Named One of The Hollywood Reporter’s “100 Greatest Film Books of All Time” Famed independent screenwriter and director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids, Machete) discloses all the unique strategies and original techniques he used to make his remarkable debut film El Mariachi on a shoestring budget. This is both one man's remarkable story and an essential guide for anyone who has a celluloid story to tell and the dreams and determination to see it through. Part production diary, part how-to manual, Rodriguez unveils how he was able to make his influential first film on only a $7,000 budget. Also included is the appendix, "The Ten Minute Film Course,” a tell-all on how to save thousands of dollars on film school and teach yourself the ropes of film production, directing, and screenwriting. A perfect gift for the aspiring filmmaker.
The complete story behind the groundbreaking film Rebel Without a Cause is vividly revealed in this fascinating book as provocative as the film itself. The revolutionary film Rebel Without a Cause has had a profound impact on both moviemaking and youth culture since its 1955 release, virtually giving birth to our concept of the American teenager. And the making of the movie was just as explosive for those involved. Against a backdrop of the Atomic Age and an old Hollywood studio system on the verge of collapse, four of Hollywood's most passionate artists had a cataclysmic and immensely influential meeting. James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, and director Nicholas Ray were each at a crucial point in their careers. The young actors were grappling with their fame, burgeoning sexuality, and increasingly reckless behavior, and their on- and off-set relationships ignited as they engaged in Ray’s vision of physical melees and psychosexual seductions of startling intensity. Through interviews with the surviving members of the cast and crew and firsthand access to both personal and studio archives, the authors reveal Rebel's true drama: the director’s affair with sixteen-year-old Wood, his tempestuous “spiritual marriage” with Dean, and his role in awakening the latent sexuality of Mineo, who would become the first gay teenager to appear on film. This searing account of the upheaval the four artists experienced in the wake of Rebel is complete with thirty photographs, including ten never-before-seen photos by famed Dean photographer Dennis Stock.
In 1954, troubled director Nicholas Ray chatted at a dinner party about his controversial plan for a film about middle-class juvenile delinquents. He was told of a book, written by a prison psychologist and owned by Warner Bros., called Rebel Without a Cause. Though he was initially unimpressed, Ray adapted the book into his own screenplay and Warner Bros. hired him to direct what would become a classic. From the backgrounds of the many players to the pre-production, production, and post-production of the film, this complete history recounts every aspect of Rebel Without a Cause from its rudiments to the 1955 Academy Awards: the selection of cast and crew, legal fights, changing screenwriters and the many variations of the story, location scouting, auditions, script readings, difficulties with the censors, romances and fights, the editing, test screenings, and, of course, the death of its star. Dozens of intimate anecdotes, from wardrobe decisions to James Dean's pranks, add rich detail. An epilogue discusses the possible sequels, rights conflicts, documentaries, musicals, and spin-off attempts, and offers concluding words on the cast and crew.
During the 1990s, Austin achieved "overnight" success and celebrity as a vital place for independent filmmaking. Directors Richard Linklater and Robert Rodriguez proved that locally made films with regional themes such as Slacker and El Mariachi could capture a national audience. Their success helped transform Austin's homegrown film community into a professional film industry staffed with talented, experienced filmmakers and equipped with state-of-the art-production facilities. Today, Austin struggles to balance the growth and expansion of its film community with an ongoing commitment to nurture the next generation of independent filmmakers. Chainsaws, Slackers, and Spy Kids chronicles the evolution of this struggle by re-creating Austin's colorful movie history. Based on revealing interviews with Richard Linklater, Robert Rodriguez, Mike Judge, Quentin Tarantino, Matthew McConaughey, George Lucas, and more than one hundred other players in the local and national film industries, Alison Macor explores how Austin has become a proving ground for contemporary independent cinema. She begins in the early 1970s with Tobe Hooper's horror classic, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and follows the development of the Austin film scene through 2001 with the production and release of Rodriguez's $100-million blockbuster, Spy Kids. Each chapter explores the behind-the-scenes story of a specific movie, such as Linklater's Dazed and Confused and Judge's Office Space, against the backdrop of Austin's ever-expanding film community.
Including Spike Lee's advice on independent filmmaking, excerpts from the production journal Lee kept throughout the making of She's Gotta Have It, and much more, Spike Lee's Gotta Have It is a unique document in film literature. 30 black-and-white photographs.
Nobody forgets their first time--and film directors are no exception. In these vivid and revealing interviews, a collection of filmmakers as diverse as the Coen brothers and Ken Loach, Ang Lee and Kevin Smith, Anthony Minghella and Gary Oldman, Neil Jordan and Mira Nair talk in extraordinary detail and with amazing candor about making their first films. Each chapter focuses on a director's celebrated debut--be it "Angel or "Blood Simple, "Clerks or "Diner, "Muriel's Wedding or "Truly, Madly, Deeply--and tells the inside story: from writing the script to raising the money, from casting the actors to assembling the crew, from shooting to editing, from selling the movie to screening it. Along the way, every aspect of the movie industry is explored: from dealing with agents and moguls for the first time to pitching your movie as a debutante director, from languishing in development hell to confronting test audiences from hell. The questions have been posed by Stephen Lowenstein, a young director with two acclaimed short films to his credit. Remembering the struggle to launch their careers, the directors have opened up about their first films and themselves to an unprecedented degree. Each chapter is not only a memoir of a particular movie, but also an emotional journey in which the director relives the pain and elation, the comedy and tragedy, of making a first feature. For anyone who wants to direct movies, these tales of triumph and disaster, of sleepless nights and nail-biting days, will be enthralling and terrifying in equal measure. For all other film fans, the interviews provide fascinating and entertaining insights into filmmakers who have become household names.
