Budget Books

So i read this book in a few days and basically what it helped me with is to have a good picture of what it would take for an overall production from start to finish. It went into detail in some areas more than others but it gave a good general view that could be followed if you wanted to make movies.

It gave me exactly what i was looking for, which was a basic introduction on the process of movie making from start (concept and screenwriting) to finish (post production and distribution). This helped me assess what needed to be done to ... make a movie!

Has lots of information and tips on "how-to-" do many things. But I wouldn't try to make a movie of it. It just didn't hit me.

For the ultra-low budget filmmaker, there is no better book to read than digital filmmaking 101. This book tells you everything you will need to know to make a quality feature length movie on a shoestring budget.

Every filmmaker dreams of being at the helm of a 20 million dollar movie. However, there are only 7 studios in the U.S. that have that kind of capital and they aren't going to give you 20 million dollars to make a movie until you first make a 2 million dollar movie. How many people have 2 million dollars lying around? Not many. So how do you get people to give you 2 million dollars for a movie? You make a 200,000 dollar movie. How many people have $200,000 lying around? Some do but most don't. So how do you get people to give you $200,000 for a movie? You make a $20,000 movie. $20,000 is a little more within reach for a lot of people but for many others it is still an insurmountable obstacle. How do you raise $20,000 to make a movie? You make an $8000 ultra-low budget movie. This is what Digital Filmamking 101 teaches you how to do. $8000 is well within reach for most people. That's a part-time job for a year or so. As a first time filmmaker, which is more within reach? The $20 million film or the $8,000 film. Start with the $ 8000 movie and save the $20,000, $200,000 and $2 million films for your 2nd, third and fourth films respectively. The big studios will then be more likely to give you $20 million to make a movie because you have already demonstrated that you know what you know what you're doing. You will have made a movie for $8000, $20,000, $200,000 and $2 million.

I disagree with the comments from others who trash this book. It isn't a great book but it is a very good one that is appropriately titled "101" because its an introduction to digital filmmaking. It includes most of the information you need to know to put an ultra low-budget digital feature together. The authors (wisely) avoided too many references to technical equipment or how to operate them because, as we all know, by the time the book is published, whatever technology they referred to would be outdated. If you're looking for a book that goes into production details like lighting, camera angles, setting up shots, and directing actors you won't find that in this book.

On the other hand, the book has a lot of information about how to get started, how to set up a small production company, equipment you'll need, creating and working within a tight budget, planning and working within a production schedule, finding and auditioning actors and crew, sourcing equipment, post production, distribution, and a lot of other useful stuff. I recommend it as a good place for any aspiring indie filmmaker to start.

I bought this book thinking it would help in a film project utilizing a good camera and a few volunteers. Unfortunately it does not even have much to say about the possibilities of digital filmmaking, but rather gives a disorganized (how about some editing?) depiction of their experience in making two films. I am not sure they even used the digital format.... The true focus is how to produce a film with little budget, and little experience. Not a bad topic, but not what I was expecting from the title. Three stars for the appendix, the chapter on working with the crew, and budget.

Joe Scarborough's book "Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day was written in 2004.
The year 2004 maybe viewed as past history but wow, wow, wow! What a great history lesson Joe has given me! This is a very, very, must read to get the juicy, juicy on the going-on in Congress and in Washington.
Like I always thought...there is enough blame for everyone!
A great book for some back history... which is still happening and a good "inside" look.

Reading this political book was a pleasure! The humor was always close to the surface, but steeped in what makes humor even more giddy - the mirror up to the uncomfortable truth. Most of the time anything coming from a political analyst such as Joe Scarborough would be subject of intense scrutiny from me since most politicos today are so polarized, but Joe shows that both sides of the issue are wrong. Now, don't get me wrong, one side (Democrats) is a little worse, but they just don't make excuses like the Republicans.

Thanks, Joe, for showing us the truth with much fun and laughter mixed with tears.

Every thinking American should read this book. Written three years ago it remains as applicable today as then.

Americans need to get aroused about our Washinton politicians and take back our country. Joe lambasts both political parties for their self serving interests and unwillingness to confront the real problems of our Nation.

Read it...PLEASE

I'd always wanted to pick up this book when Joe started first promoting it on his show, and whole stacks of them found their way at the $1 store, so of course, who could pass up a book like this for just a buck?

Anyway, didn't know what to expect, but man, a real eye-opener. It's one thing when you suspect something to be the case (all the cliches about gov't), and something else altogether when someone who was there told it like it was.

I think the most interesting point that resonated with me was one I had long suspected - one party should never have complete control of washington, or the spending sprees will be out of control, no matter who it is.

While the writing style was fun to read (I couldn't put the book down), at times it was disorganized, moving here, there, and everywhere throughout Joe's journey in congress, and at times there was a bit too much repetition. Otherwise, a great read.

