film production business plan template free

How to Write a Film Business Plan in 2024 (+ Examples)

Discover how to create an effective film or movie production business plan for 2024, ensuring your project stands out in the competitive cinema industry.

8 minute read

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Short answer

What is a film business plan?

A film business plan outlines the financial, operational, and marketing strategies of a film project.

It serves as a blueprint for production and a tool to attract investors, detailing budget, target audience, distribution, and potential returns.

You must rule the business field, otherwise your film fades into obscurity

Why do some films soar while others sink into the abyss of forgotten dreams? Is it just the whims of fate, or is there a missing piece in the puzzle that dictates this divide? The truth hits harder than one might expect: neglecting a solid film business plan can silently torpedo even the most promising projects.

In the fiercely competitive realm of cinema, overlooking the strategic underpinnings of film production doesn’t just risk obscurity-it nearly guarantees it.

This blog post unfolds the blueprint to wielding a film business plan as your most potent weapon, ensuring your cinematic vision doesn’t just flicker in the dark but blazes brightly for the world to see.

How to make an effective film business plan?

An effective film business plan is more than just paperwork; it's the roadmap to your project's success.

It blends vision with reality, guiding you and convincing others of your film's potential.

Here’s what makes it work:

Set clear targets

Before diving into the numbers and marketing strategies, you need to define what success looks like for your film.

This foundation will guide every decision you make moving forward.

Specify film goals: Are you aiming for festival acclaim, box office success, or critical recognition? Define this early on.

Establish benchmarks: What milestones must you hit during production and post-production to stay on track?

Measure success: Decide how you'll evaluate the success of your film, whether through audience reach, revenue, or awards.

Craft your budget

A well-thought-out budget is critical to securing funding and managing your resources efficiently.

It reflects the cost of turning your vision into reality and demonstrates financial acumen to potential investors.

Detail expense allocation: Break down your budget into categories like pre-production, production, post-production, marketing, and distribution.

Forecast production costs: Estimate the costs associated with each phase, including cast and crew salaries, location fees, set design, and equipment rental.

Secure financial backups: Plan for unexpected expenses by setting aside a contingency fund. This proactive approach reassures investors that you’re prepared for unforeseen challenges.

Analyze the market

Understanding the marketplace and where your film fits within it is crucial for positioning and eventually selling your film.

Pinpoint target demographics: Who is your film for? Identifying your audience informs your marketing strategy and distribution plan.

Study market competitors: Analyze films similar to yours that have succeeded or failed. What can you learn from them?

Track industry trends: Stay updated on shifts within the film industry, from emerging genres to changes in consumer behavior and distribution platforms.

Plan distribution

A distribution strategy outlines how you’ll bring your film to your audience, making it a critical component of your business plan.

Select distribution channels: Will your film be released in theaters, streamed online, or both? Each platform offers different advantages and challenges.

Schedule release phases: Timing can impact your film’s success. Plan your release around film festivals, awards seasons, or other strategic dates.

Project revenue streams: Estimate how much revenue your film will generate from each distribution channel. This projection helps in setting realistic financial goals and appealing to investors.

8 key components every film business plan needs

Crafting a film business plan is like drawing a map for your project's journey to success.

Here are the essential components you need to include to thrive in the competitive landscape:

Executive summary : Start with a bang! Your summary should hook readers by succinctly presenting the film's concept, its unique selling points, and why it's bound for success.

Financial projections: Show me the money. Include detailed forecasts covering production costs, marketing expenses, and potential revenue. Use clear, digestible figures.

Market analysis: Know your battlefield. Dive deep into the film industry's current landscape, identifying trends, opportunities, and potential challenges.

Target audience: Who's watching? Define your primary viewers by demographics, interests, and viewing habits, tailoring your film to meet their expectations.

Production timeline: What's the plan? Provide a clear timeline for pre-production, shooting, post-production, and release, ensuring a roadmap to follow.

Team bios: Who's behind the magic? Highlight the experience, achievements, and roles of key team members. The team bio slide demonstrates why they're right for the project.

Risk management: Prepare for the unexpected. Identify potential risks, from budget overruns to delays, and how you plan to mitigate them, ensuring you're ready for anything.

Marketing and distribution plan: Get the word out. Outline your strategy for promoting your film, incorporating marketing plan templates to enhance your approach. From social media campaigns to film festivals, detail how you plan to distribute it.

7 film business plan examples for winning partners and investors

These seven examples focus on showcasing the project's distinctive features, proving market appeal, and highlighting past achievements.

They also offer thorough financial forecasts, detailed strategies for distribution, present marketing tactics, and stress the team's dedication and expertise.

1) Documentary proposal

Outline your vision for a gripping documentary that connects deeply with viewers and investors.

Market focus: Targets audiences interested in real-world issues, educational content, and social change. The proposal underscores the documentary's relevance and potential impact on society.

Operational model: Highlights on-location filming, expert interviews, and archival footage. It emphasizes storytelling technique and narrative structure.

Financial projections: Outlines funding needs for research, travel, and post-production editing. It details potential funding sources like grants, crowdfunding, and sponsorships.

2) TV series pitch deck

Present your TV series’ unique world and characters in a way that grabs attention and excites networks.

Market focus: Aim at specific demographics craving serialized storytelling. It showcases the series' unique selling proposition and potential for audience engagement.

Operational model: Describes the production setup, episode scheduling, and potential for multiple seasons. It emphasizes character development and plot arcs.

Financial projections: Project revenue from advertising, syndication, and streaming platforms. It calculates production costs per episode and potential ROI.

3) Movie pitch deck

Showcase your movie's potential with a visually striking pitch that highlights its blockbuster appeal.

Market focus: Targets movie-goers looking for specific genres or themes. The pitch deck captures the film's appeal and its fit in the current cinematic landscape.

Operational model: Details the filming timeline, post-production process, and key creative talents involved. It highlights cinematography, special effects, and soundtrack.

Financial projections: Estimates box office earnings, streaming rights sales, and ancillary revenues. It includes budget requirements for production and marketing.

4) Film production proposal

Detail the step-by-step journey of bringing your film from concept to screen, ensuring clarity and confidence.

Market focus: Caters to investors and stakeholders with an interest in backing profitable film projects. It outlines the film's market potential and target audience.

Operational model: Outlines pre-production planning, shooting schedule, and post-production workflow. It stresses efficiency, innovation, and quality control.

Financial projections: Details budget allocation, expected funding sources, and return on investment timelines. It emphasizes cost control and revenue maximization strategies.

5) Film sponsorship proposal

Demonstrate how partnering with your film offers sponsors a unique opportunity to engage with their target audience.

Market focus: Target brands and businesses looking to align with the film's theme or audience for promotional benefits. It illustrates demographic alignment and marketing opportunities.

Operational model: Describes promotional activities, branded content integration, and sponsor visibility throughout the film and its marketing materials.

Financial projections: Details sponsorship tiers, benefits for each level, and expected contribution towards the film's budget. It underlines the mutual value exchange.

6) Comedy show proposal

Pitch your comedy show as the next big hit, emphasizing its humor, format, and audience appeal.

Market focus: Aim at viewers seeking entertainment, humor, and relief from everyday stresses. It underscores the show's comedic style and potential fan base.

Operational model: Highlights the format, frequency of episodes, and comedic talent involved. It details the production setup for live performances or studio recordings.

Financial projections: Project revenue from ticket sales, streaming platforms, and merchandise. It outlines budget requirements for talent, production, and marketing.

7) Short film proposal

Concisely convey your short film's narrative, style, and impact to capture the interest of festivals and financiers.

Market focus: Targets film enthusiasts, festivals, and digital platforms looking for innovative, concise storytelling. It details the short film’s thematic uniqueness and appeal.

Operational model: Describes the compact production schedule, creative process, and distribution strategy for film festivals and online viewing.

Financial projections: Estimates production costs, potential prize winnings, and revenue from online distribution. It includes funding strategies such as crowdfunding or grants.

How can you design a film business plan?

A film business plan is akin to a movie trailer, designed to showcase and persuade.

It outlines the project's path, from concept to distribution, emphasizing its unique aspects and potential success.

This plan details marketing strategies, financials, and audience engagement, serving as a blueprint for navigating the film industry and highlighting the project's viability and impact.

8 film business plan design tips:

1. Embrace scrollytelling

Scrollytelling , or scroll-based storytelling, brings your proposal to life, turning static information into an interactive journey.

This approach keeps readers hooked, transforming your business plan into an engaging story.

Here's a great example of scrollytelling in action:

2. Incorporate interactivity and multimedia

Move beyond traditional documents by including interactive elements like teaser trailers, character explorations, or virtual set tours.

These features not only spotlight your film's unique aspects but also maintain investor interest.

3. Use data visualization

Display market analysis, audience demographics, and financial forecasts with clear visuals.

Convert intricate data into straightforward graphs, charts, and infographics, making your strategy visually enticing and easy to understand.

Here's a great example of a data visualization slide:

4. Personalize your deck

Use tools that allow customization, such as integrating the viewer's name or tailoring content to specific investor queries.

Personal touches can create a deeper connection and show thorough attention to detail.

Here's an example of a personalized proposal slide:

5. Use cohesive branding

Ensure your business plan mirrors your film's branding through consistent colors, fonts, and imagery.

This not only improves aesthetic appeal but also immerses your audience in the world you're building.

Here's an example of a branded deck:

6. Design for all devices

In today's mobile-first world, your proposal needs to look great on any device.

Responsive design ensures that your proposal adapts to different screen sizes, providing a seamless experience whether it's viewed on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.

Here's what a responsive deck looks like:

7. Highlight key information

Strategically present your business plan to emphasize crucial data.

Use content placement and highlights to direct focus to important details, allowing your key points to shine without overwhelming your audience.

8. Add interactive elements

Incorporate interactive elements like clickable tabs , expandable sections , or embedded ROI calculators that prospects can adjust to see the potential return on their investment.

These features not only make your proposal more engaging but also allow readers to explore your product in a way that's hands-on and make its benefits more tangible.

Here's what a static deck looks versus an interactive one:

Interactive film business plan templates

Drafting a film business plan is complex, requiring knowledge of your project, storytelling, and financial planning.

Interactive film proposal templates offer a structured start, saving you from design headaches and blank page woes. With customizable options, easily incorporate your film’s unique flair and specifics.

