with
a workable overview of what it takes to make an
independent movie and make money making movies.
Page 14 of 61
Oh. And one more thing. If you're not signed up for

the FREE Filmmaking Stuff Newsletter, go ahead and
do that right now by following this link:
www.FilmmakingStuff.com/Newsletter
Also, if you have any questions, feel free to email me

at: [email protected] - And yes, I actually
read every email you send me. And I try to respond
to everyone. But just know, I'm working on a movie -
and it might take some time to get back to you.
To learn more about me, go here:

www.FilmmakingStuff.com/about
Lesson 1 – Get Powerful

Making movies is fun, exciting and often incredibly
challenging. In my career, I’ve experienced heartache
as well as the surreal, super exciting moments that
come when people begin to know my work.
This is one of the reasons we do what we do.
As a filmmaker, it is essential that you create a clear

and exciting vision for yourself and your future.
Because (believe me) you’ll need something exciting
to focus on, should things get challenging... And
things will get challenging.
I remember working in New York. We were going into

production on a 1.5 million dollar movie. We were all
set to go. But then the lead actor quit. The investors
pulled out. And with no actors and no money, the
entire project fell apart. Suddenly I had to think fast.
I had bills to pay – including rent. Talk about stress!
Page 15 of 61
Luckily I had a clear vision for what I wanted in life.

When things got tough, I simply focused on my future
and envisioned the life I'm living today. I don't know
if you call this positive brainwashing or self delusion,
but I always find it easier to cope with life's hiccups if
I take a few minutes to convince myself that
everything that happens (good or bad) is training for
my eventual success.
I’m serious about this. Making a career making

movies is a long term game. One of the mental
attributes that all successful people share in common
is an ongoing ability to keep their eye on the prize.
The secret formula for filmmaking success is patience

plus unyielding persistence in a face of adversity
creates your movie making success.
GOALS
What does your ideal future look like? In order to
create meaningful success in both your filmmaking
career and your life, it’s essential that you get a clear
idea of what you want. This will involve setting some
goals for yourself and writing them down.
The following actions will help you hone in your movie

ideas, your money ideas and also help you paint a
picture of your ideal movie making future.
ACTIONS
1. Take out some paper and write down three ideas
for movies you want to make in your lifetime.
2. How much money would you like to have?
3. How much money do you have now?

Page 16 of 61
4. What will you do to get the money you need?
5. The people you hang out with will influence your

success. Are you hanging out with people who
share your vision? Or, are you hanging out with
negative people?
Filmmaking Stuff -- Insight

Did you know that many would-be filmmakers are
still sending out their movie ideas and screenplays to
agents, managers and producers, hoping these
people will grant some sort of almighty permission
that allows these filmmakers to make their movies?
Asking other people for permission to make your

movie is such an OLD way to think about filmmaking.
While I agree that every filmmaker would benefit
from establishing and cultivating a network of
powerful people, if you want to make your feature
film in the next five years, asking permission is not
the fastest route for success.
I'm serious. Speaking from experience, most of these

folks (agents, managers, entertainment lawyers and
other producers) are already focused on their own
projects. So if you want to get their attention, you'll
have to have a movie with “name” actors already
attached, money in the bank, or you'll have to
control the rights to some very compelling material
(that they already want!).
But what if you don't have money? What if you don't

know any “name” actors? What if you don't even
have a fully completed screenplay? Then what?
Page 17 of 61
In this common catch 22 scenario, most filmmakers

feel the need to reach out to heavy hitters, but have
nothing of value to offer. So instead, these would-be
movie makers send a query letter pitching a story,
and then wait for a response (or rejection) – blah!
One Secret...
If you have to approach these people, do so because
you're already making a movie and you have figured
out a win-win way to benefit their business. Think of
it this way, one purpose of business is to create
something of value that you can exchange for cash.
In this regard, starting TODAY, you need to ask

yourself this question: How can I think like a pro and
present myself like a pro to these Hollywood “heavy
hitters” so that they respect me as a peer?
If you develop professional movie making strategies

for thinking like a pro, you'll begin to approach the
whole movie making game as a seasoned insider.
This alone will separate you from the gazillion other,

frustrated movie making hopefuls who spend their
days checking the mail, awaiting responses from
unanswered query letters.
For step-by-step information on becoming powerful

and building relationships with heavy hitters, visit:
Page 18 of 61
Lesson 2 - Build a Reputation

Making friends and forming alliances with other folks
in the motion picture industry is essential for your
success. From the first time you set foot on a movie
set as a production assistant, to the time when you
start production on your fifth feature – you will need
to enlist the help of other people.
If you fail to cultivate a good reputation for yourself,

then success will become considerably more difficult.
REPUTATION
Your reputation and how you present and sell
yourself, your talents and your skills is everything.
If people do not like you, it will be very difficult to

realize your filmmaking dreams. So starting today,
you need to asses yourself. Do people typically like
you? Do people go out of their way to help you? If
not, then you now know one area you can improve
your dealings with others.
But even if you are already considered likable,

evidenced by the support of many friendships, there
is always room for improvement. So my suggestion is
to start working today to become more likable, well
rounded and more helpful in everything you do. Over
time, being known as a hard working, likable person
will help you navigate Hollywood in a positive way.
The following actions will help you get started and

make you conscious of some that will eventually
become second nature:
Page 19 of 61
ACTIONS
1. Shake hands with a firm handshake.
2. Smile. Seriously, people forget to smile a lot.
3. Talk about uplifting and positive topics.
4. Do what you say you're going to do, always! A

good rule: promise 100% and deliver 200%
5. Never, ever, arrive late.
Lesson 3 - Learn To Build Rapport

You'll hear this a lot from me, but if you cannot
connect with people and build relationships, garnering
any measure of success in the movie industry will be
difficult. In other words, for people to do business
with you, it really, really helps if they like you.
But let's be honest – sometimes it's just downright

difficult to connect with some people. So in these
situations, what do you do?
Well the good news is you can apply a few minor

tweaks, strategies, techniques and communicative
psychology to your social style. And this stuff can
open the door to many meaningful and profitable
relationships with Hollywood folks and investors (and
give you an edge over people who don't know this.)
LEARN TO BUILD RAPPORT