Given the fact that Joe Scarborough is a Republican, you would expect him to bash Democrats and go easy on Republicans. Such is not the case. Joe says that "when it comes to wasting your tax dollars, there's not a dime's worth of difference between Republicans and Democrats these days." He said that individual members of both parties are more concerned about consolidating their power than they are about spending our tax dollars wisely.

Despite the fact that the book is a bit dated, I doubt that much has changed since he wrote it in 2004. His basic point is that Republicans used to stand for smaller government, but that's no longer the case today. He provides plenty of stories of both Republicans and Democrats pushing through "pork-filled bills".

For those following the elections in 2008, you may find what he has to say about McCain interesting. He does speak highly of him and gives him a lot of credit for speaking up for what he believes in, even when it could harm his political career.

It's an interesting book and well worth the read, even if you don't agree with all his opinions.

This beauty book is not very good. The advice is very dated and the writing is not engaging. Save your money and pass on this one.

I was very excited to hear about this great book that has all these fabulous home fixes to our everyday beauty problems as women. I became very disappointed when all the fixes I tried DID NOT work for me. I feel like it was a total waste of my money.

Perhaps I gave up too quickly, but I do not have any idea where I put my copy of this book since I found it useless. I got more good real working advice from this little cheap book I bought from a bargain bin called Natural Beauty or something. It really is too bad since I love all grandmother homemade beauty recipes and fixes, but Diane Irons just does not work for me.

According to my opinion it's really a Book with a capital B. I'm from Europe, so it was quite difficult to find it out but it was worth the pains. I like it, I love it and it belongs to the best when I'm compairing it with other books written in this way and about these problems. And that's why I'm rating it with 5 stars.

Excuse my English, it is not my mothertongue.
Jana

Diane Irons' "911 Beauty Secrets" is filled with many beauty tips, model and celebrity secrets, diets, homemade remidies and masks, and much more. Many of the tips in here are easy to follow and require no other materials besides the ones easily found at home, at the grocery store, and at the beauty supply store. Plus, the book includes fashion and shopping tips, with advice on everything from what to put in your handbag to and the clothes that will work best for you. There are many quick emergency fixes in here, such as taking care of cuts, skin burns, cold sores, etc. Plus, you will get good tips on choosing the right types and colors of cosmetics, quick beauty fixes, and more. My favorite thing about this book were the beauty masks and treatments. For example, did you know that a corn meal and papaya treatment can make the dry skin on your elbows feel super soft? Or that soaking a skin burn in milk for fifteen minutes will soothe the burn? How about using some petroleum jelly to ease the sting from a paper cut? These are just some of the marvelous beauty treatments you will find in this book. This book is a very wise purchase. Trust me, after you've bought it, you will be refering to it all the time to look your best!

Powdered milk will help exfoliate skin. Hemorrhoid ointment will help erase wrinkles. Ripe papaya and cornmeal will help soften rough elbows. Allow raw egg white to dry on your face and viola! instant face lift. Bananas packed in the bra will help firm those saggy breasts. (It has something to do with the high levels of potassium.) No, we're not making any of this up. Model/journalist/fashion and image consultant Diane Irons has gathered decades of tips and tricks, secrets and suggests in this hand softbound book, a sort of emergency guide to help all women (and men) look great at every age, size and budget. Strike when the Irons are hot!

This book has a lot of practical information and advice for people who think that Island living is as simple as just moving there. The author suggests many ways to make the move easier, cheaper and less stressful. He stresses the importance of assimilating to the island culture, rather than bringing mainland sensibilities with you. The author has a blog which is a great forum to share ideas and ask specific questions. Read this book and learn what it means to "Live Aloha"

This is a wonderful book if you're planning to move to the Big Island of Hawaii. It breaks it down in an easy to follow way. Plain spoken and unbiased (although the author clearly loves the island). Lots of practical advise but if you're planning on moving to another island in Hawaii this might not be for you.

This is must have for anyone considering relocating to Hawaii. Very upfront with pros and cons.

After reading reviews on this site I ordered Affordable Paradise, as well as So You Want to Live in Hawaii by Toni Polancy. I loved Affordable Paradise and highly recommend it. I do suggest purchasing both books and reading them together. Toni Polancy's (So You Want to Live in Hawaii) book is quite pessimistic, right from the opening lines...but it does contain some valuable information. Skip Thomsen's book is my favorite by far. The author also maintains a website where updates are available free of charge.

This book is poorly edited, and looks like it was printed in someone's garage. No less than three different font types throughout the main text. Additionally, the title of this book is deceiving- it should be called, the secrets to an affordable life on "THE BIG ISLAND" of Hawaii. The author says straight up on the second page of this book that this book will not help you if you want to move to Maui or any other Hawaii'an island for that matter. However, from reading the cover, it says nothing about referring to 'Hawaii'' as the Big Island of Hawaii. It just refers to 'Hawaii.' Annoying. Bad on me for not reading further- Amazon recommended this to me when I was purchasing another book on Hawaii, and I fell for it. Not satisfied.