Explore our curated selection to kickstart your film business plan.

I am a Marketing Specialist at Storydoc, I research, analyze and write on our core topics of business presentations, sales, and fundraising. I love talking to clients about their successes and failures so I can get a rounded understanding of their world.

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Film and Video Production Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business Plans » Media Sector

Are you about starting a film and video production company ? If YES, here is a complete sample film and video production business plan template & feasibility study you can use for FREE .

If you have ever come across a movie buff, chances are that you will notice the way at which they are able to analyze a movie for expertise or mediocrity. The truth is that these folks can tell when a movie has been well produced. This is one of the reasons why those who are at the helms of affair in the movie production business try their best to churn out quality stuff.

Starting a film and video production company is one of the best things that may happen to you. This is because of the promising nature of the trade. As a matter of fact millionaires are being made every time in the movie production world. Good news still remains that there are newbies every now and then.

A Sample Film and Video Production Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

We can hardly talk about the film and video production industry without mentioning big players in the industry such as 21 st Century Fox, Time Warner, NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Company and Viacom Inc. et al. These are companies that truly define the trends in the industry.

Basically, film and video production industry is an industry that is responsible for producing and distributing motion pictures and videos. This industry does not include third-party providers such as distributors and disc manufacturers, as well as products, such as television shows and made-for-television movies, aimed specifically toward television et al.

Despite the fact that film and video production business can be expensive to run, the business is indeed a thriving business that has loads of players making huge profits from the industry. One thing is certain, if a film and video production company can successfully produce a major hit movie or musical video; it won’t be too long before video recording contracts come calling from all over the united states and beyond.

Players in the Film and Video Production industry struggled with mounting film production costs and of course the decline in theater/cinema attendance.

It is now common in recent times to find the average movie producers increasingly investing in high – end special effects hence they choose to shift their focus toward generating high ticket sales as against increasing the number of dramas and comedies, which usually generate comparatively lower revenue.

The industry is exploring now maximizing new distribution channels to continue to increase revenue generation so as to break even after spending huge sum of money to produce a movie.

Any entrepreneur who intends to start a film and video production company must be ready to pull enough cash to be able to acquire expensive film and video production gears, for location shooting equipment and professional movie editing software amongst many other expenses associated with movie production.

In other to cut cost especially when starting out, movie producers often rent shooting equipment for a fraction of its cost, which has helped limit the massive capital expenditures that would otherwise be necessary to produce major films.

For instance, in 2015 alone, for every dollar spent on labor, movie producers incur an estimated $0.22 in capital expenditures. In the last five years, capital intensity has remained fairly constant.

The Film and Video Production industry still depend on experts(highly skilled workers and artists) in all stages of the production process, and highly talented and hardworking employees are required for planning, shooting, editing and distributing films.

The Film and Video Production industry is indeed witnessing a steady growth over the years- especially in countries such as the United States, Nigeria, india and China et al. Though for some underdeveloped countries where piracy is still on rampage, the growth is a bit redundant.

Statistics has it that the Film and Video Production industry in the United States of America, is worth $34bn, with an estimated growth rate of 0.7 percent. There are about 6,527 registered and licensed film and video production companies in the United States and they are responsible for employing about 63,228 people.

One good thing about starting a film and video production business is that even if you decided to start it in the United States of America, your market would not be restricted to business opportunities in the U.S.; the world will be your target market.

Many thanks to the internet that has made the world a global village. All you need to do is to strategically position your film and video production brand on the internet and you will be amazed at the rate people will be calling you from all parts of the world.

2. Executive Summary

Film production is one art that requires a ton of skills. This is so that nothing short of the best is produced. Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company is a one stop and standard film and video production company that is fully equipped with the latest technology in the film and video production industry.

Our film and video production studio will be located in the heart of Inglewood, Los Angeles – California, U.S and we are positioned to work for a wide range of client ranging from individual clients to corporate organizations, national clients to international clients and players in the Hollywood industry et al.

Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company will engage in all aspect of business services synonymous to standard organization operating in the film and video production industry.

Our business goal is to work towards becoming one of the leading film and video production brand in the whole of Los Angeles and in the nearest future compete with the leaders in the industry not only in the United States but also in the global stage.

We are not ignorant of the fact that building a standard and world class film and video production company from the scratch requires huge capital base- essentially for the purchase of world – class and latest film and video production equipment; which is why we have perfect plans for steady flow of cash from our business partners with interest in our line of business.

We can confidently say that we have a robust financial standing and we are ready to take on any challenge that we encounter in the industry.

We will ensure that all our employees are selected from a pool of talented and highly creative people with eyes for good movies in and around Los Angeles – California (with bias from Hollywood) and also from any part of the United States.

We will make sure that we take all the members of our workforce through the required trainings that will position them to meet the expectation of the company and to compete with other players in the United States and throughout the globe.

At Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company our client’s best interest will always come first, and everything we do will be guided by our values and professional ethics.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely and of course producing movies and videos that can compete with the best in the world. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients.

Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company is owned majorly by Macqueen Reeves and other partners. Macqueen Reeves is a certified and licensed film producer, he graduated from New York Film Academy and he has well over 15 years hand on experience in the film and video production industry working for leading film and video producing companies in Hollywood prior to starting his own film and video production company.

He will build the business alongside other experienced partners who have successfully carved a niche for themselves in the industry.

3. Our Products and Services

We do not want to leave any stone unturned when it comes to producing the best products and services. So, Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company is going to offer a variety of services within the scope of the film and video production industry in the United States of America.

Our intention of starting our film and video production business in Inglewood – Los Angele is to make profits from the film and video industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the US to achieve our aim and business goals. Our business offering are listed below;

• Action and adventure films
• Comedy films
• Drama films
• Thriller/suspense films
• Musical Videos
• Documentaries
• Other films (Commercials and Advertisement et al)
• Creating a timeline of production for film and video and ensuring that timelines are met
• Seeking financing for film and video productions
• Producing film and video programming
• Publicizing film and video productions
• Distributing film and video (if the company is also involved in all of the above)
• Film and Video Production Merchandize (Sale of Film and Video Production Equipment)
• Film and Video Production Consultancy and Advisory Services

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to build a standard and world – class film and video production business that can favorably compete with leaders in the industry.
• Our mission is to build a world class and well equipped film and video production company that will produce standard movies that can be generally accepted in all parts of the world; we want to build a film and video production brand that can work for clients not only in the United States of America and Canada, but in all parts of the world.

Our Business Structure

The success of any business is to a larger extent dependent on the business structure of the organization and the people who occupy the available role. Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company will build a solid business structure that can support the growth of our film and video production business.

We will ensure that we hire competent hands to help us build the business of our dream. The fact that we want to become one of the leading film and video production brand in the industry in the whole of the United States of America makes it highly necessary for our organization to deliberately build a well – structured business from the onset.

We will work hard to ensure that we only attract people with the right mindset to help us achieve our business goals and objectives in record time. Below is the business structure that we will build Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company;

• Chief Executive Officer

Entertainment Lawyer/Legal Secretary

Studio Manager

Film Producer

Recording Engineer

Admin and HR Manager

Marketing and Sales Executive

Front Desk Officer

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Office:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization
• Responsible for drawing up contracts and other legal documents for the company
• Welcomes guests and clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Produces information by transcribing, formatting, inputting, editing, retrieving, copying, and transmitting text, data, and graphics; coordinating case preparation.
• Provides historical reference by developing and utilizing filing and retrieval systems; recording meeting discussions; maintaining transcripts; documenting and maintaining evidence.
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Enhances department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
• Responsible for managing every activities that goes on in the studio
• Responsible for managing the company’s video editing department
• Handle any other responsibility as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer
• Responsible for developing concept and producing movies from start to finish
• Responsible for choosing the right locations to shoot a movie
• Works with the accountant and other stakeholders in the company to draw – up a budget for any movie project
• Responsible for handle any picture and sound related job for the company; helps achieve certain specific sounds or feelings to portray through that matches with the movie (especially for soundtracks).
• Responsible for handling all aspect of video shooting on locations
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
• Ensures operation of film shooting and studio equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Designs job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for clients
• Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes
• Facilitates and coordinates strategic sessions.
• Works directly with clients in a non-advising capacity, such as answering questions, scheduling appointments and making sure all training concerns are properly taken care off
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.
• Once the movie is ready, then the marketing team will go out to market and promote the album
• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies business opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of music projects.
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients, cinema operators and movie distributors
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the company in strategic meetings
• Helps to increase sales and growth for the company
• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the company
• Serves as internal auditor for the company

Client Service Executive

• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In centre, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the company’s products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients when they make enquiries
• Receives Visitors/clients on behalf of the organization
• Receives parcels/documents for the company
• Handles enquiries via e-mail and phone calls for the organization
• Distribute mails in the organization
• Handles any other duties as assigned my the line manager

6. SWOT Analysis

Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company engaged the services of a core professional in the area of film and video production consulting and business structuring to assist the organization in building a standard and world – class film and video production company that can favorably compete with other leading film and video production brands in the United States of America.

Part of what the business consultant did was to work with the management of the company in conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis for Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company;

Our core strength lies in the power of our team and the latest film and video production equipment that we have. We have a team that can go all the way to give our clients value for their money; a team that can produce world class movies that can favorable compete with movies produced by leaders in the industry.

We are well positioned in the heart of Inglewood, Los Angeles and we know we will attract loads of clients from the first day we open our film and video production company for business.

As a new film and video production company based in Los Angeles – the headquarter of film production in the world, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and attract some well – established artist and bigger corporations and investors; that is perhaps our major weakness. Another weakness is that we may not have the required cash to pump into the promotion our business the way we would want to.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities in the film and video production industry is massive especially in a place like Los Angeles – California where we have Hollywood, and we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.

We like other brands in the industry, have our own fair share of threats. Hence, technology and the internet which of course is a major tool for the advancement and gains achieved in the film and video production industry can also poses a threat to the industry.

The truth is that with the advancement of technology, it is now easier for individuals to produce home videos and musical videos without the help of professional film and video production companies. So also, just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn.

It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new film and video production company in same location where our target market exist and who may want to adopt same Business model like us.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

Online video is one major trend in the film and video production industry. Recent statistics from Comscore show that on an average day in 2011, over 100 million Americans viewed online video content. This represents growth of 43 percent over the previous year.