Rapport is simply a feeling of connection between you
and the person (or people) around you. Establishing
rapport is the first step to creating a Hollywood
relationship. And thankfully it's pretty easy.
Page 20 of 61
ACTIONS
1. Read the trade journals, national newspapers
and watch the news whenever you can. This will
keep you informed of current events, including
sports, finance and especially entertainment.
2. When you’re informed, finding conversational

topics between strangers will come easier – a
skill you’ll need if you ever find yourself meeting
potential investors or Hollywood heavyweights.
3. I know I just mentioned it – but in Hollywood,

there are two trade journals. Variety and the
Hollywood Reporter. Read them!
4. Read business and success books unrelated to

filmmaking. I recommend: How to Win Friends &
Influence People and Never Eat Alone.
5. Since communication is mostly body language,

one effective technique to building rapport
involves mirroring and moving your body in sync
with the person you’re talking with. (Just a word
of caution: don’t be obvious about this.)
As you meet more people, you’ll begin to expand your

context of reality. People will provide you with ideas,
help and often introduce you to other people.
Add this up over time and you’ll soon see how each
person you meet potentially creates a positive ripple
effect that will propel you in the direction of your
Hollywood Movie Making goals!
Page 21 of 61
Filmmaking Stuff - Insight

I’m sure you heard that it isn’t what you know that
counts, but who you know. And if you don’t know the
right people, making movies and making money
making movies will be a pain in the butt!
But how do you go out and meet friends, find

investors and influence Hollywood people? Wouldn't
it be great to contact Hollywood heavyweights who
have never heard of you and get a meeting? Or
perhaps you want to meet the famous millionaire in
your hometown where you grew up.
Would you you simply pick up the phone and call

those folks? What would you say? What's in it for
them to meet with you? Sound overwhelming?
When I was starting out, I had all these questions

too. And you might not know this about me, but in
addition to making movies, I spent 5 years working
as an account executive for one of the biggest
investment banks in the world. During that time, I
learned some cutting edge strategies for getting
meetings with important people.
For example did you know that, on average, it takes

seven face-to-face meetings to establish a business
relationship? (Yep. Read that again. 7 meetings!)
Starting out, I was more focused on actually getting

a movie made than spending my time trying to get
meetings. And until I learned some of the skills I just
mentioned, everything I did was trial and error.
Page 22 of 61
Luckily, there is a method to getting meetings with

important people. And if you follow some very basic
and super simple secrets, it's actually quite simple.
For more information, go here:

Lesson 4 - Production Company

Before you produce a feature film or speak with any
potential investors regarding your movie project, you
should first speak with a qualified professional on
ways you can protect yourself from business liability.
Now, I'm not a lawyer. And business rules are

different in every country. So you'll need to speak
with a qualified professional in your own state or
country... But, the basic rule is – protect yourself!
CREATE A PRODUCTION COMPANY

As a filmmaker, the moment you start putting your
project together, you’re in business. It is at this point
that many filmmakers get a business card and set up
a website, touting the wonders of their projects.
It is also at this point when many costly mistakes are

made. The ways in which you establish and conduct
your filmmaking business can have legal and tax
ramifications. This is not to be taken lightly.
The moment you decide to start putting a project

together, you should also seek out the legal and tax
advice of qualified professionals.
Page 23 of 61
After meeting with these professionals, you might find

that operating your production company under the
protection of a corporate entity (such as a corporation
or the ever popular LLC) may provide liability
safeguards that you otherwise were not aware of.
The steps of setting up a business entity are pretty

simple, but they could be a little costly depending on
your state (or country) laws and tax liabilities.
Also, as a general disclaimer, I am not qualified to
offer legal or tax advice. So I can only talk about my
own experience – which may not be right for you.
The following considerations are worth pondering:
ACTIONS
1. Once you have a desired company name, chat
with an attorney about establishing a proper
legal structure for your company. Each state and
country is different in terms of laws and tax
consequences. So you need to research.
2. Create a team of trusted tax and legal advisers.

These folks will help guide you towards raising
money and also keeping everything legal.
3. I REPEAT — Talk with a qualified professional

first. If you’re short on cash, in the US many
states have some dedicated lawyers for the arts.
Check with your state film commission or do a
web search for appropriate contact information.
4. Once you establish your company, create a

website, logo and a business card. These
marketing materials will share consistent colors,
fonts and logos. Make everything look great.
Page 24 of 61
5. If you are spending more time focused on the

“look” of your company, you’ve lost perspective.
Your primary goal is to make movies, not fiddle
with websites.
Lesson 5 - How To Network

Picture this. You’re at a film festival party. Someone
approaches you, asks your name and very soon after,
this person asks the same question that always
comes up: “What you do?”
As soon as you tell the other person, there is a beat –

A moment or two when the person decides if you are
worth his time. If not, then the other person will feign
a polite interest in you, look over your shoulder for
someone more important to talk to and leave the
scene, tossing you a business card on his way out.
Sound familiar? For me, in the past, whenever

someone mentioned the word “networking” the
mental picture that always came into focus, often
involved some idiotic, overly energetic schmoozer
who hands out business cards like candy.
These people typically have their own agenda in mind

and could care less about you – unless they could
potentially use you. While this strategy may be
utilized by many up-and-coming filmmakers and
obnoxious amateurs, I promise you that this will not
be your method.
Personally, I think these users are annoying, full of

hot air and they suck my social energy. I recommend
that filmmakers never employ this type of silliness.
Page 25 of 61
NETWORKING (For Filmmakers)

In order to avoid becoming a walking business card
dispensary, every time you think about networking, I
want you to focus on one thing – and one thing only.
How to HELP the other person!
If you like the other person and think they are a nice
human being, I want you to always focus on finding
ways to help.
By helping other people reach their goals, all the

lessons we spoke about (rapport, reputation and
building relationships) will work in your favor. Help
enough people, and enough people will help you.
Simple, right?
ACTIONS
1. Build a network of like minded individuals.
2. If you live in a small town like I did, try to find a

local art scene and other local filmmakers. If
your area is limited, then contact people through
social networking websites.
3. Consider taking weekend trips to film festivals

and screenings within your proximity. Strike up
conversations. Make friends with folks.
4. If you live near production hubs, consider

helping as production assistant.
5. Get business cards. But upon follow up, always

ask yourself: “Can I help this person succeed?”
Page 26 of 61
Lesson 6 - Meet Rich People

If you hold the general belief that rich people are in
some way greedy and unwilling to help anyone, think
again. Aside from a few rotten apples and idiots, the
statistics show that wealthy people are quite
generous, kind and hard working.
Why is having a positive attitude towards the affluent

important for a filmmaker? Because until your movies
are financed and distributed by a studio, you’ll need
to learn how to raise money for your projects.
As a result of this need, you’ll need to know what

potential investors look for in a project. And when it
comes time to shake the money tree, it would be
helpful to have a few rich people just a phone call
away. And to do this, you'll apply the earlier lessons
of this system to create relationships with the rich.
MEET RICH PEOPLE

Meeting and building relationships with rich and
successful people is actually easier than you think.
The following action steps are designed to get you
thinking about what’s possible.
ACTIONS
1. While you’re on the networking kick, ask around
your town and find out if anyone knows rich
people. (Every town in the US seems to have at
least one person a little better off than the rest.)
2. Get a phone number and call them. Tell them

you are a first time entrepreneur. See if they will
meet for a few minutes so you can ask for
advice. (Just ask for advice, not money!)
Page 27 of 61
3. Many of these busy folks will reject the meeting.

