The Independent Filmmaker’s Guide to the New Hollywood

Netflix and its competitors like Disney+, Amazon Prime and Hulu have brought unprecedented levels of entertainment to consumers everywhere, providing the richest, most abundant aggregate of motion pictures and cinematic television the world has ever seen. Behind the facade, however, things are not as pleasant. A very costly paradigm shift is underway, altering not only conventional business and finance models, but also threatening long-established avenues of entertainment such as movie theaters, traditional television, and home video, and wreaking havoc on independent filmmakers and veteran producers alike.
This book attempts to make sense of ongoing economic and creative shifts of infrastructure and intellectual property, to understand where the industry is headed, and to distinguish which business models should be maintained and which ones should be left behind. Featuring exclusive interviews with some of the industry’s most prolific filmmakers and executives, it dives into the trenches of Hollywood to provide readers with the knowledge necessary to rethink the business, see past the turmoil, recognize the new opportunities, and take advantage of exciting new possibilities. Change sparks innovation, and innovation brings about great opportunity—but only for the well-informed and prepared.

Gabriel Campisi has dealt in the world of finance, investment assets and commercial holdings for more than 20 years. Working simultaneously in motion picture and television production, he has received numerous awards and critical acclaim for his works as an independent writer, director and producer. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America.

Gabriel Campisi
Foreword by Morris Ruskin
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 221
Bibliographic Info: 38 photos, appendix, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2020
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7301-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4045-7
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments vii
Foreword 1
Preface 5
Introduction 9
In the Eye of the Storm 9
The Sparks That Lit the Fire 10
The Here and the Now 12
New Strategies 13
The Endurance of Entertainment 14
Part One
1. Understanding Hollywood 16
The Birth of an Icon 16
It’s a Business 17
A Word of Caution 18
It’s Technology 19
The Same for Television 22
Tools of the Trade 24
It’s Communication 25
It’s Entertainment 27
The Quintessential Quaternity 29
2. The Traditional Paradigm 30
Keep Your Eye on the Prize 30
VOD: Show Me the Money 31
Business as Usual 33
Lasting Financial Practices 34
The Realities of Risk 35
The Best Offense Is a Good Defense 37
3. Risk Management 40
Fiscal Safety Nets 40
A Tale of Tomb Raiders 49
4. The Tides of Change 52
The Power of Innovation 52
Out with the Old 53
The Collective Conscience 55
Follow the Leader 57
Seeing Triple 57
Movies 61
Television 62
Piece of the Pie 62
5. The Blame Game 64
Who Takes the Credit? 64
Too Small for the Big Screen? 65
Timing and Fleeting Trends 67
A Perfect Example: ­COVID-19 67
Understanding Timing and Audience Response 68
When Opportunity Knocks 72
Taking Charge 72
Real-World Consequences 75
6. New Realities 78
A New Way of Doing Business 78
Transparency 80
An Existential Battle 80
­Never-Ending Storms 81
The Keys to the Kingdom 82
When Business Means War 83
Industry Response and Counterstrike 85
A Perpetual Campaign of Attrition 86
Redefining Entertainment Media 87
­Short-Form Content 88
The New World of Media Distinction 89
New Phrases and Language 91
7. Moving Forward 95
The Human Element 95
There Are Only Two Kinds of Stories 96
Breaking in Today 97
Think Outside the Box 99
Final Words 100
Part Two
8. Interviews with the Industry Pros 104
Val Hill 106
Nicholas Tabarrok 110
David Rimawi 114
Dominique Telson 121
Joel Soisson 127
Larry Kasanoff 133
Leigh Scott 139
Dete Meserve 142
Brad Wyman 150
Tiffany Boyle 156
David Michael Latt 160
James Dudelson 166
Morris Ruskin 169
Patrick Lussier 174
Pen Densham 178
Appendix: The Hollywood Business Paradigms 195
Bibliography 199
Index 207