SIDDHARTH ROY KAPUR

PRODUCING A
FILM
101
ABOUT THE SPEAKER

An eminent film producer, President of the Film and

Television Producers Guild of India and the erstwhile
Managing Director of the Walt Disney Company, Siddharth
Roy Kapur needs no introduction in the Bollywood
fraternity. Siddharth began his career with the Procter &
Gamble Company in Mumbai in brand management. From
P&G, Siddharth moved to STAR TV in the strategic planning
division. In 2008, Siddharth took over as CEO of UTV Motion
Pictures.

It has been under Siddharth’s leadership that Disney

emerged as one of India's leading media and entertainment
companies where he led the studio to incredible commercial
success and critical acclaim across a six year period,
producing and releasing some of the most important and
successful films of the decade such as, ‘Taare Zameen Par’,
‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’, ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, ‘Fashion’, ‘Dev D’, and
‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’. His films have won numerous
awards including the prestigious National Awards and
Filmfare Awards.

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Siddharth has produced and released India's highest and
second highest-grossing movies of all time, ‘Dangal’ and ‘PK’.
He moved on from Disney in January, 2017 to set up his own
production house ‘Roy Kapur Films’ which produces movies
and digital video content across all scales and genres.
Siddharth has been featured in ‘The Economic Times, Top 40
Indian Business Leaders Under 40’. ‘The Hollywood Reporter,
Next Generation Asia Inaugural Class of Young Leaders’ is
also one of his achievements amongst various other wins.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction to Production

2. Skills required to become a Producer

3. Training required to become a Producer

4. Role in Pre-Production

5. Role in Production

6. Post-Production Process

7. Marketing & Release of Film.

8. Revenue Exploitation of the Film.

9. Is Production a viable career option?

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 01

Introduction to
production
Familiarize yourself with the vast and
ever-growing world of production
through this lesson.

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04
01 Introduction to production

Who is a Producer?
The role of a director is to direct a film. Similarly, the role of
an actor, musician, composer, and choreographer is obvious.
However, people are either unaware or confused about the
role of a producer. The job of a producer is fundamental to
the creation of a film. A producer should be able to use his
creative and commercial instincts to get to make a movie.
He is the CEO of a film.

Producer Credit
There are different kinds of producers. A person with the
producer credit raises the finances for a movie and gets the
cast. He is responsible for putting all the factors of
production together.

Executive Producer
An executive producer in India is responsible for the
physical production of a film. They work with the director
and cinematographer through the pre-production,
production and post-production of the film. They are
however not involved with the fundraising, marketing and
distribution of the film. In the west, an executive producer
can be the actor in the movie or the financier of the film. The
role of an Executive Producer in India is remarkably different
from an Executive Producer in the West.

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 Introduction to production
01
Associate Producer
An associate producer can be the representative of the film
studio or the production company and is involved with
various aspects of production such as the marketing and
distribution or the fundraising of the film. An associate
producer is involved in the production of a film in an
unspecified way.

Line Producer
A line producer is present on set day-in and day-out to get a
movie made. He is involved in the film from the
pre-production to the entire production of the film. He may
or may not be involved in the post production process of
the movie.

He ensures that the film is completed on time. He plays a

key role in keepi+ng the movie on budget. He also makes
sure that the crew members are paid on time and are
happy with the filmmaking process.

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 Introduction to production
01
Coordinating Producer
A coordinating producer coordinates among the studio,
production house and the actors. He acts as a conduit
between the different people involved in the production
of the film.

Supervising Producer
A supervising producer belongs to the creative
development department of the film. He ensures that the
creativity of the film is not compromised in any way. The
assessment is done based on the script agreed upon by
the director. This is the job of a supervising producer.

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 02

Skills required to
become a producer
In this lesson, Siddharth talks about
the important skill set that one must
possess in order to become a producer.

