Table of Contents

Part I: Early Days and the Big Picture

Chapter 1: The Film Life Cycle

Chapter 2: Preparing Your Business

Chapter 3: Fixing the Script

Chapter 4: Working with Other People

Chapter 5: Assembling Your Initial Team

Chapter 6: Marketing

Part II: The Director's Path

Chapter 7: Script Analysis

Chapter 8: Gathering Materials

Chapter 9: Prep for Casting

Part III: The Producer's Path

Chapter 10: The Breakdown

Chapter 11: The Budget

Chapter 12: Thinking Strategically

Chapter 13: Vendors, Equipment, Negotiations

Chapter 14: Dealing with Guilds and Unions

Part IV: Joint Preparation

Chapter 15: Casting

Chapter 16: Location Scouting

Chapter 17: Hiring Your Crew

Chapter 18: Rehearsals

Chapter 19: Tech Scouting

Chapter 20: Previsulization

Part V: The Shoot and After

Chapter 21: Routines for Success in Production

Chapter 22: Preparing for Post

Chapter 23: Preparing for Distribution

Chapter 24: Beyond Basic Planning

Appendices

Appendix A: Further Reading/Tools/Resources

Appendix B: Helpful Forms

About the Author

Arthur Vincie has over fifteen years of film and television production experience as a line producer, producer, and director. Vincie has line produced or production managed numerous independent films and is very active in the New York City independent filmmaking community. He has done production work for major television networks, including NBC, ABC, and BBC America. He founded and currently runs Chaotic Sequence Inc., a company that produces shorts and features. He recently wrote and directed the feature film Found in Time, which won the Best Sci-Fi Feature at the 2012 Shriekfest Sci-Fi/Horror film festival.

Reviews

"I recommend Preparing for Takeoff to anyone making an independent film. While there are other books on the subject, what sets this one apart is how well it explains the balance between the artistic process the writer/director goes through and the practical decisions the producer has to consider, especially when working low budget. Vincie shows how the two affect each other and offers creative solutions for dealing with limited resources without compromising the filmmaker's artistic vision."

• Dorothy Rompalske, Film Department, Brooklyn College, CUNY

"Everyone on the filmmaking team, from director to cinematographer, to location scout to casting director, can benefit from what Preparing for Takeoff covers. While allowing for lots of creativity, it brings concrete planning to everyone's position. Too many filmmaking books are simply stories, fun to read, but not all that helpful. I love Arthur Vincie's Preparing for Takeoff."

• Howard Libov, Writer/Director, Favorite Son and Midnight Edition, Professor, Film Department, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Overall I am impressed by the amount of information Arthur shares and believe the book will be a wonderful resource for many interested in the art and craft of filmmaking.

• Sal Petrosino, Director of Operations, Film, Video and Animation Department, School of Visual Arts