Produce Your Own Damn Movie! (Your Own Damn Film School {Series}) [Paperback]

Lloyd Kaufman (Author), Ashley Wren Collins (Author)

Book Description

Series: Your Own Damn Film School {Series} | Publication Date: August 21, 2009

When it comes to producing, no one speaks with more authority than Lloyd Kaufman, founder of the longest-running independent film studio, Troma Entertainment. He reveals the best ways to seek out investors, scout locations, hire crew and cast talent, navigate legalities, and stay within your budget. Featuring tips from some of the finest producers in the business (Mark Damon, James Gunn, Mark Harris, Tery Jones, Brad Kevoy, Stepehn Paul, and more!) , this book gives filmmakers practical tools for getting a movie shoot started, keeping it afloat and seeing it through to the end. Candid interviews, tips, tricks, and tidbits scattered throughout the book illustrate the many techniques you can employ to produce your own damn movie-Lloyd Kaufman shows you how it's really done.

 

This volume reveals the secrets of producing a low-budget independent film. Covering everything about production from the initial movie idea, all the way through pre-production and up to the first day of principal photography (including budgeting concerns to production-damaging acts of God), you'll get the inside track to producing your own damn movie.

 

Produce Your Own Damn Movie! will be your step-by-step guide on the journey to:

* Maximize production values with a minimal budget

* Scout locations

* Different producing models

* Develop business plans

* Pre-selling your movie

 

Hysterical in tone, filmmakers and producers won't be able to put this book down.

Produce Your Own Damn Movie! is the second volume in the Focal Press series Your Own Damn Film School. Check out the first volume in the series, Direct Your Own Damn Movie!

* Learn the secrets of producing, from finding investors (Mom & Dad, your local dentist) to location scouting (Can Tijuana pass for New York City?) and more!

* Essential low-budget producing information from the president of Troma Entertainment, the oldest truly independent film studio in history

* Loaded with examples and interviews from producers like James Gunn (Dawn of the Dead), Steven Paul (Ghost Rider), that reveal tricks of the trade

Editorial Reviews

Review

Kaufman is a true original, a filmmaker who has used the freedom of low budgets and disreputable genres to express subversive political views and provide gobs of gore and gratuitous nudity. It is hard to think of another book that is simultaneously so honest and so inspiring; the fact that it is also smart, hilarious and informative makes Produce Your Own Damn Movie! a real treasure. - Jim Hemphill, American Cinematographer Magazine

"Founder of Troma Entertainment, the longest-running entertainment studio, Kaufman knows what he's talking about when it comes to producing your own indie movie. With candid interviews featuring some of the best producers working in the field, Kaufman shares funny, helpful tips on how to get your movie made." - Goldy Moldavsky, Independent Magazine

"[Kaufman is] humorous, smart, observant, educated and at times completely insane. All the workings of a long-time producer. Lloyd goes over financials, selling films, making films cheaply and reusing scenes as much as you can get away with. Now that's talent!."  - HorrorNews.net

"Candid interviews, tips, tricks and tidbits scattered throughout the DVD give filmmakers practical tools for getting a movie shoot off the ground, keeping it afloat and seeing it through to the end- Lloyd Kaufman shows you how it's really done."--Horrorbid.com!

"[D]on't expect to plop this in the tray and be led from point A to point B, thinking you'll soon know exactly what to do. However, you'll still get a ton of useful advice, especially if you're a good study, and you'll probably watch certain segments multiple times as you get ready to produce your own damn movie. But even more casual movie fans (sure, I'd like to write a few screenplays some day - who wouldn't?) such as myself can find plenty of entertainment while enjoying these 'on the down low' interviews with indie movie greats. Lloyd's always got a trick up his sleeve, but here amongst the rock bottom production costs of this set is a treasure trove of information."--DVDTalk.com

"With the advent of digital cameras and affordable home editing studios, who needs film school anymore? Sure that diploma might look great on your mom's wall, but really, isn't the best film school just going out there and making your own damn movie? Lloyd Kaufman, founder of Troma, the longest-running ultra-indie film studio in America, believes so. In this third installment of his Make Your Own Damn Movie series, he (with help from other low-budget filmmakers) offers advice on how to raise money, make the most of available production values and locations, develop business plans, and pre-sell your movie, all filtered through that irrepressibly irreverent Kaufman persona Troma fans have come to love over the years. This series is better than any film school, with more real-world, "learn by doing" applications for those of us who'll never be in the director's chair for a big corporate studio. And that's OK. They'll only water down your erotic zombie thriller anyway."--Colorado Springs Independent

From the Back Cover

Learn your own damn producing secrets!

