Film Producers' Foundation Certificate

Learn how to create the paperwork and marketing assets to get your film funded and sold

Each class is taught by a different leading film industry professional

5 evening classes – take them all or take individual classes

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You’ve found a script, scoured fringe theatres for hot but undiscovered telanet, you have a ssembled a crew, but all you now need is the money.

This 5-evening film Producers Foundation Certificate answers specific questions in key areas of producing, and explores the opportunities producers have today to develop, finance, budget and market a film, as well as deal with legal and business affairs.

During each class you’ll learn skills essential to getting your movie made.

To receive a certificate, attend all 5 evenings and save. You can also purchase individual topic evenings.

Writers, directors, producers, actors, filmmakers, cinema lovers — anyone with an interest in how movies are made and who seek a basic introduction to the filmmaking process.

The Producer’s Foundation Certificate is a five-part evening course comprised of classes which each deal with a different aspect, process, or skill involved in producing films.

Producers have control over almost every aspect of a film’s production. They bring together and/or authorise the production team, including the director, director of photography, production designer and major cast members. The producer’s primary responsibility is to build an environment where the film’s cast and crew can thrive. They guide the film from conception to distribution and beyond.

*Each of the five classes can also be taken individually.

Once you’ve found that terrific script and settled on a director to bring it to life, you need to prepare a plan for how you will get the money you need to make the film.

This class will explore the essentials you will need to present your project to both industry and private investors.

• Choosing and approaching investors
• Structuring a business plan
• Preparing sales estimates and income streams
• Profit participation

***THIS CLASS WILL RUN FROM 7PM TO 9PM WITH NO BREAK***

*Take this class on its own for £57.60

*Remember: save 30%

A professional budget and schedule are arguably the most important parts of any film business plan.

Simply put, a film budget is a list of all the stuff and people you need to make your film, and a schedule is when and where you need it. If you get the budget wrong, your film will stall half-finished without cash.

Get the schedule wrong and your film will suffer – either from loss of quality or remain unfinished because you have run out of time (and budget). This class explains how scripts are analysed in order to produce a realistic budget and schedule.

This evening crash course explains:

• Script breakdown
• Assessing prices
• Union vs. non-union
• Creating a feasible schedule

***THIS CLASS WILL RUN FROM 6.30PM TO 9PM***

You can take this class on its own for £57.60

*Remember: save 30%

Once your film is finished and ready to be sold, you will have to show the “chain of title” to any prospective film buyer. If you fail to do this you will never be able to sell your film.

This class is designed to answer fundamental questions about the rights attaching to a film and its component parts and the contracts required to acquire, clear and protect those rights. View it as health insurance for filmmakers!

This evening crash course explains:

• Explains copyright and the rights of creatives and performers
• Explains the key elements of a contract
• Provides practical guidance on negotiating film contracts
• Demystifies commonly used legal terminology

***THIS CLASS WILL TAKE PLACE ONLINE ONLY FROM 6.30PM TO 9PM***

You can take this class on its own for £57.60

*Remember: save 30%

This class will run through the basic financing tools available for any business — not just the film business— and provides students will the tools to plan the finance for your film. These tax-efficient finance structures make the UK one of the most attractive places in Europe to raise money for film production.

• Tax-efficient finance vehicles
• Enterprise Investment Schemes
• Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs)
• Profit participation

Please note: This course will not discuss current film finance structures. For information on this, visit .

***THIS CLASS WILL RUN ONLINE ONLY FROM 6.30PM TO 9PM***

You can take this class on its own for £57.60

*Remember: save 30%

This class will run through the basic financing tools available for any business — not just the film business— and provides students will the tools to plan the finance for your film. These tax-efficient finance structures make the UK one of the most attractive places in Europe to raise money for film production.

• Tax-efficient finance vehicles
• Enterprise Investment Schemes
• Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs)
• Profit participation

Please note: This course will not discuss current film finance structures. For information on this, visit .

***THIS CLASS WILL RUN FROM 6.30PM TO 9PM***

You can take this class on its own for £57.60

*Remember: save 30%

Upon completion of the Producer’s Foundation Certificate, students will have acquired the skills, knowledge and confidence to then undertake their first producing projects.

A mix of lecture-style and demonstration with opportunities for students to ask the tutor questions.

Elliot Grove (Creating a Business Plan) is the founder of Raindance Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards. He has produced over hundreds of short films and also five feature films, including the multi-award-winning in 2006 and in 2014.

Elliot has written three books which have become industry standards: Raindance Writers’ Lab: Write + Sell the Hot Screenplay, now in its second edition, Raindance Producers’ Lab: Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking, and 130 Projects to Get You Into Filmmaking. In 2009 he was awarded a PhD for services to film education.

