Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices: How to Write, Produce, Direct, Shoot, Edit and Promote a Feature-Lenth Movie for Less than 15,000

Book Description
In this revised and updated edition of Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices, Rick Schmidt shows aspiring filmmakers step-by-step how to create a feature film for the price of a used car. Featuring extensive new material on using digital video technology and making the most of Internet resources, Schmidt's practical, no-nonsense handbook reveals the insider secrets to:

Selecting and writing a story that can be produced on a tight budget
Rallying a filmmaking team through creative contracts
Shooting and editing with an original style
Marketing the finished film and dealing with agents
Making a collaborative feature

Fully revised and updated to cover the new technology that continues to revolutionize low-budget filmaking, Schmidt's guide is as useful and relevant as ever. Complete with checklists, technical information, and sample budgets, this essential guide offers both inspiration and instruction for anyone who has the yen to make a film without breaking the bank.


From The WomanSource Catalog & Review: Tools for Connecting the Community for Women; review by Susan Eastman
Making a movie is an expensive enterprise no matter which way you try to cut costs. Many women filmmakers find themselves trying to stretch miniscule budgets without compromising quality. This book offers practical tips on how to make a movie without wasting money. Rick Schmidt suggests saving money by shooting titles on location, renting film equipment at special weekend rates and building your own editing bench in your home. This is the kind of practical information that an apprentice would learn on a movie set. For example, the chapter on lighting explains ways to light a scene and what kind of lighting equipment to use. Rick suggests adding up the cost of different lighting ideas and the difficulty and time involved before proceeding, and then describes the lighting he used in several of his own feature films. Even simple housekeeping tricks can save money, and this book includes an array of checklists, sample budgets and contracts. With the humor of someone who has been there and made plenty of his own mistakes, Rick makes the mammoth task of making a movie seem within reach.


About the Author
Rick Schmidt has spent more than twenty-five years producing award-winning low-budget feature films that have received both national and international acclaim. His films include A Man, a Woman, and a Killer (codirected with Wayne Wang); Morgan's Cake; American Orpheus; and Blues for the Avatar; as well as several films produced through his collaborative Feature Workshops.


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Rick Schmidt has spent more than twenty-five years producing award-winning low-budget feature films that have received both national and international acclaim. His films include A Man, a Woman, and a Killer (codirected with Wayne Wang); Morgan's Cake; American Orpheus; and Blues for the Avatar; as well as several films produced through his collaborative Feature Workshops.


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