The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide to Short Films: Making It Big in Shorts

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Summary: ...or spend ten times more on headache remedies...
Review: Buy the book and save yourself some grief. Adelman has 'been there, done that', and her advice, from Bid Ideas, to niggling, little details, is spot-on. If you're even thinking of shooting a Short, read the Guide: if it inspires you, her tips and advice will save you time, money, and help make the process a lot more fun. If it discourages you, she's helped save you time, money, and a load of grief. Either way, you win.

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Summary: A Must For All Filmmakers
Review: I was starting my first short with no experience and I had no idea what I was doing. I saw this book in the bookstore and bought it. It was the best purchase I've ever made. It was easy to read, and very informative. It will tell you everything you need to know about making a short and you can use a lot of the tips for features. The best part, it goes from the idea all the way to distribution. You will know the rules of the game before you begin your film so you have a better idea as to how you will make and use your film. What I also really enjoyed about the book was that it gave a detailed list of what kind of medium you can shoot your movie on. What is better, DV or film? If you don't know this book will help you figure that out. It also tells you how you can get those great songs on your soundtrack without paying for it.
I hope that if you are an inspiring filmmaker that you pick this book up, and good luck with your movie.

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Summary: Aspiring Filmmakers Need This Book!
Review: If you want to make short films read this book. Kim Adelman leaves no stone unturned in her book The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide To Short Films. Everything from how to get money, to how to find actors, to how to secure music rights is covered.

The good thing about the affordability of filmmaking technology nowadays is that anyone can make a film. The problem with the affordability of filmmaking technology nowadays is that anyone can make a film. This means that there are a glut of ammeters making films and that these films are predictably amateurish. If you want to stand out from the crowd I urge you to take a good look at this book.

Far from being homework this book is easy to read and understand. It is not a dry "how-to" book, but more of an informative pep talk. Kim Adelman makes you chomp at the bit to get out there and make your film.

So, get out there and make your movie! But first read The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide To Short Films.

Rating:
Summary: Everything you need to know
Review: If you want to make short films read this book. Kim Adelman leaves no stone unturned in her book The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide To Short Films. Everything from how to get money, to how to find actors, to how to secure music rights is covered.

The good thing about the affordability of filmmaking technology nowadays is that anyone can make a film. The problem with the affordability of filmmaking technology nowadays is that anyone can make a film. This means that there are a glut of ammeters making films and that these films are predictably amateurish. If you want to stand out from the crowd I urge you to take a good look at this book.

Far from being homework this book is easy to read and understand. It is not a dry "how-to" book, but more of an informative pep talk. Kim Adelman makes you chomp at the bit to get out there and make your film.

So, get out there and make your movie! But first read The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide To Short Films.

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Summary: The Secrets of Short Filmmaking Revealed!
Review: In her book, "The Ultimate Filmmakers Guide To Short Films", Kim Adelman has created an invaluable course on making a short film. This unique tool for the filmmaker is a necessary addition to anyone's library to learn the inside secrets to becoming a successful filmmaker. From concept to parlaying your film into a big career, Kim guides you through each step of the process for making a short film and developing your talents in this competitive industry.