If this happens move on. Find someone else in
your network. Then as the months go by,
cultivate a friendship. (Remember, 7 meetings!)
As long as you apply a little persistence, you’ll be

surprised who you can meet and what you’ll
accomplish. As your relationships with successful
people mature, these folks may someday introduce
you to their friends, interested in your next project.
Because getting money for movies is a little more

complicated than just asking for it, (we will discuss
the US Securities and Exchange Commission as well
as Private Placement Memorandums in another
lesson.) For now, just focus on getting advice.
Filmmaking Stuff – Insight

I have never met a filmmaker who wouldn't benefit
from cultivating relationships with a few extra
millionaires (Also Known As potential investors). But
sometimes the idea of finding these people or calling
them on the phone can be a little spooky.
I was lucky. For close to five years, I worked as an

account executive (a glorified sales guy) for one of
the biggest investment banks in the world. In fact, in
my division, I was rated as one of the top performing
sales guys in the entire US. Why is this important?
Well, during that time I learned a few secrets that

allowed me to locate rich people, how to confidently
contact them, how to get meetings with them, how
to quickly build rapport and importantly, how to build
lasting relationships with them.
Page 28 of 61
Knowing this stuff has given me a huge advantage

over all the other filmmakers who have a passion to
make movies, but no idea how to find or get
meetings with potential investors. Think about this
for yourself. Wouldn't you be more powerful in your
own movie making career if you could just pick up
the phone and start putting projects together?
Do you know where to find potential investors? Do

you know the difference between a sophisticated and
an accredited investor? And assuming you know this
stuff, do you have a step-by-step strategy for getting
these folks on the phone? And when you get them on
the phone, what is your plan for building life long
business and personal relationships with these folks?
What happens when the conversation turns to

money? Do you know how you'll communicate the
ROI of your project? Do you know the difference
between an asset, liability, expense and income? Do
you know your plan for cash flow management, or
how you'll create your business plan and PPM?
My sales background at the Wall Street investment

bank taught me some skills on how to contact heavy
hitters and build relationships fast. I learned how to
talk with potential investors in their language and
how to discuss my movie projects in ways that most
filmmakers never think about.
After you learn these lessons, you will also have a

better understanding of how rich and successful
people think and view their world. For more, go
here: www.GetMovieMoney.com
Page 29 of 61
Lesson 7 – Your Screenplay

We all know movies begin with a screenplay. In fact
it's the blueprint of your movie. As a talented up-and-
coming filmmaker, you probably noticed that a lot of
the movies made these days are crap. And if you
have half a brain, you probably think you can do
better. The good news is, you’re right!
A few years back, I read screenplays for a producer in

New York City. During that time, I learned a few
important lessons about the screenplays floating
around out there. The biggest lesson I learned was
that most screenplays on the market are just a bunch
of crap. And I’m not just talking new screenwriters.
I remember reading screenplays from working,

established writers that just seemed to have a bunch
of underdeveloped story ideas. Add the enormous
amount of material that came from friends of friends
and other producers and I was able to see the
garbage out there first-hand. This is good news.
So if you have any talent as a writer, the odds are

stacked in your favor. Write a good script! And if
you're not a writer, then your next step is to find a
good writer and team up with him or her.
Remember, getting a movie made starts with the

strength of your material. Weak material will give you
weak results. Conversely, strong material can provide
you with leverage as you approach “name” actors,
potential investors, agents, lawyers, other producers
and fellow filmmaking collaborators. (You see, having
good material gets you started and opens doors.)
Page 30 of 61
SCREENWRITING
I’m assuming you want to produce a movie and not
just write or acquire a screenplay so you can flip it.
So in this lesson, I'm not going to focus on the
screen-trade and how to “sell” your screenplay.
However, that being said, whether you plan on

producing or selling your script, there are still a few
factors applicable to either end-goal. The first thing
you have to do is actually own the rights to a
completed, polished and great screenplay. If you're a
writer, you actually have to sit down and force
yourself to put words on a blank page.
And if the idea of writing is difficult for you, you might

consider going into your network and seeking out a
script that you would like to produce. This could mean
that you partner with a writer and work out a deal. Or
perhaps you can find a script and option it.
Here are some down and dirty screenplay lessons:
ACTIONS
1. If you want to write, get some screenplay
software. Final Draft and Movie Magic
Screenwriter are the industry standard. Of if you
like, Google “free screenwriting software.”
2. Once you have the software, consider writing a

feature script on the cheap. Think in terms of
limited locations, with limited actors, with a short
schedule that you can eventually shoot with
limited equipment on HD video.
3. Consider making things funny. Some people

think horror comedy works pretty well.
Page 31 of 61
4. The story should be fun with a STRONG,

marketable CONCEPT. This means, you should
be able to explain your movie in one or two
sentences. Anything more and you'll confuse
people. People generally do not like confusion.
5. The name of the game is FUN. If you can’t have

fun, you’re doing something wrong.
Completing a final polish on a screenplay and being

able to read through your story for the first time is an
amazing accomplishment. But just make sure
anything you show to other people is a representation
of your best work. As they say, you only get one
chance to make a good first impression – that same
thinking applies to your screenplay.
You only get one chance to grab the attention of a

potential actor or department head who may or may
not decide to help you with your project.
Filmmaking Stuff - Insight
It's a Hollywood saying that everyone has a

screenplay. But it's not true. In my experience, most
Hollywood folks only have an idea for a screenplay.
Past that, maybe some of these “writers” have the
first 10 pages for a screenplay… But that's it.
My goal is to make sure you don't become another

filmmaker with big ideas, but no material. So after
writing THREE screenplays myself (and all the
lessons I learned in the process), I thought you
benefit from a step-by-step writing system that helps
you organize your script and write it out quickly.
Page 32 of 61
My goal is to provide you with a system that makes

writing your movie a breeze.
I know how tough it is to complete a first draft, not

to mention filling your first blank page. To learn
more about a step-by-step screenwriting system that
you can apply to your own creative process, go to:
www.WriteYourMovieNow.com
Lesson 8 - Make Some Short Films

One of the first accomplishments most filmmakers
check off their list is the completion of a short film. If
you’ve never made a short movie, you’re in luck. Not
only are there a gazillion film festivals that offer a
short movie program, but with so many websites like
YouTube and Meta Cafe, there has never been a
better time to make a few movies, hone your skill and
immediately reach a global audience.
THE SHORT ON SHORT MOVIES...

