Budget Books

I purchased this book based on all the positive reviews on Amazon, thinking it would help my family go vegan on a budget. I was extremely disappointed.

It has a 14 page introduction which includes basic information on veganism, vegan foods, and some vegan meat alternatives; this is the most helpful part of the book, but it's information which a person considering veganism has probably already learned from a few quick Google searches.

Some of the recipes simply didn't need to be included - for instance, a recipe for balsamic-olive oil dressing and a "recipe" for how to cook rice.

Many of the recipes call for ingredients which I think most of us on a tight budget really can't afford. Maple syrup - a common ingredient in many of her recipes - is too expensive to put several tablespoons in a meal. Cemini mushrooms? No way. In general, I found that to feed my family of three most of her meals would cost me over $10.

Finally, a number of the recipes are simply not that good. Her Student's Go Vegetarian Cookbook seems to be a little worse in this regard (the beer stew in that book is absolutely detestable). While the meals we tried in this book didn't leave us scrabling to find something else to make for dinner, we were universally unimpressed with all of them and never felt inclined to eat any of them a second time.

I'd save your money and check out one of the many websites which have vegetarian recipes, where you can read reviews of them. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way, and with the money I spent on Carole Raymond's two "Student's" books I could almost have afforded two more of her "budget-conscious" meals.

I bought this book right when it first came out entirely upon the strength of Carole Raymond's other cookbook, the "Student's Vegetarian Cookbook," which I would describe as the perfect cookbook for people who can't cook. I was expecting more of the same easy, cheap, quick, and great tasting recipes I had found there. Unfortunately, the "Student's Go Vegan Cookbook" is a disappointment on every single one of those attributes. The recipes found here are more complicated, more expensive, more time consuming, and just less useful than the ones in the previous book.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are some hidden gems in this book as well, but that just it: they're hidden! Time and time again I find myself hungry and flipping through this book saying to myself: "nope... nope... nope..." because everything I see isn't a meal, it's just part of a meal. If you filter out the endless array of salads, dips, dressings, toppings, and side dishes you are left with a scant few actual meals. I'm an active (mostly) vegan male, and need hearty and healthy food to keep me running, not salads and side dishes! The idea seems to be that the author is giving you all the building blocks so you can go and create your own meal. All I can say is that's what people who can cook do... and if I could do that I wouldn't need this book in the first place!

I have no idea why Carole Raymond decided to organize the book like this. I don't have time to cook all day and combine 6 recipes into one full meal - that's why I bought this book. The great thing about the Student's Vegetarian Cookbook is that almost every page seems to have a complete meal on it, and the same thing just can't be said about the Vegan version. As a warning, I also find the book to be very heavy on Tempeh and Tofu recipes. I personally cannot stand Tempeh and don't like to eat tofu every day, so that also discounts a large number of recipes for me.

In considering this book, one does need to realize the reality that cooking vegan is harder then cooking vegetarian... but I don't think it has to be THIS hard. I think Carole Raymond needs to re-evaluate exactly who her target audience is here. I generally like Raymond's recipes, and I'd love to see a stripped down version of this book, with a renewed focus on quick, easy, complete meals. As things stand, there are some great recipes in this book... but I just don't find it all that useful.

I gave this book to my son and he uses it frequently for quick, easy and cheap recipes. And tasty too!

I bought this book because I am trying to cut down on saturated fat and get more produce in my diet, I also bake vegan, no sugar desserts as a hobby. So far, the two best recipes have been the 10 minute brownies and the seitan salad. For the brownies, I substituted spelt flour and used maple syrup instead of sugar. They were divine: moist, chewy and fudgy, the first vegan brownies I've made that were actually good. I made the seitan salad sandwiches to take to work for lunch. They seem to develop the best flavor if you let the seitan salad sit overnight to meld the flavors. It is very tasty and similar to a chicken salad sandwich. The texture of the seitan works perfectly!
Unfortunately, other recipes were not as successful. The pumpkin scones are extremely bland. I had some pumpkin left over so I made another batch this weekend, I tried tweaking things a bit: adding more sweetener, tossing in some cinnamon and nutmeg, but it didn't help. They were still incredibly bland. Pleasant, just not "wow." To the author's credit, these do seem to be intended to be more like a dinner roll to go with chili or soup, she says to eat them hot out of the oven and they are best that way. The coconut tapioca was terrible: bland and flavorless, not worth the effort at all. Likewise, the Spanish tomato soup was almost inedible, with a very strange flavor. It was also not edited well, as the recipe calls for miso and then doesn't tell you when or how to add it to the soup. I put it in at the end.
I'm not a student, but the recipes don't seem that expensive to me. They are much simpler and cheaper than a lot of the vegan cookbooks I have. There are more recipes that intrigue me, I'm trying the vegan baked beans this week. But the recipes do seem very hit and miss in their quality.