Well over 43.5 billion videos were streamed in December 2011 alone; a 44 percent increase over the previous year. This growth shows no signs of dwindling, as people increase the absolute number of videos they watch, in addition to viewing longer form content on leading video sites such as Netflix and Hulu.

Entrepreneurs that are venturing into the film and video production industry are coming in with creativity and good business skills. The fact that it is highly competitive in the industry does not in a way stop some film and video production companies from declaring profits year in year out.

Another known trend in the film and video production industry is that most film and video production companies are trying as much as possible to recreate themselves on a regular basis and also to be on top of their game.

8. Our Target Market

When it comes to film and video production business, there are no exemptions to who you can market your services products to especially finished movies. Your movies can be market to adults, children, teenagers, corporate organization, government and everyone who can afford to purchase a movie et al.

Over and above, our target market as a film and video production company cuts across people of different class and people from all walks of life and corporate organizations. In view of that, we have created strategies that will enable us reach out to various corporate organizations and individual who we know will need our products and services.

We have conducted our market research and survey and we will ensure that our film and video production company attracts the kind of artists and clients we would love to work with. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically market our services to;

• Advertising Agencies
• Corporate Organizations (Branding and Advertising Agencies et al)
• Teenagers, Adults and Children
• TV stations

Our Competitive Advantage

We are mindful of the fact that there are stiffer competition in the film and video production industry in the United States of America; hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developer to handle our sales and marketing.

Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company might be a new entrant into the film and video production industry in the United States of America, but our competitive advantage lies in the power of our team and the latest film and video production equipment that we have.

We have a team that can go all the way to give our clients value for their money; a team that can produce world class movies that can favorable compete with movies produced by leaders in the industry.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups film and video production companies) in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the film and video production industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to attract our target market.

Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company will generate income by offering the following services and products;

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain when it comes to movies and documentaries; they never dies and the demand for good movies and documentaries will continue to grow. This goes to show that any film and video production company that is known to always produce good movies will continue to attract talented artists, corporate organizations and clients and that will sure translate to increase in revenue generation for the business.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in Los Angeles California and beyond and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow the business and our clientele base beyond Los Angeles – California to other cities in the U.S. and even the global market.

We have been able to critically examine the film and video production market and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projection is based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to startups in Los Angeles – CA.

Below is the sales projection for Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company, it is based on the location of our business and other factors as it relates to film and video production start – ups in the United States;

• First Year-: $1M
• Second Year-: $1.75M
• Third Year-: $2.5M

N.B : This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited based on their vast experience in the film and video production industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization.

We will also ensure that our excellent movies and videos speaks for us in the market place; we want to build a standard and well equipped film and video production company that will leverage on word of mouth advertisement from satisfied clients/artists.

Our business goal is to build Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company business to become one of the leading choice in the whole of Los Angeles – California which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in the U.S but in the world stage as well.

Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to organizations and key stake holders in the film and video industry (movie distributors and cinema operators) in Los Angeles and other parts of the U.S.
• Advertise our business in relevant entertainment magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
• List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
• Attend relevant international and local film festivals, expos, seminars, and concerts et al
• Create different packages for different category of clients in order to work with their budgets and still produce top notch videos or movies for them
• Leverage on the internet to promote our business
• Engage in direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from our loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We are aware that there isn’t any business that despises new clients. This the reason why we have been able to work with brand and publicity specialist to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market.

We are set to take the film and video production industry by storm which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our recording studio company. Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company;

• Place adverts on both print and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant TV shows and radio programs
• Maximize our official website to promote our business
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook ,Twitter, LinkedIn, Badoo, Google+ and other platforms (music online forums) to promote our business.
• Offer Pro Bono services as part of our community social responsibility
• Ensure that our we position our banners and billboards in strategic positions all around Los Angeles – CA
• Brand all our official cars/buses and ensure that our trademark label is boldly printed in all our movies and videos (DVDs) et al

12. Our Pricing Strategy

At Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company we will keep our fees and prices of videos a little below the average market rate for all of our clients by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance. In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to start – ups, nonprofits, cooperatives, and small social enterprises who engage our services to help to produce movies or short videos especially for advert purposes.

• Payment Options

At Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company, our payment policy will be all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that we will make available to our clients;

• Payment by via bank transfer
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via bank draft
• Payment via mobile money
• Payment with cash

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans with little or no itches.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

The cost of setting up film and video production business can be quite expensive especially if you are all out to start a standard film and video production company. Aside from the money required to purchase the latest film recording and production equipment, you would also need a huge cash base to be able to attract and pay well established film actors to act in your movies.

Essentially, this is the area we are looking towards spending our start – up capital on;

• The Total Fee for incorporating the Business in Los Angeles, California – $750.
• The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license – $2,500
• The Amount needed to acquire a suitable Office facility with enough space for standard movie production studio in a business district 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) – $200,000.
• The Cost for equipping the office (computers, printers, fax machines, furniture, telephones, filing cabins, safety gadgets and electronics et al) – $2,000
• The cost for equipping the movie production studio with the required video gears – $150,000
• The Cost of Launching our official Website – $600
• Budget for paying at least 5 employees for 3 months and utility bills – $100,000
• Budget for paying actors and taking care of logistics in movie locations – $500,000
• Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al) – $2,500
• Miscellaneous – $20,000

Going by the report from the research and feasibility studies, we will need about $1 million to set up a medium scale but standard film and video production company in the United States of America. Here are some of the key film and video production equipment and gear that we would need to set up our film and video production company;

• Standard Video Cameras
• Camera lights/Three-Point Lighting Kit
• Shotgun Mic with boom pole accessories
• Audio (XLR) Cables
• Wireless Microphone
• Lenses: Wide Angle, Clear “Protective” Lens, Polarizer, Zoom Lens, Macros, etc.
• Light Reflector
• DSLR Shoulder Mount Rig
• Video Editing Software and Video Editing Computer (MacBook Pro Laptop / Apple MacBook Pro Laptop)
• External Hard Drive
• Digital video workstation

Generating Funding/Startup Capital for Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company

Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company is going to start as a partnership business that will be owned and managed by Macqueen Reeves and his business partners. They are the financial of the business, but may likely welcome other partners later, which is why they have decided to restrict the sourcing of his start – up capital to 3 major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings
• Source for soft loans from family members and friends
• Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $500,000 (Personal savings plus funds from business partners) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $500,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to ensure that every movie that we produce is a hit back to back and it appeals to the needs of the society we intend selling the movies

Moonlight™ Film and Video Production Company will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check:>Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Renting of Office Facility: Completed
• Setting Up Of The Recording Studio: In Progress
• Intellectual Property Protection and Trademark: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the start – up capital from the founder: Completed
• Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the Needed studio / musical gadgets, furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with key players in the industry: In Progress

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Production Company Business Plan

Videos capture or display emotions like no other medium is present. And if you are creative or want to take up projects related to film and video, then a production company business might be a good choice for you. Making videos is no longer restricted to films and TV.

Due to the increasing usage of OTT platforms and streaming platforms like YouTube video production is growing by leaps and bounds.

From learning something new to purely for entertainment purposes, people watch videos for everything. And if you want to get into this business, then all you need is a production company business plan and a good team of creatives.

Industry Overview

The video production industry stood at a whopping value of 2.09 billion dollars in 2021 in the USA and Canada. And is expected to grow at a rapid rate going forward as well.

The major reason for this rise is the increase in the consumption of video content. Video content is no longer just used for movies. It has a wide variety of usage from digital marketing, education, entertainment, and many more.

But as so much content is present on the web, it is essential to do something that helps you stand out. Hence, it is important to plan and strategize before getting started.

Say goodbye to boring templates

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Things to Consider Before Writing a Production Company Business Plan

Choose a niche.

Video production is used in many aspects from making films, TV, and web series, to direct advertisements, music video advertisements, and so on. Video production is also either done entirely by your company including to’ve processed, or you might be hired by other businesses or agencies to produce videos, but you aren’t a part of the creative process.

It is essential to choose a niche before getting started because different strategies work for different niches. Also, picking one niche before getting started helps you focus on the area and develop a thorough understanding and expertise in it.

Develop a creative process

All of us know that there’ll be days when you have important deadlines, but you won’t be able to think of anything new or good. On such days, you’ll need a process that helps you get decent ideas in an autopilot sort of way. A creative process can help you actively look for ideas instead of waiting for ideas to come to you.

Build a good team

Having a team that understands and supports your vision is essential in any creative profession. Your team should be an amalgamation of individuals with different and complementary perspectives. It helps you develop new and unique ideas as well as move forward with them creatively.

Organize your finances

It is necessary to do your research and find out what would be the financial requirements of starting your production company, how much you can manage on your own, how much funds you’ll need, and what are the sources for acquiring the same.

Chalking out Your Business Plan

If you are planning to start a new production company business, the first thing you will need is a production company business plan. Use our sample production company business plan created using Upmetrics business plan software to start writing your business plan in no time.

Before you start writing your business plan for your new production company business, spend as much time as you can reading through some samples of entertainment & media business plans .

Reading sample business plans will give you a good idea of what you’re aiming for. It will also show you the different sections that different entrepreneurs include and the language they use to write about themselves and their business plans.

We have created this sample production company business plan for you to get a good idea about how a perfect production company business plan should look like and what details you will need to include in your stunning business plan.

Production Company Business Plan Outline

This is the standard production company business plan outline, which will cover all important sections that you should include in your business plan.

• Market Validation
• Short-Term (1 -3 Years)
• Long Term (3-5 years)
• Mission statement
• Unique Selling Proposition
• Black Screen Productions – 3-Year Financial Highlights
• Company Ownership/Legal Entity
• Interior Operating Facilities
• Hours of Operation
• Startup summary
• Media Production
• Media Distribution
• Market segmentation
• Market Trends
• Target market
• Competitive Advantage
• SWOT analysis
• Target Market Strategy
• Market Size
• Positioning Statement
• Online Marketing Channels
• Offline Marketing Channels
• Pricing strategy
• Organization chart
• Management Team
• Hiring plan
• BLACK SCREEN PRODUCTIONS
• Important Assumptions
• Break-even analysis
• Profit Yearly
• Gross Margin Yearly
• Projected Cash Flow
• Projected Balance Sheet
• Business Ratios

After getting started with Upmetrics , you can copy this Production Company business plan template into your business plan and modify the required information and download your production company business plan pdf or doc file.