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02 Skills required to become a producer

Emotional Quotient (EQ)

Emotional quotient or EQ is a combination of left-brain and right
brain used to empathize with the different situations and find
solutions that are not binary but are actually productive and addi-
tive to the process. When you are dealing with a director or a writer,
you need to understand that they are creative people who are in the
business owing to their passion for storytelling. You need to adopt a
nurturing and productive approach while dealing with them. Your
feedback should be communicated in such a manner that it helps
them to take the process forward. It is easy to belittle a director or a
writer by giving brutal feedback. Even though it may be true, it may
not be the best way to ensure that they are productive.

When you are dealing with a financier, you need to be binary. This is
because you are talking about their return on investment. In this
case, you are trying to get them on board to be able get a significant
return out of it. You need to be straightforward and direct in your
communication. You need to convince them that you know what
you are doing and that their money is in safe hands. You need to
wear two different hats. If you do not have a high EQ, then you may
not be able to be productive as a producer.

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02 Skills required to become a producer

Fundraising
Fundraising is the most obvious skill that a producer should possess.
It is important that you understand your film. You should have
empirical evidence about the potential of that film. This will help
convince your financers to invest in your film with a belief that their
money will return to them.

For instance, if you want to create a film such as Dev D, then, you
need to be aware that it will cater to one particular segment of the
audience. You may be in love with the script but need to maintain
your rationale in the end. It depends on your analysis of the
potential returns on the investment. You want the film to be a
blockbuster and ensure that everyone gets his or her money back.
Therefore, Siddharth realized that any budget beyond six crores will
be risky because it is likely to appeal only to the youth audience and
miss the large section of a family audience.

Since the discussion happened within the studio, therefore,

Siddharth and his team were able to convince themselves that a
budget of six crores was feasible. However, a financier may not be
aware of the intricacies of filmmaking or production. To ensure a
long-term relationship with a financier, you should make every
possible effort to get their money back. You should be a
trouble-shooter and be clear about the possible returns from the
movie.

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02 Skills required to become a producer

Management Skills  
Management skills is one of the most crucial skills required to
become a producer. You have to deal with the director who is the
captain of the creative production. You have to deal with writers,
choreographers, assistant directors, cinematographers, financiers,
and post-production facilities. You have to ensure that everyone
works in a way that is additive and productive. Put the right people
as the first assistant director and the line producer.

These two people have a crucial role to play in the film production.
The line producer ensures that the film is on budget and within the
right quality. The first assistant director coordinates between the
direction and the production department to make sure that the
workflow is smooth and seamless.

Budgeting
There is various software available today that will help you with the
cost accounting and reporting. However, Siddharth believes that
there is no better training ground than being on a film set and
sitting with the production accountant, production assistant,
associate director as well as assistant director and understanding
the budgeting of a film.

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02 Skills required to become a producer

If you spend time on three different movie sets having various

production budgets, ranging from lavish to mid-range to
independent films, then, you will receive the most extensive and
productive training required for budgeting a film. It is important to
assume a proper contingency and include it in your budget. Often,
the factors of production are not under your control. The weather
conditions may be harsh or a crewmember may not have arrived on
time. The director may take long time for a shot. Therefore, a
significant contingency of around 7 to 10% below the line cost is
essential for you to be able to green light a film.

Problem Solving Abilities

The first cut of your film is ready and the director is convinced that
the film is going to be four hours long. How can you, as a producer
solve this issue? You can either throw the contract on the face of the
director and get into a protracted legal battle with him or you can
have a productive discussion with the director understanding as to
why he believes that the film need to be four hours long. The latter
is definitely the better solution of the two. You as a producer, need
to use your instincts to give productive feedback to the director
while at the same time ensuring that the director understands the
commercial hindrances of making a film for a long duration. On one
of his projects, Siddharth had managed to cut 45 minutes of a movie
that was probably going to be more than 4 hours. A Producer needs
to empathize with a creative mind and give him the right
perspective of commercial implications of the film.

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02 Skills required to become a producer

You can have another problem in the form of a cyclone at the shoot
location. The entire set is destroyed in this natural calamity. What are
you going to do now? You can do the most obvious thing i.e., claim
for an insurance. The actor’s dates may go away or the actor may do
another film. You can either make a change in the script that will
ensure that you do not need the location or build a set as soon as
possible and start the shoot once again.

