Business Plan 2.0 Building Basics Virtual Intensive Bootcamp

Let 2012 be the year you get your movie made! Kick off the new year with a virtual intensive bootcamp focused on how to formulate an independent film business plan for today's marketplace that raises money responsibly and incorporates new revenue streams. STARTS JANUARY 12, 2012.

INTENSIVE BONUS: Participants receive a 6 month complimentary membership to Film Specific ($149 value).

"Any film maker new to the world of film finance cannot afford to miss this Boot Camp. This is THE ultimate resource for business plan creation! Not just an overview, but an extreme hands on process. If you have vision and need to raise money - then you will need the Business Plan 2.0 Boot Camp. - Ron Borders, Borderline Productions

WHY DO YOU NEED A FILM BUSINESS PLAN?

If you're raising private equity to finance your film, then investors will want to see a Business Plan. Also, if you plan on using Pre-Sales to finance your film, chances are you'll need to raise some private equity to fill the "gap". If you plan on using Crowd Funding to finance your film, you'll most likely have a portion of your film that needs to be raised with private equity. The bottom line is this: no matter which form of film financing you're planning on using, private equity will almost certainly come into play and for that, you'll need a business plan!

Business Plans are much different today than the "plug and play" samples you find scattered across the internet from years before. WHY? Because distribution models have changed (and keep changing) and therefore revenue recoupment has changed.

As the economy has dipped, more than ever investors in independent films are looking for solid evidence that producers have a realistic financing and distribution plan in place that is firmly in line with the realities of today's marketplace. Otherwise, they have to think twice about risking their hard-earned money.

Just a few short years ago as an independent producer you could project revenue from tried and true sources like traditional DVD and theatrical distribution. While those platforms still exist, the models have been turned upside down. The returns these revenue streams once produced have greatly declined and are now supplemented by direct-to-consumer sales, VOD revenue, specialty screenings, merchandise, transmedia opportunities, Cable PPV, and more.

WHAT IS BUSINESS PLAN 2.0 BUILDING BASICS?

In Business Plan 2.0 Building Basics I show you how to formulate a business plan appropriate for the current marketplace and how to integrate new revenue streams into the traditional business plan structure. By examining both the state of the market AND new revenue opportunities available to independent producers, you will be able to nail down a specific distribution strategy for your film that maximizes potential return for your investors and clearly and effectively communicates that to them in your business plan.

HOW BUSINESS PLAN 2.0 BUILDING BASICS WORKS

This is an immersive program -- part group consultancy, part virtual intensive -- comprised of a series of five live "virtual" sessions, accessible from anywhere in the world via telephone (and Skype). The live sessions are supplemented with an online "virtual classroom" where you can get guidance anytime in between the live sessions via the program forum. Sample business plans and supplementary materials are also provided to assist you in understanding and crafting your own business plan.

"Thank you so much for your incredible Business Plan Boot Camp. With your guidance and wisdom I was able to write my very first business plan for our film. Our original plan was asking for a private equity investment of $650,000. We currently have one investor who loved our business plan and idea so much, he asked me to rewrite the plan and redo my projections for a $1.5 million private equity investment with name talent. Your attention to detail for each section of the plan not only translates on the page but more importantly, it translates in the pitch meetings. The wisdom you share and the amount of research you ask us to do really has given me that extra bit of confidence in my pitch meetings. I cannot thank you enough!" - Prem Shah / Producer, The Keeper's

Here's what we cover in the program:

Session 1 (January 12): STRUCTURE & BASICS OF AN INDIE FILM BUSINESS PLAN
(virtual session: 60 - 90 minutes - accessible via telephone: 10am PST/ 1pm EST/ 1800 GMT)

• How to build your indie film business plan (a template and sample plans are included throughout the program)
• Overview of when you need to use a business plan for raising money
• What investors care about and what you need to show them in your business plan
• Long vs. short - which sections to include and not include in your business plan
• The absolute necessities for communicating your vision to investors

Session 2 (January 18): COMMUNICATING YOUR DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY
(virtual session: 60 - 90 minutes - accessible via telephone: 10am PST/ 1pm EST/ 1800 GMT)

• Which traditional and alternative 2.0 distribution strategies do you need to include in your plan
• What your Plan A and Plan B should look like (and why you must have both of these in your plan)
• Where Festivals come into play
• How do you tailor the existing traditional and alternative strategies to fit your specific project
• What kind of distribution is realistic for your project
• What kind of revenue will self distribution generate for your project
• How do you know which 2.0 strategies to use for your film and in what order?
• Which traditional and alternative strategies will realistically generate revenue for your project