I just received this cookbook today, and was dismayed that so many recipes had a big list of ingredients. How is a lot of ingredients considered "cheap eats"? The pear smoothie was good, and it had very useful information throughout the book regarding vegan ingredients, but I would not recommend this book for anyone who is on a low-income!!!

Saw this from the LassoBucks.com site which is the biggest, or one of the biggest, online bartering sites for small-business. They are suggesting ways to really bootstrap your business with their site and with books like these!

Bootstrapping ones way to entrepreneurial success can be difficult, but this book gives motivation and tangible, bottom-line advice. Just as LassoBucks.com can help any business conserve cash as a "next-generation barter" site, this book provides tangible, real-value. Check it out!

What's so special about this book? The examples. They are gold. Kimberly is clearly experienced working with many entrepreneurs and has story after story to illustrate how entrepreneurs have creatively implemented a growth strategy and gotten results. Where other books give theory, Kimberly's book gives practical ideas that stimulated my thinking about new ways to grow my business. The book is easy to read and formatted in a way to quickly gain new ways to approach your business. She understands all the dilemmas in the entrepreneurial life and has strategy after strategy to solve the dilemmas. This is a must have book for every entrepreneur who is serious about being successful.

I highly reccomend this book for anyone who's looking for practical and sound advice for starting their own business. I would also reccomend this book to anyone who wishes to know how a business becomes successful. As a university student, I have thumbed though many books on the topic but none have given me a clear picture with resources like is book. I would also like you to know, I actually read this book cover to cover and I am still learning from it!

There is an age old adage; "nothing happens by chance" It's often true. At first I thought that I stumbled across this teaching tool and roadmap to the vast world of entrepreneurism, it was later realized... It meant to be. The start of a new, ongoing literary relationship! "Bootstrappers Success Secrets: 151 Tactics For Building Your Business On a Shoestring Budget" will help flush out any doubt and set straight, any indecision about becoming and maintaining entrepreneur status. If you have just one drop of making it on your own, (successfully) in your system, this is the book for you! When I showed it to my husband & colleague William, "he refused to give it back. Now neither of us can put our respective copies down and we continue to suggest the book to others,"in all professions". Don't end up missing out altogehter... Make the investment now.... Get your copy of Ms. Stansell's book today!!

The Frugal Gourmet by Jeff Smith. This is one of my favorite cookbooks because Jeff Smith cooks much like I do, and seems to have the same tastes in food. I'm on my second copy of this book, I gave my first copy to my mother. This cookbook has great tasting recipes, often with interesting stories about where the recipes were obtained, or the history of the dish. The copy I have now is the 1984 edition, and was autographed by Jeff Smith in 1989. I use this book so much that it's paper cover is quite worn and torn on the edges and the binding is starting to go. Alas, this book is out of print.

Jeff Smith entertained us for years on his PBS program 'The Frugal Gourmet'. Not only did he teach us many savory dishes, he also educated us. Not satisfied with just cooking delicious meals for his viewers, he would give detailed history lessons about the origins of the dish and made it all a lot of fun!

This may not be Mr. Smiths best cook book, but it is a worthy edition to everyone's cook book library. I own and have read many, if not all of his cook books, not only for the man's knowledge of cooking, but his incredible wit! This guy was funny and I would have loved to have hung out and throw a few beers down with him.

Unfortunately, this man had some very seriously bad press released about his personal life and well..... I am not one to spread rumors.....he seemed like a great guy and sadly he died before he was able to clear his name.