In the old days, the short movie was often projected
in theaters before the feature presentation. Then
later, the short movie seemed to disappear. This
makes sense. Because it is nearly impossible to make
money with a short – finding investors and funding
can be super challenging, if not impossible.
While I can’t say that the economics of short movie

making has improved dramatically, lower costs in
movie making technology has fulled an emergence of
viral marketing associated with fun movies, as well as
short web series which remind me of the old-old-old
Page 33 of 61
days when radio provided serials. Also let's not forget

that a music video is essentially a short too.
For an emerging feature filmmaker, creating short

movies provides great training. If you haven’t yet
made a short, you can make the process simple or
complex. The following action steps should help:
ACTIONS
1. In the event you have not yet made a short
movie, write one or two page scripts and then
produce your story on a borrowed camcorder.
2. Edit the footage on a friend’s computer.
3. Upload the footage to video sites like YouTube.

Test audience reactions. Is your feedback good
or bad? Learn from it. Then make another
movie… Then another… Then another.
4. Once you feel confident with short storytelling,

move on to bigger and more ambitious projects.
5. Keep pushing yourself. Keep refining and

learning!
If you follow these steps and continually work to

improve your movie making craft, you’ll be much
more prepared to make features than the guy who
maxes out credit cards, who never made a short.
You can choose to make your mistakes now, or make

them later. Up to you. But regardless, GET MOVING!
Page 34 of 61
Lesson 9 - Break Down and Schedule

There is a time in every filmmaker’s journey when
making a feature film becomes a driving, burning
desire! Making your first feature is the rite of passage
into the world of professional filmmaking.
Assuming you’ve become comfortable making short

movies, then making your first feature will be just
another step in an exciting career. But as they say…
Sometimes this is easier said than done.
Making a good movie starts with a good screenplay.

Assuming you’ve written, or you control the rights to
a fantastic script that you would like to produce, you’ll
need to figure out just how much the sucka will cost.
BREAK DOWN AND SCHEDULE

Breaking down the script means you go through your
screenplay, number each scene and highlight each
element, including locations, characters, props, make
up, wardrobe, picture vehicles and special FX…
All of these things cost money. And once the script is

locked, any modification you make to the story or
schedule, no matter how minor or major, will
subsequently impact the budget.
My producer friend Forrest Murray always says the

script, schedule and budget are extensions of the
same document. You will need all three to make a
movie… But in the process, if you change something
on one document, you change all three.
Page 35 of 61
I’ll chat about this some more in future lessons. For

now, let's focus on your initial schedule so you can
eventually get to your budget.
ACTIONS
1. After you highlight each element, you’ll want to
figure out when you want to shoot your movie
and how long you plan to shoot.
2. You can determine this by choosing how many

pages you want to shoot per day. Then you can
decide if you want to shoot 5 days on and 2 days
off, or 6 days on and 1 day off. Or perhaps
you'll choose to shoot over a period f weekends.
This is up to you. But regardless of what you
choose, you need to make sure you plan
everything.
3. Again, everything in the script will eventually

impact your budget and your schedule.
4. There is software that will help you highlight and

organize your elements. Final Draft offers an
add-on called Tagger. Tagger allows you to go
through the script and pick out elements and
highlight them in various colors. Once all
elements are selected, you can import this list
into your budget and schedule software.
5. After giving this your best effort, if you still feel

stuck, venture into your network and seek
expert advice. You will want to find a Line
Producer, Production Manager or a 1st Assistant
Director to help you. If you’re lucky, maybe
someone will help you as a favor or the promise
of a screen credit. If not, see how much they
charge for an initial breakdown and schedule.
Page 36 of 61
6. Eventually, these elements will have a price in

your initial budget. What is the price of each
element? How much does your movie cost?
Many motion picture professionals make a living just

breaking down, scheduling and budgeting movies. So
it’s a pretty complicated and creative area.
As a first time feature filmmaker, it would be great to

partner with an seasoned 1st AD or Line Producer
who could guide you through the process.
Movie Industry Veteran Peter Marshall has a course

that might help you. To learn more about Peter's
Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling Online Course
for the serious Independent filmmaker, CLICK HERE:
www.actioncutprint.com
Lesson 10 - Cut Your Budget

Your initial breakdown and schedule will organize the
elements of your movie into smaller, more
manageable chunks. By analyzing the scope, scale
and availability of your elements, you’ll get an idea
how these variables will fit into your movie schedule.
Once you have your elements and your schedule,

you’ll then plug the information into your budget. As
each element has an associated cost, it will become
apparent which elements require the most cash. In
this sense, you will have a birds-eye-view of your
movie in terms of scope and scale.
Page 37 of 61
CUT THE BUDGET

Assuming you planned for an ideal execution of your
movie, most likely your project will cost considerably
more money than you actually have. When this
happens, you have a few choices.
1. Get more money.

2. Rewrite the screenplay for a cheaper budget.
3. Modify or cut the budget!
If you’re not going to get any more money, here are

methods I’ve used in the past to cut my budget:
ACTIONS
1. Revisit your network and let everyone know
you’re making a movie. Provide a list of
everything you need. (Food, Locations, Special
FX, Picture Vehicles, et al…)
2. Chances are, someone you know, knows

someone who has what you need – for FREE or
at the very least, a discounted rate.
3. Keep this in mind – even if you don’t have

money, think creatively. Is there any way you
can barter or trade?
4. In small towns, sometimes the promise of free

publicity is all business owner needs to offer up a
location for free. If this doesn't work, offer to
create a TV commercial or PSA for free.
5. If all else fails, go back to your screenplay. Yes –

we all agree that having snow on the ground
would really set a cold mood for your story. But
at 10K, are you sure it’s necessary?
Page 38 of 61
Lesson 11 - Create a Plan B

Here's how it happens. Months in advance, you plan
everything for your movie. You get locations, picture
vehicles, actor contracts, crew, stunt professionals...
And then for some reason, two days before you begin
production, some crazy series of events spring up and
suddenly locations fall apart, picture vehicles
disappear, actors quit the project, crew members take
another job that pays more and stunt people quit.
The thing is, if you can maintain a good attitude and

roll with these kinds of setbacks, you’ll soon find it’s
just another day in paradise. That being said, you can
eliminate a lot of frustration if you prepare for these
unexpected events in advance – just in case.
Establish your PLAN B

Once you have everything locked down, you'll need to
compile a PLAN B. No matter how careful you plan, in
low budget movie production, whatever could go
wrong, will go wrong! It’s your job to plan for it.
ACTIONS
1. How is your budget looking now? If you’ve
followed the previous instructions, you’ve
probably figured out how to maintain a high
production value with limited cash.
2. Create backup locations… Just in case.
3. One more thing, talk with some insurance

professionals and a qualified attorney regarding
legal protection. I don't meant to sound
paranoid, but you can never be too careful!
Page 39 of 61
Lesson 12 - Get The Money