Alexander Scourby is great, but I had to send the item back several times due to extremely poor audio quality. Then when I finally got the audio quality right, I found that disk 6 and 9 of the NT were exactly the same. The labels we correct, but the text from 6 was on cd 9. I finally gave up and gave the set to a friend who was happy to have it no matter what.

This is a great product to have if you have to do a lot of Bible reading. When I was in college I used these to keep a steady pace when reading. It was a huge benefit to have, however, the recording is not the best quality, nor is Scourby's voice the best for going through the entire Bible. Overall the product is good, but I have heard better audio versions.

-Christian Fobian, Author of Why Christ?

If you're like me & can read a paragraph & then your mind starts to wander or you forgot what you just read, then listening to the Bible (especially while reading along) is something you should try! Alexandar Scourby's narration is wonderful & will keep your attention. I like to read along while listening, and I find that I noticed things in the Bible that hadn't popped out before. You can listen to the entire Bible for FREE here http://www.audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html and see if you like his voice. I highly recommend this reading!

The Scourby Dramatized audio CDs are more expensive than some of their competition, and may have a the odd technical glitches, but overall are worth the purchase price. This is especially the case if you can find a sale or get a good used set. Although the music might make the words slightly harder to hear in a few areas, Scourby's voice is pleasant to listen to and seems to draw you in more than the other readers I've heard. If you are listening for more than a few minutes, the music and dramatization help hold your attention. The other dramatized audio bible I've heard is the Zondervan one. It has many of the same strenghts as the Scourby versio, but to me the reader's voice does not seem to have the same magnetic quality that is present with Scourby.

While actually looking for an audio cassette version of the Bible, I came across JuJu's comment. It was pretty clear to me that this poor, sad person just cruises the internet looking for an opportuinity to bash Christianity. Certainly he wasn't really interested in the Bible. Maybe if he or she really tried to understand and allow Jesus Christ in to his or her life, then the need to spend time so worthlessly out of boredom would not be so great and life would be more fulfilling.

The author immediately inspires its reader. He takes the responsibility of displaying the pros and cons of filmmaking eloquently.

Every procedure and expense is outlined step by step. And the process is made to be more tangible. Upon finishing this book, I felt I had the proper tools to successfully produce a low-budget film.

This is a great book to get your feet wet in the world of filmmaking. This is a good start and saves you from paying for film school -- use that money for your film!

While this book focuses on film, the next edition will include information on DV and other high tech goodies. Stay tuned!

Why do so many of the previous 5 star reviews include a plug for a future edition of this book or a direct reference to the author as a friend? Could it be they're less than truthful, or at least biased? In fact, this book is already outdated, and it's advice for making a feature film for less than $10,000 is ludicrous. If the author had added a "0" to the sensational title and dealt with REAL WORLD facts and tips about making such a film this could've been a good book. As it is, it's nearly useless because it has no connection to how to REALLY make a micro-budget movie (ie. video or gray market stock, credit cards, deferrals, etc.).

This is pretty much the first book that I've read on the subject of filmmaking that was actually interesting. I even read the forward and the preface, which I usually skip in books. I bought the revised version (the 2000 version, at a bookstore, even though it says it's not published until June...?) and I found the websites and dv section to be very helpful. This is an extremely informative, as well as entertaining read, perfect for a newbie (like me).

For someone who's never made a film before, this book will be very useful in laying out the steps that need to be taken at every stage of pre-production, production and post-production. It covers everything from writing the script to funding and payment contracts to editing your final cut. However, due to the changing nature of the film business, after reading this book, you might want to move on to something more recent for more timely information.

The datedness of the book shows in the financial guidelines (when it offers price quotes on services at a lab, for example), which are five years old at this point. It also shows in the section on editing. The author promotes editing on a work print of film rather than on a digital video system, such as AVID. It may have been more cost-effective to do so in 1995, but today non-linear editing is much preferred. The book has detailed instructions on how to edit film, but none on how to use one of these computer systems, which in many larger communities, are readily accessible.

For a more realistic financial picture of making a film, try the more recent IFP/West Independent Filmmaker's Guide, which uses the budgets from the movie "Swingers" as examples.

some tips are interesting, but some I've heard before. The book had a difficult time keeping my interest since the entries are so short and unrelated in terms of organization.

What's in the book? Nothing but short snippets of useless info. Don't let the budget travel brand lure you into thinking that this is a quality book. It isn't!!! There's nothing here that you probably don't already know.I truly like the following book as it's gotten me up to the 1st class cabin. The Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel: The Art of Cultivating Preferred Customer Status (Travelers' Tales).

