What They Don't Teach You at Film School: 161 Strategies For Making Your Own Movies No Matter What [Paperback]

Camille Landau (Author), Tiare White (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 16, 2000

Two filmmakers who've beaten the system give the real dope on what it takes to get your movie made

Do you have to go to film school to get your movies made? No, say two young entrepreneurs who survived the grind. Here they offer 140 strategies for making movies no matter what. Amateurs as well as seasoned veterans can pick up this entertaining and incredibly useful guide in any place--at any point of crisis--and find tactics that work. Whether it's raising money or cutting your budget; dealing with angry landlords or angry cops; or jump-starting the production or stalling it while you finish the script, these strategies are delivered with funny, illustrative anecdotes from the authors' experiences and from veteran filmmakers eager to share their stories. Irreverent, invaluable, and a lot cheaper than a year's tuition, this friendly guide is the smartest investment any future filmmaker could make.

Strategies from the book include: Love your friends for criticizing your work--especially at the script stage Shyness won't get you the donuts Duct tape miracles Don't fall in love with cast or crew (but if you do...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Filmmakers Landau and White believe that "if you want to make films, make films." Since only four students in each class of 45 at the country's top film schools get chosen to direct an advanced narrative film, the authors urge hopefuls to honor the trial-and-error, Blair Witch-approved method: "if you want to be a filmmaker," they advise, "put down this book and pick up a camera." Though some of their imparted wisdom reads like an After School Special dialogue, the authors do project a healthy dose of industry know-how that could prove useful to those who have never entered the cutting rooms and bursar's offices of NYU, USC, UCLA or other prestigious establishments. The book offers concrete, creative suggestions for initiating a writing schedule, pooling financial resources (or choosing the right low-APR credit card) and feigning confidence in the face of blind fear. Among their best advice is this insight: "Your short film is only as good as your feature script" because "all that work and money [spent on the short film] add up, at best, to the invitation to submit a script to someone's office." The authors' enthusiasm for their subject is matched only by their delightful irreverence toward the industry itself, crediting doughnuts, duct tape and Red Vines as the stuff that reel dreams are made of. (Aug.) FYI: Landau and White are in preproduction for Three Loves, their first feature film.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Camille Landau and Tiare White are graduates of the USC film school and the American Film Institute. Together they have made over 30 short films, many of which have won awards in festivals throughout the world. They are currently in pre-production for their first feature, Three Loves, and live in Southern California.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (August 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786884770
• ISBN-13: 978-0786884773
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #159,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book - Inspiring and Encouraging - Plus Useful !, September 24, 2001

By 

turtlex "turtlex" (PA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: What They Don't Teach You at Film School: 161 Strategies For Making Your Own Movies No Matter What (Paperback)

If you've read some of my other reviews, then you know that I'm a true filmmaker wanna-be.

I love film and read about making films to feed my dream.

I've read text book style books, handbooks, and how-to's.

This book actually defies those brandings and makes itself into something all together new - an ENCOURAGING, HUMORFUL and HELPFUL book about what you have to do to make a film.

What a revelation I've found when by chance I purchased this book here at Amazon.

For those wondering, this is NOT a how-to guide.

What it is - well, it's a great book which does something (repeatedly) that very few other books about the art and craft of filmmaking do - it ENCOURAGES YOU TO MAKE FILMS: small films or grand epics, or videos of your dog - it doesn't matter - all they suggest is that you tell your story.

It encourages you to make a film - no matter what - if that's what you want to do - this book ENCOURAGES you to do so.

There's a whole lot of sensible information here, along with some gentle guidelines for deciding if filmmaking is really something for you.

With chapters titled "Fix the script, the rest will follow", "Sultans, dentists and Uncle Al" and my favorite "Donuts, red vines and keeping the crew together: the care and feeding of the set" you get a feel for the humor that's also used throughout.

Ultimately though, you have to ask the question, for a future filmmaker, is this book useful?

I'd have to answer a resounding yes!

It reinforces the notion that if you make a movie, no matter if it sells or doesn't, makes a million or never screens for anyone but your best friends - you are a filmmaker. That's a great gift to the reader.

Buy this book before you invest too much else in text and handbooks, and how-to guides. You won't be disappointed and you'll be getting a very good read.

Good luck making your film.

Best Regards,
turtlex

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great for insomniacs!, December 9, 2003

By 

"jumpingjehosifats" - See all my reviews

This review is from: What They Don't Teach You at Film School: 161 Strategies For Making Your Own Movies No Matter What (Paperback)

To try and level the playing field I felt I had to write this review. If you are an aspiring film-maker then you probably fall into one of three categories: 1. Going to film school, 2. Not going but going to use daddy's money to make an artsy film, 3. Just wanna get out there and make a cool film or 10.

The first 2 will probably enjoy the book. It doesnt tell you much about making films but feeds you with plenty of artsy stuff to impress the chicks at the coffee shop, ie "When having script-writing problems - Take out that picture of the moment you first met - Its a good idea when your just starting a project to write yourself a note about what it means to you and save it in a sealed envelope to take out in moments just like this!" - and this section continues with paragraphs headed, "Go on a special vacation together","seperation, or an open marriage", "divorce....now that you and your script dont have an exclusive relationship with each other, it might be easier...."!!!!
If this is the kind of stuff you enjoy reading then go for it. This book is really full of it.

If you just want to get out there and make films read "Rebel Without a Crew" by Robert Rodriguez first of all!! Then read "How To Shoot a Feature Film for Under $10,000" by Bret Stern.

Believe me after reading, "What they dont teach you at film school" I'm glad I didnt go to film school and I'm not sure that I learnt anything from this book either.
I tell a lie, I learnt that there are some really dull and condescending books out there.

In summary there's not that much in here that will help you out if you actually want to write, produce and direct an actual film.

Also cures insomnia. Only use under medical supervision!

32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encouraging, insightful, conversational, and intelligent, February 16, 2001

By 

yarden "yarden" (portland, or) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What They Don't Teach You at Film School: 161 Strategies For Making Your Own Movies No Matter What (Paperback)

Sometimes I randomly buy books like this that SOUND like they have a really great premise, but they turn out to be amateur and doltish. Not so with this book -- it more than delivered on the promise made by the title and description. What a book!

I was struck in the first few pages at the encouraging tone of the book, and then again by the heft of the authors' intellects -- wow, these women have brains! But brains aren't all they have. They've got plenty of common sense about filmmaking with which they have been more than generous in their book. I learned more about filmmaking than I have from reading any other book, and at the same time I was energized and ready to pick up a camera, instead of discouraged and ready to run far away from any dreams of filmmaking.

It may be too late to go to film school, but it's never too late to read this book and get the down-low on everything you could want to know about making a film, conceptually, practically, and realistically. I'll have to read this book a few more times, and keep it close at hand for reference.

Well done, Camille and Tiare.