You cannot take time over these decisions. Have a discussion with
your team and come up with alternatives. Choose the best available
option because problems do not call for something optimal.
Remember, if dealing with problems makes you paranoid, then
production is not the right career for you.

Multitasking
Your day may start with a production meeting. You may have to
discuss at length about the number of days required to shoot a film,
keeping the budget and schedule in mind. Followed by this, you
may need to evaluate different pieces of music at a music session
with the director. You may have to meet the actor who is concerned
about his role on screen. At the end of the day, you may have a
meeting with the financier and reassure him that his money is in
safe hands. During the course of the day, you may need to wear a
financial, creative, problem solving and an ego-massaging hat. You
need to change these hats in every meeting during the day. You
should not be stressed about the five tasks that you had to solve in
that day.

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02 Skills required to become a producer

Communication & Networking

It is essential to build productive, long-term working relationships
with people. You need to be reliable in tough situations. This is
possible only if you are honest, transparent, and polite but firm in all
your interactions with them. Open, clear and transparent
communication is the most important thing when it comes to
being a producer.

Have a Thick Skin

There are going to be more failures than success stories. This is the
very nature of the creative world. Moreover, the media will magnify
your failure. You may have a school friend who runs a steel factory.
No one knows the financial status of his business including you.
However, if your film flopped on the weekend, then, everyone will
know that you had a failure. You should remember that you are
doing something that interests everyone. The downside of it is that
everyone has an opinion about it and will advise you on doing
better. You need to learn to deal with failure such that you are not
crippled by it.

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 03

Training required to
be a producer
Find out about the various ways in
which you can gain training and
knowledge to become a producer,
in this lesson.

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03 Training required to be a producer

Learning on the Job

If you get the opportunity to be an intern in a production house or a
production assistant on a film or the 6th Assistant Director, then, do
it. This is because you can learn the most important lessons on
ground zero. These lessons will be invaluable when it comes to a
managerial and organizational role within a production company in
later years. You may have to negotiate with the light man about the
rate of equipment. You may need to learn as to what the DOP needs
for a trolley or a crane shot. You have to learn as to how you can save
up on money by ordering equipment on some days and not
ordering on the others. These are just a few examples of the
things that you going to learn on your job.

The best way to get started really is to reach out to people that you
know in the film business. Go ahead and take a job even if it is at the
bottom of the production hierarchy. If you are able to demonstrate
your ability in a few weeks, then, you are going to climb your way up
pretty fast. Make good connections with the right people,
irrespective of whether they are just an executive in a production
house or a second assistant director on a film set. Tell them that you
are willing to work at a nominal pay in return for the job experience.

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03 Training required to be a producer

Attend a Film School

There are not many structured programs for production in film
schools. Therefore, you need to make the best of the available
options. You can take courses in direction, cinematography and
editing to understand the filmmaking process. Learn to create short
films, as they will be invaluable to understand the role of a producer.
Take up an organisational on a production role when it comes to the
making of the student films. These are roles which no one wants to
play. Everyone wants to be the DOP, actors, and film directors. There
may or may not be a specific course in production. Therefore, try to
benefit from the courses that are offered at the film school. However,
film schools tend to be expensive. If you have financial constraints,
then the experience on a film set will be equally valuable.

Produce Short Videos

Today, you have the benefit of creating movies on mobile phones.
There is no excuse regarding the equipment available to make short
films. These films tend to be the training ground for technicians and
they actually end with you being recognised for their work. Get a
bunch of creative people on board, brainstorm ideas and create your
own short films.

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 04

Role in pre-production
In this lesson, learn more about the
concept of pre-production from a
production point of view and the
various processes that it entails

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 Role in pre-production
04
Selecting a Great Script
The first job of a producer is to select a great script. How can you find a
great script? No writer is going to walk up to you with a great script.
The script, therefore, has to be an idea developed by you or your team
member. You, then, need to take the script to a writer and get it devel-
oped. The script is not finalised until you and your team are happy with
the script. For instance, a girl in Siddharth’s creative team conceived
the idea of “Dangal”.