It’s the fastest and easiest way to start writing your business plan.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

Download a sample production company business plan

Need help writing your business plan from scratch? Here you go;  download our free production company business plan pdf  to start.

It’s a modern business plan template specifically designed for your production company business. Use the example business plan as a guide for writing your own.

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Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Film Production Company Business Plan: The Complete Guide

The process of film production is a long and arduous one. It starts with the writing stage, where screenplays are written by a writer or multiple writers.

The screenplay typically has at least three acts that have to be edited for pacing and story development purposes. Once the script is finished, it’s time for pre-production!

There’s a lot of misconception about what film production really entails. This article will clear up some of the misconceptions and give you an idea of what it is like on set, as well as how to break into the industry.

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY BUSINESS PLAN

What is a film production company business plan.

A film production company business plan is a document that can help you to get investors and loans from banks, but it’s also useful for you to see if your idea is viable. It helps you determine if it’s worth investing money, time, and effort.

Film production company business plans are documents that should be created before starting the business.

They will help you gain investors so you can start your film production company and make money out of your films.

A business plan should have all the necessary information about your film company , including the mission statement, executive summary, market analysis, funding request, financial projections, and management team.

Starting a film production company is an exciting venture that blends creative storytelling with the thrill of entrepreneurship.

Crafting a solid business plan is our roadmap to success, ensuring we navigate the complex landscape of the film industry with confidence.

We’ll jump into the essentials of a film production company business plan, from financial projections to marketing strategies.

Stick with us to learn how to lay the groundwork for a thriving production company that’s ready to take on Hollywood.

Executive Summary

When embarking on the exhilarating journey of starting a film production company, the executive summary stands as a pivotal introduction to the business plan.

It provides a snapshot of the company’s vision and objectives, ensuring that potential investors or partners grasp the core of what we’re building.

In our executive summary, we’ll outline the major points that distinguish our company, such as our unique storytelling capabilities and innovative distribution strategies.

We hone in on our competitive advantage – a blend of seasoned industry professionals and fresh talent that pushes the envelope of what’s possible in film.

We’ll also touch upon our foundational goals:

• Captivate a diverse audience with groundbreaking narratives,
• Create a slate of projects that showcase profitability and creative ingenuity,
• Establish a brand synonymous with quality entertainment.

Financial plans are succinctly summarized to demonstrate the strategic allocation of resources and the anticipated financial trajectory.

Here, investors will find confidence in our capability to manage budgets effectively and produce high-return projects.

Marketing strategies are briefly yet powerfully presented, showcasing how we plan to penetrate the market and gain substantial traction.

We outline our approach to leveraging social media , partnerships, and film festivals to amplify our presence and stake our claim in a crowded industry.

Each element of our executive summary is designed to pique interest and invite deeper exploration into our full business plan.

Through it, we lay the foundation for a dialogue with stakeholders that could translate into lasting support for our creative endeavours.

Company Overview

In the heart of our business plan lies the comprehensive Company Overview section, a detailed portrait of who we are and what we stand for.

As seasoned filmmakers at Filmmaking Lifestyle, we take pride in our ability to tell gripping stories through the lens of our cameras.

We offer a range of filmmaking services, but here’s a snapshot of our core offerings:

• Narrative Film Production – Our signature offering includes developing and producing feature films that resonate with audiences globally.
• Commercial Video Production – We craft compelling marketing videos that help brands tell their stories and engage with their target demographic.
• Innovative Content Creation – With the digital space evolving rapidly, we stay ahead of trends producing content that stands out in crowded platforms.

Our mission goes beyond the visual aesthetics; it’s about weaving narratives that leave a lasting impact.

Each project is an opportunity for us to push the envelope in creative storytelling.

At the core of our operation, we strive to achieve a convergence of artistic vision and commercial viability.

Anchored by a team of dedicated professionals, we bring diverse perspectives and skills to every production.

This synergy creates a fertile ground for innovative filmmaking.

Our work ethic revolves around a relentless pursuit of excellence and a commitment to staying on top of the latest industry advancements.

Focused on scaling our film production capabilities, we’re actively exploring emerging technologies and distribution channels to enhance our impact in the industry.

We’re all about staying ahead of the curve, making sure our films are not just seen, but remembered and revered.

With a portfolio that spans various genres and styles, our flexibility allows us to tailor our approach to each unique project.

Collaboration is key – by joining forces with talented writers, directors, and producers, we amplify our ability to craft unforgettable cinematic experiences.

Investing in our growth, we’ve equipped ourselves with state-of-the-art equipment and editing suites, ensuring professionalism and efficiency in our production workflow.

Convergence of art and technology is critical in our approach and is reflected in every piece of content we produce.

eventually, our Company Overview is not just an introduction to who we are; it’s an open invitation to jump deeper into the possibilities and potent potential of partnering with Filmmaking Lifestyle.

We’re here to bring visions to life and curate a portfolio of work that speaks volumes of our passion for filmmaking.

Vision And Mission

Matt Crawford

Related posts, becoming outcome independent in your filmmaking and business, 18 best online course platforms in 2024, case study: how i used linkedin to get 12 new clients so far this year, 3 tips to find your video business internal locus of control, what is agile methodology in project management definition, examples & tips, focus, goals and staying on the path.

Iam having a movie by the name from the streets to the world

Best of luck, Kelvin!

Matt .. would you have template of the Biz Plan .. and are you Fine with sharing the same? – AMAAN

Here’s an idea for a template: https://toskaproductions.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TEA-Business-Plan.pdf

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Every Filmmaking Form You'll Ever Need in 99 Free Templates

Ease your workload (and your mind) with these free templates for everything from storyboarding to contracts to accounting..

[Editor's Note: No Film School asked Adrijana Lazarevic to collect these 99 templates because of her expertise working with filmmakers at Filestage.io.]

No one really feels like doing paperwork, but let’s be honest: no good film comes without organization and planning.

That’s where templates can help you out. I work at a startup that creates software for filmmakers , and we see how busy you are every day, so we collected the most helpful templates, guides, and checklists out there to make your life a little easier.

They really help save time for what matters most: letting your creativity flow and producing breathtaking movies that won’t be forgotten. We've also covered the topic of free filmmaker documents before, as well as how you can use free templates for production reports .

The categories covered in this list are: Script Prep/Pre-production, Storyboard/Mood Board Templates, Shot List Templates, Script Breakdown Sheets, Budgeting, Accounting, Personnel/Cast Forms, Insurance Forms, Equipment Documents, Production/Shooting, and Music Releases.

Script Prep/Pre-production

Much of your planning happens well before production, including trying to get investors on board and starting to determine who your audience will be. Here are some templates for early steps, including a form for "optioning" a story that you want to produce, and a director's worksheet that lays out what you'd like to see happen in each scene.

1. Director’s Worksheet - Film Contracts 2. Guide to Formatting a Screenplay - Final Draft 3. Literary Option & Purchase - Sonnyboo 4. Ultimate Creative Brief - Filestage 5. Cinematography Pre-Production Checklist - Film Contracts 6. Buyer Persona Template - Filestage

Storyboard/Mood Board Templates

Storyboarding is a cornerstone of the filmmaking process. A storyboard is a sequence of drawings that paint a picture of the your storyline, showing the structure of, and vision for, key scenes. We've also included a moodboard sheet for establishing the visual style of your film.

7. Moodboard Template - Filestage 8. Storyboard - Filestage 9. Storyboard - Sonnyboo 10. Storyboard - Filmsourcing 11. TV Storyboard - Film Contracts

Shot List Template

Organization is the key to a successful shoot. With the help of a shot list, you can easily arrange single shots within any given scene. You can determine, for example, the number of shots necessary to capture a particular action most effectively. Give it a try with one of these practical templates.

12. Shot List - Film Contracts 13. Shot List - Learnaboutfilm 14. Shot List - LAvideoFilmmaker 15. Camera Shot List - Filmsourcing 16. Camera Shot List Advanced - Filmsourcing

Script Breakdown Sheets

Here you can find helpful templates providing detailed descriptions of scenes, and the equipment and personnel assigned to each one. This way, you never lose sight, and can make sure everything is going according to plan.

17. Script Breakdown Sheet - Studiobinder 18. Breakdown Sheet - Michael Wiese Books 19. Script Breakdown Sheet - Sonnyboo

While making a film, you or your producer have to keep a lot of things in mind and, before you know it, you can easily go over budget. This compilation of templates will help make sure that you don't lose sight of your financial statements. Some of them additionally provide examples of budgeting.

20. Sample Budget - Sonnyboo 21. Budget and Invoice Template - Fstoppers 22. Film Budget Top Sheet - Making the Movie 23. Questions & Budget Creation - Michael Wiese Books

Once you have a budget, you have to actually do the accounting. Maintaining an overview of your finances and money flow is crucial. Check your financial resources by making notes of their movement. These forms will help you keep track.

Inflows 30 24. Amount Received - Film Contracts 25. Cash or Sales Receipt - Film Contracts 26. Promissory Note - Film Contracts

Outflows 27. Daily Cost Overview - Film Contracts 28. Cash Flow Sheet/PO Log - StudioBinder 29. Final Cast List SAG-UBCP - Film Contracts

General Forms 30. Check Reques t - Film Contracts 31. Invoice Template - Going Freelance 32. Simple Invoice Template - Steve Hall Video 33. Expense Report - HowtoFilmschool

Personnel Forms

From general contracts and agreements to crew templates, many of these forms are necessary to lay out a foundation for the business behind your film and get a good team on board.