R.I.P. Frugs!

This is the very best cookbook that The Frug (Jeff Smith) ever published. I've used it for years and the recipes are as solid today as they were when this fine work was published. I place it in the Top 20 of ALL cookbooks that I know of, (and I've owned hundreds -- I recently gave away about 70 because the top of my fridge could no longer bear the load!)

I cook every day, usually from scratch, but prospective buyers should know that ANYONE can make the many fine recipes found in here. Oh, yes, I know that The Frug got into a little trouble late on in his life, and with his career on PBS, but that never affected the quality of his culinary brilliance.

Here's an idea. Just about every library around has this cookbook. Check it out, try a few recipes, and then decide if you want it. I'll bet you end up buying it!

Why do I say this is a must-have classic? because this cookbook represents a landmark in the world of home cooking... that is, it brings so much passion and doable recipes of stuff that your basic home cook wouldn't have attempted, that it deserves a share of cookbook history. Any reviewer who says it's mediocre hasn't explored it. This book is the bridge between the Julia Child era... which brought average cooks into the kitchen to do dishes like Chicken Cordon Bleu for the first time... to the Emeril Lagasse/Bobby Flay/Paula Deen era where average home cooks now are unafraid to tackle ANY dish, ANY cuisine. Not only that, but there are dozens of keeper recipes in here, ones that you'll make time and time again. Among my friends, the pasta dishes are all favorites, especially Pasta Carbonara... if you like chicken livers the Chicken Liver Pasta is to die for... the Linguine with Clam Sauce is every bit as wonderful in 2007 as it was in 1977. I could go on and on, but this cookbook has something for everyone, explores countless techniques from Asian to Early American, does lowfat/lowcal 20 years before they were stylish, offers eclectic to comfort food. And unlike a lot of cookbooks, including ones from Rachel Ray or Emeril or Sara Moulton, this one has spot-on recipes from cover to cover... no dogs. This book should be on your cookbook shelf for life.

I've been cooking since I was a kid. This was one of the first cookbooks I got for myself as a young adult away from home. Some of the information is outdated, but it remains a good primer for entry level cooks. It's also an interesting timepiece from the time of transition in the U.S. (late 70s early 80s), which, as I like to think of it, was from garlic salt to fresh garlic, if you know what I mean. Took what Julia Child and Alice Waters were contributing and gave us a frugal, direct everyday version of it.

A side note: Jeff Smith passed away last year. Despite the truth or not of the allegations from the men regarding incidents 20 yrs prior as teenagers, Jeff Smith did help contribute a great deal to the overall appreciation of food and its preparation in everyday life.

I learned quite a bit from this informative text. I enjoyed the humorous approach

A great book for anyone who has no budget and a willingness to learn

Using examples from his own long career, the author offers hints, tips and tricks on how to make videos on the cheap. Not only does he tell you how he produced videos with few resources, but he gives a wonderful overview of how you can make a living with your video camera.

On the other hand, although it says "digital filmmaking" in the title, there is really very little technical information about digital video here. Nor will you find much technical information on cinematography, directing, production or editing. If you need technical help, look elsewhere. But there is plenty of inspiration here.

If you can get past the endless typos and the author's annoying and unrelenting attempts at humor, you'll be inspired, but not educated.

This is a very cool book for any novice, student or video professional who is faced with producing commercials and videos with very little budget to work with. Clearly the author has been challenged by a variety of clients on an assortment of projects. There is a lot to learn by reading his experiences and solutions to these challenges.

In production, we tend to think our creativity will be exercised primarily in the development of concepts and scripts, but often that creativity must be tapped for technical problem solving. This book inspires one to look at low budgets and logistical nightmares as opportunities to be creative...to "make the shot" in the face of adversity, with limited lighting instruments, small crews and even insufficient available cameras.

I found "No-Budget Digital Filmmaking" to be a wonderful addition to my library of film and video production books. Its a great reference one can turn too should similar challenges present themselves on any production.

Good job Mr. Gloman, and thanks.

