ABSTRACT

Learn to avoid the costly mistakes that commonly plague independent filmmakers with this concise and informative how-to guide. Laced with examples from famous movies, directors, and producers, author Daryl Bob Goldberg empowers you with the practical knowledge to achieve a dream that is not as intimidating as you might think

This book will help you avoid problems associated with fund-raising, budgeting, scheduling, casting, shooting, actors, crew, postproduction, distribution, legal issues, and much more, all written by someone who has learned these lessons the hard way-so you don't have to.

part |14 pages

Getting Started

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #1 “I Can't Make a Movie”

Why you (yes, you) can make a movie

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #2 “I Just Want to Make a Movie”

How to pick the right project for you and your career

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #3 “The Script Is Done”

Why the script is never really ‘done'

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #4 “I Can Do This Alone”

Why every movie is a collaborative process

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #5 “My Buddy/Mom/Brother/Dog Is Going to Produce”

Why you desperately need a good producer and what that means

part |34 pages

Getting the Money

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #6 “I'll Never Get the Money”

How you can get the money to make your movie

chapter |4 pages

Fuck-Up #7 “Selling Is about Sales”

How to make an effective pitch to potential investors

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #8 “First, I'll Get Actors; Then I'll Get Money”

How to play the “Actors and Money” chicken-and-egg game

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #9 “No Stars Will Want to Be in My Movie”

How to brainstorm stars you really can attach

chapter |5 pages

Fuck-Up #10 “Stars Will Want to Be in My Movie”

How to really go about getting stars

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #11 “My Actors Are Committed”

How to know if your talent is attached “enough”

chapter |4 pages

Fuck-Up #12 “I Don't Care about Tax Incentives”

Why you should love tax credits

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #13 “If I Can't Raise All the Money, I Can't Start My Movie”

How to make your movie, even without all the money raised

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #14 “There's No Harm in Getting Creative with My Financing”

The reality of credit cards, pre-sales, negative pick-ups, and gap financing

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #15 “I Don't Need a Business Plan”

Why a business plan is crucial

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #16 “I Don't Need a Lawyer”

When and why a lawyer is needed

part |13 pages

Pre-Production

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #17 “We Don't Need Much Pre-Production”

Why pre-production is so damned important

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #18 “I Don't Want SAG Actors”

Why limiting your talent pool can cripple your movie

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #19 “Cast the Person Who Looks the Part”

Why it is never good to cast looks over talent

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #20 “We Don't Need Much Equipment”

What gear you really need

chapter |4 pages

Fuck-Up #21 “We Don't Need to Go on a Scout”

Why you need scouts and what to do while you're there

part |11 pages

Scheduling

chapter |6 pages

Fuck-Up #22 “I Have to Shoot My Movie in Script Order”

Why shooting out of order shouldn't be a scary thought

chapter |4 pages

Fuck-Up #23 “I Don't Need a Stripboard Schedule”

Why you'll never know how you lived without a stripboard after you've had one

part |19 pages

Budgeting

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #24 “Movies Cost ___Dollars”

Why it may be more or less expensive than you think

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #25 >“You Have to Buy Stuff”

Why filmmaking is a rental business

chapter |4 pages

Fuck-Up #26 “The Rates Are the Rates”

Why no cost is fixed

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #27 “People Don't Work on Credit”

The reality of deferred costs and points

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #28 “My Budget Fits My Vision”

Understanding the delicate balance between your budget and vision

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #29 “Post Is Cheap”

Why post far too often gets the short end of the budgeting stick

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #30 “I Don't Need a Contingency”

Why you absolutely must budget for a contingency

part |9 pages

Acting

chapter |5 pages

Fuck-Up #31 “Acting Should Always Be Natural”

Why not everything actors do should feel natural

chapter |1 pages

Fuck-Up #32 “Acting Happens When You Have Lines”

Why acting is reacting, even when the camera isn't on

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #33 “Continuity Isn't as Important as Performance”

Why if continuity doesn't match, performance doesn't matter

part |21 pages

Crew

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #34 “Hire a D.P. Based on Who Owns a Camera”

What you really should look for in a D.P.

chapter |1 pages

Fuck-Up #35 “Grip? Electric? What's the difference?”