* Want to know how to produce low-budget movie? Read this book!

* Want to know just what it is a producer does? Read this book!

* Want to know what all it takes to be a producer? Read this book!

When it comes to producing, no one speaks with more authority than Lloyd Kaufman, founder of the longest-running independent film studio, Troma Entertainment. He reveals the best ways to seek out investors, scout locations, hire crew and cast talent, navigate legalities, and stay within your budget. Featuring tips from some of the finest producers in the business, this book gives filmmakers practical tools for getting a movie shoot started, keeping it afloat and seeing it through to the end. Candid interviews, tips, tricks, and tidbits scattered throughout the book illustrate the many techniques you can employ to produce your own damn movie-Lloyd Kaufman shows you how it's really done.

PRODUCE YOUR OWN DAMN MOVIE! will be your step-by-step guide on the journey to:

* Maximize production values with a minimal budget

* Scouting locations

* Different producing models

* Developing business plans

* Pre-selling your movie

Features interviews and contributions from a lot of really cool people:

Mark Damon (Monster, The Upside of Anger)

James Gunn (Dawn of the Dead, Slither)

Mark Harris (Crash, Gods and Monsters, Million Dollar Baby)

Terry Jones (Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

Brad Krevoy (Dumb and Dumber)

Stephen Paul (Ghost Rider)

Jean Prewitt (CEO of the IFTA)

.and many more!

WARNING

It is not recommended that you read this acclaimed second book book in Lloyd Kaufman's bestselling series if you suffer from motion sickness or are about to operate heavy machinery. This book is not for those who are faint of heart, exhibit any sense of good taste, or have a weak stomach.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lloyd Kaufman is the co-founder and president of Troma Entertainment, arguably the longest-running independent film studio in the world. He has operated outside of the studio system for more than 40 years, writing, directing and producing dozens of low-budget independent films such as Tromeo and Juliet, Poultrygeist and the iconic The Toxic Avenger --each has influenced an entire generation of directors, including Quentin Tarantino, Peter Jackson, and Takashi Miike. Among Troma Entertainment's library of over 1,000 film and television programs are the early performances of such superstars as Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Kevin Costner, Billy Bob Thornton, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert DeNiro, Dennis Hopper, Dustin Hoffman, and countless others. A longtime force against media consolidation, Kaufman is also the Chairman of the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA).

Check out Lloyd Kaufman's Direct Your Own Damn Movie! (Focal Press)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; 1 edition (August 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0240810457
• ISBN-13: 978-0240810454
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #430,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This book will make "Your Wildest fantasies will come true"..., January 17, 2011

By 

Kevin J. Loria (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Produce Your Own Damn Movie! (Your Own Damn Film School {Series}) (Paperback)

(What's this?)

....Maybe, not....but...Continuing his contributions to the C & D movie industry Troma Entertainment's President and co-founder Lloyd Kaufman has been an influence to at least one or two budding indie film makers I'm sure. Here he shares how to make a low-budget movie, and really who else knows more about this than Troma? Deep underground hits like Toxie Avenger 1-4 and who can forget Poultrygeist? This book not only explains "what the heck a producer does?" but " How to scout locations, budget your nearly-nonexistent funding, even pre-selling & distribution of the turkey...I mean film."

Lots of contributions & interviews from people in the know, who you may know, like Pythoner Terry Jones and the great B movie king Roger Corman!

But what truly makes this book worth the cover price are the samples of real letters lovely reproduced here. Letters from Kaufman to President Obama, for instance, or production diaries, rejection mail and emails from editors, too. Q & A is also included, like, "What to do when you are over budget, over schedule and actors are walking off the set?" this and more are included in 'Ask Lloyd format.

Although it stands alone...This is a nice companion to the "Direct your own Damn Movie" DvD 4 disc set from Troma.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Kaufman's At It Again--But This Time, Some Practical Applications Are Missing, January 27, 2010

By 

K. Harris "Film aficionado" (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Produce Your Own Damn Movie! (Your Own Damn Film School {Series}) (Paperback)

(What's this?)

