Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140291849 ISBN 13: 9780140291841

Publisher: Penguin Books, 2000

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 featureFully revised and updated to cover the new technology that continues to revolutionize low-budget filmmaking, 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.

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 (codirected with Wayne Wang); Morgan's Cake; American Orpheus; and Blues for the Avatar; as well as several films produced through his collaborative Feature Workshops.

Excerpt. © 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.