Understanding what grips and electrics do

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #36 “The Assistant Director Is the Director's Assistant”

What this crucial job really does and why you need a great one

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #37 “Anyone Can Be a P.A.”

What it really takes to pull off this difficult job effectively

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #38 “We Don't Need an Art Department”

What these people really do and why you really need them

chapter |4 pages

Fuck-Up #39 “I Don't Need a Script Supervisor”

Why not having a script supervisor is dangerous

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #40 “Set Photographers Don't Help the Movie”

Why preparing promotional material is as important as the movie itself

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #41 “Sound Is Not Important”

Why this is the dumbest thing you may ever hear on set

part |24 pages

Life on Set

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #42 “The Director Should Worry about Everything”

Why the director should be kept in the dark about most problems

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #43 “It's Quick On-Screen; It Shouldn't Take Long to Shoot”

Why screen time has little correlation to shooting time

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #44 “I Need to Take My Time to Work”

Why the clock must always be ticking and how to cope

chapter |1 pages

Fuck-Up #45 “Everyone Should Do What Needs to Be Done”

The importance of delegating responsibilities

chapter |4 pages

Fuck-Up #46 “We Don't Need a Call Sheet”

Why this piece of paper is so damn important

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #47 “I'll Start with My Close-Ups”

How to organize your shots like a pro

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #48 “I Need More/Less Coverage”

How to know when you've got it and when you don't

chapter |4 pages

Fuck-Up #49 “I Know What Film Sets Should Be Like”

Why your expectations may be mistaken

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #50 “We'll Fix It in Post”

Why this joke is dangerous

part |13 pages

Editing

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #51 “Anyone with a Computer Can Edit”

Why editing well takes a lot more than software

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #52 “You Don't Need to Watch ALL the Footage”

Why you should be familiar with every frame you shot

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #53 “Editing Shouldn't Hurt”

Why editing needs to be a painful process

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #54 “Editing Will Take a Few Passes”

Why editing is re-editing…more than you think

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #55 “This Cut Is Good Enough to Show”

The importance of first impressions with your film

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #56 “I Don't Need Outside Feedback”

The importance of feedback: when to listen and when not to

part |19 pages

More Post-Production

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #57 “Post Sound Isn't as Important as Picture”

Why this is a completely naïve thought

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #58 “Anyone with a Computer Can Do Post-Sound”

What work needs to be done and who should do it

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #59 “Dialogue Is Recorded on Set”

What looping is and why it will save your movie

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #60 “We Can Use Famous Songs”

The danger of getting your heart set on popular music

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #61 “We Can't Afford Good Music”

How to get music cheap, but not cheap sounding

chapter |4 pages

Fuck-Up #62 “Cinematography Happens While Shooting”

The magic of color correction

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #63 “I Gotta Have Effects!”

When to use visual effects and what to expect

part |13 pages

Life after Post-Production

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #64 “The Movie's Done; I'm Done”

Why finishing the film is part of your journey, not the destination

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #65 “I'll Submit to Festivals and Then Await Success”

Why this isn't enough of a plan

chapter |3 pages

Fuck-Up #66 “This Guy Can Sell My Movie”

How to pick the right person to sell your movie

chapter |2 pages

Fuck-Up #67 “A Distributor Will Pay to Finish the Movie”

The reality of getting a distributor to pay for anything

chapter |1 pages

Fuck-Up #68 “Money, Fame, Power: Here I Come!”

Why it's never easy, no matter how many films you've made

chapter |1 pages

Fuck-Up #69 “There's No Formula for Success”

A formula for success (really)