I don’t know about you – but for me, finding a way to
get money to make a movie was a major mystery.
When I was starting out, I met with quite a few
producers who refused to share their secrets.
I don’t know why. But it really annoyed me. Then

there were other “experts” who talked about asking
my dentist for money. Ugh.
Even though some filmmakers think getting money is

somehow limited to the arena of filmmaking, it’s not.
The truth is, all budding business professionals need
to shake the money tree from time to time. So luckily
for us filmmakers, the world of business provides us
with rules and resources for getting money.
GET THE MONEY

The traditional ways people raise money in the United
States, aside from going to a bank, is by meeting with
an attorney, putting together some complex
paperwork in-line with the Securities and Exchange
Commission regulations, meeting with potential
investors and building a relationship, and then asking
for money – and then getting a signed check!
Now, this is pretty complex. So I hope you’ve taken

some time to look at your movie. Do you need a few
million to make your film? Or if you're really creative,
can your project be made for much less?
This factor alone will determine your strategy. Just

keep in mind – If you’ve worked really hard to
eliminate costs in your budget, then it’s possible to
make a fancy looking movie for far less than the
budget? How much less?
Page 40 of 61
That depends on how creative you are. Remember, in

many situations, you can replace cash limitations with
creativity. Here are some traditional action steps used
in raising a few million dollars (at least in the US):
ACTIONS
1. Cultivate a legitimate friendships with rich and
successful people.
2. Get an attorney to write up something called a

private placement memorandum.
3. Figure out how you’ll spend the money.
4. Figure out how you’ll get the money back.
5. Under a million and it’s doubtful your venture

will be perceived as a worthwhile investment.
Many potential investors will not see your project
as worthwhile if your money needs are less than
their perception of what a movie costs.
Now again. Raising money is a super simple subject

but the laws and rules and regulations mean you’ll
need to know a few things about protecting yourself
and your business from liability. Fortunately, once
you acquire skills and confidence in your ability to
attract and retain an audience and make money,
you'll begin to view movie making as a business.
Lesson 13 - Get The Money Part 2

As I mentioned in previous lessons, the name of the
game in your first feature is to cut the need for hard
cash, while at the same time preserving or improving
your production value. In other words, you want to
make your movie look more expensive than it is.
Page 41 of 61
I also mentioned how some filmmakers employ

bartering or trading to get the necessary resources.
Yes, cutting your budget and exchanging cash for
favors will involve A LOT of creativity and planning.
But like I said, if you can learn to cut costs and be
creative with virtually no money, imagine what you’ll
accomplish when you actually have money!
Today, I’m going to talk about a lessor known, yet

very popular way some filmmakers get money to
make their movie. It’s called the risk share method.
GET THE MONEY, PART 2

The sometimes overlooked way to produce a feature
is simply to ask your above the line crew if they
would like to partner up and throw in some cash.
Now, what I'm referring to is VERY RISKY.
By risky, I mean – the downside to this type of

business has to do primarily with liability, having too
many people who think they are a boss of the project,
and sometimes, just overall confusion.
If you go into business this way, and you fail to

establish your project based on the advice of tax and
legal professionals, you could find yourself in a lot of
legal trouble. SO, as usual... TALK WITH QUALIFIED
LEGAL AND TAX PROFESSIONALS BEFORE STARTING!
All of this being said, assuming you do your

homework and figure out how to structure your
business the proper way, having the cash contribution
of 5 to 20 people can really add up. And whoever
contributes cash will have a vested interest in making
the project a success. That's a good thing!
Page 42 of 61
ACTIONS
1. If you go this route, SPEAK WITH A QUALIFIED
PROFESSIONAL to help you sort out the best
structure for your business, as this sort of model
is ripe for problems.
2. From this point forward, just assume that

anything said with a handshake will be
misunderstood. Get everything in writing!
3. Understand who controls the process and who

doesn’t. If you extend the risk share model to
someone below the line, your project probably
would not benefit from an equity owning
production assistant telling you what you can
and cannot do with your finished film.
Now again, this risk share strategy has many pros

and cons – way too many to write about here. But for
some filmmakers, being able to successfully structure
a project this way, while at the same time doing it
legally could be the difference between getting a
movie made, or not doing anything...
RESOURCES
It’s been a long time since I’ve read Extreme DV at
Used-Car Prices, but Rick Schmidt seems to have a
pretty good ideas regarding risk share.
I think you'll find that Rick Schmidt is quite a

filmmaking inspiration and his book is totally worth a
read. Additionally, Rick also runs a workshop on the
US West Coast that allows participants to come
together, collaborate and produce a feature film.
Making a movie is not a bad way to spend a few
weeks over the summer!
Page 43 of 61
Lesson 14 - Schedule Your Movie

I’m here today to remind you that whenever you’re
producing a movie, a whole lot can change between
development and prep. Assuming you can get the
cash and an entire team of professionals eager to
help you, it’s now time for the real work!
So what does that mean?
SCHEDULE
When you have all the filmmaking stuff you need,
you’re no longer operating from theory and planning…
You’re now in action mode!
At this stage you need to review and modify your

initial, ideal schedule for the real world realities of
production. This means you’ll need to pick your shoot
dates and call times. You'll have to adjust your
schedule for locations, cast and crew call times and
general availability. You'll plan for weather conditions.
It is at this point in the process when most

filmmakers realize there are many variables. Add your
limited budget constraints to the equation as well as
the fact that most of your cast and crew will probably
work Monday-Friday on other, higher paying GIGS,
you might get the brilliant idea to just shoot the
movie on the weekends, spanning a few months.
As a potential upside to the weekend strategy, you’ll

have less “hey, I have another gig that pays more
those days” type conflicts with your actors and crew.
Page 44 of 61
Additionally, you'll probably score some great deals

on rental equipment. But as a potential downside, you
run the risk of loosing momentum and potentially
having your entire project fall apart. (Seriously.)
So you have some thinking to do. The good news is,

assuming you’ve found an experienced 1st AD or Line
Producer to work with, you’ll be able to combine ideas
and figure out the best game-plan for your show.
Movie Industry Veteran Peter Marshall has a course

that might help you. To learn more about Peter's
Script Breakdown and Film Scheduling Online Course
for the serious Independent filmmaker, CLICK HERE:
www.actioncutprint.com
ACTIONS
1. Remember, your schedule and your budget are
related. Add another day and your costs
compound. Subtract a day, and you save money.
Any changes to the schedule change the budget.
2. Figure out when you can begin production. The

time of the year will impact on your budget. Hot
weather will require different provisions than
cold weather. And how will rain impact your
shooting schedule? Do you have a plan B? How
about a plan C? (Don't forget your food needs.)
3. Once you set a shoot date, then it’s showtime!