She was moved by the story of Phogat sisters. Siddharth loved the idea
and asked Nitesh Tiwari whether he could write the script. Nitesh
admired the idea and wrote a fabulous script. The idea that came from
a junior production executive within the team led to a brilliant movie
such as “Dangal”. Similarly, you can look for inspiration from newspaper
articles, life experiences and so on.

Fundraising for the Film

The next task is to get financing for the film. Once you have a script,
you can approach people to get the right financial backing. The finan-
cier can be a studio or an individual. After the funds for the movie are
raised, you can go about seeking for a cast. You can also lock the lead
cast and then go about raising your finances. In either case, the script
has to speak for itself. Narrate the story to your financiers so that they
can understand the film. You also give in your estimates of the budget
of the film. If a financier agrees, then, get him on board or else find
another financier.

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 Role in pre-production
04
Getting the Cast
An actor will agree to your film, provided he likes your script. Try to get
a director on board before approaching the cast for the film. Siddharth
took his idea to a writer-director and got the script ready. It was easy to
narrate the story to Aamir Khan because the director of the movie was
also the writer. When a writer narrates a story to an actor, he wants to
understand the director’s point of view. In case your writer is not the
director, then, ensure that the director shares his vision with the actor.

Budgeting
Estimate the budget of a film after your script is ready and your cast is
locked.You need a great First Assistant Director to help you with the
schedule and the estimated number of days required for the shoot. You
will also need a line producer who will ensure the film is completed on
time. The director is a crucial part of this process. Based on his creative
brief, the first Assistant Director and the Line Producer will create the
budget. Your estimated budget should be close to the actual budget.
Build a healthy contingency and present that to your financer as the
final budget of the film.

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 Role in pre-production
04
Scheduling
The scheduling process is usually in accord with the budget of the film.
You will have an idea of the weather patterns, number of shooting days
and a general idea for scheduling. You will have to incorporate the
actor’s dates into your schedule. The actors may have certain
considerations depending on their level of seniority and shooting
preferences. You may have outdoor shoots within the country or
overseas. You have to account for travel and build all those things into
your schedule. In the end, you should have a locked in schedule in
terms of number of days and months in which the shoot is going to
take place.

Choosing a Location
Choosing a location is a crucial part of the filmmaking process. You will
need a good location manager to assess each location of your shoot.
He should do scouts or location recces on your behalf. Siddharth
recommends everyone to try to move beyond the tried and tested
locations. It is always great to display new locations in your movies as
long as it is relevant to the script.

Getting the Crew

You need to get directors, DOP, writer, line producers, first assistant
director, location manager and the ones who have a crucial role in the
film. Then, you need to get the supporting cast, editors, architect,
production designer and other key members of the crew on board.
Ensure that everyone is working together on a timeline to be able to
meet the shoot dates.

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 05

Role in Production
Learn more about the various tasks
carried out by the production team
and the different types of producers
that exist in the industry in this
next lesson.

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 Role in Production
05

Type 1 Producer
Producers have different ways of looking at the shooting
process of a film.
Some producers choose not to visit the set at all because
they want the director to be the captain of the ship on the
set. A Producer has Line Producers, Supervising Producers
and Executive Producers working under him who report on
a daily basis. They report on the schedule, budget and
creatives of the film to a producer.

Type 2 Producers
The other type of producer is the one who prefers to be on
the set every single day. You, as a producer, need to take a
backseat in this process. You need to allow the director and
the actors to make the movie in the way it was envisioned.
As a producer, you are a facilitator who ensures that
everything is happening as per the plan without
interfering in the creative process.

Tasks Performed by the Production Team

One of the important tasks that a production team performs
during the course of the shooting of the film is that
everything happens on schedule and within budget.

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 Role in Production
05
It also ensures that everything that was agreed on the script level is
being executed on a creative level. The production team also raises any
red flags with the producer in case things are not going as per the
agenda. A producer should be able to intervene at the right time and
communicate with the director in the best productive possible way.

Creative people are often spontaneous and try to change things around
the set. It may work well for a film but at times, it can turn out to be
wrong. A line producer ensures that everything goes by clockwork. He
ensures that the permissions that were taken are being fulfilled. He
makes sure that the equipment that is ordered and the cast and crew
reach the location on time. The line producer also works in close
association with the first assistant director to ensure that the
production and the direction departments are functioning seamlessly.