This book is full of the author's entertaining video-shooting experiences, told in an entertaining style. It contains almost nothing of what the title and commercial blurbs suggest it contains. If you are (like me) an amateur video maker looking for tips on creating a higher-quality product while living off your day job,look elsewhere. His definition of "no-budget" includes having to rent an old helicopter, rather than a new one, for an aerial shot. The text is full of unexplained technical and slang references to filters, lights, and other equipment but it doesn't matter that you don't understand them because if you're really no-budget you can't afford them anyway.
There are a few real gems, like the opening chapter on the history of various video technologies, but these just emphasize the point -- buy this book if you want to be entertained, not if you want to learn anything practical.

Christine Vachon has written an extremely accessible, entertaining book about what it means to be an independent film producer. She covers every step of the movie-making process, from finding a script to casting to hiring a crew, editing, etc. She covers the material with an engaging style and a sense of humor, and the facts are punctuated with examples and anecdotes from the movies she's produced. She's candid and unapologetic, and apparently some reviewers here have a problem with that. News flash - if you intend to make a career in the film industry, you better get used to people who yell, tight schedules, high expectations, plus low budgets if indies are your thing. If you spent any time on a film set, you would know that it is the producer's JOB to be tough, to get things in on time, and to run a tight ship. At the end of the day, it's the producer's butt that is on the line. It's just plain silly to give the book a low rating because Christine had the guts to be honest about the way things work on a film set and you wouldn't want to work with her. It's clear that some reviewers here need to get a thicker skin or find a different calling.

Christine's films have been critical success stories despite their low budgets and tight time frames - she knows what she is doing and has taken the time to write a wonderful introduction to the world of filmmaking for beginners and those of us with some experience. I highly recommend this book.

Not only is this a thorough and informative piece of work, which would make it worth twice the price all by itself, it's also an inspiration and should be read by anyone, writer, actor, producer, director, anyone.... who's ever been told you have to compromise your vision in this business to get your movie made. There are several great stories in this book but the image that keeps resonating in my head is Christine Vachon, the High Priestess of Indie Film and Soverign Protector of Infant Directors, saying to the producer's rep: "We'll talk about it" and saying to everyone else after hanging up the phone, "We're not cutting anything, we're not cutting anything." Not only did I not know there were people out there doing such things, I had begun to wonder if it was even possible. This book can make you believe again. I didn't read it. I devoured it.

Somewhere between the world of independant movies and studio pictures reside a group of people who've bounced between both worlds and have taken up residence in the void. The author is one of those people. This book isn't very informative for the ultra low budget producer but a good read nonetheless. Although at times it wanders aimlessly while the reader tries to figure out which of the half-dozen guys named "Todd" she's talking about now. I'd recommend this book to people with budgets in the neighborhood of 100,000 to 5 million. I wouldn't call it a very good resource for locating financing.

If you want to know more about what it's like to produce, rather than HOW to produce...this is the book. Vachon takes you through her life, and I've learned more about producing just from reading about one of her days. She's honest, doesn't preach much, doesn't give very many golden rules (since we all make our own), and tells you how it really is. If your tired of reading books on forms and paperwork, negotiating and contacts, and are just plain interested in what it's like to be IN IT, buy the book. It's so worth it.

Having just directed a low-budget feature in Hollywood, I wish I had read this book beforehand (and I certainly wish my producer had read it). Vachon breaks down the process, making it understandable to even the most novice film fan. The writing is gutsy, the tales from the trenches always interesting. One of the must-reads if you're at all interested in making movies.

Don't buy this unless you are an absolute beginner to the subject. It lists what can be done, but there's not much detail on how to do it right. For example, the chroma key chapter doesn't mention how to get the lighting even across the background. You'll not be happy with just throwing up a green background and stepping through the Premiere tutorial.

For anyone looking for more than an overview, each chapter is fluff.

Independent filmmaker of 12 years' experience Michael Slone presents Special Effects: How to Create A Hollywood Film Look on a Home Studio Budget, a guide especially for small-time filmmakers on a tight budget. Chapters walk the reader through how to apply advances in technology, especially computer technology, to give life to one's dreams and dress up one's films with eye candy. Full-color photographs on high-quality paper illustrate what is possible, while assorted computer screenshots help underscore the nuts and bolts of the step-by-step instructions. Additional insider information from professional and Emmy Award-winning special effects artists round out this absolute "must-have" supplementary resource for aspiring, novice, and independent filmmakers.