You need to check and recheck your equipment,
calendar, actors weather and crew to make sure
everything is proceeding as planned.
Page 45 of 61
This is both an exciting time, and a time of high

stress. I’ve been on more than one show where I
witnessed people crying. These were not tears of joy.
But seriously, the important thing to remember is,

you aren’t doing brain surgery. So if you make a
mistake in the process, creativity recover – and then
move on! Always remember that making movies is an
awesome profession. And if you aren’t having fun,
even on a bad day, what the heck are you doing?
Filmmaking Stuff - Insights

After you have your screenplay, cash, ambition and
enthusiasm - In order to get your movie project off
the ground, you will need to create a Plan A, Plan B
and Plan C. To do this, you need to assemble and
enlist the collaboration of an experienced team.
This is an area where most filmmakers make boo-

boos and fall flat on their faces and fail. The reason
for these failures is based on lack of experience. It is
very challenging to anticipate all of your production
needs unless you've made a few features. And even
then, mistakes are just part of the process.
If you never made a feature, don't worry. One of the

easiest ways to avoid common pitfalls is to fortify
your production by putting together a team of
talented filmmaking collaborators. I have already
mentioned the importance of employing a seasoned
First Assistant Director and a Line Producer. But
there are quite a few other folks you must include in
your production to make things run smoothly.
Page 46 of 61
If you would like to know more about my tips and

tricks for finding these professionals and getting
them to participate in your production from prep, the
whole way through post production - go here:
Lesson 15 - Hollywood Publicity

Publicity is great. Especially when it’s free. And
especially when the publicity is international. And
especially when the publicity drives traffic to your
movie website – traffic you can convert to cash...
When we produced our first zombie movie, we had

the great fortune of being profiled in a national
entertainment magazine. In fact, once the magazine
hit the stands, so many people flooded our website
that our server went bonkers. This taught us the
value of publicity. (Cashing the checks was fun too!)
HOLLYWOOD PUBLICITY
Getting publicity for movies in Hollywood is made
easier when you have a few movie stars attached to
your project. But getting “name” actors in your movie
may not be a reality for you. So even if you aren’t
producing a big studio picture, there are still a few
simple ways to get your project noticed.
Yes. You’ll need to present your project as

newsworthy and cool if you hope to attract press
attention. This will come from having a strong story
hook, and this is super important: you’ll have to
target journalist focused on your type of movie.
Page 47 of 61
For example, if you were making a horror movie,

unless you had a solid tie-in, I hope you wouldn’t
pitch a pet magazine to run a story… Instead, I hope
you would craft a pitch specific to the publication.
This is very important. Publications want relevant

content. Content attracts targeted readers and
subscribers. Readers and subscribers attract
advertising. Advertising pays for the publication.
Keep this in mind whenever you make your pitch!
ACTIONS
1. Get your production listed in the Hollywood
Reporter and Variety. You can do this online.
2. You’ll probably get a call or two from potential

distributors or acquisition executives. Don’t get
overly excited. Their job is to find material to
acquire before anyone else does. Take down a
number, then get back to making your movie.
3. Create a press release or hire a publicist. If

money is an issue, check local colleges and
universities to find PR students seeking
experience. Then create a press kit.
4. Have you created a website for your movie? Pick

a domain name and a hosting company.
5. Make sure all press material clearly lists your

contact information and your website, if you
have one. Make your press kit a down-loadable
PDF on your site.
Page 48 of 61
Lesson 16 - Local Publicity

As they say, when trying to promote a movie that
folks have otherwise not heard of, all ink is good ink.
And in this regard, even if you’re producing your
movie somewhere locally you need make sure you
present your marketing message with consistency.
I share this because, regardless of publication or

geography, most anything written about your movie
will end up on the internet. So you need to always be
mindful of how you present your project.
In other words, as the press comes around, make

sure the story you share with the public is always
consistent with previous stories. As a smart marketer,
you'll want to create your story right from the start.
Hint: Depending on the publication, people always

seem interested in how you and your production team
overcame obstacles to make your movie.
LOCAL PUBLICITY
If you plan on producing your movie outside of major
film cities, like Los Angles and NYC, then getting the
attention of local press might be pretty simple.
In these areas, you might even attract attention for a

short movie. Why is this important? Because you will
want to keep an ongoing collection of all good press
written about you and your projects.
ACTIONS
1. If you’re shooting in a small town, contact your
local news. You’ll probably get written up in the
paper. You might get interviewed for TV news.
Page 49 of 61
2. If you’re working in Los Angeles, this could prove

to be a bit more challenging, but not impossible.
In the big cities, try to contact journalists who
write about your type of small movie.
3. When these folks agree to profile your movie, try

to think of interesting topics you can discuss.
4. If these folks take pictures, get yourself around

some lights and equipment. That will make you
look like a serious filmmaker.
5. Finally, as they say in sales, if you don’t ask for

the sale, you don’t get the sale. Do not be afraid
to call journalists up and treat them to lunch to
discuss your project. You never know…
Lesson 17 - Production Part 1

Production is a result of months and months of
planning and preparation.
I’ll repeat again. When making a movie, production is

the result of months and months of planning. I
emphasize the planning aspects of pre-production,
because many filmmakers crash and burn during
production because they didn’t have a solid plan.
PRODUCTION, PART 1
But you’re different. To make sure your production
goals are executed in such a way that you get the
most movie for your hard earned money, you will
need to check and re-check with your department
heads to make sure everything is A-Okay. Assuming
you have a plan A, plan B and a plan C, you’re ready!
Here are some tips that might help:
Page 50 of 61
ACTIONS
1. Make sure whoever directs the movie starts each
morning with a shot list. A shot list is a list of
shots. And once you have it for each day, you’ll
be able to check each shot off the list as you go.
2. If you’re directing, work with your Director of

Photography to get an assortment of cutaways.
You’ll need many cutaway options to save you
from yourself, should you miss something in
Post-Production. I’m not kidding about this.
3. Make sure you have a set photographer. The

photographer will capture behind the scenes
photos of your cast and crew in action. These
photos will be used in publicity and marketing.
4. Again, work with a great 1st AD. You see that I

emphasize this a lot. But this is because a
seasoned 1st AD can save your show.
5. Hire a bunch of Production Assistants to help

make your life easier! This is an area that I
haven't talked about too much. But a good PA is
like a good athlete. They can keep momentum.
The production process is a ton of fun. You’ll bond

with other creative folks and by the end, assuming all
goes well, you and your crew will feel like family.
Lesson 18 - Production Part 2

