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Summary: BRAVO Michael!
Review: I've read many books on this subject and this is definitly one of the best out there for Indie Filmmakers. Michael Dean gives it to you in terms that most people will understand. He also gives you techniques, provides suggestions for different pieces of equipment that most of us Indie Filmmakers can design at home and provides references to guide you. His CD (in the back of the book) also provides a lot of information you'll need during the process. I would recommond this book to anyone starting out in the business.
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Summary: One Damn Good Book
Review: I'd been doing some work with DV video and editing for a year or so and decided it was high time I tried my hand at making a short film. I saw this gem sitting on the self and snatched it up for myself. Infinitley helpful to someone like me, who's never had any experience with things like lighting, casting, and funding. This book is an absoulte must if you wanna shoot your own flick on little to no-money. Hands down. It even comes with a CD containing the forms you'll need and a hilarious and helpful training video. BUY THIS BOOK!
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Summary: You don't need $30,000 film school!
Review: You need $30 Film School by Michael W. Dean. This book is a "must have". The material Michael W. Dean covers is so solid, some of the things in here I would have never thought of before reading his book. This book goes hand and hand with digital filmmaking, you need it, and it needs you. The book values on practice (which cannot be said enough, practice, practice, practice with your camera). I would also like to add that if you love to watch movies but hate all the Hollywood aspects of these big budget movies and think you could do better on your own, making your own no budget movie, then this book is for you. You learn alot, I sure did.
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Summary: A must for film makers
Review: I co-own a film company, 4 Horsemen Films, LLC and Michael Dean's book has been a godsend. It is incredibly indepth from start to finish, through all aspects of film making: from writing and producing through exhibition and distribution. This is a must have for any film maker at any skill level. The book encourages great art and cements digital film making as the "new folk music" for our times. The included CD ROM is loaded with useful information including videos, sample budgets and even contracts that you can copy and use! I recommend this book to any and all film makers as an essential tool to help you make great movies.
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Summary: Buy this book...
Review: Buy this book... If you can, buy two or three and pass them out to your friends. I have never - I repeat, NEVER - read any book as fast and as thoroughly as I have with Dean's "$30 film school." He proves that art is in the desire to create, not in how rich or influential you are.Dean writes from the heart, in this humorous, pleasurable, and uber-informative book. If you've just started learning about film-making, buy this book. If you've been doing it forever, buy this book. If you like movies and have a camcorder, buy... well, you get the point. I can't recommend this book enough. If I could give "$30 Film School" more than 5 stars out of 5, I would. So, seriously... buy this book, get out there and create art.
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Summary: I Envy This Guy!
Review: Michael Dean is the quintessential self-made man, and we should all wish we were as lucky as him. That makes his instructional writings really worth reading -- he's done it all, and lived to tell about it. He is a successful filmmaker, writer and musician, plus he gets all the chicks too! I can't wait for his next book.
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Summary: This Book Rules!!!
Review: A while back I sold my hi8 camcorder to get money for a miniDV, but bills and life sapped that money up. After reading this book, I realized that I didn't need to wait until I had a miniDV camera to make a movie. The punk rock way would be to take the Fuji Finepix that I had that takes 20 second movie clips and use that to
make my movie. Long story short, that's what I did. 30 minutes of footage (in 20 second intervals) edited down to a 12minute short. If you've ever thought of making a movie, this book will provide you with the knowledge, the tools and most importantly, the inspiration to get out there and start doing it!!
