added 15 November 2004

 

The Independent Video Producer
a review by Dylan Couper

In forming a video production company, most entrepreneurs seem to spend far too much time worrying about having the best camera, the most current editing equipment and the flashiest business cards. Most people also seem to find themselves out of business a few years down the road. If they learned more about the actual business of video production before spending a penny on it, success would come much more readily. The best money a would-be video producer can spend, dollar for dollar, is on the purchase of a book. For $35, "The Independent Video Producer" by Bob Jacobs, published in 1999 by Focal Press, can be considered a very safe investment in the future of a fledgling company.

Although the book is subtitled "Establishing A Profitable Video Business," it is not a replacement for a degree in business management, nor is it meant to be. It is also not a book on how to make a video. There are no sections on sound, lighting, editing, shooting or casting. Its focus is clearly on two things. One, what being an independent producer is all about, and two, what aspects of business you will be dealing with when you set up a company.

It may come as a surprise to many people getting into video production that the most important part of the job is not making videos, but getting clients and making sales. No clients means no sales, no sales means no money and no money means no video production company. Fortunately the first chapter of the book is devoted to educating the reader about finding clients, writing proposals, making a budget, doing a presentation and finally closing the deal. The book then stays with the producer's role through the production, dealing with scheduling and management issues. Although it is not a microscopic examination of these issues, it provides good guidelines for what a producer is responsible for during shooting. Which, in the case of a failed project, is ultimately everything. No pressure.

The last part of the book deals with the business aspects of running a video production company. Much of it will be very familiar to an entrepreneur, or anyone who has done some basic reading on self-employment. This section should be considered as business hints, rather than a down and dirty "how to" manual. It skims over topics like finding a location, promotion, developing markets, billing, and contracts. While it is a light treatment of these topics, that's only to be expected, since an in depth study of each would make the book weigh about ten pounds with 2000+ pages. Bob Jacobs makes it a point to inform the reader that they must continue to read, and at least heads them in the right direction.

As far as business hints, they are packed throughout the book. Another excellent feature is the use of real world examples when it comes to illustrating proposals, business contracts, budgets, production schedules and more. True experiences, interviews and stories (some horror stories) round out the content.

Clearly this book is not for the already successful independent producer looking to maximize profits. However, it is a good book for anyone hoping to become an independent producer. While nothing can make up for experience, Bob Jacobs has put a reasonable amount of his 30+ years of it into these pages. And for those people who believe that the future of their fledgling production company hinges on getting the camera of their dreams, or a state of the art editing bay, this is an absolute must-read.

Chapter Listing

• 1. The Business End Of Producing
• 2. Managing People And Productions
• 3. The Independent Business: Setting Up Shop
• 4. Promoting And Marketing Your Company
• 5. Finding and Developing Markets
• 6. Procedures and Practicalities
• Appendix A: Directory of Guilds and Unions
• Appendix B: View from the Top: Interview w/ Ralph Kendall Berge
• Appendix C: Sample Proposals and Scripts

Dylan grew up in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada but eventually gave up on the freezing winters and muggy summers and moved to the constant warm rain of Vancouver to further his film and video production interests. Through his company, Pyroglyph Films, he produces independent movies, sports videos, and the occasional corporate video. His interests include snowboarding, paintball, Corvettes, aquariums and eating as much sushi as humanly possible. Someday he will be discovered by Hollywood and become rich and powerful so he can buy the small town he grew up in, and rule the infidels with an iron fist!

Written by Dylan Couper.
Thrown together by Chris Hurd.