The Complete Guide to Low-Budget Feature Filmmaking |  | Author: Josh Becker
Publisher: Wildside Press
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $4.99
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Seller: wonderbookandvideo
Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 166,879
Media: Paperback
Pages: 220
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 080956291X
Dewey Decimal Number: 791
EAN: 9780809562916
ASIN: 080956291X
Publication Date: March 7, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Most books about film production assume that you have an idea and a script to shoot. Most screenwriting books are geared to how to write a script that you can sell to Hollywood (as though the authors of these books had the slightest clue) and do not take into consideration that you might be shooting the script yourself, possibly with your own money. This book is about how to write a script properly that you can rationally shoot, how to shoot it, how to finish it, how to sell it and also how to get it shown.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Practical Insights into film production from a veteran. July 28, 2006
e-rock (Burbank, CA USA)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
The big difference between Becker's book and a lot of those other "Make a Digital Feature with your spare change" books is that he tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Making a movie, even a short or a mediocre one is VERY hard work. Your movie may suck. If you don't spend time and effort on the story, it most likely will. How will you sell/market it? There are movies with stars that can't find distribution so your independant movie with no stars better be damn good. I work in computer animation, and digital is not the solution to all problems like some of these books profess (although it can be a big help in many aspects). Film still looks better and is easier to light. Becker approaches filmmaking with a straightforward no-bs atitude. He has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to Hollywood and the state of recent movies, which according to him have been in a slump since the late '70s. Even if you disagree with him his rants are entertaining and well informed. He just wants to see better movies like all of us. If you want a touchy feely book that says you are special, all your ideas are wonderful and you will inevitably succeed, look elsewhere. If you want a realistic perspective and useful info on the entire film production process, buy his book. It doesn't have the whole puzzle but it has a lot of the pieces.
Road Tested. Smart, Invaluable June 29, 2006
Tim Roessler, book lover (Boulder, CO USA)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book is packed with solid, tested, real-world advice about filmmaking. Ignore it, and you'll waste time, money, and energy piddling around. Ask me, because I made a short film before I read it. Had I spent more time with Becker's book, I would've had a better time getting the film together, and perhaps a better film. The book's like having an ideal big brother take you aside and give you the low down. Out of the several books I've read, this offered the most practical and solid advice - not surprising, since Becker's actually directed four independent films, along with some TV shows. Profit from his experience. I can't emphasize enough how much more valuable this book has been to me than nearly every other `how to' guide out there.
Best Book on Low-Budg Filmmaking! February 26, 2006
Ace Hannah (Los Angeles, CA)
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
Been a lot of these books, but this one's the best, hands down. Practical, entertaining and inspiring, penned by someone who's been around the block and knows his stuff. A thoughtful, genuinely-informative guide for anyone dead-serious about making films.
 It's got some good advice but so do a lot of other books May 15, 2009
Robbie Caldwell (indiana)
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
Okay so I bought it, read it, and well overall I'm not that impressed.
Sure it's a good read and he really does give some good advice but there are a lot better books out there.
First of all the title is a little misleading. Low Budget well most indie film makers don't put $100,000 production cost price tags on there films. My husband is an indie filmmaker and trust me he never spends anywhere that much. Sure if you wanted to hire SAG actors then the price adds up quickly but we product feature films for a lot less.
Take it for what it is. A okay book with a few gems in it.
 not helpful, and almost impossible to read August 17, 2010
M. McClintick
From the little I could read, it's nothing I haven't seen in lots and lots of other books. This is a script. This is what "genre" means. This is an outline. Make up three acts and and ending, and there's your story. However, I couldn't really read most of the book, as evidently the publisher is also low-budget -- I've never seen such faint print, even in bright light I could hardly make it out, my eyes watered and my head hurt, I finally gave up and threw the book in the trash. So maybe I missed something.
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