From Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film [Paperback]

Dov S-S Simens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

From screenwriting & budgeting to marketing, Simens provides encyclopedic, precise, & creative instruction for putting your vision up on the screen.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dov S-S Simens lives in Sherman Oaks, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446674621
• ISBN-13: 978-0446674621
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chicago Producer Raves, April 15, 2006

By 

Chicago Shooter "Jason" (Chicago, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film (Paperback)

I am a producer-director with over 50 local and 30 national commercials under my belt. I have gone to film school, spents 4-years and wasted (now in retrospect) almost $120,000. Why? Because I should have read Dov's book for only $18.95. For "FROM REEL TO DEAL" gives more practical, realistic information about how to break into the film industry with your initial independent feature film then I acquired after 4-years at NYU Film School. If this book was available when I was in film school, and I had read it, I guarantee you I would have dropped out of NYU and launched my feature film career. Thank you Mr Simens for giving the real information about how Hollywood and the Film Business truly works with respect to independents. Buy this book!

54 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars spend he $12 or screw up your film, November 7, 2004

By 

L. Mroczkowski (chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: From Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film (Paperback)

Like everyone else, I agree that this is a straight to the point book and I'm telling you to read it. I could'nt put it down. Yes it is that good. Some people on here claim that they went to USC or NYU and learned nothing but theory. I always thought these schools were decent since some of the big shots went there but I went to Columbia college which supposibly is the best film school in chicago.

This is the scoop on going to film school:

You first must take theory classes(watch old movies, silent films yatta, yatta!! Along with an asthetic class.

Then you take classes like development and screenwriting which arent what they seem. Columbia teaches this thing called Development and pre-production which is nothing more but a class to take up time and steal your money. You learn how to write a treatment. Thats all you learn. Even my teacher called it BULL SH**. YOu can learn how to write one in 10 minutes from a book or someone. The screenwriting course is a joke for the teachers dont know how to teach. THey will teach you what a program like Final Draft will do automatically for you maybe even better.

Then you take a production class which is the only class that you will make a short film in. WAIT! Columbia gives you a world war 2 film camera and a 750 watt light kit and tell you to go make a film with it. Yup that is what you get for $20,000+ a year. So what happens in this class? You actually learn how to make a crappy film "BUT YOU LEARN". THen comes the confidance part of school. They will get a Yokel called a top advisor to come to you and his advice is to take sound classes because there arent too many sound people out there. Boringest job out there. And then he tells you that if you just work really really really hard then you just might get paid. For years I watched all those poor students' faces as each of them were convinced that they will never be George Lucas! I got angry. Very angry and I chose to fight the system.

This is the bottom line. All you need to do is take 1-2 production classes where you make a short film. Then you need an open mind and listen to those who work in the industry. But listen to only those who are positive. Film school teachers are not professionals. They are past film students from the school they teach at who have no [...]. This is why they lecture film and not make films. You go to school to network with other students. THATS IT!! you can do this for free just walk in, no one will stop you. the security guards are just there for display. If you want to prove me wrong spend $80,000+ on a film school and 5 years later visit me and tell me that I was right. I'm not bashing these schools but FACT: all of these schools will admit to you that they are just a business. SO shut up, buy this book, Robert Mckee's book "STORY", "film director's intuition" and directing actors" Now watch me, i'm going to be a millionare this year thanks to being open minded and listening to the right people. Good luck and God bless you.

38 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WHAT DOV SIMENS DOESN'T TELL YOU WILL FILL A FEW BOOKS!, May 13, 2004

By 

Barry Timmons (Morristown, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film (Paperback)

Yeah yeah yeah, I read everyone else's rave reviews about Dov Simens's classes. And yes yes yes they're full of energy and facts. While Dov fills his classes with eager faces, and fills these eager faces with fascinating facts, Mr. Simens fails us all in one major respect: he conveniently leaves out the part about how to really really really get the money from potential investors.

I was excited about calling up those "stupid dentists," as he calls them, and asking them to come to a local theatre where I'd have the DP's 35-mm reel to show them. Bummer when I discovered that NOT A SINGLE DP IN HOLLYWOOD USES 35-mm REELS. They all have their stuff on DVDs. So, Mr. Simens's theatre model is now shot. Ok, no problemo. I booked a local hotel conference room and rented a big-screen TV for the DVD viewing.

When I invited everyone over for the party, one stupid dentist, who was also a former securities attorney, asked, "Will you be giving us the PPM this evening?"

PPM?

The stupid dentist--one of 50 stupid people I invited to come hear my presentation--educated all of us about the Private Party Offering Memorandum, or PPM, which is used to educate prsopective investors about the offering of a security.

Security!? Are you kidding me!?!? I though Dov said this was a freakin' "unit" I was offering! Security!?

Yes, the stupid dentist went on. In fact, you have to file with the SEC.

Please allow me to interrupt this short horror film right now, and just say this: if you want to raise money for your movie, and you're looking for more than about 5 investors (Dov suggested 50 or so), you'll need to consult with a securities attorney who knows the film business. Period.

See you at Sundance, Dov, you freaking schmuck.

Still I'm making this film.

And so should you continue. Just know that there's no easy way, as Dov suggests so blithely in his book.

He does offer an excellent overview of everthing else. Hence the four stars.