Alec Christie (Budgeting and Scheduling) is an Executive Producer at Craft Worldwide, part of McCann Worldgroup.

Alec started his career in feature films and television working as a Producer, Line Producer and Production Manager before moving into Fashion Film at Spring Studios in 2011. He now works as Executive Producer at Craft Worldwide, the production arm of McCann Worldgroup.

Alec has been budgeting and scheduling productions for over 20 years working on features films, dramas, commercials, animations, documentaries, promos and live events. He has worked on productions in far flung locations from Africa to the Arctic Circle.

Tony Morris (Legal Requirements for Filmmakers) has more than 40 years’ experience as a lawyer working across the media, entertainment and technology industries. His main focus is clients operating in the film, television and music industries – not only in the UK but also in the USA, Europe and elsewhere.

Tony has been lecturing regularly since 1997, most recently and currently as the provider of the legal modules for the Raindance course for independent writers and producers. He is regularly booked as a guest lecturer at the National Film and Television School and at the University of Portsmouth.

Tony has published dozens of articles and commentaries on a wide range of media and entertainment legal topics in the industry and national press and has appeared as a commentator on both radio and television. He is the author of ‘The Filmmakers’ Legal Guide’ now in its second edition.

Follow Tony Morris on | Twitter |

Dave Morrison (Movie Money) is both a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor, Dave was a tax manager at two large firms before spending a number of years running his own (MOBO Nominated) DJ, club and concert business. He joined NLP in the late 1990s and his association with the world of entertainment continues, with specific areas of expertise in Creative Industry Tax Credits and EIS share issues. Along with his skills with regards to tax enquiry work, Dave has also represented clients at tax tribunal cases and takes a keen interest in a wide range of technical tax matters.

He was chairman of the Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Entertainment and Media Group for several years and regularly presents and writes articles on issues salient to both the entertainment and tax industries.

Beyond that, he spends less evenings dancing, now opting to spend his weekends cycling, accomplishing most Audax awards and completing many prestigious British and European rides. He even has a trophy or two at home! He also still proudly holds a season ticket at QPR.

Having previously served as the Investment Manager at London based The Fyzz Facility Jasmin Morrison (Movie Money) has been involved in the financing of over 100 feature films and has experience working from conception to distribution.

Jasmin Morrison has wide experience as a film professional having worked in production, post production and film finance. In 2019 Jasmin founded Soul Cognition a production and consultancy company which is committed to diverse stories from a myriad of filmmakers.

Jasmin is also an experienced public speaker having presented at numerous events worldwide including at SXSW, Film London’s New Entrants course and having been featured on The Best Girl Grip and Screenster Podcasts. Jasmin also serves as a consultant for Breaking Through the Lens

Deborah Sheppard (Marketing and Selling Your Film) is a highly experienced senior marketing and distribution executive. Deborah started her career in advertising before moving into major studio distribution.

As Marketing Director for over 12 years for United International Pictures and Paramount Pictures UK, she worked extensively within an international sphere. Deborah presided over the campaigns for 420 releases across multiple genres, from festival films and local acquisitions. She masterminded releases of the hit movies Billy Elliot, Jarhead, Inside Man, Babel, Into the Wild, Revolutionary Road, True Grit, Made In Dagenham, and Killing Bono. She also released the animated favourites, Wallace and Gromit, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Madagascar, Rango, Shrek andTintin. She also worked on major franchise blockbusters including Bond, Bourne, Transformers, Star Trek, and Mission Impossible contributing to the impressive achievement of $4.2bn at the UK box office.

Deborah set up her consultancy, Iheartcinema in 2012. She offers expert advice to film-makers, UK and international distributors. She offers script advice, audience research, casting and festival campaigns. She has supported a wide range of clients. From an indie Russian distributor with localising international film releases, built and managed teams for hybrid/self-distribution campaigns, with social/digital and PR focus. These include the doc, We Are Many (UK theatrical, US/Canada virtual premiere event release in 2020), experiential feature, The Last Faust, comedies, The Hippopotamus, Hurt by Paradise. She worked on a festival and strategic release campaign for foreign language Oscar longlist short film, Messania’s Story..

As producer, Deborah is developing and producing a number of live action features and an animation. As mentor Deborah delivers a number of industry distribution and marketing training programmes in the UK and internationally, through renowned institutions such as NFTS and Raindance.

“I found Producer’s Foundation Certificate course very worthwhile. Five days after finishing the course I am now in the process of producing my first two projects.” - Justine Penn

"All classes were informative and the tutors chosen were so knowledgable. Although I know there’s a lot more I need to learn, I feel a lot more confident about handling the role of a Producer." - Marcus Abington

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