This book is especially good for student film-makers, who will be inspired rather than intimidated by the art of special effects production; the book makes impressive illusion possible with little money necessary and with resources already available in many people's homes. If the reader is serious about film-making, they've met the only requirement needed to create worthwhile special effects.

I bought this book for my son, who is an attorney and wants to learn filmmaking as a hobby. I'm impressed by the photos and artwork, which take readers step-by-step through each phase of the projects. I ended up reading the book myself, and I can see it's all my son will need to get started. I recommend this book for all novice filmmakers.

Arguably the biggest revolution in filmmaking in the last decade has taken place in the field of special effects. CGI has irrevocably changed the way movie magic is created, and thanks to advances in computer technology many home users now have access to the same software used in Hollywood. So, in principle, professional-quality special effects are now within anyone's reach. The only question is: how does the budding SFX-enthusiast get started?
This is where Mike Slone's book comes in. Squarely aimed at the beginner, it details a number of the most common special effects used in filmmaking. Of course, not everything is done with computers, so the first part of the book concentrates on physical effects. These include creating fake blood and bullet hits, rain and snow, fake glass, disappearing tricks, the use of prop guns, smoke, dry ice, bullet and arrow hits and models and miniatures. Each of these techniques is explained in a clear and practical fashion, although if you intend to get into modelling, you'll obviously need to look for further detailed information.
The book then goes into digital effects, including green screen, gun flashes, and light sabres. There are extensive tutorials on each of these using Adobe Premiere Pro. The final chapters include interviews with a few SFX professionals and provide tips for starting your own FX company if you're so inclined.
Veteran SFX people probably won't find much that is new here, but anyone starting out in the field couldn't wish for a better introduction.

Well, maybe not wholesale. but certainly for alot less than $64. I picked this book up at the local public library after seeing a complementary reference in a NY Times Sunday Book Review about the current election ho-rah. I read it, was reminded about the dominance of trivialities in American politics. and mused about how I could move to the wilds of Australia.

Oh. You want it cheap? You can still get it direct from the publisher, Currency Books, for the original list price--a fraction of cost offered here.

I asked my husband what he thought the most important political issue was, and he said "the deficit." He's a pretty smart guy, and even though I was surprised he didn't say something more "exciting" like abortion, the war, or the environment, I thought I would look into it anyway. I got Swanson's book from the library and just couldn't put it down. Swanson succeeded in enfuriating me with this topic. He writes in a very conversational way that is clear to understand for the beginner. And proved for me that, once again, my husband was right! :)

The U.S. is obviosly not a closed economy. Right now, the U.S. debt held by foreigners is so great that it is not in their interest to see the dollar fall, nor would it be good for their exports-the 2001 recession wreaked havoc on their exports. The U.S. if it were to go down, would drag much of the world down with it and makes the issue very complex. As of now interest rates are still low, but rising, and the government will not raise interest rates as high as the early 80's because that will throw the economy into recession and burst the housing bubble. Housing prices have never declined in nominal terms and the government knows that high interest rates would kill the mortgage market, dragging down the banks and thus the economy as well. There is a delicate balance to say the least. This book does a good job of presenting the situation, but the scenario will not be so grim. Germany and Japan recovered quickly after they destroyed themselves and the world in WW2, and the U.S. has not gone nearly that far or will it ever.

The author does an excellent job of alerting us to America's fiscal problems, and for those who need a better understanding of them, this is a must read. It is well written and provides realistic scenarios if we fail to fix the system.

But Gerald Swanson describes only the symptom, and like other economists he overlooks the disease (our moneyed political system) and the real cure (public funding of political campaigns). To expect "honesty, responsibility and good government to return to government" is a pipe dream when the fat cats who fund our political elections are paying for just the opposite. What part of "he who pays the piper calls the tune" do we not understand?

Swanson also favors privatizing some of our government functions, and I would agree if we could get private campaign money out of our public electoral system. Private companies can give campaign contributions to control the outcome of their investment; government entities cannot. One need only look at the "privatized" rebuilding of Iraq under Halliburton for evidence of the affects it would have on U.S. taxpayers.

