Two Killer Books on Making Movies
Two Killer Books on Making Movies
When I wanted to learn about making movies I stared by reading books written by people that all had different styles. I personally never could finish reading dry and boring books that were packed with technical jargon and cinema history.
That wasn’t a place I was coming from as an aspiring filmmaker. I gravitated towards books on making movies that were written for people that planned on making an indie movie on a tight budget with resources they had.
I was hungry (still am) and wanted to get my hands dirty making movies as soon as I could. Pitching scripts to agents so they could go to studio producers to get money to shoot wasn’t were my mind was at. My mind was to get busy making movies. Through a friend of a friend I did try a moon shot once.
Through a connection from another business deal a person was able to get the first screenplay I wrote over to William Morris Endeavor (WME) for coverage. The coverage notes were not brutal and better than I thought considering it was my first screenplay and I was green. They still passed on the screenplay, but it was a great entertainment business life lesson.
Pitching movies to agents and studios takes time to dance. I was too excited about making a movie to sit on my hands and wait for a break to happen. My hands were too clean and I wanted to get them dirty making movies ASAP.
The first book on making movies I read that hit home was the indie cinema classic Rebel without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez. This book on making movies to me is already a classic on indie cinema. What I liked best about the book was how candid and down-to-earth he was on making movies.
Times have changed with making movies since the book came out, but the attitude and story are still killer. Rebel without a Crew I can say fired me up that it is possible to make a movie on a tight budget. I felt like, “Hell! I can really do this.”
The second book on making movies I really loved was Make Your Own Damn Movie!: Secrets of a Renegade Director by Lloyd Kaufman. It is one of those rare books that I have to say to me was more entertaining than some novels I’ve read.
There’s some solid insight and practical advice, but what made it really shine to me was how engaging Lloyd Kaufman is as a writer and storyteller. The man speaks in plain talk, is witty and includes sections written from people that work with Troma that are hilarious.
Troma’s movie marketing approach on a budget is second to none when they hit film festivals. Troma is like a horde coming over the horizon that film buyers and movie viewers can’t ignore. These have been two of my favorite books on making movies. This is indie filmmaker Sid Kali typing FADE TO BLACK