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Summary: $30 Film School or Die
Review: Thirty-Dollar Film School, written by Michael Dean, is unequivocally the best amateur film-textbook that I have ever seen. The 500-page text goes through everything a new filmmaker needs to know about in the biz. Keep in mind, this text is not exactly for anyone who is a fanatic about using motion-picture film, since all of the examples, techniques and software are made for magnetic tape users. A quote by Michael Dean on the second page of the text sums up the mood for the entire work: "I have three words for most Hollywood films: stunningly photographer crap." This is not to be taken the wrong way though, the mood of the book is that Dean is emphasizing more creativity and individualism than dollar bills and how to obtain them. Thirty-Dollar Film School is exactly that, cheap ways of filming what your creativity desires. And truthfully, Dean has hit the nail in the face with every chapter; besides the cost of camera, he has cheap ways of doing everything - along with some of the more expensive ones in case you run into a few bucks. Dean starts off the book in the best way. He describes all the aspects that transferred classical theatre into modern day: the quest, the struggle, the hero, the three acts and so on. He also briefly goes through basic storytelling, action and dialogue, using an outline, editing a script, and he ends off the first chapter with a comical section simply entitles 'Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.' The best part of the book is the chapter on fundraising. It's full of valuable documents that Dean wrote himself and included to direct the artist in the right direction; such as mission statements, letters written to obtain free plane tickets, letters asking for money from friends, thank-you letters, invoices, fiscal sponsorship letters, and some begging-for-money letters. Dean also goes through all the objectives that a proper film crew is meant to do. He explains the difference between the best and the worst cameras and describes many of the most basic camera techniques and props. The section comparing Mini DV to Film is excellent for cost effective film planning. Thirty-Dollar Film School even gives examples of many release forms that every director needs to requisition music, photography and the use of actors. With a budget of around 50,000 dollars, Dean's tips for selling your film and touring are perfect for amateurs. He has a picture of the logo he spray-painted on his car which is comical but the best way to start promoting yourself as an artist. He goes through the bonuses of touring with a film as compared to a band's tour and its enthusiasm is enticing. But in case you ever get into trouble, Dean also has a section on public showing agreements, copyrights, humility and priorities. With Dean's sections on uploading film to the computer, editing, sound production, equipment needs, spam protection, DVD authoring and so on, no beginner should have a problem making their vision come to life. A refreshing taste to this book is the fact that Dean is always promoting art and vision, and not money and pride. He constantly adds that you must be gracious as an artist and helpful to others; one good turn deserves another. He has advice from other filmmakers at the back of the text, along with great lists of recommended surfing, viewing and listening. All of them are great inspiration and excellent resources if you need help making your film. Dean has taught filmmaking at Leisure Learning Unlimited in Houston. He took his film D.I.Y. OR DIE on tour of Europe in late 2003; showed the film in 37 cities in 45 days, in England, Ireland, Germany, France, Holland and Belgium. Dean has also been invited to lecture at Cal Arts college, San Francisco's Yerba Buena museum and at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art. -the editor of Campesino X magazine.
penonpaper.8m.net
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Summary: Compelling, great insights to low/no budget filmmaking!!
Review: A must read for the aspiring independent filmmaker. Michael Dean's book is loaded with a great many useful insights that cover the entire creative process right from inception all the way through to what comes after you've made your movie. Writing, finance, all the production through the postproduction and even into how to self release you new masterpiece. He even covers what to look out for in some cases when it comes to agent/distributor contracts. Heck he even gives good resources on where you can find the equipment that you may need for the whole thing as well as sample legal documents. Definitely a complete package that will help you make your own movie, release, distribute and promote it.
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Summary: A Sacred/Gnostic Text
Review: I just found Michaels book on the same shelf I have searched at the bookstore around 15 times for books on Filmmaking and the ilk (at least at this one particular bookstore)and after reading about 5 or so of them I had expections of more of the same. I went ahead and got this one because it had something none of the rest had...and then when I read it it had more than I could have ever hoped for...the most postive and human delivery of heart and knowledge through the printed media I have taken in in years. I found it to be one of the finest spiritual self help books hidden inside a package that would reach a wide variety of very specific types of people that needed a wide variety of very specific itches that need sctratching.
It is impossible to tell on what level the communications inside this book will effect our Universe, and I've got quite and imagination!(the Han Solo meaning is infered here)
Thank goodness I got this book when I did! I was about to go nuts without it!
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