On the health care cost crisis, the author offers only four choices: Raise taxes, reduce benefits, change eligibility guidelines, or continue borrowing to finance Medicare and Medicaid. But there's a fifth and needed action: control the spiraling health care costs which are increasing at double-digit rates! We struggle to find ways of "paying" for health care but continue to allow the medical community to run open loop while building unneeded hospitals, buying excessive numbers of high-tech scanners and ordering medical procedures that are not needed. Physician self referrals have run amok. A single payor health care system is long overdue, but both sides of the isle have been AWOL on the issue and will remain so until the $100 million per year that is given by the medical and pharmaceutical industries is replaced with public funding of campaigns.

That said, this is still a must-read book. But the author and his colleagues must now address the common denominator; the dollar bill. Congressmen are bought and paid for by special interests and they will continue putting them ahead of public interests until the funding of elections is paid for by the taxpayers. For $15 per taxpayer per year we could fund both state and federal elections and eliminate over $2000 per taxpayer per year in government giveaways. Only then will we see balanced budgets, reasonable government spending and a fair tax system. That's a bargain at a hundred times the price.

This book is very informative and easy reading. Yes, our government has led this country to a brink of bankrupcy. But what will the people do? Will they really write letters to their congressman and join google and yahoo groups and spend their energy to fix our country? No. Most people will just go on complaining and do nothing. Yes, some people will take civil responsibility and do all the right things as the book suggests, but it is too late. I am just being realistic. Like the author says, every great empire comes to death, and a new one begins. America had it's moment of glory and it got too fat. My point is, just as the politicians are corrupt, most people are also corrupt. No one was forced to use credit cards and get into irresponsible debt. We have only ourselves to blame.

I'll tell you right now, I haven't read many books on independent filmmaking. As a matter of fact... this is the only one. Yet I still found it very useful and jam-packed with information. Merritt tells it like it is (rather quickly, of course), and doesn't try to hide the fact that filmmaking is not all show and glory. If you're anywhere near interested in producing movies, check this book out. It tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about being a producer. And if you're actually getting into movie-making already, I'd take this along as kind of a "second Bible" as a reference guide. From initial casting to distribution, it covers every aspect of the film business. My only real complaint -- and I hope it doesn't come across as much of one -- is that Merritt doesn't go into detail about techniques. This is a book on HOW TO make a movie, not on WHAT makes a movie. Does that make sense?

This is one of the best introductions I've ever read on making an independent feature film. It covers everything from writing the script to distribution in foreign markets and does so clearly, concisely, entertainingly and within 238 pages. As a film editor, I can say the chapter on editing basics is right on. The sections on money (both raising it and receiving it once your movie is distributed) are both eye-openers. It's a very realistic, honest source of information about making an independent feature.

As for criticism: Written in 1997, the book gives a pretty short shrift to DV, but it does admit that things will change. Also, it focuses primarily on features and not shorts. And at 230 pages, it's still just an introduction, but honestly, I can't think of a better introduction to give to a first time filmmaker -- who's either starting her first short or making that first feature.

Highest recommendation.

For me, this book was too general to be of any help.
The best I've read so far is FROM REEL TO DEAL.

this book covers all topics of movie productions. a must have to serious filmmakers!

After "The Blair Witch Project" and similar success stories, I was looking for a good general book on film production that included all the real dope on how the best known people have made successful low-budget movies. I was amazed by how much clear, precise info "Film Production: The Complete Uncensored Guide to Independent Filmmaking" has, such as precise budgets, deal-negotiating tips, crew member roles, distribution company reviews, and on and on. I also liked the way the book is organized. It takes you from the script and raising the money all the way through all the details of pre-production, production, and editing to selling the movie, promoting, and beyond. It answered all my questions (from stupid to tough) along the way.

Hey..just wanted to know if anyone have read the Film Makers BluePrint? I hear its really really detailed as far as the process of filmmaking at a low budget...is it better that this book? Let me know...thanks...

