Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(7)
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2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

....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.

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.

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.

After reading "Direct your own damn movie" I was begging for more. It was very helpful information about the film business and what some of the pros had to say about directing your own damn movie.

Soon after finishing reading that book, I went on the internet to review it on amazon, and while I was checking for it, I saw "Produce your own Damn Movie" listed. I bought that when it came out, and just finished reading it tonight.

For those of you (probably reading this now) that are interested into wanting to get in the film business, then this is the book for you all to read. It's got very interesting interviews from some of the biggest producers in the business talk about how they produce their films, and what should you, the reader, do. After reading this book, I think I am ready to produce my own damn movie.

Thanks Lloyd, and thanks Troma for the helpful information.

-JBT

I could not have come across this book at a more perfect time. I'm in the middle of producing my own damn movie and the wisdom and other nonsense in this book has been invaluable. Lloyd's assistant is an extremely talented writer who brings a human edge and contemplative spirituality to the largely dry and academic subject matter. Honestly though the book is fantastic. Lloyd and the Troma team are an inspiring bunch with years of experience and genuine insight into the entire movie making process. Every independent filmmaker should borrow this book from a friend.*



*That was a joke, you need to buy this book you lousy cheapskates.

What can I say about Produce Your Own Damn Movie other than its the Greatest thing you Don't have on your book shelf already!!

This book is entertaining as well as informative. If you are at all interested in the film industry Lloyd Kaufman has some useful information to share. I purchased it full price at WonderCon and am proud to support Troma. I got to meet Lloyd and he highly recommends the book as well! Great read!

One of the best books i've read on anything. Kaufman is a bonafide genius. Buy your copy now.

As someone who has PRODUCED HIS OWN DAMN MOVIE... You will not find any words truer about film producing, then the words that Lloyd Kaufman brings you in this book. On top of being informative, without sugar coating anything, it is quite possibly one of the funniest books that I have ever read. Whether you're a veteran producer or if you have never been on a set, YOU WILL GET SOMETHING OUT OF THIS BOOK.

Lloyd Kaufman does it again with yet another book in his "Own Damn Film School" series, this time tackling the business end of things more than the artistic.

First and foremost, this book is funny. Lloyd has a great written voice and the various contributions from other filmmakers are also a treat. It's a fun read, but more importantly, it's also a great overview of what production is on an independent film set. For somebody who is just getting into the wild and wacky world of film making, this book is a great resource to learn about scouting talent and locations, as well as convincing somebody to pay for the whole damn thing. I recommend this both as a useful guide and a good read, especially if you are fond of Troma entertainment.