Gabriel Campisi began filmmaking at eight and was winning awards at festivals and contests as early as fifteen. He wrote the book, The Independent Filmmaker’s Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Investors, and just released his new book The Independent Filmmaker’s Guide to the New Hollywood. This book is highly recommended for filmmakers as it provides an informative history lesson about Hollywood, current trends, where Hollywood may be heading, and includes intriguing interviews with successful producers that share real-world experiences and strategies.A lot of what contributes to Campisi’s success in the film industry is his deep-rooted experience in filmmaking from a very young age, having shot films on Super8mm, 16mm and video before coming to Hollywood. His first recognition took place at the age of 16 by placing first in Chicago’s Photographic Society of America Teenage Film Festival for a short film he wrote, directed and produced.All independent filmmakers and big-budget production companies are impacted by the industry’s change. Production companies are just as much in turmoil and have been merging with other production companies, networks, media companies, and tech companies that want to compete in the business and get a piece of the pie.With what began as a blog to share information about the change in Hollywood when it comes to filmmaking, Gabe realized it was much bigger and complex than blogging about. He decided to write a book about the shift in the business. Along with his personal experience and knowledge, Gabe gathered valuable information from friends and colleagues in the business, and conducted interviews with prominent execs and top industry producers. The result is the most comprehensive and knowledgeable book about filmmaking during the streaming wars, and during the current Covid-19 pandemic.Part 1: Understanding Hollywood.Gabe provides a basic and interesting history of the beginning of Hollywood. He shares failures and success stories throughout the years, which help you understand what not to do in order to become a successful filmmaker. Which also includes the tools of the trade, and he explains how the best and most expensive equipment won’t give you success. Additionally, he goes into details how communication is the most important for humans and filmmaking.Learn about the four distinct pillars holding up Hollywood -- the business of Hollywood, the technology of Hollywood, the communication of Hollywood, and the entertainment of Hollywood.Part 2: The Traditional ParadigmThere’s a change in the traditional Hollywood paradigm, and Gabe explains the shift and how VOD platforms are the driving force to why the business has changed drastically. Making money in Hollywood is tough for the big budget companies, so it can be even tougher for independent filmmakers, especially how the business works in the VOD world.Part 3: Risk ManagementIt’s encouraged to make your own film, but you need to grasp the business side, or failure is highly likely. Gabe’s book gives examples of studios failing and why. He also provides many different funding options, including tax incentives, domestic and foreign, grants, and many other possibilities. While some will only work for big studios, it’s still worth understanding how that specific process works and may even be worth trying for your film.Part 4: The Tides of ChangeChange is inevitable in the business world and Hollywood is no exception. New businesses may flourish during the change, and some traditional ones may close. In the past, VHS and DVD are examples that brought big changes to Hollywood, and today the game-changer is obviously the internet. However, despite the changes, there are some basics that need to be followed, and Gabe outlines how and why. He wants you to be well aware of all the dynamics that are at play when it comes time for the studios, networks and streaming VOD platforms to decide which projects to greenlight and which ones to push aside.Part 5 The Blame GameEndless speculation and blame will occur if a film fails, and there may be one or dozens of reasons why. Listed in this part are the many possibilities of why a film failed and examples of past films that failed for those reasons. A film being a hit on VOD or at theatres takes much more than simply being a great film, and after reading this part many of the reasons will make perfect sense. A couple of those detailed reasons are timing and windows of release.Part 6 New RealitiesThis chapter talks about the pros and cons of the "new" Hollywood. The pros highlighted deals with getting films made and distributed, but unfortunately there are plenty of cons that significantly hurt industries and the artists. Gabe talks about how traditional music and print took a hit just as bad, if not worse, than films being released on DVD, Blu-ray or theatrical. There’s also a lot of new terminology used in the industry, and Gabe hits on all the new terms and explains them in detail.Part 7 Moving ForwardIn this part, Gabe hits upon the one thing that some movies lack, and it contributes to their failure. Whether an independent film or big budget film, it’s critical to have a good story and the human element. Gabe is very adamant about this, and most would agree that no matter how impressive the actions, special effects, and whether the stars are top A-list actors, without the ability to connect with audiences the project will not succeed as well as films of the same nature.Part Two - Interviews with the Industry ProsGabe conducted interviews with over a dozen industry professionals to give their perspective and advice on the current times in Hollywood. The following provided valuable insights and interesting stories of their career in Hollywood:Val HillFounder and CEO of 16:14 Entertainment and an Executive Producer on Blade Runner 2049 and 12 Strong.Nicholas TabarrokFilm and television producer with credits including The Padre, The Intruders, The Calling, The Art of the Steal, Defendor, and Left Behind.David RimawiCo-founder and producer at The Asylum production company with many dozen credits.Dominique TelsonFilm and television producer with credits including The Best of Enemies, Welcome to Pine Grove, High-Rise Rescue, and The Christmas Cure.Joel SoissonFilm and television producer, director, and writer with credits including Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Phantoms, American Yakuza, The Prophecy and Dracula 2000.Larry KasanoffFilm and television producer with credits including Terminator 2, True Lies, Strange Days, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and Lego: The Adventure of Clutch Powers.Leigh ScottFilm and television writer, director and producer with credits including Dorothy and the Witches of Oz, The Penny Dreadful Picture Show, House of Bones, and Pawn.Dete MeserveFilm and television producer and writer with credits including Good Sam, What Men Want, Ready Jet Go, Bernie and The Keeping Room.Brad WymanFilm and television producer with credits including Monster, Freeway, The Dark Backward, The Chase, and Barb Wire.Tiffany BoylePresident of packaging and sales at Ramo Law PC with clients including Arkansas, After Midnight, Line of Duty, Freaks, All Creatures Here Below, and Ashes in the Snow.David LattCo-founder and producer at The Asylum production company with as many credits as David Rimawi.James DudelsonFilm and television writer, director and producer with credits including Creepshow (Shudder), Day of the Dead, Day of the Dead: Bloodline, and Horror 101.Morris RuskinFilm and television producer with credits including Ladies in Black, The Signal, Glengarry Glen Ross, Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School, and The Man from Elysian Fields.Patrick LussierFilm and television writer, director, producer and editor with credits including Trick, Terminator Genisys, My Bloody Valentine, Scream, Wes Craven’s New Nightmare, and Dracula 2000.Pen DenshamOscar-nominated film and television writer, director and producer with credits including Harriet, The Last Full Measure, Phantom, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Moll Flanders, Backdraft, The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone television revivals.The Independent Filmmaker’s Guide to the New Hollywood’s main purpose is to assist filmmakers during these turbulent times in the industry. After reading it you’ll have a very clear understanding of where Hollywood came from, and the complex business changes it went through over the years. Whether a veteran filmmaker or first-timer, the book will educate and help you evaluate your film and take the appropriate measures to maximize your film's chances of being successful.To conclude, I’m going to quote a section from Gabe’s Final Words section: “What you do and how you perform when that time comes is entirely up to you. Do you think you’re ready? If so, take a confident step forward, follow your heart, follow your passion, and never look back.”