One could only presume that I'm as close to the target audience of Lloyd Kaufman's latest film series handbook "Produce your Own Damn Movie!" as you can get. I went to graduate school in film where I wrote, directed, starred in, and produced several personal projects of great import! I have worked with any number of aspiring filmmakers on their quest to become the next big thing. I lived in the heart of the entertainment industry for over ten years where filming and movie making exposure was an almost daily occurrence. In addition, I have also been an avid follower of Kaufman and Troma Studios for, at least, a couple of decades. My DVD library is littered with the Troma classics! And I think the world of Lloyd Kaufman.

So I was really looking forward to this, his fourth foray into the "how-to" filmmaking genre. Following most closely to the model presented in "Direct Your Own Damn Movie!," "Produce" tries to offer up practical advice for those entering the movie making game. The fundamental difference, however, is that producing is a much more abstract concept. In large films, the term can mean virtually anything! But in street filmmaking, it usually only means one thing--doing anything necessary to get the film made! And this is usually a labor of love handled concurrently by the writer/director or crew of the film in question. It is a situational effort depending on circumstances and immediate need and, thus, is less helpful to quantify in the theoretical as Kaufman attempts to do in his book.

That's not to say there is no value in the advice presented in "Produce Your Own Damn Movie!" Some introductory concepts on the business side--such as locations and formalizing a business plan--may be a good jumping off point for beginners, but it is unlikely that someone seeking serious advice would really turn to the book. So is "Produce Your Own Damn Movie!" a good read, at least, for those interested in the field? I'd say yes. Kaufman is a showman--and I will never say otherwise! The anecdotal stories are amusing, the guest interview subjects can offer insight. If you've read all of Kaufman's books, however, some of the themes may start to become repetitive. And the "jokey" device of footnoting (often times, for humor, footnotes take up half a page) can derail the actual momentum of reading the book for content. But if you're a fan--I'd say you'll want to pick this up. However, if you have no idea who Kaufman or Troma is--I might start with "All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger" and/or "Make Your Own Damn Movie!: Secrets of a Renegade Director." KGHarris, 1/10.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Making movies by any means necessary - an uneven but entertaining guide to producing independent film, December 3, 2009

By 

Nathan Andersen "film lover, philosophy profe... (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Produce Your Own Damn Movie! (Your Own Damn Film School {Series}) (Paperback)

(What's this?)

Sure, making movies is about art and ideas, but to get it done you need resources. In addition to good ideas and talent, you need to find people to help out, in front and behind the screen, you need lots of equipment, and other useful stuff (including cash), or it'll never happen. Plus, after it gets made it's got to get out there, sold and distributed. The guy or gyno (Lloyd Kaufmann's preferred term for females) who makes that all happen by bringing together the people and stuff, and sees the project through to a sale and/or independent distribution, is called the producer. Lloyd Kaufmann, man of many hats, is above all a producer: he gets people together and gives them the stuff they need to make movies. Here, in his roundabout fashion, replete with anecdotes and jokes and insinuations and innuendos, he tells you how it's done, or at least how he managed most of the time. Things rarely turned out as he planned, but they did turn out, and whatever you think of the voluminous output of Troma Films (creators of such gems as Bloodsucking Freaks and Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead and Cannibal! The Musical), you can't deny that he churns out a lot of movies and has managed to stay afloat for a long time, which is a lot more than you can say for most independent producers.

There's some helpful advice in here, but mostly stories, off-color jokes, self-referential self-parody, and a few short interviews with other successful producers. Most of the details and specific advice will be familiar to anyone who's read a few books on film. What's unique here is the passion and conviction, combined with lighthearted silliness, and the insight into the mind of an entrepeneur with the sensibilities of early John Waters and the ambition of Roger Corman. The core lesson I drew from the guide is: (1) only make films that you are passionate about; (2) if you are passionate about a story, find a way to tell it by any means necessary, even if it means cutting corners (what some folks call making a virtue of necessity). Worth checking out, and certainly a quick and mostly entertaining read. For more insights and more specific advice, you might check out The Independent Film Producer's Survival Guide: A Business and Legal Sourcebook or Indie Producers Handbook : Creative Producing From A to Z.