From Publishers Weekly
Filmmakers Landau and White believe that "if you want to make films, make films." Since only four students in each class of 45 at the country's top film schools get chosen to direct an advanced narrative film, the authors urge hopefuls to honor the trial-and-error, Blair Witch-approved method: "if you want to be a filmmaker," they advise, "put down this book and pick up a camera." Though some of their imparted wisdom reads like an After School Special dialogue, the authors do project a healthy dose of industry know-how that could prove useful to those who have never entered the cutting rooms and bursar's offices of NYU, USC, UCLA or other prestigious establishments. The book offers concrete, creative suggestions for initiating a writing schedule, pooling financial resources (or choosing the right low-APR credit card) and feigning confidence in the face of blind fear. Among their best advice is this insight: "Your short film is only as good as your feature script" because "all that work and money [spent on the short film] add up, at best, to the invitation to submit a script to someone's office." The authors' enthusiasm for their subject is matched only by their delightful irreverence toward the industry itself, crediting doughnuts, duct tape and Red Vines as the stuff that reel dreams are made of. (Aug.) FYI: Landau and White are in preproduction for Three Loves, their first feature film. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
Two filmmakers who've beaten the system give the real dope on what it takes to get your movie made Do you have to go to film school to get your movies made? No, say two young entrepreneurs who survived the grind. Here they offer 140 strategies for making movies no matter what. Amateurs as well as seasoned veterans can pick up this entertaining and incredibly useful guide in any place--at any point of crisis--and find tactics that work. Whether it's raising money or cutting your budget; dealing with angry landlords or angry cops; or jump-starting the production or stalling it while you finish the script, these strategies are delivered with funny, illustrative anecdotes from the authors' experiences and from veteran filmmakers eager to share their stories. Irreverent, invaluable, and a lot cheaper than a year's tuition, this friendly guide is the smartest investment any future filmmaker could make. Strategies from the book include: Love your friends for criticizing your work--especially at the script stage Shyness won't get you the donuts Duct tape miracles Don't fall in love with cast or crew (but if you do...)


About the Author
Camille Landau and Tiare White are graduates of the USC film school and the American Film Institute. Together they have made over 30 short films, many of which have won awards in festivals throughout the world. They are currently in pre-production for their first feature, Three Loves, and live in Southern California.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

You don't have to go to film school to make movies, and What They Don't Teach You at Film School offers you 161 practical strategies to make your movies no matter what. A lot cheaper than a year's tuition, this book has solutions for surviving both the large and small crises of filmmaking. From how to finish (or get started on...) your script, through dealing with jealous actors, abandoned lovers, mutinous crews, angry landlords, and even angrier investors, to what to do when you're finally done, this is an invaluable guide.

Film-school veterans Camille Landau and Tiare White draw from their experiences and those of other filmmakers to show you how to make a film on your terms, no matter who or what is standing in your way.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly