Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices: Second Revised Edition [Paperback]

Rick Schmidt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2000

In this revised and updated edition of Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices, Rick Schmidt shows aspiring filmmakers step-by-step how to create a feature film for the price of a used car. Featuring extensive new material on using digital video technology and making the most of Internet resources, Schmidt's practical, no-nonsense handbook reveals the insider secrets to:
-- Selecting and writing a story that can be produced on a tight budget
-- Rallying a filmmaking team through creative contracts
-- Shooting and editing with an original style
-- Marketing the finished film and dealing with agents
-- Making a collaborative feature

Fully revised and updated to cover the new technology that continues to revolutionize low-budget filmmaking, Schmidt's guide is as useful and relevant as ever. Complete with checklists, technical information, and sample budgets, this essential guide offers both inspiration and instruction for anyone who has the yen to make a film without breaking the bank.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Making a movie is an expensive enterprise no matter which way you try to cut costs. Many women filmmakers find themselves trying to stretch miniscule budgets without compromising quality. This book offers practical tips on how to make a movie without wasting money. Rick Schmidt suggests saving money by shooting titles on location, renting film equipment at special weekend rates and building your own editing bench in your home. This is the kind of practical information that an apprentice would learn on a movie set. For example, the chapter on lighting explains ways to light a scene and what kind of lighting equipment to use. Rick suggests adding up the cost of different lighting ideas and the difficulty and time involved before proceeding, and then describes the lighting he used in several of his own feature films. Even simple housekeeping tricks can save money, and this book includes an array of checklists, sample budgets and contracts. With the humor of someone who has been there and made plenty of his own mistakes, Rick makes the mammoth task of making a movie seem within reach. -- From The WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women; review by Susan Eastman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Rick Schmidt has spent more than twenty-five years producing award-winning low-budget feature films that have received both national and international acclaim. His films include A Man, a Woman, and a Killer (codirected with Wayne Wang); Morgan's Cake; American Orpheus; and Blues for the Avatar; as well as several films produced through his collaborative Feature Workshops.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); 3rd. Edition edition (June 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140291849
• ISBN-13: 978-0140291841
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanks to Mr Schmidt we were able to produce a movie!, July 8, 2000

By 

L. Sherman "Chess Coach" (Clearwater, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices: Second Revised Edition (Paperback)

Rick Schmidt's book "Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices" is a very important book for any new filmmaker to read. He explains how to make a movie without spending a fortune.

Mandy Wildman and I formed Wild Heart Films in 1998. We produced our first feature, "In the Open" for only $7,000 using Mr. Schmidt's techniques. Although it was challenging, it was not impossible! Now we are in pre-production on a film with a higher budget.

If you are considering producing a movie, it would be a good idea to read this book cover to cover and apply the data!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Time for an update, February 26, 2005

By 

Gaines (Culver City, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices: Second Revised Edition (Paperback)

This book is hopelessly outdated (as are my own), so I can't rate it any higher; but at least this guy is sincere. Some of the other reviewers act as if they expected the keys to the kingdom for under 20 bucks. And L Roc from Chi-town certainly got up on the wrong side of the crab dolly, except, of course, for hyping another book. In an age when you can buy your own production and editing equipment for under $10K, you don't need the strategies in this book or any other--save your money for tape stock--or to listen to the nay-sayers.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good on setups but a bit technically challanged, October 12, 2003

By 

OverTheMoon ([e-mail]) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices: Second Revised Edition (Paperback)

I would recommend this book on the bases that if you want to get into film making then you should see how this guy went about doing it. It is not a bad book but is a bit technically challanged. For instance the writer has a huge section on building your own editing suite for actually cutting the film by hand. This may be good for some film makers but you will certainly get better results if you meet up with an actual editor who will cut your film for you while you sit by his side.

The book basically tells you what you need to get up and started and how to go about shooting your first film on a low budget. This book is pretty much written in a "One-man-band" sort of fashion and although it is possible to make a film this way you would do a lot better by actually meeting up with people who know a little bit about film making too - probably in a film school or weekend course. Anyhow, lots of helpful hints and tips but you will need other books to supplement this one and you will need a bit more help from experienced film makers (even amateur ones) to help you on your way.