Session 3 (January 20): COMMUNICATING RECOUPMENT TO YOUR INVESTORS
(virtual session: 60 - 90 minutes - accessible via telephone: 10am PST/ 1pm EST/ 1800 GMT)

• What is a realistic recoupment schedule for your investors
• What do the sales cycles look like for the different distribution platforms
• When will you get paid and who pays your investors
• How does distribution cash flow work for both traditional and 2.0 distribution models
• How to present recoupment in your indie film business plan

Session 4 (January 24): SALES PROJECTIONS - PROJECTING REALISTIC REVENUE FOR YOUR FILM
(virtual session: 60 - 90 minutes - accessible via telephone: 10am PST/ 1pm EST/ 1800 GMT)

• What do realistic sales projections look like for YOUR film
• How do you responsibly communicate revenue projections to your investors
• How to incorporate sales projections from traditional, and 2.0 distribution platforms
• How much will your investors make back
• How each distribution platform contributes to your bottom line

Session 5 (January 26): BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER - YOUR BUSINESS PLAN 2.0 PRESENTATION PACKAGE
(virtual session: 60 - 90 minutes - accessible via telephone: 10am PST/ 1pm EST/ 1800 GMT)

• What's the best way to present your Business 2.0 plan to investors
• What type of supplemental materials do you need (samples are included)
• Tailoring your business plan to specific investors
• Tailoring your business plan to different investor audiences (and why you absolutely need to do this)

In Addition, Business Plan 2.0 Building Basics Participants Will Also Receive:

• Business Plan Template to create and customize your film's business plan.

• Sample Business Plans to gain an greater understanding of how business plans function, to see first-hand variations on format and specialized content to help you craft your own business plan

• Supplementary Sample Materials for building business plans including sample cash flow statement, sample financial table, reference guides and more

• Business Plan Critique
If you complete your Business Plan within 60 days of your registration, Stacey Parks will critique your business plan (via e-mail only) and offer feedback on your plan as well as suggestions for improving what you've got (if necessary, of course). Stacey's normal rate to review and critique business plans is $1000. However, participants will get a review and critique as part of the program. (Please note this critique is for the body of the business plan only - we cannot critique supplemental materials including PPM, etc. Only one critique will be given per participant.)

• A private Business Plan 2.0 Building Basics Virtual Classroom for Q&A and personalized consulting in-between live sessions

• Downloadable MP3 recordings of all the program lectures and Q&A sessions - no worries if you can't make the live calls, each session is recorded in its entirety and made available to all program participants to download within a few hours of each session's end, so you won't miss a thing

• Business Plan Building Worksheets to help facilitate your steps throughout the process.

• 6 Months of Complimentary Film Specific Membership to offer on-going support (value: $149)

"I have produced two feature films... ('Find Me Guilty' directed by the late Sidney Lumet and 'Even Money' starring Forest Whittaker and Kim Bassinger). Budget is one of the main things when talking to investors and distribution companies. But because the industry changes so much, budgetary needs also change and that impacts business plans. So, after I heard about Film Specific's Business Plan BootCamp, I signed up for the class thinking I would just be getting a refresher on the latest changes in the industry. But, little did I know I would be getting more then just a refresher. In Stacey's class, I got insight on how to improve my business plan - things I hadn't even considered. Yes, you might assume that after my having produced two feature films, with notable talent and sizable budgets, I knew everything about business plans - but, after I took Stacey's class... I learned that there is more to a business plan then the usual plan. I recommend Stacey's Business Plan Bootcamp to anyone who is not only making their first feature film but also to experienced producers. Stacey's course is about learning how to stay on top of the game game, in the midst of all its changes... and everyone - amateurs and professionals alike, can always use that. - Johnny Sanchez

THE VALUE OF GROUP COACHING:

It can cost you anywhere from $2000 and up (way up) to have a business plan created for your film. Understanding how to build your own business plan can save you thousands of dollars not only on your current projects but also on your film business plans for years to come.

For a fraction of the price of one hour of individual consulting with me at my hourly rate of $500, you become a part of this immersive group intensive designed to guide you through every step of responsibly crafting your film's business plan and tailoring it to today's market. For a small fraction of your project's budget, Business Plan 2.0 Building Basics is a true investment in your project and your career...