Being a Problem Solver

A producer has to be a problem solver in the wake of unanticipated
events. The Workers’ Union can raise a problem for the workers can go
up in arms for something that was said or done to them. There could be
a problem at the desired location where the cast and crew may not be
allowed entry despite all the necessary permissions. An actor may injure
himself during the filmmaking process and you as a producer need to
figure out the possibilities of reschedule to be able to solve the
unforeseen situation. To be able to take action swiftly, you need a
responsive team with great communication levels. You need to work
with the director and other creative people to come up with innovative
solutions to problems that arise.

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 06

Role in Post-production
Siddharth introduces you to the
concept of post-production and
the essential tips to remember
while working with the director.

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 Role in Post-production
06

Introduction to Post-Production
Post- production process involves the technical aspect of the
filmmaking process.
The technical aspects include sound mixing, background scoring
and VFX.
There are numerous things involved in taking a script and
converting it into a two to three-hour film. You as a producer
need to ensure that the production and the direction teams are
working closely with each other to be able to meet the timeline.
You need to keep a close eye on the first cut of the movie.

Understanding the First Cut of the Movie

In this process, the director should be given an opportunity to
present the first cut of the movie to the producer. The process
can either be smooth as silk or rough from this point onwards.
The producer may think differently about the final cut of the
movie about duration, structure and other aspects. Do as many
focus groups as possible with the cut of the film. This process
gives the producer and the director opportunity to get real
feedback from real people. You can gauge the reaction of people
to the film and ensure that all the things that you strongly
believe are being communicated properly in the film. Use this
information to get the final cut of the movie in place.

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 Role in Post-production
06

Working with the Director

It is extremely important for you to stay calm and exhibit
patience while dealing with someone like the director. You need
to wear a more rational hat when it comes to the post-produc-
tion process. This is because people who are involved creatively
with the film content may not always able to see the bigger
picture. At the same time, you need to understand and
empathize with the director’s point of view. Sometimes, the
director’s opinion may actually be the right one. There is no
secret formula to be able to manage this process. However,
it is crucial for a great final cut of the movie.

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 07

Marketing of a film
In this lesson, you will learn about
the various innovative strategies
to market your film

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 Marketing of a film
07

Four Steps of Marketing

The marketing and release of the film can be broken down into two
or three aspects. From the time of the announcement, the film
needs to be in a slow burn in the public imagination. The idea is to
make the audience curious without revealing too much of the film
and making it obvious to the audience. However, a couple of
months before the release, the PR activities need to rave up. Find
suitable pegs around the movie to be able to communicate it to the
audience. Do not talk too much about aspects of the film that are
only interesting to you. Figure out three or four themes that you
want to communicate around the film and then focus on them.

The second Marketing strategy should be the audio-visual

promotion of the film. It includes the trailers, TV promos and the
web promo that is created using the film footage. The third market-
ing strategy is paid advertising and it includes the print, outdoor
promotions, city visits and so on. The fourth marketing strategy is
the static publicity i.e. the creatives used to communicate the film to
the audience.  All these processes need to happen simultaneously
and you need a strong marketing and PR team of a few members to
be able to ensure that it is carried out in its intended way.

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 Marketing of a film
07

PR strategy for Rang De Basanti

Rang De Basanti is a story of five boys. Siddharth took a conscious
decision that at no point in time will Aamir Khan be alone on stage
in all. He made sure that all the five actors are together on stage.
Siddharth did not want to bring the relationship with the freedom
fighters during the PR activities. He projected it as a film meant for
the youth of India. The audience was left surprised when they found
the correlation with the freedom movement of India.

Three Crucial Factors

Siddharth believes that there are three things crucial to the opening
day of a film. It includes the trailer, the promo that runs on TV and
the web and music of the movie. If you are able to get these three
factors right along with obviously a great release date, then, half the
battle in terms of marketing is already won. Everything else is just
the noise and hype that helps you achieve your objective. If you get
any of these wrong, then, unfortunately, the film will suffer. There-
fore, put a lot of effort and hard work into your trailers.