Once you build momentum during production,
assuming you meticulously planned everything, you’ll
soon find that most everyone working on the movie
will fall into a collective, collaborative groove.
Page 51 of 61
Getting into the rhythm of production is an awesome

feeling! It's one of the reasons we do what we do.
PRODUCTION, PART 2
Even when everything is going as planned, or
sometimes better than planned, you still need to
make sure you pay attention to the little things.
For example, I met with one producer who told me

how props was sure wardrobe would bring the watch…
And wardrobe was sure props would bring the watch.
When it came time for the shot, nobody had the
watch. This minor boo-boo resulted in overtime and
meal penalties for over 30 people.
See what I mean? Minor hiccups can have not-so-

minor consequences. One too-many of these
overlooked elements can hurt the moral on the set,
slow down production hurt the final product.
Here are some things to think about.
ACTIONS
1. I’ll repeat this over and over for as long as I live,
but when making a feature, food is currency.
Have great food on set! Do not get skimpy. Don’t
expect fast food or pizza or generic treats and
cookies to fit the bill. Get good food!
2. The other thing I’ve learned (the hard way) is

SOUND! You will need very good sound or your
movie will suck. So many times sound is
overlooked. And by the time the filmmaker
figures out he or she has a problem, it’s usually
in the editing room. And by then, it's too late!
Page 52 of 61
3. The other thing you’ll need is legal releases.

You’ll need releases for just about everything in
your movie. The most common releases are
actors and talent, crew and locations.
There are probably many more that I’m
forgetting. So make sure you speak with a
qualified attorney who has experience in this
arena. But basically, the motto to follow is CYA.
(Google CYA!)
As a recap: To keep your production running

smoothly, you'll need to create a shot list, numerous
cutaways, great sound, awesome FOOD and all
necessary legal releases!
Lesson 19 - Edit Your Movie

Editing your movie is the final rewrite of your film.
This is the time when you add all sorts of amazing

layers to your work and smooth out the rough edges
and finally – complete the picture.
EDIT YOUR MOVIE

When you reach this point in the filmmaking process,
prepare to sit for hours in a dark edit suite.
Now, even if you’ve edited your previous shorts –

with a feature, you might consider getting a second
set of eyes in the edit suite. I prefer to work with an
editor and then provide loose notes. I have some
filmmaker buddies who prefer to cut the movie
themselves.
Either way, the editing process will provide you a

perfect opportunity to lose yourself in the rhythm of
your movie. You’re going to cut some scenes out.
Page 53 of 61
Scenes you thought were minor will become pivotal to

your story. You’re going to add music and sound FX
and clean up any rough actor dialogue. You will
design and you will refine.
ACTIONS
1. Get some music from local, talented up-and-
coming bands. MAKE SURE YOU GET A RELEASE!
Seriously.
2. Cut the entire movie into a rough cut.
3. Once you get a rough cut, have some friends

watch it. After their feedback, cut the fat. Keep
the scenes that work. Repeat this process as
necessary until you have a fine tuned movie!
Filmmaking Stuff – Insights

Making your movie is only part of the puzzle. Once
you finish your production, your next step will be
creating buzz, contacting sales agents, acquisitions
executives, distribution companies and crossing your
fingers for one of those sensational deals that (like
winning the lottery) guarantees a career of movie
making fortunes in your future!
While it's important to maintain positive thinking

and keep your fingers crossed for a great deal, the
reality is – the movie industry is changing. New
methods of distribution including Video On Demand
and internet viewing continually erodes traditional
sales channels like DVD outlets and video stores.
Page 54 of 61
With DVD sales down, the traditional utilization of

middle-men like sales agents and distribution
companies is changing. The ripple effect of this is
less traditional distribution deals for filmmakers.
Take a look at the music industry, and you'll soon
see that it is a matter of time until all movies will be
available for viewing at the push of a button.
The entire world of traditional movie distribution is

changing. I mean, you saw what happened to the
music industry with iTunes, right? The same thing is
taking shape in the world of movies. What does this
movie distribution evolution mean for you?
Good news and bad news: The good news is, you
now have one of the most amazing opportunities in
movie making history to make a movie, reach your
audience (globally) and collect cash.
The bad news is, for this distribution model to work,

you will have to become masterful at creating buzz,
establishing and maintaining a sales funnel website,
increasing targeted web traffic and converting your
visitors into a paying audience... Only then can you
create a profit or pay back your investors.
You're lucky that you found me. Back when I was

working for the investment bank, I learned a thing or
two about marketing and when we failed to garner
distribution on our first feature, I applied my
marketing system to the movie. And guess what?
I'm still collecting checks every month! It's an

awesome feeling... Especially because I'm not paying
out a large percentage to a middle man.
Page 55 of 61
If you would like to learn more about my movie

marketing and sales system, I have put together my
methods into a step-by-step guide that allows you to
increase targeted web traffic and automatically
convert those folks into a paying audience.
www.SellYourMovieNow.com
Lesson 20 - Film Festivals

Film festivals offer a great way to get your movie
seen on the big screen in front of a living audience. I
mean, it’s enough to make you lose some sleep with
excitement. I remember one of our earliest festivals.
We were invited to some private party in a fancy

hotel in Hollywood. There were a few celebrities and
respected indie filmmakers milling about.
But what was really odd, was the fact that most
everyone approached our director and myself in a
way too overly friendly way. What we didn’t realize
that night was – we were about to win an award!
The next night, we arrived on the Fox Studio Lot.

That’s where they had the award ceremony. I can
remember how exciting it was when they called our
name and we claimed the award with flash bulbs
exploding. It was totally surreal and awesome! After
that, we had a two week open door to submit our
spec screenplays to various agents and managers.
But getting into the festival, winning the award and

creating professional relationships was a result of
careful planning. First we had to make the movie.
Page 56 of 61
After that, we had to submit our movie to a festival

appropriate for our material – and gain acceptance.
After that, various judges had to watch the movie and
make judgments. And someone had to like our work.
What I’m saying is, the stars have to align just right
to get into a festival and win an award. But assuming
you want to potentially experience an awesome
audience reactions to your movie and also, make
friends with like minded filmmakers, there are a few
things you can do to increase your odds of success.
ACTIONS
1. Submit to film festivals. I’ve had some success
with withoutabox — Do your research. What
festivals usually feature your type of movie? Is
the festival good for awards, meeting distribution
folks or simply providing a venue for free beer?
Caution: Avoid festivals that have a reputation
for not treating filmmakers very well.
2. Make sure you network your way around the

festivals. The judges are supposed to be
impartial. But they are human and often attend
the parties. Be nice to everyone and make sure
you “SELL” your film to anyone who will listen.
3. If you are contacted by an acquisition executive

