Top Selected Products and Reviews
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1.
The Reel Truth: Everything You Didn't Know You Need to Know About Making an Independent Filmby Reed Martin- In Stock.
List Price: $25.00 Price: $18.52 You Save: $6.48 (26%) "An Excellent And Comprehensive Manual For Independent Film" - By Vic G. Sarjoo (New York & New Orleans)
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the creation and marketing of film while also offering a full understanding of independent film economics.
To accumulate the knowledge in this book, a film maker would have to spend years working in numerous capacities in several productions. While this book contains knowledge that would seem familiar to seasoned film makers, such knowledge is ordinarily acquired with tremendous time and opportunity cost. Reading this book would allow a prospective new filmmaker to skip those painful and costly years of learning. Moderately seasoned filmmakers will benefit too from using this book as a checklist to avoid many production, financial and legal mistakes that can restrict a film from being produced or distributed.
This book is written in an applied, rubber-meets-the-road style. The text contains examples, case studies of real films, and interviews with film makers that are active ... full review(90) -
2.
- In Stock.
List Price: $19.95 Price: $18.55 You Save: $1.40 (7%) "A priceless resource for first-time filmmakers outside LA" - By Bob Heske
A must-have resource for outside-of-California screenwriters/producers looking to make their first indie film. And if you can get Paul on board as your entertainment lawyer, even better! This book was an indispensible resource in making my film which has since secured distribution and won many festival awards. Reading this book was my first step to getting my film done. If I can do it, you can too!(5) -
3.
- In Stock.
List Price: $17.00 Price: $16.19 You Save: $0.81 (5%) "Pete Biskind and his Hatchet" - By Rick Spell (Memphis, TN USA)
This book is a Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. It is a very good example of investigative journalism and also an example of poor editing. Please don't include everything you learned. Maybe he needed Harvey Weinstein to edit the book!
What is good is a very detailed (perhaps too much so) look at the evolution of independent films from "Sex, Lies, & Videotapes" to the current state of independent films approaching the Hollywood route. There is no question he did exhaustive research and while he has been criticized for doing a hatchet job on Miramax and Redford, there are too many stories with the same theme for the portrait painted to not be substantially correct IMO. If you are a fan of film, whether you are a casual weekend fan of Hollywood fare or a student of serious film, there is something here for you. ... full review(60) -
4.
- In Stock.
List Price: $15.95 Price: $10.30 You Save: $5.65 (35%) "Way better than I even expected" - By Jeremy Wilker (Minneapolis, MN)
Way better than I even expected. The insights and lessons learned during a life (so far) in film producing. As an independent filmmaker I found all of it fascinating and thrilling and highlighted a lot of lines. The changes and contractions and shifting in indie film are hard and non-stop, this might give you some guide points along your own way.(54) -
5.
- In Stock.
List Price: $18.95 Price: $12.88 You Save: $6.07 (32%) "Indispensable" - By King Tut (Arthur, Illinois)
I highly recommend this book. As a first time amateur independent film producer, with about 30 film books resting on my shelf, I believe I was constantly thumbing through this one the most during preproduction. This book contains so much useful information and helpful insights, it's almost like having an industry consultant right there with you. Unlike other books, there weren't a lot of sections where they seemed to rush on to the next chapter without exploring the present topic in some depth.(38) -
6.
- In Stock.
List Price: $30.95 Price: $20.87 You Save: $10.08 (33%) "A must read for anyone who is even thinking about making a film" - By Amazon Customer (Los Angeles)
Distribution is often the last thing a filmmaker thinks about when they make a film. Especially their first film. This is a huge mistake and can often keep a film from ever being seen by anyone but friends and family. Stacey's book is like an insurance policy against this type of failure and the best starting point I've seen for starting down the right path to film-making success. So much of what needs to be thought about and put in place during development, production, post and beyond needs to start early. This book is like a blueprint or road-map to help navigate the often treacherous waters of film distribution. It will help keep you from making serious mistakes that can cost you your film. It is not meant to have all the answers, but it will help point you in the right direction and ... full review(32) -
7.
- In Stock.
List Price: $39.95 Price: $31.41 You Save: $8.54 (21%) "Decent book" - By Sam M
As someone who has produced a relatively big short film, and trying to do my first feature, I found it useful. Well, I gave it to one of my producers who has less experience and for him it's invaluable. But if you've already produced a feature this book is not for you. I wish it had some sample documents in it.(50) -
8.
- In Stock.
List Price: $33.95 Price: $25.83 You Save: $8.12 (24%) "Four Stars" - By SB—.
Great book for filmmakers to get a glance at everything that involves the distribution of your film!(38) -
9.
- In Stock.