Cast & Crew Lists 34. Crew Contact List - Filmsourcing 35. Cast and Crew List - Studiobinder 36. Cast List - Film Contracts

Crew Deal Memos, Contracts and Agreements 37. Crew Deal Memo - New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-Operative 38. Writers Deal Memo - Film Contracts 39. Deal Memos - Film Contracts 40. Producer Contract - ISP Group Inc 41. Producer Video Release & Contract - Film Contracts 42. Contractor Agreements - Film Contracts 43. Photographer Work For Hire - ISP Group Inc 44. Producer Agreement (Short Form) - Film Contracts 45. Producer Agreement - Sonnyboo 46. Producer’s Royalty Attachment - ISP Group Inc 47. Executive Employment Agreement - ISP Group Inc

Partnership Documents 48. General Proxy - ISP Group Inc 49. Consulting Agreement - ISP Group Inc 50. Investor Suitability - ISP Group Inc 51. General Partnership Agreement - ISP Group Inc 52. Joint Venture Agreement 1 - ISP Group Inc 53. Loanout Agreement - Film Contracts

Cast Forms 54. Basic Actor Info Sheet - Sonnyboo 55. Casting Sheet - Film Contracts 56. Cast Scene Number Breakdown - Film Contracts 57. Cast Deal Memo - Film Contracts 58. Actor Contract - Sonnyboo 59. Freelance Actors Contract - Film Contracts

Appearance Releases 60. Personal Release - Film Contracts 61. Talent Release - PremiumBlog 62. Actor Release - Film Contracts 63. Freelance Performer Agreement - Film Contracts 64. Actor Player Casting Agreement - Film Contracts 65. Nudity Rider for Casting Agreement - Film Contracts

Location Scouting

So you found the most suitable locations to portray your vision. Now, as with everything else, you need to do the paperwork and take care of business These templates have you covered. But also don't forget to read our primer on location s in the first place!

Site Info 66. Location Contact List - Film Contracts 67. Location Scouting - Filmsourcing 68. Location Fact Sheet - PremiumBeat 69. Location Information Sheet - Film Contracts 70. Cinematography Location Information Form - Film Contracts

Contracts & Releases 71. Location Contract - Film Contracts 72. Production Location Contract - Film Contracts 73. Location Release - PremiumBeat 74. Production Location Release - Film Contracts 75. Location Agreement - Sonnyboo

Keep in mind that life doesn’t always have a bright side. Especially when it comes to accidents or health problems. Therefore, always insure your crew, yourself and the equipment. These templates will get you started.

76. Insurance Claim Worksheet Personal - Film Contracts 77. Actor Insurance Claim Worksheet - New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-Operative 78. Insurance Claim Worksheet Damage - Film Contracts 79. Insurance Claim Worksheet Automobile Accident - Film Contracts 80. Injury / Illness Report Form - Film Contracts

Equipment Documents

A movie is usually not made by a smartphone in one hand and a music player in the other. You need a whole bunch of stuff, plus, you have to deal with it. Cameras, recorders, lights, a whole set, and so on; all this has its price and needs to be paid attention to. These forms can help.

81. Box / Equipment Rental Inventory - Film Contracts 82. Equipment List - Dependent Films 83. Video Equipment Rental Agreement - Film Contracts 84. Special Camera Rigging Authorization - Film Contracts

Production/Shooting Forms

You've got your cast & crew, locations, and equipment and now you're onto the shoot: the time when staying organized is most crucial. To avoid slip-ups, interruptions or any other negative factors that make your life as director harder than it should be, use these forms. This list includes call sheets, your essential tool for communicating requirements with everyone on set.

Production Papers 85. Production Tracking Form - Film Contracts 86. Filming Notice - Filmsourcing 87. Production Requirement - Film Contracts

Daily Tracking 88. Shot Log - Film Contracts 89. Scene / Take Log - Film Contracts 90. Daily Production Report - New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-Operative 91. Continuity Log Sheet - Filmsourcing 92. Actors Production Time Report - Film Contracts

Call Sheets 93. Call Sheet - G-Casper 94. Call Sheet - Cast and Crew Call 95. Call Sheet - Filmsourcing 96. Call Sheet Cast - G-Casper

Music Releases

Imagine movies without any music—unthinkable! Music is an essential part of a film experience. But, just as films have their patents and rights of use and enjoyment, sounds and music do too. And the legal use of music can be complicated. Here are some of the papers that help you do things right.

97. Sound Report - Filmsourcing 98. Music Reference - Filmsourcing 99. Music Release - New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-Operative

Filestage is a web app for filmmakers to share, review and approve videos efficiently. Clients and co-workers comment directly in your videos and design-frames accurately. All visual projects can be managed at ease.

• The 73 Spreadsheets You'll Need to Finish Your Feature Film ›
• Templates | No Film School ›
• The Ultimate Film Budgeting Guide [FREE Film Budget Template] ›
• What is a Shopping Agreement? ›
• Storyboarding ›
• Sync Your Shot Lists and Storyboards with Shot Lister ›
• The One Clause Filmmakers MUST Add When Selling Their Film ›
• Download FREE Filmmaking Production Documents ›
• Film Production Company - 2023 - FilmDaily.tv ›
• Free Film Production Templates - SetHero ›

The Writing Process of 'June Zero'

How can you bring an historic trial to the big screen.

Written by Tom Shoval

June Zero was an unexpected cinematic adventure for me. One day at the end of 2018, I got a call from the researcher of the film who mentioned that director Jake Paltrow had come to Israel to scout and conduct interviews with some of the people involved in the events of Eichmann's trial and that he was looking for a screenwriter to collaborate with.

I am a filmmaker, writer, and director, and at the time I was working on my second feature, Shake Your Cares Away . I knew Paltrow only by reputation, having enjoyed his previous films De Palma (2015) and Young Ones (2014), and was open to meeting.

We met in a noisy bar by the sea and the conversation ignited immediately. Jake told me about the idea he had for the film that came from reading about the process of building the oven that was used to cremate Eichmann's body and the extensive research he was doing. The Holocaust in the Eichmann trial became history, documented, legal truth, and the script writing was a part of the thematic existence of the film—questioning what is a story and what is historical truth and where the two meet.

The writing process, which stretched over a year, began in Israel and continued to New York. Jake and I worked together in English although sometimes I would write some scenes in Hebrew and get them translated and we would rework them. Then when the draft was finished, I switched the needed dialogues to Hebrew. In all that time Jake took Hebrew lessons to sharpen his ear for the language.

Testimony is a basic and important element in the film and, as each of the heroes is a witness and takes an active part in history, their experiences became the emotional and historical centre of the Eichmann trial where, for the first time, Holocaust survivors spoke about their experiences without the anxiety of shame and the fear that they would not be believed.

In this way, we plunged into spaces that filmmaking related to the Holocaust often overlooked including Israel after the war, the stories of Holocaust survivors from Arab countries, and the sectarian gap that prevailed in Israel at that time between the Mizrahim and the Ashkenazim which is an open wound that still reverberates in Israeli society.

At first, we focused on the story of the oven, but due to the in-depth investigation and the countless interesting testimonies that sometimes contradict each other and the complex cinematic characters that were created—we realized that we cannot ignore these stories.

The result is a sort of cinematic triptych that presents three stories that take place at the same time and are the perspectives of those whose role in the historical event (in this case the Eichmann trial) is small and unknown but no less significant.

Thus, a rich script full of twists and turns was created that captures a pivotal moment in Israeli history but invites new interpretations and a different and unique look at that significant moment in time.

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Film Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Film Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their film companies.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a film business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Film Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your film business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Film Company

If you’re looking to start a film business or grow your existing film company, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your film business to improve your chances of success. Your film business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Film Businesses

With regard to funding, the main sources of funding for a film business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for film companies.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a film business.

If you want to start a film business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your film business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of film business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a film business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of film businesses?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the film industry.
• Discuss the type of film business you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of film business you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of film businesses:

• Independent Film Production Company:  Smaller, “indie” film companies are outside the mainstream movie-making industry and have a unique artistic or creative vision.
• Documentary Film Production Company: Single-subject or category film companies are dedicated to creating non-fiction films that explore real-world topics, issues, or stories.
• Short Film Production Company: Short film companies showcase the storytelling skills of their artists and experiment with concise narratives.

In addition to explaining the type of film business you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of customers served, the number of awards won by the films, or reaching a certain amount of revenue generated, etc.
• Your legal business structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the film industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the film industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your film business plan:

• How big is the film industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your film business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your film business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals, schools, government entities, and corporations.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of film business you operate. Clearly, individuals would respond to different marketing promotions than corporations, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regard to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other film businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes large-scale movie film productions, and movies made for digital audiences only. You need to mention such competition, as well.

For each direct competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What type of film business are they?
• What is their pricing for their audience (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide options for digital audiences?
• Will you offer services that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a film business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of film company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide subject-specific film production, cameo digital film production, or foreign language films?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your film company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your film business located in a busy creative art district, a business district, or a standalone building? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your film production and the customers you serve.

Promotions : The final part of your film marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites
• Distribute flyers in local art shops
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections, as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your film business, including answering calls, planning and creating filming schedules, paying salaries, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to premiere your first film, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your film business to include major production films.

Management Team

To demonstrate your film business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing film businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But, also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a film business or successfully running a small indie film company.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you produce your first film in less than a year, or will you produce a large-scale film in 5 years? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your film business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a film business:

• Cost of filming equipment
• Payroll or salaries paid to actors and staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your movie set location lease or a list of props your business owns.

  Summary Writing a business plan for your film business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the film industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful film business.

Film Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my film business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your film business plan.

How Do You Start a Film Business?

Starting a Film business is easy with these 14 steps:

• Choose the Name for Your Film Business
• Create Your Film Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your Film Business
• Secure Startup Funding for Your Film Business (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your Film Business with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your Film Business
• Buy or Lease the Right Film Business Equipment
• Develop Your Film Business Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Film Business
• Open for Business

Where Can I Download a Free Business Plan Template PDF?

Click here to download the pdf version of our basic business plan template.

Our free business plan template pdf allows you to see the key sections to complete in your plan and the key questions that each must answer. The business plan pdf will definitely get you started in the right direction.

We do offer a premium version of our business plan template. Click here to learn more about it. The premium version includes numerous features allowing you to quickly and easily create a professional business plan. Its most touted feature is its financial projections template which allows you to simply enter your estimated sales and growth rates, and it automatically calculates your complete five-year financial projections including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Here’s the link to our Ultimate Business Plan Template.

  OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.

Click here to hire someone to write a business plan for you from Growthink’s team.

