Synopses & Reviews
Filmmaking is entering a new era. You don't need big bucks or big studio support to make great movies. Computers have made it possible to make great films with very little money. Mini-DV filmmaking is the new punk rock, the new folk music, the new medium in which anyone can tell his story. $30 Film School is an alternative to spending four years and a hundred-thousand dollars to learn the filmmaking trade. This book is a map for D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself ) art-specifically filmmaking. Guerrilla, no-budget, drive-by filmmaking, to be exact. This new edition has been completely updated to cover advancements in video and audio editing, with many new tips and tricks on shooting, producing, and distribution. The second edition also includes a companion DVD.
Synopsis
We're entering a new era. Mini-DV filmmaking is the new folk, the new punk rock, the new medium where anyone can tell his story. $30 Film School is an alternative to spending four years and a hundred thousand dollars to learn the trade. It is influenced by punk rock's Do-It-Yourself spirit of just learning the basics and then jumping up on a stage and making a point, and by the American work ethic back when it was pure, before it became all about corporations crushing the little guy. Throw in the hacker idea that information wants to be free (or at least very cheap) and you've got our deal. Inside you'll find many interviews from insightful independent filmmakers and artists, as well as a host of practical advice, knowledge, and resources.
About the Author
Michael W. Dean is a true multimedia artist. He is the director of the films D.I.Y. OR DIE: How to Survive as an Independent Artist and HUBERT SELBY JR: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow. He toured the United States and Europe in 2002 and 2003 with D.I.Y. or DIE and recently debuted HUBERT SELBY JR: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow at the Deauville (France) American Film Festival. A prolific author, Dean's previous books include $30 Music School and $30 Writing School, as well as the critically acclaimed novels Starving in the Company of Beautiful Women and The Simple Pleasures of a Complex Girl. He also co-wrote the book Digital Music DIY Now!, and he contributes to MAKE Magazine. Dean has been interviewed on NPR, BBC radio, and PBS, and was featured on NBC, VH1, and in Variety Magazine. He lectures at colleges, museums, and youth centers throughout America and Europe. Dean has always been interested in art -- before embarking on writing/filmmaking, he was the lead singer of Bomb (Warner Brothers). They released four albums.
Table of Contents
1. Writing 2. Fundraising 3. Producing 4. Crew, Cameras, and Medium 5. Directing 6. Filming and Recording Techniques 7. Computers 8. Editing Images 9. Editing Audio 10. Your Own DVD 11. Telling the World 12. Selling Your Film 13. Touring 14. Copy Protection and Rights 15. Closing Arguments 16. Interviews and Advice from Cool Film Folk Appendices: A. Recommended Reading, Surfing, Viewing, and Listening B. MAKE a Mailbox Movie C. What's on the DVD?