Planet H Man has toppled under the coup of the century and Mex must choose. Will she settle for her retirement fund or politicians too young to take seriously? Planet Hyman is at a lost as their new and callous leader takes a sabbatical, she has found her "pleasure dome" and while she learns there is more to life than a new manifesto, a coup rises to the occasion. With Mex hungover in Scotland, there is little to stand in their way apart from a hippy colony too chilled to care, a reporter with no scruples, and a missing set of batteries. The coup has plans to runs things the "proletarian way" they are young, idealistic, and haven't tasted luxury yet. They almost make it, grab the operations room, when their new and callous leader arises from her pleasure dome and grabs back her throne. Will Mex pick up her leathers and defend the coupe, or return to her planet to recuperate from a Scottish "good night out"? Rebel Without A Crew is the quirky third book in the Planet Hy Man science fiction comedy series. If you like high-mileage heroines, fast-paced satire, and meticulously crafted universes, then you'll love Kerrie Noor's otherworldly farce.
Dying to make a feature? Learn from the pros! "We never put out an actual textbook for the Corman School of Filmmaking, but if we did, it would be Fast, Cheap and Under Control." Roger Corman, Producer ★★★★★ It’s like taking a Master Class in moviemaking…all in one book! Jonathan Demme: The value of cameos John Sayles: Writing to your resources Peter Bogdanovich: Long, continuous takes John Cassavetes: Re-Shoots Steven Soderbergh: Rehearsals George Romero: Casting Kevin Smith: Skipping film school Jon Favreau: Creating an emotional connection Richard Linklater: Poverty breeds creativity David Lynch: Kill your darlings Ron Howard: Pre-production planning John Carpenter: Going low-tech Robert Rodriguez: Sound thinking And more! Learn the tricks and pitfalls of low-budget filmmaking from 33 successful independent films and the filmmakers who created them. Includes never before published interviews with low-budget mavericks such as Steven Soderbergh, Roger Corman, Jon Favreau, Henry Jaglom, and many more. Learn the lessons from such classics as Clerks, Night of the Living Dead, Swingers, Open Water, El Mariachi, Slacker, sex, lies and videotape, The Blair Witch Project, Eraserhead, Monty Python & The Holy Grail, Dark Star, Return of the Secaucus Seven, The Little Shop of Horrors, Caged Heat and Targets. Are you dying to make a movie? This is the one book that can help you make it a reality. Grab it now! ★★★★★ Praise for the Fast, Cheap and Under Control: "This terrific little book explains how to make every penny count on the often-arduous journey from script to screen." John Carpenter, Director, Halloween, Starman, Escape from New York "A helpful and funny guide for beginners and professionals alike." Jonathan Demme, Director, Silence of the Lambs "This book is as good as film school, and a lot less expensive. It's required reading in Tromaville." Lloyd Kaufman, President, Troma Entertainment, Creator, Toxic Avenger "I wish I’d read this book before I made Re-Animator." Stuart Gordon, director, Re-Animator "This simple and sensible book injects reality into the process and helps any filmmaker prevent their film from becoming a money pit. Lessons like those in this book are cheap at ten times the price." John Badham, director, Saturday Night Fever, Dracula, Blue Thunder "For everyone who wants to make art without breaking the bank, John Gaspard’s book is worth every penny." Derek Pell, Editor, DingBat Magazine "A richly-detailed, highly readable and inspiring book jam-packed with information that will keep low-budget filmmakers from making costly mistakes. Filled with a ton-full (not a spoonful) of fascinating, insightful interviews, with a you-can-do-it approach." Dr. Linda Seger, consultant on over 2,000 screenplays, best-selling author of Making a Good Script Great and 7 other books
Planet Hy Man is in turmoil. Her leader lost on earth. Will Mex rise to the challenge or fade faster than her hair dye? Mex is heading for the Edinburgh Festival in search of lost energy. Hot on her heels is Beryl, her leader who has already dropped Mex in it once and may do again. Beryl has a planet to save and an arch rival to beat. A feat made near impossible considering her arch-rival has taken over Beryl's "operations room" along with every high-tech spying equipment going. As time runs out Beryl turns to Mex. Mex having discovered gin hooks up with a troupe of performing transvestites, tosses her mobile to the wind, and delves into the seedier side of the festival. Saving Planet Hy Man could not be further from her mind if she was comatose. Will Beryl convince Mex to sober up and save their planet or will Mex stick with the padded bras and all who wear them? Rebel Without A Bra is the quirky second book in the Planet Hy Man science fiction comedy series. If you like high-mileage heroines, fast-paced satire, and meticulously crafted universes, then you'll love Kerrie Noor's otherworldly farce. Buy Rebel Without A Bra to blast into a battle of the sexes today! "A cross between Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Alice in Wonderland and Red Dwarf." ★★★★★
This accessible and informative textbook provides a guide to the craft of screenwriting with an emphasis on diverse perspectives, underrepresented groups and their screen stories. Readers will learn to master writing a feature-length screenplay in a framework that focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion. With case studies to aid understanding, the book explores the screenwriting process in stages, explaining how to create a logline, as well as character bios, writing and choosing a genre, differentiating between writing a treatment, a synopsis, composing an outline, incorporating the formatting process and finally creating a scene and sequence. The techniques specific to screenwriting will also be covered in the text such as writing dialogue and action, establishing setting and time period and most importantly mastering the craft of visual storytelling. At the same time, the textbook introduces concepts of content choices that are diverse and inclusive, such as stereotypes vs. archetypes, intersectional characters, underrepresented groups and themes such as social justice, systemic racism, class conflict, gender inequity and climate change. Due to its subject matter and inclusive approach, this textbook will be an essential guide for all aspiring and current screenwriters who want to successfully navigate and complement today’s developing industry.
