The Business of TV and Film Through Intensive Hands on Training

Before you can make it big as a behind-the-scenes professional in TV and film, you must obtain the academic background. This is achieved through attending a film school that will prepare you for careers in independent film and television production sector in the areas of business affairs, accounting, business development and production management/ producing.

While there are many film programs in Toronto, Centennial College's Television and Film – Business is geared towards professionals who have already worked in the field. It takes knowledge of film and TV and combines it with the principles and practices of accounting and business, global marketplace, transmedia, distribution models and additional revenue sources, and developing plans for various business aspects of the film and television industry.

The majority of courses in this Toronto film school are split into two parts over two semesters.

The Business of Producing: How producing works and why is essential. As such, the first course introduces students to Canadian and international independent producers, broadcasters, trade organizations and regulatory bodies. The second course, meanwhile, digs deeper by looking at how a producer successfully develops and sells project ideas. For hands-on experience, students examine industry case studies and, with a focus on marketing principles and strategic planning, create a full project pitch and implementation plan.

Accounting for Film and Television: In their first course, students learn to set up and keep an accurate, up to date set of books for a single purpose production company. Included is accounting software training, which shows students how to make the day-to-day entries necessary to track a television production as well as generate basic reports. The second accounting course looks at more specific topics such as: generating cash flow projections and cost reports; union and guild remittances; working with payroll companies; reports for tax credits and funding agencies; working with interim financiers, wrapping production and going through the audit process.

Production Management and Coordination: The daily details of production are critical, as things must be done on time and on budget. This first course focuses on setting up and managing a production schedule, creating an industry standard project budget and liaising with all the departments, unions and guilds that are necessary to organize a production. The second course looks at seeing production through to wrap by managing costs and generating cost reports, dealing with employment and human resources issues and creating the production wrap documents necessary for complete project delivery and contract fulfillment.

Entertainment Law: From contracts to copyright laws, TV and film business professionals must be familiar with the laws that govern their industry. The first course breaks down contracting basics so that students may interpret and navigate industry standard contracts such as option agreements and rights assignments. The second focuses on practical application by looking at a set of essential case studies that frame the role of entertainment law and how to legally navigate production.

Unlike other film schools Toronto has to offer, this program doesn't stop at showing students how things are done in a classroom environment. The final semester of this undertaking actually sends students into the field to apply what they learned, build new skills and expand their professional network.