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• Film Business Plan Template

How to Write a Film Business Plan is the Number 1 goal of most of our filmmakers, so we wrote a FREE How to Write a Movie Business Plan E-Course (sign up FREE right here and start immediately). Our entire Business Plan E-Course is also included in our Film Financing Manual , so if you're on the fast track to film financing and don't want to wait 8 weeks, get it all in the manual and go at your own pace.

Writing a business plan can be overwhelming to some, and while our FilmProposals Bundles & Toolkits will save you hundreds of hours with prewritten text and templates and speed up your learning curve by showing you how to complete complicated financial projections, there is still a lot of information to process. We designed this Film Business Plan Course to be sent once per week to break the process of writing your business plan into manageable pieces, and to keep you accountable and focused. In case you can't see the sign up form, try here .

Our goal is that no matter where you in the process of making your film, we help you to succeed with really understanding the entire business side of the film industry. Each week you'll receive your homework assignments, and if you follow along and stick to the plan, it will be 10 short weeks until you have a complete film business plan and are totally ready to approach the film investors we teach you to find.

Some areas the course covers are as follows:

The Company Section - Week 1

A business plan is only as good as the company or organization behind it, so you will have to remove your creative filmmaker thinking cap and be willing to think like and wear the hat of an investor...or be willing to hire people to do this for you. We show you exactly how to do this, where to find the right people for your film and how to best showcase all your team's talent in your Business Plan.

Top of How to Write a Film Business Plan

The Project Section - Week 2

Do you know what makes your independent film special and sets it apart from the others? Do you know the answer to this question in such a way that it makes it clear your film is a good investment? While your film may have a great social message or even its potential cast and production are merits you wish to highlight, know the investor reads every word in your plan with the mind and eye of a business person. We want to ensure the content of your plan continually reinforces there is a promising opportunity for return on investment and we show you how to make it look like your project does just that.

The Industry Section - Week 3

You should write your industry section as if you are describing the ins and outs of the industry to someone who does not know the film business at all. Statistics, history, industry successes, how and why the industry is growing, both domestically and internationally, and home video streaming trends are some of the areas you will cover in this part of the feature film business plan.

The Market Section - Week 4

One of the MOST important questions you are going to ask yourself while writing your your film business plan is, "Who is going to pay money to see your independent film?" Who is your target market? Where are they? How many of them are there? What are their movie-going habits? How and where do they spend their money? What are their other habits that might piggy-back well with film? We show you dozens of resources to help you answer these questions and make a compelling case to your investors that your film does, indeed, have solid market potential.

The Film Investment Section - Week 5

In order to effectively convince your film financing investors and build a solid feature film business plan, you will need to understand the ins and outs of film investment. Learn about multiple financing sources, such as cash, soft and hard money and multiple other ways of coming up with your negative pick up costs and how to show investors you've put real financial value into your project - even if you have NO cash to add!

Film Distribution Strategy - Week 6

How are you going to maximize the distribution of your film? Here is what the Wall Street Journal tells film investors when advising them on the BEST films in which to invest, "...as with any business investment, you want to see a well-conceived marketing and distribution plan that makes sense and isn't built on hope." We want YOU to have your own distribution plan that makes sense, whether traditional distribution S/VOD, TVOD and all the various combinations of distribution channels and release types.

How to Write a Film Business Plan - Financial Projections - Week 7

If you think the hard part of writing a film business plan is the Financial Projections, don't worry for a minute. We break this down for you in an easy to follow and understand format. We tell you what potential investors will expect to see, how to choose the correct films for comparison, all disclosures and risk statements required and much more.

Extra Tips and Next Steps - Week 8

What else do you need to know about writing a Film Business Plan? After this course, you will know so much more about YOUR film and about the movie business and film industry. We'll go through some additional investors, keys to film financing and leave you with all the right tools, tips and templates to complete your business plan.

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While our FilmProposals Bundles & Toolkits will save you hundreds of hours with prewritten text and templates and speed up your learning curve by showing you how to complete complicated financial projections, there is still a lot of information to process. We designed this FREE Film Business Plan Course to be sent once per week to break the process of writing your business plan into manageable pieces, and to keep you accountable and focused. In case you can't see the sign up form, try here .

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Just want to thank you for your materials and help over the past year. I could not have raised the $1.5 million or made this film without the materials you provided. The bargain of my career! - James Sadwith, Producer, Writer, Director, Coming Through the Rye

Finished my deck on Friday. Got it into a few potential investor’s hands over the weekend, and by Monday had 3 out of the 10 available memberships spoken for at $160K each. The revenue projections and film comparable services by NASH, along with the business plan and pitch deck templates were instrumental in presenting the project in such a way that financially minded potential investors could understand the movie business, the market and how my project could possibly give them a substantial ROI. Melissa was amazing throughout the entire process. Always there to answer any questions. Couldn’t have done it without you guys. Can’t thank you enough. Best money I’ve ever spent. - Michael F, Executive Producer, Inside Sportfishing ( Gold + Financials Bundle )

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FREE 11+ Sample Film Business Plan Templates in MS Word | PDF

Film Business Plan Templates provide the most professional ways of presenting your film production plan to competent investors. These templates make your job of presenting your film production plan in very authentic ways, giving ample scopes to the potential investors to focus on different aspects of this specialized business so that they could easily understand their gains in investing money in your film production business.

Film Business Plan

Sample business plan - 10+ examples in pdf, word, sample small business plan - 9+ documents in pdf, word, sample real estate business plan template - 6+ free documents ..., feature film business plan template.

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Feature Film business Plan

Documentary Film Business Plan

Documentary films are short films with specific social, cultural or political issues relevant to the current environment of a country or society. The template available here to present the documentary film plan is almost like a short business plan template. It does not go elaborately into the story of the film, but give focus on the subject matter and why this subject matter will get mass attention. You can also see  Career Progression Plan Templates .

Short Film Business Plan

Size: 732 KB

This short business plan template is just perfect for short films and documentaries. If you are planning to accumulate a lump sum amount by motivating more investors, then this template will help you to present a perfect film production plan. The business plan starts with an introductory letter that is to be cordially written to present how important this production is for you. You can also see  Personal Business Plan Templates .

The plan will contain all other necessary parts of the presentation like executive summary, status of the film maker, why this is a special film, how this film will be a popular one, marketing plan of the film maker, etc. All topics are written in short format, but in simple English for better understanding and easiness in reading.

Film Production Business Plan

Film production business is an immensely profitable sector. Many investors show their interest to invest in good films, but they could not progress much due to lack of sufficient information. Investors want their money to be secured and the return on investment to be quick enough. You can also see  Bakery Business Plan Templates .

This template will enable you to motivate great many big and small investors to invest in good films for quicker and better yields. Business plan so created includes everything that an investor would like to know, like opportunity in this sector, film production environment, basic resources required, marketing strategies, risk factors, etc.

Film Distribution Business Plan

Film distribution is a big business. It requires financially strong investors and lump sum money. Distribution of each film is like a project which needs huge manpower, including specific professionals who have years of experience and are famous for innovative ideas. The film distribution business plan will help you to present the immense opportunity hidden in this market and how investors would be able to multiply their invested money in short span of time.

Film Profit Business Plan

Size: 629 KB

Feature Film Business Plan Template

Size: 10 KB

Independent Film Business Plan

Size: 131 KB

A Perfect presentation is a primary need in film making or in the film distribution business. These professionally designed templates will enable you to motivate investors more intensively who would always like to understand their profits and risks at first and will only invest after getting cent percent assurance. Your presentation will make the job easier for yourself.

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Film Business Plan Sample

Published Aug.12, 2015

Updated Apr.22, 2024

By: Jakub Babkins

Average rating 5 / 5. Vote count: 2

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Table of Content

The entrepreneur who owns a film production company has likely been through the film company business plan development process at least once. However, this particular type of business is a bit different than most other businesses because each film project is likely to need investors. That means a unique film business plan is required each time a new film is produced.

Designing a Successful Film Business Plan

Needless to say the production company owner has a lot riding on the quality of the film business plan. Investors interested in funding films do so only when a best bussiness plan contains the elements of a successful film production, like a well-written script, experienced crew members, and good starring talent

The film industry is very competitive, meaning potential investors expect the producer to have a detailed production, marketing, and distribution plan, among other success factors. Investors will look for:

• Product: Tested script – The script is a crucial component of the final product – the film. It should be read multiple times by a variety of people, including actors and producers, to test interest and quality, and to get an assessment as to whether the anticipated costs match the complexity of the script.

• Shooting schedule – The shooting schedule not only influences the film budget, it impacts the timeframe investors can expect to get a return on their investment.

• Distribution plan – This section describes the process used to distribute the film and how distribution rights are designed. There are many possible distribution channels today, including pay-per-view, big-screen theaters, cable companies, DVD, and others.

• Marketing plan – It takes careful and inspired marketing to target the population segment most likely to appreciate the film. In this case, marketing will address how the film compares to other films of the same genre, the advertising and marketing strategies developed, the cost of marketing, and so on.

• Financial plan – The financial plan includes the cost of producing the film, but the entrepreneur must find a way to project revenues. One strategy is to determine the amount of sales made through distribution rights. Another business strategy services is to review what similar films generated in revenue. Resources like Box Office Mojo and Hollywood Reporter provide data concerning box office grosses.

Specific to the Industry

The film marketing plan includes the standard sections like the Executive Summary, Company Description, Management Summary, Operations Plan, Marketing Plan, and Financial Plan. However, it also needs to include the information specific to the film industry, like the film summary and film industry overview.

There are many investors willing to fund new creative entrepreneurs, if the film package is based on a film company business plan . Contact OGS Capital for assistance with development of the film business plan that can be used to apply for private investments, loans or grants, and crowdfunding. The business consultants at OGS Capital have the expertise needed to prepare a high-quality film package and a network of investor contacts. Fill in the short online contact form to get started.

Download Film Business Plan Sample in pdf

OGScapital staff also specialize in compiling such as pet photography business plan , record label business plan , photography company business plan , art gallery business plan , wedding photography business plan , video production business plan , etc.

OGSCapital’s team has assisted thousands of entrepreneurs with top-rate business plan development, consultancy and analysis. They’ve helped thousands of SME owners secure more than $1.5 billion in funding, and they can do the same for you.