List Price: $18.99 Price: $16.94 You Save: $2.05 (11%) "You couldn't pay Christine Vachon enough money to give a course like this..." - By Adam Daniel Mezei (Toronto, Canada)
...which kind of gets me wondering--why the heck don't *even more* aspiring producers and D-boy and D-girl wannabes get their hands on this amazing compendium of production experiences, take them to heart, and learn themselves a whole lot about the global film game in the process. If you've got the answer to that question, let me know. I'm still scratching my noodle.
Okay, so you're going to totally dig this book. Christine Vachon and her Killer Films outfit in N-Y-C, using that well-known convention of theirs--break the bounds of traditional (read: boring) publishing with a rather unconventional approach to bookwriting. Prepare for a wild wooly ride of a read...Christine's deft collaborators (egs. directors, financiers, and studio consigliatores) have chimed in here in various sections, offering up sage advice on the pit- and prat-falls of the indie and studio sides of the filmmaking biz, and what it's generally like working ... full review(15) -
10.
- In Stock.
List Price: $42.95 Price: $29.82 You Save: $13.13 (31%) "Essential for filmmakers" - By avi8tor4life
A must have for any indie filmmaker. It has answered many of my questions ranging from scripts to post production. It is written in an easy to understand and easy to follow format that anybody can understand. The laws are laid out in plain language and there are even examples of how the law applies in the real world. A definite tool kit to have at your disposal when you are involved in the movie business.(84) -
11.
- In Stock.
List Price: $49.95 Price: $40.31 You Save: $9.64 (19%) "Essential Legal Guide for Indie Filmmakers" - By KR503 (San Anselmo, CA USA)
Fantasically organized and phenominally useful followup to Michael Donaldson's CLEARANCE AND COPYRIGHT book. This one, coauthored by Donaldson's law partner, Lisa Callif, goes through the indie filmmaking process from idea to distribution. It provides valuable legal information and advice, the all-important red flags, and, especially useful, FORMS, which appear in the text and as Microsoft Word documents on the accompanying CD. Now, in one place, you have all the deal memos, release forms, and partnership and distribution contracts you'll ever need, suitable for personalizing. The book is NOT a substitute for a lawyer, as every project has its own specific issues, but if you follow the path set out by this book, the cost of your production lawyer will be minimized -- as will the premium for your E&O insurance -- while your sense of legal security as an independent artist will be maximized. I would never think of making ... full review(6) -
12.
- In Stock.
List Price: $22.95 Price: $21.00 You Save: $1.95 (8%) "The Film Festival Resource You've Been Looking For" - By E. N. Hutton (Middletown, CT USA)
As a first-time filmmaker entering the festival scene, I am finding Mr. Holland's book to be an invaluable resource for every step of the process. I can't say enough about the thought and care that has been put into this book. It is truly a must-have for anyone entering in the film festival process-- directors, producers, and publicists will find information in this volume that will undoubtedly improve the whole experience.
The book is conveniently divided into chapters that comprehensively handle each stage of the process: Before you submit, When you submit, While you wait, When you get the call, The pre-festival push, At the festival, and Aftermath.
I am finding each chapter to be deeply informative. Holland breaks up the text into easy to follow bullet points and checklists so that it can function as a field manual as well as a text that you want to ... full review(44) -
13.
The Cheerful Subversive's Guide to Independent Filmmaking: From Preproduction to Festivals and Distributionby Dan Mirvish- May take an extra 1-2 days to ship.
List Price: $29.95 Price: $25.30 You Save: $4.65 (16%) "One stop shopping for independent filmmakers." - By Johnmaz61 (Usa)
Everything you need to know to make an independent film is in this book. Topics include script writing, business and legal considerations, financing, casting, crew selection, shooting, post-production, film festivals, distribution and more. Decades of real world experience from the trenches of independent filmmaking are presented in a fun way that kept me smiling. The author shares personal experiences with such luminaries as Christopher Nolan, Robert Altman, Harold Ramis, Steven Soderbergh, John Carpenter, Marc Forster and Joe and Anthony Russo. It is the best book about filmmaking that I have ever read.(10) -
14.
- In Stock.
List Price: $28.99 Price: $10.70 You Save: $18.29 (63%) "Great insight" - By DavisLtd
This book is full of details involving every step of film production. Goodell often veers into big studio ways of doing things, not just independent film production, which can murk things up a bit and be overwhelming. Another thing I didn't like? He takes the fun out of it. Granted this is a guide book, but I feel that while instructing on the technicalities you must also stoke the passion and remind yourself you're doing it because you have a dream and a vision, and duhh, you want to have fun doing it! But overall, it's very thorough and expansive down to the last detail.(33)