Trailer Making Process

Show your movie trailers to people. Gauge their reactions and
calibrate it to the best extent possible. In the trailer making process,
the director briefs an agency about the message that is to be
communicated. The producer gives his briefs and a final creative
brief goes to the trailer-cutting agency. The agency, then, presents
various options that are scrutinized before everyone agrees upon
the final cut of the trailer.

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 Marketing of a film
07

Picking a Release Date

Picking a great release date and a distribution outfit to release the
film. More than 250 Hindi movies are released every year. It implies
that around 4-5 films are released every week. Therefore, it is very
crucial to pick the right release date for your film. You need to be
pragmatic about the type and scale of the film that you have
created. This will help you determine whether you should try a
standalone date or a holiday. If you are unable to fix a date, then,
get a distributor on board to help you out with the release date.

You need to study release dates for the next 6 months prior to
release the film. You need to analyse the release dates of other films,
the potential audience and the movies that are being targeted.
Make sure that your film does not overlap with the other films on
that day in terms of the audience. You may release your film on a
day with three other releases. It will not harm your box-office
collections, provided the audience is different in each. However,
you may have a solo release on a Friday but your film may not
sustain in the upcoming week in light of a big release. Therefore,
you should be sensible and rational before finalising your
release date.

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 Marketing of a film
07

Film Distribution
It is important to find a great, all-India movie distributor. India is a
large country. If you have individual distributors in different states,
then you will need a great understanding of different market. You
will also need to do a lot of coordination. Instead, if you have one
good all-India distributor, then, he is likely to help you distribute
your movie extensively to your target audience. People sometimes
believe that film distribution is about getting your movie viewed
extensively in as many screens possible.

For instance, “Barfi” was released on just 600 screens even though it
was a huge Ranbir Kapoor - Priyanka Chopra film. Siddharth knew
that the audience had to have an acquired taste for the film. He
wanted to keep the occupancy levels high in every screening. He
wanted people to have the collective experience of not being able
to get tickets for the next show. If the movie were screened in a hall
with just 20% occupancy, then, people would not have had the
same collective experience of watching the movie.

On the other hand, Siddharth wanted the film “Tiger Zinda Hai” to
be available in every potential screen in the country. Therefore,
the trick lies in understanding the nature of your film.

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 Marketing of a film
07

Film Certification Process

The film certification process has been maligned over the last few
years. You do not have any option but to certify your film. This tends
to become a sensitive process with filmmakers. You, as a producer,
need to wear a pragmatic hat during the course of this process. If
you have made a film that you believe will suffer because of the
modifications recommended by the CBFC, then, you can appeal to
a revising committee, followed by a tribunal and finally to a court.

However, if you believe that the modifications suggested are not

going to make any significant impact, then, you should make that
compromise and get your release date. For Udta Punjab, the team
was clear that the modifications recommended by CBFC would take
away the authenticity and the realism of the film. Therefore, they
went ahead and protested against the decision. The film was
released with a few cuts. On the other hand, if you have a benign
film that is not revolutionary in which you are asked to change a
couple of things, then, Siddharth believes that compromise is a
better solution than protesting against the decision.

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 08

Revenue exploitation
of the film
In this lesson, discover the various
aspects in which a film can garner
its revenue.

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 Revenue exploitation of the film
08

Introduction
Today, there are various modes of revenue available to producers.
Each stream of revenue needs to be mined in the best possible way
to optimise your success around the film. You will have to stay
within the budget when it comes to the cost of production as well
as the marketing budget of your film. If both of these things are in
check, then, you need to recover your investment and provide
returns to whoever has invested into the movie.

Theatrical Revenue
You need to have a great distributor in place to be able to maximize
the revenue and keep your film in theatres for as long as possible.
Ensure that your marketing activities are going on throughout the
run of your film in cinemas. If your film required an expenditure of
Rs 100 (Rs 80 for production and Rs 20 for marketing), then, you
need to earn Rs 120 to be able to generate a 20% return on
Investment.

40-50% of Rs 120 will be generated from the Indian theatres and

around 20% from the overseas. 10- 15% of the revenue can be
generated from music and other rights.The remaining can be
made from the satellite rights.

