3 Books to Help Finance Your Projects After Film Courses

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You are determined to become a filmmaker. You've already taken your first step: applying to film schools. In Canada and abroad, there are many choices. Your life feels ripe with possibility. But you have one fear that haunts you. You wonder if you will really have what it takes after graduation from film courses to make your dreams come true. You have plenty of ideas for movies, that's for sure. But that doesn't mean that you know how to finance one. Here are three book ideas to calm these kinds of fears, common amongst new applicants to film schools.

1. 43 Ways to Finance Your Feature Film by John W. Cones 

In this book, entertainment lawyer John Cones shares his insider knowledge gleaned from almost two decades helping independent filmmakers navigate the multifaceted world of movie financing. Although the author is based in Los Angeles - where else? - the book includes a discussion of financing from countries other than the United States, and is, therefore, appropriate for new applicants to filmmaking schools around the world.

This book may turn up on the curriculum of your film courses, but there's no harm in beginning your research early. Reading on your own increases the likelihood that when you do finally graduate that you will have a firm grounding in such topics as: 

industry financing (What is this? It is basically funding by your peers, i.e., other, more established graduates of film schools)investor financinglender financing

2. The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Get Charitable Donations From Individuals in a Houseparty Setting by Morrie Warshawski 

Although this book could be of use to any kind of fundraiser, it is written with filmmakers in mind. The author explains how graduates of filmmaking schools can organize a compelling event, touching on such details as: 

planning committeesinvitationsfood and drinkpresentationsthank yous

Warshawski emphasizes the importance of graduates of film courses appealing to the emotions of their potential donors, something to which their craft, fortunately, is uniquely well suited. What is the role of film schools if not to teach students how to appeal to the emotions of their audience? 

3. Shaking the Money Tree, 3rd Edition: The Art of Getting Grants and Donations for Film and Video, also by Morrie Warshawski 

In this book, Warshawski tackles that topic of supreme interest to staff and students of film schools: how to write a winning grant application. This kind of knowledge can even help students in film schools finance their productions for film courses.

If you are anxiously awaiting a wave of fateful letters from film production schools around the world, calm your nerves by advancing your studies on your own. Who knows, it may help you finance one of your film school's productions once you finally do get that longed for acceptance letter!

Visit Trebas Institute for more information on Film Production programs.

Percey Evans is a freelance writer who works for Higher Education Marketing, a leading Web marketing firm specializing in Google Analytics, Education Lead Generation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Mobile SMS Alerts, Social Media Marketing and Pay Per Click Marketing, among other Web marketing services and tools.

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Why Pursue a Career in Finance?

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In the olden days a career in finance did not offer anything more than a back-office recording keeping job. A finance person was understood to be a record-keeping person in an organization.

However, with the evolution of business landscape, the role of finance has evolved and become more challenging. In today's organization a finance person occupies a much broader role involving decision-making, planning, controlling the financial operation of a business.

Within finance, one can find a variety of job roles that are not limited to just the accounting field. You can explore financial career options in various industries such as financial service, financial planning, fund management, regulatory compliance, trading, financial management, and so on.

These different jobs require you to have completely different skill sets, and you can choose a financial career that suits your personality and skill level.

If you are analytically oriented, you can choose a career in risk management, where your job is to measure and manage the risk faced by a bank or a financial institution. Alternatively you can also join the insurance industry as an actuary where you ass the risk of loss, and design and price new insurance products. These jobs require number crunching skills. You are also expected to be very diligent as a small mistake can turn into big losses.

On the other hand, if you are a very outgoing person and like meeting people, you may be better suited for selling financial instruments. You may want to join a bank or an insurance company, and promote their financial products to prospective customers. In a bank, you are expected to sell their financial products such as deposit accounts, credit cards, personal loans, home loans, etc. For a career in sales, most organizations provide you a thorough training on their products and common techniques for selling. You are expected to be a go-getter with the ability to close deals quickly. In most financial services institutions, you are paid a decent salary and a commission, which is based on your sales targets.

One more lucrative career option is in trading. As a trader you use your employer or client's funds to trade in financial products such as equity, bonds, currencies and currencies in an attempt to make a profit. Traders study the financial markets and identify opportunities to make profit. This is a high stress job and requires you to have strong analytical skills and a tough attitude. A career in trading also offers good salaries with bonuses and incentives linked to your performance.

While these are a few important career options available in finance, a person interested in this field can choose from a much wider array of job roles. Best of luck with your financial career!

Sam is an expert in finance with over 10 years of experience in finance education industry. He currently writes for Finance Train on various topics in Financial Careers

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