A bit over ten years ago I was asked by an angel investor up in Brisbane if I had a slide deck or a document I could give them to help them understand what investing in a film would look like, and to help explain who the other industry participants in a film were and how all the financials worked.
I didn't have anything like that, so I sat down and started writing out a list of things that I thought the investor might need to know. But each item that I wrote down on my list needed another whole sub-list of related topics that also needed to be explained. And before I knew it I had a ten page document that was still just a list of headings of things that needed to be unpacked to help someone understand the process.
At that point I realised that this wasn't going to be a simple PDF or indeed a long PowerPoint. It was going to have to be a book. So I started gathering together the various sources and materials I thought would be useful, and working my way through each of the topic headings I had written down. I also realised there were huge gaps in my own understanding of the topic which I needed to explore in a lot more detail. It felt like a Sisyphean task, but every few weeks I'd add another page of notes to the source docs folder on my laptop, and add some items to my reading list. I had a vague fantasy that at some point I'd disappear for a week or two and really get stuck into it, and come out with a properly structured book that would help people understand this arcane industry.
I had a chat to a few friends in the industry about what I was doing, and one of them in particular, Deanne Weir, introduced me to a whole bunch of fascinating people from various parts of the industry who had a whole range of opinions on the topic. I interviewed about a dozen different folks and took copious notes, and everything got filed away with the hope that I'd somehow finally get around to working on it properly.
After a few years of having it on my "list of 5 things I'm going to get done this year" without really moving it forward, the world suddenly changed as COVID hit. I found I was travelling less and had a bit more time to work on some of the projects I'd been meaning to get around to, including writing what by that time I was starting to think of as "the damn book." Deanne again came to my aid, offering the use of her office as a place I could go to be away from some of the distractions of the home office, with a proper whiteboard and coloured pens. I love coloured pens.
So the book started to take shape. The problem was, it was about as dry as eating Weet-Bix without milk. When we're doing strategic planning documents with clients we're forever talking about how they need to lean into their storytelling skills, that you can make what should ostensibly be a boring business document into something interesting and compelling by infusing it with a narrative. And ultimately, that's what I realised I needed to do with the damn book.
So... it's finally done. Learning the Language: A Guide to Private Investment in Australian Film is available for you to buy as an e-book or paperback (or if you're really keen you can order a hardcover copy from the US or the UK). It's not just a textbook, it's a story (two stories actually) with some accompanying explanation sections for those who want to get into the weeds. And appendices. And a glossary.
There were quite a few people along the way who made a huge difference to how it turned out in the end, and again I'll reiterate how grateful I am to Deanne Weir for encouraging me and keeping this alive over the years. There was also a very generous friend who helped with the Producer story but she doesn't want to be named, so I'll respect that, though she knows how much I appreciate her feedback and input too.
If you're inclined to get a copy, I sincerely hope you enjoy it!