Moviemaking is inherently a risky business. In 2005, the average cost to make and market an MPAA film was $96.2 million. This includes $60 million in negative costs and $36.2 million in marketing costs. Contrary to popular belief that moviemaking is always profitable, in actuality, six out of ten movies never recoup their original investment in their domestic run.

To recoup such enormous investments, the industry relies upon a carefully planned sequential release of movies, generally releasing feature films first in cinemas, then to home video and other media. A sequential release sequence provides consumers with choices as to how they wish to view movies and when. These release sequences generally includes intervals for each specific media known as “distribution windows”. When piracy of a film occurs at any point in the release sequence, all subsequent markets are negatively affected.

And it's not just the wealthiest people involved in movies that are hurt. It's every one of the 750,000 people who get up every day in the U.S. and go to work to bring you the magic of the movies. It's people like the stuntmen and women, the grips, the makeup artists and even the caterers who feed the crew.

Professional Organizations
American Federation of Television & Radio Artists
http://www.aftra.org/aftra/aftra.htm

The Directors Guild of America
http://www.dga.org

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts
http://www.iatse.lm.com

The Motion Picture Editors Guild
http://www.editorsguild.com

Screen Actors Guild
http://new.sag.org/sagWebApp/index.jsp

Writers Guild of America
http://www.wga.org

Affiliated Property Craftspersons
www.local44.org

Motion Picture Studio Grips
www.iatselocal80.org

Studio Transportation Drivers www.hollywoodteamsters.org

International Cinematographers Guild
www.cameraguild.com

Film/Video Technicians Local #683
I.A.T.S.E. Production Sound Technicians,
Television Engineers, Video Assist Technicians and Sound Projectionists
www.695.com

Motion Picture Editors Guilds
www.editorsguild.com

Motion Picture Costumers
Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists
www.local706.org

Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians
www.iatse728.org

Motion Picture Set Painters
www.ialocal729.com

Motion Picture First Aid Employees
www.iatse767.org

Illustrators and Matte Artists
Art Directors Guild & Scenic, Title & Graphic Artists
www.artdirectors.org

The Animation Guild
www.mpsc839.org

Set Designers and Model Builders
Script Supervisors and Continuity Coordinators
www.ialocal871.org

Studio Teachers and Welfare Workers
www.studioteachers.com

Costume Designers Guild
www.costumedesignersguild.com

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
www.iatse-intl.org