Don't be fooled by the title. There is precious little in this book that will be of use for the no budget independent filmmaker. If you want a truly useful and comprehensive guide on low budget independent moviemaking then I recommend "Digital Filmmaking 101" by Dale Newton and John Gaspard. The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook will be worthless to you unless you have a budget of a million dollars or more. Skip it.

first,let me mention that the book takes a great approach in giving you the facts. this is the book i've been searching for.
THIS IS NOT A GUERILLA FILM BOOK WHERE IT TEACHES YOU HOW TO SHOOT A FILM FOR $50 AND AvOIDING GETTING ARRESTED. if u want to shoot a film that way than obviously u r not prepared to shoot a good film and your script probably stinks.

If you want to get advice from people who were recently in your shoes and are now working in the industry as professionals than BUY THIS. a lot of very important things are brought up.

DEVELOPMENT, FINANCING, PRODUCTION, POST, AND DISTRIBUTION are all well explained. especially the legal aspects of things.

You want investors, well you first need to know who to handle the whole PPM manner so that you dont get sued. These types of books are all i read.

If you want to produce than read: this book+"from reel to deal"

Directing: "Directing actors"+ buy the 6 dvd set of HOLLYWOOD
CAMERA WORK which is $480 but worth every penny trust me.

If you want to write then you must buy "STORY" by robert mckee and learn how to format form any other book.

I did my homework so listem to me and stay away from film schools. they are thieves and you will come out dissapointed. read my other reviews. ONLY LISTEN TO THE INDUSTRY PROS and POSITIVE PEOPLE. EVERYONE ELSE IS FULL OF CRAP AND FILM SCHOOLS LOVE TO DISCOURAGE STUDENTS CAUse they know all 500,000 students they get every year arent going to make it. COLLEGE TEACHERS ARE MOSTLY PEOPLE WHO ARE TOO WEAK MINDED TO MAKE IT SO THEY TEACH. HAPPY FILMING AND GOD BLESS YOU.

This book is AWESOME! It covers everything you need to know to start out making a movie. The interviews are with working professionals, the majority of whom started out on guerilla films and who talk about the differences between the low budget guerilla movies and the big Hollywood blockbusters that many work on today. And peppered within the interviews are these helpful hints that give the low budget/guerilla tips on how to save money and play with the big boys when you have no money. I found this invaluable as I know I'm getting my advice and tips from the experts who have made it and not unknown filmmakers who can't move on from the doldrums of guerilla films. After having read this book I feel like I've sat down and had meetings with all of these experts and boy! do I feel informed! I'm a filmmaker who has to start out guerilla style but hope to move out of the guerilla world and into the professional world. This book gives me a guide and the inspiration. Sure it might not be easy but at least now I'm armed with everything I should know! As with all serious filmmakers, you have to actually go out there and make a movie which is obviously what the book can't do for you but it can certainly lead you in the right direction and tell you what you're up against. None of the other books out there seem to compare with this one. Thank you!!!!

i read the other reveiws on this book and bought it. then returned it. it is packed full of all kinds of great information from industry experts, which is great, but i was looking for a book on filmaking for rebel independent film makers. It seems to be written for people with LOTS of money. which i don't have. in their defense the title does not say anything about independent, which is what i assumed. when i think of guerilla i think of rebels. this book is a bit out of my league.

Easy to read and full of good information. Author has a sense of humor that makes the book much more entertaining than I had anticipated! Perfect for the person who wants to paint their own car on a budget!

Excellent book for a beginning at home painter. I'm in the process of restoring a car at home and this is the best DIY book I have read on autobody and paint.

Great book. Very informative and easy to read and understand. Will help alot with the painting of my husbands project car. He was scared about painting his car but after reading this book, he says it will look real good.

This is a good book that has the basics on "How to paint your car". I would recommend it beginning and intermediate home car painter.

This is the best, by far, of 3 books I have purchased on automotive painting. It is very current and well written. The book details multiple examples of painting scenarios from touch-ups to frame-off paint jobs. There are numerous examples of cars painted by the author and others in their own garages, just like most poor car junkies would do. Great examples of equipment, paint products, proper use, safety concerns, etc. He really leaves no doubts as to what you need to know in order to pull off your paint project. I have a car torn down to paint and as I do it, this is the book that will be my guide.