Rating:
Summary: Ultimate Short Film Guide
Review: Kim Adelman's book, The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide to Short Films: Making It Big in Shorts (Michael Wiese Productions, 251 pgs, $14.95), is so comprehensive, so informative and so pragmatic, that not only do I recommend it as required reading to anyone considering making a short film, but I recommend it as required reading for anyone considering making a movie of any length at all.
Adelman's vast real-world experience as the producer of nineteen short films for the Fox Movie Channel, and her role as producer of the acclaimed short film DVD compilations, Short and International Release, more than qualify her as a voice of authority on pre-production, production and post. And her experience teaching the UCLA Extension course, "Making and Marketing the Short Film" brings a wonderful accessibility to The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide to Short Films despite the book's wealth of information and details. Adelman doesn't get bogged down in technicalities or take the reader off on tangential rants about what a short should or shouldn't be. Instead, Adelman equips the reader with the single most essential ability a filmmaker can possess: the ability to focus on what is important in the long run. When you're making a film, your mind is stressed to the breaking point, and you don't need to spend precious attention on issues that seem important in the moment but in the long run aren't worth the time. Adelman's guide keeps you focused.
From script concept to film market, Adelman leads the reader step-by-step through short filmmaking and includes top ten lists of what to avoid and what to strive for. She packs the book with lists of the pros and cons of doing bigger vs. smaller shorts, doing everything yourself vs. hiring a big crew. She includes budgets that illustrate where shorts have spent their money and where they've saved, she advises the filmmaker on dealings with SAG, DVD burning, press kits, the DV vs. film debate, and she lays out a brilliant short film trajectory through the festival circuit.
Adelman has worked on an incredible variety of short films with both big and tiny budgets, with diametrically opposed themes and perspectives. She accounts for all these differences in her guide, and delivers advice that the reader can easily customize to fit his or her film--even if that film is feature length. This truly is a book for every filmmaker.

Rating:
Summary: Ultimate Short Film Guide
Review: Kim Adelman's book, The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide to Short Films: Making It Big in Shorts (Michael Wiese Productions, 251 pgs, $14.95), is so comprehensive, so informative and so pragmatic, that not only do I recommend it as required reading to anyone considering making a short film, but I recommend it as required reading for anyone considering making a movie of any length at all.
Adelman's vast real-world experience as the producer of nineteen short films for the Fox Movie Channel, and her role as producer of the acclaimed short film DVD compilations, Short and International Release, more than qualify her as a voice of authority on pre-production, production and post. And her experience teaching the UCLA Extension course, "Making and Marketing the Short Film" brings a wonderful accessibility to The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide to Short Films despite the book's wealth of information and details. Adelman doesn't get bogged down in technicalities or take the reader off on tangential rants about what a short should or shouldn't be. Instead, Adelman equips the reader with the single most essential ability a filmmaker can possess: the ability to focus on what is important in the long run. When you're making a film, your mind is stressed to the breaking point, and you don't need to spend precious attention on issues that seem important in the moment but in the long run aren't worth the time. Adelman's guide keeps you focused.
From script concept to film market, Adelman leads the reader step-by-step through short filmmaking and includes top ten lists of what to avoid and what to strive for. She packs the book with lists of the pros and cons of doing bigger vs. smaller shorts, doing everything yourself vs. hiring a big crew. She includes budgets that illustrate where shorts have spent their money and where they've saved, she advises the filmmaker on dealings with SAG, DVD burning, press kits, the DV vs. film debate, and she lays out a brilliant short film trajectory through the festival circuit.
Adelman has worked on an incredible variety of short films with both big and tiny budgets, with diametrically opposed themes and perspectives. She accounts for all these differences in her guide, and delivers advice that the reader can easily customize to fit his or her film--even if that film is feature length. This truly is a book for every filmmaker.

Rating:
Summary: Aspiring Filmmakers Need This Book!
Review: The Ultimate Filmmakers Guide to Short Films: Making It Big In Shorts should be read by every aspiring filmmaker. Kim Adelman lays out everything you need to know in an informative, witty, and intelligent way. She tells you about the mistakes that others (including herself!) have made, so that you don't make the same mistakes.

And as someone who has worked at a number of film festivals over the years, I found her insights into dealing with festivals, and planning a promotional, marketing and festival strategy for your film to be spot-on. I'll be recommending this book to every filmmaker (and filmmaker wannabe!) I know.

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Summary: The Ultimate Comprehensive Field Guide to Making Shorts
Review: This book is packed to the gills with solid and usable information and is a must-have for anyone with the dream and drive to make a short film. From creating the story to budgeting to hiring a crew to casting to finding the right format and equipment, to marketing the completed project, there is no stone left unturned in this awesome "how-to." Author Kim Adelman knows her stuff and shares a wealth of information that will save the budding filmmaker time, money and aggravation. This is truly a priceless handbook for making and selling short films.