or a sales rep, this is a good thing. In the event
one of these professionals approaches you, make
sure you do your homework. Watch out for
people who try to charge you fees up front.
There are a few good companies that do this…
But for the most part, if an agency or a sales rep

offers to represent your movie, they usually
don't get paid until a sale is made.
Page 57 of 61
Lesson 21 - Distribution
I mentioned it briefly, but during prep, you will
benefit from creating a website that promotes your
movie. Then after you finish your movie, you will
want to rework your website into an e-commerce
“sales funnel” website that will allow you to directly
sell your movie to your target audience.
Assuming you started with a strong hook, you’ll now

be able to leverage your story, accelerate buzz and
make some sales. Selling your movie online is
actually easier than ever. And if you ask me, it seems
like a new video on demand innovation emerges each
week, which is simply further indication that middle-
man-less movie distribution is becoming the norm.
One of the coolest aspects of VOD is, it is now

possible to sell feature films digitally, without carrying
inventory. With services like CreateSpace, you simply
send them a DVD of your movie. They put it on their
servers. And in a short amount of time, your movie
becomes available for instant download. (CreateSpace
is owned by Amazon. When you utilize CS your movie
becomes available on the Amazon Marketplace.)
Filmmaking Stuff - Insights

As I've mentioned earlier, things are changing in
Hollywood. Most filmmakers now have options to
reach a global audience in a few clicks of a mouse.
While this is great in theory, (and it's even better
when you start making money) – the problem is,
very few filmmakers know how to take advantage of
these new distribution opportunities.
Page 58 of 61
This is unfortunate because after facing a barrage of

rejection from both festivals and traditional
distributors, so many filmmakers loose faith in their
project and give up. Add the former stigma
associated with self distribution and the amount of
work involved in creating a buzz and selling enough
movies to make a dent in movie making debt, many
movie makers give up dejected. UGH.
But what if you applied some simple marketing

secrets to buzz creation? What if you could increase
targeted traffic to your website? What if you could
build a relationship with you “fans” and convince
them to exchange cash for the privilege of watching
your movie? Wouldn't it be fun to wake up each
morning with more money in your bank account?
What if you had a step-by-step system that teaches

you how to build buzz, market and sell your movie?
Guess what? You do now. Here is the website:
www.SellYourMovieNow.com
And again, if your movie builds positive word of

mouth buzz, your odds of finding an audience are
pretty good. But first things first. The following
actions guide you through the distribution process:
ACTIONS
1. Eliminate anything on your website that distracts
fans from the purchase of your movie.
2. Consider streamlining your website. Cut out

everything but a trailer and a BUY NOW button.
Page 59 of 61
3. Post your trailer on YouTube, with a link back to

your website.
4. When people buy your movie, keep their contact

information.
5. Why? You never know when you’ll make a

sequel! Wouldn’t it be great to have a fan base?
In Closing
The best advice I can give you is this: Never stop
learning. Never stop growing. And keep making
movies... There may be people in your life who don't
understand what you're trying to accomplish. Perhaps
there are other people who do not believe in you.
Please know that whenever someone points a finger

at you and says it can't be done – what they are
really saying is “I can't do what you can do. I can't
understand how it's done. Prove me wrong.”
If you want to make movies, you are more than

ordinary. Some people around you will become fearful
of your new power. Some people around you will tell
you they are jealous. But no matter what anyone
says, keep pushing forward!!!
If you have a vision for a movie, then you owe it to
yourself and the entire world to make your vision
real. We want to see your movies.
What are you waiting for? Pick up a camera and get

started today. The world is waiting...
Page 60 of 61
Resources
1. www.WriteYourMovieNow.com
2. www.GetMovieMoney.com
3. www.SellYourMovieNow.com
4. www.FilmmakingStuff.com
Other Services:
– Filmmaking Coaching
– How to Market and Sell Your Movie, Coaching
– How to Create Relationships with Investors and
Powerful people, Coaching
– Weekend Filmmaking Workshops
– 1 Day Workshops
– 1 Hour filmmaking related Keynote speaking
– Film Festival panel discussions.
If you or anyone you know could benefit from any of

my services, please contact me through my website.
http://www.FilmmakingStuff.com/about
FaceBook and Twitter? Friend me here:
http://www.twitter.com/filmmakingstuff
Filmmaking Stuff FaceBook Page
Page 61 of 61

21 PT Movie Maker Mini Course1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

21 PT Movie Maker Mini Course1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

21 PT Movie Maker Mini Course1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The OFFICIAL 21 Part

Movie Maker Mini-Course

Los Angleles Based Independent Producer

©2010 Brubaker Unlimited LLC

I dedicate this book to my mom and dad.

“You never know which ripple

COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK NOTICES

LIMITS OF LIABILITY & DISCLAIMERS OF WARRANTIES

AFFILIATE COMPENSATION DISCLOSURE

Testimonials & Examples

Your Success or Lack of It

YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONDUCT YOUR OWN INVESTIGATION (PERFORM DUE

Can you imagine the excitement, emotion and

Then my question is, what are you waiting for?

My name is Jason Brubaker. I’m a Hollywood based

What I figured out in the process is a system for

And I have created this 21 Part Movie Maker Mini-

Back then, I was like a lot of people. I knew I wanted

I remember reading everything I could get my hands

Don't get me wrong, all that how-to movie making

But if you're looking to add another one of those

When I was starting my movie making career, I was

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a cavity drilled.

I knew the REAL answer had to be out there. So one

Working on the inside, I was finally able to uncover

I learned how producers utilize media and publicity to

With this knowledge, I started my own production

As you get to know me, you'll find that instead of

I warn you now, if you’ve not yet made a feature film,

If YOU have the desire to make your own movies and

I want to help you succeed!

Having worked in many different capacities in the

The secrets contained in this program took me over a

If you have an idea for a movie, and the desire to

Everything you’re about to absorb represents insights

Wouldn't it be great if you could work the system,

Let's face it, the old way of making movies is slow

But thankfully, new technology, especially in the way

Right now, with or without Hollywood, you have the

Throughout this program, you will be asked to think

In order to derive the most benefit from the program,

Some of the activities will require that you do things

Additionally, you may find that some actions, like

Rest assured that when you experience moments of

This 21 Part Movie Maker Mini-Course Action Guide is

Also, where I thought it would help, I've included

Secondly, after you conduct your own research on the

That's how I am able to offer this 21 Part Movie

Filmmaking Success Mindset

What I think about becomes real.

I play to my strengths. I support my weak areas with

I take advice from people who have actual

I spend time with people who make me feel better

Following dreams is easier with money in the bank. I

I keep an idea book and write down movie ideas as

My word is trust. I never break my word.

I deserve Hollywood success because I am creative

I always bring my ideas to fruition.

So here's the deal-e-o: After spending the greater