Book Description

This is the Companion Workbook to Kelley Baker's acclaimed The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making The Extreme No Budget Film. It consists of filmmaking tips and hints to keep in mind during all aspects of making your movie. It contains a sample short film script (All The Important Things by William Akers & Mark Cabus), and practical exercises as you prepare to make either a short film or a feature. These exercises include numbering scenes, breaking down a script, breaking out props and finding locations. You'll have to figure out a production schedule and a budget. The book includes copies of forms that are used in the business to assist you and a Glossary of film terms.Sample Tips include: 6) Show your screenplays to people whose opinion you trust. Give out short questionnaires with your screenplays, including specific things that you are concerned about. You get more specific feedback when you outline what it is you're looking for, and it's always nice to have written feedback that you can refer to later.18) When you are scheduling your shoot never put the final scene, big climactic scenes, or any love scenes early in your schedule if you can avoid it. Your cast and crew are still getting to know how each other work, and you haven't set up a good working pace yet.30) Cast a wide range of actors, especially age-wise. The more diverse your cast is, the more an audience will think they're watching a "real" movie. If people think they're watching a twenty-something production, they're going to take it less seriously. Have actors from all walks of life in various roles. A film festival judge told me he can usually tell the age of a director by the cast. It's something to think about.71) When people see something that's shot on digital and they comment on how good it looks, it's usually because it's well lit. I would rather take an extra hour at the beginning of each scene to light the whole thing, than to light just what I need for the master, and then relight for each medium shot or close-up. The lighting of each individual shot can eat up hours on the set when you add it all together. When you think about it, lighting the whole set makes more sense, if you are using the entire set.88) After a take, if you want performance changes go up to your actors and quietly talk to them. Don't shout it out. The discussions you have with any actor to get a performance should be private. I see commercial directors and amateurs shout out directions to actors from a distance. They treat the cast like just another prop. They could get better performances if they took a little extra time and showed the actors some respect.As the director, you are going to want an actor to dig down deep inside and to go to a place where they can make that character become whole. Keep your conversations private.What others are saying about The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making The Extreme No Budget Film. (The companion to this workbook.) "Read this book and you will not only SURVIVE but you will SUCCEED. One of the best books on making your way through the independent filmmaking jungle with justifiably-angry filmmaker Kelley Baker as your top-notch guide: Funny, profane and committed to telling the unblemished truth. Don't make your next movie until you've read this terrific book."John GaspardAuthor, "Digital Filmmaking 101" and "Fast, Cheap and Under Control"This is a great book, written by an impassioned filmmaker who also happens to be a teacher of the first magnitude. An incredibly rare combination. Profit from your luck at having stumbled on this gem. Do yourself a favor; listen to what Kelley Baker has to say. William M. AkersAuthor of Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways To Make It GreatTo get the most out of this Workbook, use it in conjunction with The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making the Extreme No Budget Film. For more info go to angryfilmmaker.com.