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Editorial Reviews
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 (co-directed with Wayne Wang); Morgan's
Cake; American Orpheus; and Blues for the Avatar; as well as several
films produced through his collaborative Feature Workshops. -
Excerpted
from Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices by Rick Schmidt (as appears in
The
WomanSource Catalog & Review). Copyright(c) 1988. Reprinted by permission, all rights
reserved
As I've mentioned in earlier chapters, most of your used-car budget will be eaten
up by irreducible costs: equipment rentals, minimum salaries, food and transportation
costs, filmstock, with the biggest bite out of your budget coming from lab expenses. While
filmstock may be purchased from the lab, a large savings can be made by dealing directly
with the distributor (Kodak, Fuji, etc.) unless the lab offers a blanket deal on all lab
costs for your project (discussed later in this chapter). After the lab develops your
footage, charging you the "processing" fee of so many cents per foot, you will
probably need to have them print another copy of your film, a low-quality "work
print" from which you can edit your feature without the risk of scratching or
damaging your precious original footage. Because the lab must supply filmstock, make a
contact print from your original, and process the results, the work print is very
expensive. |