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 Revenue exploitation of the film
08

If you are paying Rs 100 for a theatre ticket, then, around 30% of the
ticket price goes in tax. The remaining amount is usually split
equally or at a share of 45-55% between the exhibiter and the
producer. Therefore, if you consider an even split between the
producer and the exhibiter, then, the producer makes Rs 35 per
ticket. If you look at a gross box office of 300 cross, then, a producer
makes about 35% of that revenue. The producer has to find a great
overseas distributor who can take the film to the 30 million South
Asian countries around the world.

Television & Digital Rights

You need to be careful about your television and digital rights.
Ensure that you give only the television rights to your broadcaster
and not the digital rights. Keep the digital rights exclusive for digital
platforms because it is a lucrative source of revenue.

Other Rights
The other rights include that of pre-sold music, airline rights for
playing the film, shipping rights etc. You need to have a strong
revenue expectation team to be able to ensure that you are
optimising your revenue on all the different types of rights
available.

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 Revenue exploitation of the film
08

Movie-Based Approach
The mode of revenue differs widely across movies. Some movies are
theatre-oriented and generate most of the revenue through theatre
collections. These movies may not be able to make enough money
through satellite collections. Some movies do better on digital and
satellite media and less in theatre. In the end, it all boils down to the
type of film that you make.

Role of a Producer
The role of producer is crucial in the revenue exploitation because
he has to drive that process. If you are working with a studio, then
they will take up the role of revenue exploitation. However, you
need to oversee the process and at least have a say if not the final
call in this process.

37
 09

Is production a
viable career
option?
In this final lesson, explore the scope
of film production as a career option
and some key tips to begin a career
in this field.

38
09 Is production a viable career option?

Settle down in Mumbai

There is no structured way to get into Film and Television
production in India.However, it is important to settle down in
Mumbai. The city is the entertainment capital of the country.
Mumbai has the highest number of production houses and is the
hub for creativity in the audio-visual space. The city will give you the
impetus and the added opportunities to become a producer. Having
said that, it does not mean that you cannot become a producer if
you are not based out of Mumbai.

Getting an Internship at a Production House

Since there are no structured courses in production, therefore, you
need to try for an internship or an entry-level position within a
production house or a studio. This will serve as the training ground
for you to become a producer. Parents fund their children’s
education when the latter wants to pursue a career. Similarly,
parents should realize that the entry-level job or the internship that
their children have in a production house is not enough to pay all
their bills. They will require financial support from their parents
during their early phase of their job. However, the children will learn
valuable skills in this process that will help them become a producer
in later years.

39
09 Is production a viable career option?

Put a Timeline to the Learning Phase

It is not easy to get an internship or a job even at entry level in a
production house. It is difficult to grab the position of a 5th
assistant director or a production assistant. Give yourself a definite
period of time and work hard to be able to get a foot into a
production house or a studio involved in making audio-visual
content. Find out the key decision makers in these facilities, even if
they are not at a senior position in the company. Try to get in touch
with them through emails and call. Send out a copy of your resume
and portfolio to them. Be clear in your message that you are not
looking at it as a full-time job but as an opportunity to learn in this
process. Since there are no structured hierarchy or rules for people
at that level, therefore, you may have to multitask across multiple
jobs and gain valuable experience on the set.

Build Relationships
You should try building relationships with the cast, writers, and
directors. Try building a reputation of credibility, honesty,
transparency and creativity. If you are able to maintain that
reputation over a period, then, people will be keen on working with
you. They will be interested in collaborating with you in any form of
creative work and you can easily work your way up to become a
producer.

40
09 Is production a viable career option?

Is Production a viable career option?

Despite the unstructured environment, Production is a very viable
career option for anyone who enjoys people management,
creativity, organizational skills, leadership and making movies. It
will be difficult financially at the beginning of your career.

However, once you build your credibility, you will be able to go

places that no other field within the film sector gives you the
opportunity to.Unfortunately, the success ratio is not great within
this industry. However, if you are able to demonstrate that you have
the creative and the commercial instincts to be a good producer,
then the sky is the limit.

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