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Movie Theater Business Plan PDF Example

• June 17, 2024
• Business Plan

Creating a comprehensive business plan is crucial for launching and running a successful movie theater. This plan serves as your roadmap, detailing your vision, operational strategies, and financial plan. It helps establish your movie theater’s identity, navigate the competitive market, and secure funding for growth.

This article not only breaks down the critical components of a movie theater business plan, but also provides an example of a business plan to help you craft your own.

Whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur or new to the recreation industry, this guide, complete with a business plan example, lays the groundwork for turning your movie theater business concept into reality. Let’s dive in!

Our movie theater business plan is structured to cover all essential aspects needed for a comprehensive strategy. It outlines the theater’s operations, marketing strategy , market environment, competitors, management team, and financial forecasts.

• Executive Summary : Offers an overview of your movie theater’s business concept, market analysis , management, and financial strategy.
• Facility & Location: Describes the theater’s design, amenities, and why its location is appealing to potential clients.
• Services & Rates: Lists the services provided by your movie theater, including types of screenings, amenities, and pricing structure.
• Key Stats: Shares industry size , growth trends, and relevant statistics for the movie theater market.
• Key Trends: Highlights recent trends affecting the movie theater sector.
• Key Competitors : Analyzes main competitors nearby and how your theater differs from them.
• SWOT : Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis.
• Marketing Plan : Strategies for attracting and retaining customers.
• Timeline : Key milestones and objectives from start-up through the first year of operation.
• Management: Information on who manages the movie theater and their roles.
• Financial Plan: Projects the theater’s 5-year financial performance, including revenue, profits, and expected expenses.

Movie Theater Business Plan

Fully editable 30+ slides Powerpoint presentation business plan template.

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Executive Summary

The Executive Summary introduces your movie theater’s business plan, offering a concise overview of your theater and its services. It should detail your market positioning, the range of movies and special events you offer, its location, size, and an outline of day-to-day operations.

This section should also explore how your movie theater will integrate into the local market, including the number of direct competitors within the area, identifying who they are, along with your theater’s unique selling points that differentiate it from these competitors.

Furthermore, you should include information about the management and co-founding team, detailing their roles and contributions to the theater’s success. Additionally, a summary of your financial projections, including revenue and profits over the next five years, should be presented here to provide a clear picture of your theater’s financial plan.

Make sure to cover here _ Business Overview _ Market Overview _ Management Team _ Financial Plan

Business Overview

For a movie theater, the Business Overview section can be concisely divided into 2 main slides:

Facility & Location

Briefly describe the theater’s physical environment, emphasizing its design, comfort, and the overall atmosphere that welcomes patrons. Mention the theater’s location, highlighting its accessibility and the convenience it offers to visitors, such as proximity to shopping centers or ease of parking. Explain why this location is advantageous in attracting your target audience .

Services & Rates

Detail the range of movies and special events offered, from blockbuster films to indie features and live broadcasts of events such as concerts or sports. Outline your pricing strategy , ensuring it reflects the quality of the viewing experience and matches the market you’re targeting. Highlight any packages, membership deals, or loyalty programs that provide added value to your patrons, encouraging repeat visits and customer loyalty.

Make sure to cover here _ Facility & Location _ Services & Rates

Market Overview

Industry size & growth.

In the Market Overview of your movie theater business plan, start by examining the size of the cinema industry and its growth potential. This analysis is crucial for understanding the market’s scope and identifying expansion opportunities.

Key Market Trends

Proceed to discuss recent market trends , such as the increasing consumer interest in immersive viewing experiences, diverse film offerings, and enhanced amenities. Highlight the demand for premium formats like IMAX and 3D, the popularity of themed movie nights, and the integration of advanced technology such as recliner seating and enhanced sound systems.

Key Competitors

Then, consider the competitive landscape, which includes a range of theaters from luxury cinemas to budget-friendly options, as well as the impact of streaming services on movie-going habits. Emphasize what makes your theater distinctive, whether it’s through exceptional customer service, unique film selections, or special events like live broadcasts and themed screenings. This section will help articulate the demand for movie theater services, the competitive environment, and how your theater is positioned to thrive within this dynamic market.

Make sure to cover here _ Industry size & growth _ Key competitors _ Key market trends

Dive deeper into Key competitors

First, conduct a SWOT analysis for the movie theater , highlighting Strengths (such as state-of-the-art facilities and a diverse movie selection), Weaknesses (including high operational costs or strong competition from streaming services), Opportunities (for example, growing interest in immersive experiences and special events), and Threats (such as economic downturns that may decrease consumer spending on entertainment).

Marketing Plan

Next, develop a marketing strategy that outlines how to attract and retain patrons through targeted advertising, promotional discounts, an engaging social media presence, and community involvement.

Finally, create a detailed timeline that outlines critical milestones for the movie theater’s opening, marketing efforts, audience growth, and expansion objectives, ensuring the business moves forward with clear direction and purpose.

Make sure to cover here _ SWOT _ Marketing Plan _ Timeline

Dive deeper into SWOT

Dive deeper into Marketing Plan

The Management section focuses on the movie theater’s management and their direct roles in daily operations and strategic direction. This part is crucial for understanding who is responsible for making key decisions and driving the movie theater toward its financial and operational goals.

For your movie theater business plan, list the core team members, their specific responsibilities, and how their expertise supports the business.

Financial Plan

The Financial Plan section is a comprehensive analysis of your financial projections for revenue, expenses, and profitability. It lays out your movie theater’s approach to securing funding, managing cash flow, and achieving breakeven.

This section typically includes detailed forecasts for the first 5 years of operation, highlighting expected revenue, operating costs and capital expenditures.

For your movie theater business plan, provide a snapshot of your financial statement (profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow statement), as well as your key assumptions (e.g. number of customers and prices, expenses, etc.).

Make sure to cover here _ Profit and Loss _ Cash Flow Statement _ Balance Sheet _ Use of Funds

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Free Business Plan Template for Small Businesses (2024)

Use this free business plan template to write your business plan quickly and efficiently.

A good business plan is essential to successfully starting your business —  and the easiest way to simplify the work of writing a business plan is to start with a business plan template.

You’re already investing time and energy in refining your business model and planning your launch—there’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to writing a business plan. Instead, to help build a complete and effective plan, lean on time-tested structures created by other  entrepreneurs and startups. 

Ahead, learn what it takes to create a solid business plan and download Shopify's free business plan template to get started on your dream today. 

What this free business plan template includes

• Executive summary
• Company overview
• Products or services offered
• Market analysis
• Marketing plan
• Logistics and operations plan
• Financial plan

This business plan outline is designed to ensure you’re thinking through all of the important facets of starting a new business. It’s intended to help new business owners and entrepreneurs consider the full scope of running a business and identify functional areas they may not have considered or where they may need to level up their skills as they grow.

That said, it may not include the specific details or structure preferred by a potential investor or lender. If your goal with a business plan is to secure funding , check with your target organizations—typically banks or investors—to see if they have business plan templates you can follow to maximize your chances of success.

Our free business plan template includes seven key elements typically found in the traditional business plan format:

1. Executive summary

This is a one-page summary of your whole plan, typically written after the rest of the plan is completed. The description section of your executive summary will also cover your management team, business objectives and strategy, and other background information about the brand. 

2. Company overview

This section of your business plan will answer two fundamental questions: “Who are you?” and “What do you plan to do?” Answering these questions clarifies why your company exists, what sets it apart from others, and why it’s a good investment opportunity. This section will detail the reasons for your business’s existence, its goals, and its guiding principles.

3. Products or services offered

What you sell and the most important features of your products or services. It also includes any plans for intellectual property, like patent filings or copyright. If you do market research for new product lines, it will show up in this section of your business plan.

4. Market analysis

This section includes everything from estimated market size to your target markets and competitive advantage. It’ll include a competitive analysis of your industry to address competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. Market research is an important part of ensuring you have a viable idea.

5. Marketing plan

How you intend to get the word out about your business, and what strategic decisions you’ve made about things like your pricing strategy. It also covers potential customers’ demographics, your sales plan, and your metrics and milestones for success.

6. Logistics and operations plan

Everything that needs to happen to turn your raw materials into products and get them into the hands of your customers.

7. Financial plan

It’s important to include a look at your financial projections, including both revenue and expense projections. This section includes templates for three key financial statements: an income statement, a balance sheet, and a cash-flow statement . You can also include whether or not you need a business loan and how much you’ll need.

Business plan examples

What do financial projections look like on paper? How do you write an executive summary? What should your company description include?  Business plan examples  can help answer some of these questions and transform your business idea into an actionable plan.

Professional business plan example

Inside our template, we’ve filled out a sample business plan featuring a fictional ecommerce business . 

The sample is set up to help you get a sense of each section and understand how they apply to the planning and evaluation stages of a business plan. If you’re looking for funding, this example won’t be a complete or formal look at business plans, but it will give you a great place to start and notes about where to expand.

Lean business plan example

A lean business plan format is a shortened version of your more detailed business plan. It’s helpful when modifying your plan for a specific audience, like investors or new hires. 

Also known as a one-page business plan, it includes only the most important, need-to-know information, such as:

• Company description
• Key members of your team
• Customer segments

💡 Tip: For a step-by-step guide to creating a lean business plan (including a sample business plan), read our guide on how to create a lean business plan .

Benefits of writing a solid business plan

It’s tempting to dive right into execution when you’re excited about a new business or side project, but taking the time to write a thorough business plan and get your thoughts on paper allows you to do a number of beneficial things:

• Test the viability of your business idea. Whether you’ve got one business idea or many, business plans can make an idea more tangible, helping you see if it’s truly viable and ensure you’ve found a target market. 
• Plan for your next phase. Whether your goal is to start a new business or scale an existing business to the next level, a business plan can help you understand what needs to happen and identify gaps to address.
• Clarify marketing strategy, goals, and tactics. Writing a business plan can show you the actionable next steps to take on a big, abstract idea. It can also help you narrow your strategy and identify clear-cut tactics that will support it.
• Scope the necessary work. Without a concrete plan, cost overruns and delays are all but certain. A business plan can help you see the full scope of work to be done and adjust your investment of time and money accordingly.
• Hire and build partnerships. When you need buy-in from potential employees and business partners, especially in the early stages of your business, a clearly written business plan is one of the best tools at your disposal. A business plan provides a refined look at your goals for the business, letting partners judge for themselves whether or not they agree with your vision.
• Secure funds. Seeking financing for your business—whether from venture capital, financial institutions, or Shopify Capital —is one of the most common reasons to create a business plan.

