TEACH YOURSELF!

Dov Simens Two Day Film School:

Yes, this sounds like a scam. Yes, there is only so much you can learn in two days, but the two day film school is definitely worth your time and money. We drove ten hours each way from Portland to San Francisco, stayed in a sketchy hostel for a weekend, just to go to the course live. We were both pretty broke at the time, but it was totally worth it. Quentin Tarantino didn’t go to film school, but he did take this course right before he pulled off Reservoir Dogs. If you live somewhere you can’t go to the event live, we recommend the DVDs.

Lynda.com:

Lynda is awesome. We reference Lynda a lot throughout our site. It’s great for teaching yourself pretty much anything – audio, video, design, animation – you name it, they got it. There’s a great seven day free trial so you can check it out before you get going.

PODCASTS

Podcasts have been essential for us when we were getting to know the industry. If you’re working long hours and don’t have a ton of time to read books or an industry paper, they’re GREAT to get information while you’re multitasking.

The Business:

I love The Business. It’s the podcast I started listening to during my long hours working on my first TV show. It’s a weekly podcast that focuses on the business end of the film industry, and there are always great nuggets you can pull. It’s a great podcast for covering current events and trends in the film industry, something we don’t do too often here. It is a great resource for getting up to speed quickly on what is current in Hollywood & the film industry.

The Spin-off:

The Spin-off is a lot like The Business, but it’s specifically for what’s trending in the television world. Like The Business, it’s great for current trends and news in the industry, specifically for TV.

Startup Film School:

This is an excellent tool for filmmakers of any level to gain a window into the business of making movies, from raising money, to hiring notable cast (even as a first-timer), to packaging and selling the final product. All the stuff they don’t teach you in film school!

Filmmaking Stuff:

Jason Brubaker is emerging as an important voice in independent film distribution. Ever the advocate for selling one’s own work, Brubaker is motivational and insightful. Though the podcast is a bit thin and redundant at times, it’s a great foundation and gateway to the rest of his works on the subject! He’s your man on the ground floor of film audience building and sustaining yourself as an independent artist.

Meet the Filmmaker:

Apple’s own answer to Inside the Actor’s Studio. As films and television are released, Apple Stores around the world host their makers to talk about inspiration and execution. Everything from tiny indie films from Sundance, to major Hollywood releases. An excellent and insightful look into all filmmaking processes.

BOOKS

The books we’ve listed below have been incredibly influential in the projects we’ve worked on. Some are great reference guides, while others are great for motivation. We’ve listed both the audiobook and book, if it’s available for each.

Independent Film Producer’s Survival Guide:

This is a book we’ve had handy since we were in high school. It covers the legal and financial side of filmmaking with great examples of budgets, agreements, etc.

Independent Feature Film Production:

Similar to the above title, this comprehensive book chronicles every stage of filmmaking, from development through post-production. It’s a little dated and can be adapted to technologies of the past ten years, but is essentially film school in a book.

Rebel without a Crew:

Rarely does a filmmaker write a how-to. Robert Rodriguez was generous enough to do so, following his harrowing achievement, El Mariachi—the classic action indie made on film for $7,000. By the end of this book, you’ll feel like the impossible is possible. It’s the bible for a generation of indie filmmakers.

Down and Dirty Pictures:

All of Biskind’s books are excellent looks into film history. Down and Dirty, is a monumental piece on the dawn of American independent cinema in the sixties and seventies, how it began, and what it changed. Get a true behind the scenes look at the creation of so many classics, and the origins of many great filmmakers such as Scorsese, Spielberg, Lucas, Cassavetes, and Friedkin.

Think Outside the Box Office:

We snagged this book right when Chris went into production on his documentary LIGHT, and it really influenced the way he handled digital distribution and theatrical booking. It’s a great starter guide for anyone thinking of self distribution and building and audience.

The War of Art:

This book is not a how-to, or step by step, but I consider it essential reading if you want to make your art into a living. This was a big book for both of us, and can really help put you in the right state of mind when you are facing any kind of artistic hurdle.

MOVIES

These films (and/or their special features) give you unique access to the filmmaking process and are excellent mini-film schools. They helped us see what goes into making—or in some cases, not making feature films.

Hearts of Darkness:

One of the most in-depth documentaries about a filmmaker’s process. Hearts chronicles Francis Ford Coppola’s manic making of Apocalypse Now. From self financing, to being lost in the jungle without an ending for the film, Eleanor Coppola (Francis’ wife, and the film’s director) takes us behind closed doors into the nitty gritty of creating a dark classic. Essential viewing for any filmmaker.

Lost in La Mancha:

Terry Gilliam has been trying to make the same film for decades, but it seems there’s a curse on his head. This documentary shows us just one time his passion project fell apart. Sometimes passion isn’t enough—something can always go wrong. Watch a production start and prematurely end, carried by strong passion the whole way through.

Dangerous Days: The Making of Blade Runner:

This extremely comprehensive, 3 hour documentary starts with the original book, takes you through every draft of the script, all the way through the film’s marketing, and future resurgence. An unparalleled look inside every component of an incredible film of remarkable scale.

The Moment: Magnolia Diaries:

This production diary shows the nuances of filmmaking on the set of Magnolia. It shows excerpts from across the process: pre-production meetings, rehearsals, shooting, and editing. A great look at the arc of making a movie. To watch it FREE, click on the title!

Zodiac (Special Features):

All the special features on the deluxe box set of David Fincher’s understated masterpiece show how economically and subtly visual effects can be used to augment and improve a live action film. Watching how simple tools like greenscreens and compositing were implemented will inspire any filmmaker to try new things that serve their story.

Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes:

An unparalleled look inside the mind of a true genius. Filmmaker Jon Ronson was given unprecedented access to Kubrick’s storage locker, shortly after the auteur’s passing. In the locker were tons of meticulously cataloged boxes. To find out what was in them, watch this landmark documentary FREE by clicking the title!

Faces (Special Features):

Specifically, an episode of Cinéastes de notre temps on the Criterion DVD. This interview with John Cassavetes is enough to make any independent filmmaker get up off the couch and go make a movie. Get truly inspired by the godfather of American Independent Cinema himself. This is the video we watch to get stoked up!

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