Film Acquisition
Units: 3
Independent film is a term loosely used to mean many things. While the term is often times used to label a genre it is also a financing method. An independent film can cost $300 and be constructed on a home computer or it could cost $200 million with a studio paying a surplus on top of the budget to distribute it. The class will dive into both the genre and financing method and how this part of the business is one of the most important sectors that affects almost every piece of acting and filmmaking talent. The glamorous and not so glamorous world of film festivals are where studios scour for up-and-coming talent where actors go to gain credibility and where has-beens turn to resurrect careers. Building on the world of festivals we will look at how an independent movie gets financed packaged and sold to domestic and foreign distributors. This class will explore the various sources of the filmic product and follow it through distribution on both a studio and independent level.