Why you should you use a template for a business plan

A business plan can be as informal or formal as your situation calls for, but even if you’re a fan of the back-of-the-napkin approach to planning, there are some key benefits to starting your plan from an existing outline or simple business plan template.

No blank-page paralysis

A blank page can be intimidating to even the most seasoned writers. Using an established business planning process and template can help you get past the inertia of starting your business plan, and it allows you to skip the work of building an outline from scratch. You can always adjust a template to suit your needs.

Guidance on what to include in each section

If you’ve never sat through a business class, you might never have created a SWOT analysis or financial projections. Templates that offer guidance—in plain language—about how to fill in each section can help you navigate sometimes-daunting business jargon and create a complete and effective plan.

Knowing you’ve considered every section

In some cases, you may not need to complete every section of a startup business plan template, but its initial structure shows you you’re choosing to omit a section as opposed to forgetting to include it in the first place.

Tips for creating a successful business plan

There are some high-level strategic guidelines beyond the advice included in this free business plan template that can help you write an effective, complete plan while minimizing busywork.

Understand the audience for your plan

If you’re writing a business plan for yourself in order to get clarity on your ideas and your industry as a whole, you may not need to include the same level of detail or polish you would with a business plan you want to send to potential investors. Knowing who will read your plan will help you decide how much time to spend on it.

Know your goals

Understanding the goals of your plan can help you set the right scope. If your goal is to use the plan as a roadmap for growth, you may invest more time in it than if your goal is to understand the competitive landscape of a new industry.

Take it step by step

Writing a 10- to 15-page document can feel daunting, so try to tackle one section at a time. Select a couple of sections you feel most confident writing and start there—you can start on the next few sections once those are complete. Jot down bullet-point notes in each section before you start writing to organize your thoughts and streamline the writing process.

Maximize your business planning efforts

Planning is key to the financial success of any type of business , whether you’re a startup, non-profit, or corporation.

To make sure your efforts are focused on the highest-value parts of your own business planning, like clarifying your goals, setting a strategy, and understanding the target market and competitive landscape, lean on a business plan outline to handle the structure and format for you. Even if you eventually omit sections, you’ll save yourself time and energy by starting with a framework already in place.

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Business plan template FAQ

What is the purpose of a business plan.

The purpose of your business plan is to describe a new business opportunity or an existing one. It clarifies the business strategy, marketing plan, financial forecasts, potential providers, and more information about the company.

How do I write a simple business plan?

• Choose a business plan format, such as a traditional or a one-page business plan. 
• Find a business plan template.
• Read through a business plan sample.
• Fill in the sections of your business plan.

What is the best business plan template?

If you need help writing a business plan, Shopify’s template is one of the most beginner-friendly options you’ll find. It’s comprehensive, well-written, and helps you fill out every section.

What are the 5 essential parts of a business plan?

The five essential parts of a traditional business plan include:

• Executive summary: This is a brief overview of the business plan, summarizing the key points and highlighting the main points of the plan.
• Business description: This section outlines the business concept and how it will be executed.
• Market analysis: This section provides an in-depth look at the target market and how the business will compete in the marketplace.
• Financial plan: This section details the financial projections for the business, including sales forecasts, capital requirements, and a break-even analysis.
• Management and organization: This section describes the management team and the organizational structure of the business.

Are there any free business plan templates?

There are several free templates for business plans for small business owners available online, including Shopify’s own version. Download a copy for your business.

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Production Schedule Template

Get your Production Schedule Template for Excel or open it in ProjectManager, the best way to manage your projects online.

Getting goods to customers involves a lot of coordination. There are demands to meet and raw materials to procure. And of course, you need to create a manufacturing schedule to deliver the commodity on time and meet customer needs. Use our free production schedule template for Excel to get those pieces together, and keep your manufacturing process running smoothly.

But, if you want to make an even better production schedule than Excel can offer, open ProjectManager’s free production schedule template. It lets you build a dynamic production schedule that can be managed online with an interactive Gantt chart, spreadsheet or kanban board. Track progress, create dependencies, find the critical path, attach files and more. Get started for free with ProjectManager and build a better production schedule.

What Is a Production Schedule?

A production schedule is a plan to balance supply and demand in the production of a commodity. It tracks the production of a product over a period of time, and is a fundamental piece of any manufacturing business.

Like any schedule, a production schedule is built to be flexible. It responds to fluctuations in demand and sets up inventory to avoid stockouts. Using our free production schedule template for Excel will help you improve efficiency and control costs.

Everything about the manufacturing process is covered in this template. It helps you determine what needs to be produced, how much of it you need to make and when it needs to happen.

Why You Need a Production Schedule Template

The production schedule is part of your supply chain management . Not only does it manage your resources, but it helps your sales team work with production to plan a schedule that delivers the goods to customers as needed.

Using the production schedule template will help you estimate an accurate and realistic production plan, one that can be revisited and revised as needed. It helps to manage your inventory and stock movements. It also allows you to track your targets , manage deliveries and allocate resources, which includes both raw materials and personnel.

When to Use a Production Schedule Template

Use the production schedule template during production planning. This is when you start to estimate the number of raw materials, people, workstations, processes and supplies you’ll need to get the work done.

The next step is to determine the route of the raw materials through the production to the finished product. This will help you know where you are in the production cycle. This way you can accurately map the route from one workstation to the next.

This is when the production schedule comes in. It’s a way to manage these processes to match your deadline and budget. Then you can execute orders without having to make wild guesses. During the execution phase, you have most of the work laid out and just have to respond to supporting issues.

If you find yourself constantly updating and revising this template and other Excel sheets, it might be time to upgrade to project management software. Project management software automates much of that process and adds resource management tools to help you produce more efficiently. Workload charts with real-time resource availability keep your team productive. ProjectManager also has kanban boards that show you exactly where you are in the production cycle, so you can add resources to match your capacity. Try it for yourself with a free 30-day trial.

Who Should Use a Production Schedule Template?

Depending on your business, there can be one or more people who use the production schedule template. A production planning manager oversees the production of a business. This person is more likely to manage the plan itself, though the schedule is part of that plan.

There are also production schedulers who are tasked with making the schedule on the required timeline. They are sometimes called a master scheduler. They look at historic data and inventory to make accurate and effective schedules.

Whether you have a production planning manager or a production scheduler, the person who uses the production schedule template needs to stay in close communication with suppliers, sales representatives and other stakeholders to make sure they are calculating current numbers and meeting current demand.

How to Use ProjectManager’s Production Schedule Template

Our free production schedule template for Excel has all the information you need to add mapped out for you. Just put in how much and when, then you can organize your manufacturing to meet deadlines.

Company Info

The first part of the template is where you identify the work center and the shift. There’s a place to date the template and then another where you can add the date it was revised.

Order Status

This is where you indicate the status of the order. You can customize this column to mirror your nomenclature. We have set the template with options of started, in progress, done and more.

Production Number

Next is where you indicate the production number for internal tracking. What follows is the name of the customer for whom you’re making the product to sell. The product list is simply the quantity of items you’re going to manufacture.

Variations refers to any differences in the product. For example, if you’re manufacturing lunchboxes, this would indicate different colors or designs. Then you add up the product list and variations to come up with the total product quantity.

Starting Inventory

The starting inventory is how much inventory you have at the beginning of the manufacturing job. The ending inventory is what you’re left with. This will help you gauge your inventory to make sure you always have enough of what you need in stock.

Manufacturing Dates

Next is the start date for the manufacturing, followed by the end date, which gives you a timeframe by which the work must be completed. When it is done, there’s a place for the ship date, which can be seen as the hard deadline by which time your product must leave the manufacturing floor.

There’s a place for notes to fill in any gaps that aren’t part of the overall production schedule template. Under that is a place to capture any delays in manufacturing, listing the from-to dates and adding an explanation for the delay.

How to Schedule Production in ProjectManager

The free production schedule template is a great start to managing your manufacturing schedule, but if you want to plan better, organize resources, set dependencies and more, you’ll want to use a project management software tool like ProjectManager to simplify your scheduling. Use our online Gantt charts to get all your tasks identified, described and laid out over a timeline, with start and finish dates. Now you can see your entire manufacturing schedule in one place. There are likely dependent tasks that can cause a bottleneck in your manufacturing. With the Gantt chart it’s easy to link these tasks together by simply dragging one to another so they don’t slip through the cracks and cause delays.

Resource Tracking

Because our software is online you can monitor your manufacturing in real-time and reallocate resources quickly to stay on track. There’s even a workload chart to balance your team’s tasks so they work more efficiently. All resource costs are managed, which gives you more control over the supplies and raw materials you need to make your product.

What Other Templates Can Help With Scheduling?

Our free production schedule template is one of dozens of free project management templates on our site that can help you better plan and schedule your work.

Gantt Chart Template

While not as dynamic as our online Gantt chart, the free Gantt chart template is still very helpful when making your schedule. It gives you a visual tool to organize your schedule by showing you start and end dates and setting milestones to break up your production into more manageable bits.

Work Schedule Template

Our free work schedule template will help you organize your workforce by letting you list all your employees, where they’re located, the times they’re working and what they’re responsible for doing over their shift. It can manage the traditional weekday, but also shift work for those manufacturers that are running their machinery all week long, 24 hours a day.

Project Plan Template

The free project plan template is used to organize all the activities of your manufacturing production. That includes tasks and resources. It breaks the work into phases, activities into a schedule with tasks and durations, dependencies and more.

Related Production Scheduling Content

We publish blogs, videos and guides that explain all the different aspects of production management. Here are a few of the ones that focus on production scheduling and other similar topics:

• Best Production Scheduling Software Rankings
• Production Scheduling Basics
• How to Create a Master Production Schedule (MPS)
• Production Management: A Quick Guide
• Production Planning in Manufacturing: Best Practices

ProjectManager is a cloud-based tool that helps you organize work, teams and gives you real-time data to help you make better decisions. It is used by tens of thousands of teams across many industries to help them plan, schedule, monitor, track and report on the progress and performance of their work. See what it can do to help you stay on schedule by taking this free 30-day trial today.

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