Making a movie may be part art and part science, but it's 100 percent business.

In this comprehensive and accessible guide, Kelly Charles Crabb shares the information necessary to understand the legal and financial challenges involved in getting a film from story to the silver screen and beyond.

Drawing on over twenty years of experience in the entertainment industry, as both lawyer and producer, Crabb reveals his insider's knowledge on:

• Understanding copyright and intellectual property law


• Obtaining financial backing


• Selecting and hiring the key players


• Overseeing the filming


• Locking in the theatrical, home video, and TV distribution


• Understanding merchandise licensing

and everything else you need to know to make a serious run at producing and exploiting a movie. Offering hands-on illustrations from actual movie contracts to show how the basic deals for each of the many stages are assembled, the author explains in plain and simple terms what the contracts contain and why. It gives the big picture and the finer points of movie making -- from concept to raking in the last dollar after the film is completed.

While it may not transform you into a lawyer or an industry accountant -- and that's not what you want anyway -- it will take you through all the business and legal principles you need to know to be a successful and knowledgeable professional producer.