I recently checked this book out from the library in preparation for an overseas trip. I found so many useful ideas that I checked out the book again a month before the trip before finally deciding I should just buy it! It's certainly paid for itself in money, space, and time savings!

The Smart Traveler's Passport allows travel 'newbies' as well as travel veterans to quickly and easily locate user friendly travel tips. The format is great for those who want fast facts without slogging through long paragraphs. The authors have gathered travel tested suggestions from many people and compiled them into an easy to read, helpful book. Ideas range from travelling to another state to trekking across foreign lands. You'll find hints for packing for road trips to finding freebies in London. The chapter headings are well thought out and specific topics easily located. This book is an enjoyable read with plenty of "AH HA!" tips and I found several of the suggestions just plain fun!

Hard to find specific tips, as no index nor organizational sequence by topics. Is very random, and while I have found good suggestions from the magazine issues, this is just too random to be of great assistances

This is the third book in the Tightwad Gazette trilogy that I have read. Thank goodness I found it at the library and did not pay for it! I enjoyed the first two books. I got some good ideas from Amy and grinned at the ideas that were too extreme for my family. I respected her choices in life and it helped me to think about the purchases I made and the effect I had on our environment. However, in the T.G. III, I found her to be overbearing, selfish, and a little crazy. She preaches about parents living frugally to enable 1 to stay home with children, however she admits to spending very little time with hers unless they are interested in helping her with her "save money" projects. What about your children's own interests? How about spending a little of all the time you have with them? Her quest for saving has not only shown her ability to spare her pennies, but her time and heart as well. She brags about Not: 1. volunteering 2. reading to her children 3. spending time with family 4. socialize etc. This sounds very lonely to me. I'm afraid that Amy's quest for money has allowed her to become as greedy as the people she condemns as "spendthrifts". At Amy's house, it's all about Amy and what Amy wants.

Dacyczyn does not encourage us to follow her methods literally; she only suggests looking at our spending habits and realigning them. Spending less money on areas which we consider low-priority leads to higher savings and monre money to spend on things we consider important to us.

I got this book as I was leaving work to become a stay at home mom. I can't say that I will use every idea she recommends but it does have some good ideas in it. For example, it may be cheaper not to coupon solely but to combine it with keeping a price book and only using coupons for items you would buy normally. As far as the editorials on child rearing and the environment go, I simply paged thru that though I don't disagree with her sentiments. I do wish the layout would be more organized but that is solved by simply reading the book and using the index. Not a bad read altogether and quite informative. If you already frugal, this may not tell you anything you don't know. For those of us novices, this is a great start.

Although I have borrowed every other tightwad/money saving book out there from the library, the three editions by this author are a *MUST HAVE*. They are so inspiring when your resolve is slipping. When I bought them, I read them from cover to cover several times. Now, I open to a random page & read until I hit on yet ANOTHER great idea that I didn't absorb in the first reads. The organization is not poor--it is simply different than most books. It isn't arranged into 8 neat little chapters grouped by subject matter, but that is the joy of re-reading the books! For anyone who searches out "tips" online, you will love the organization of this book (and the other two editions).

I don't find her child-rearing to be an issue, either. I have always been a very gentle parent, and she mentioned only a couple things I would not do in my home. Yes, her children have to eat the food she prepares. Would you like to prepare separate meals for 6 children? Yes, her children wear used clothes. That doesn't indicate that they wear dirty clothes or clothes with holes in them. No, she doesn't read a separate book to every one of her 6 kids every night. I wouldn't either! Personally, I don't really like reading 6 kids' books in one day.

Her ideas may be "extreme" if you're easily offended by people who don't speak the status-quo. If you're sick of the constant quest for more, and you don't believe blind consumerism is the answer to every problem, and you want a paradigm shift in your life, this book is for you. If you think Americans had more money sense, family unity, and straight priorities a 130 years ago, this book is definitely for you.

Oh, and if you're not the creative type, you will be after you finish all three Tightwad Gazettes. They literally teach you how to think creatively. That's an invaluable education in and of itself.

I am just starting on the road to learning how to live on less, not because I have to; because I want to. There are some ways to save money listed in the book that I will probably never do, but overall I learned a lot, and enjoyed reading it while I learned. I purchased several other books on the same subject, but none gave me as much usable information as this book did. If you are serious about learning to conserve money, quit reading this review and order the book.

This book is a little dated but is compelling enough for multiple reads. The sarcastic hyperbole is definitely it's selling point; the information it contains is found in other sources. The "recipes" section made me laugh so hard I cried (maybe it was just late at night and I needed a pick-me-up).
Entertaining way to learn about filmmaking; not serious enough to be a standalone source of information. Funny enough I purchased it to read again after initially checking book out from the library.

This book is more funny than informative. Good for some leisure reading but not for anyone that is trying to find some serious insight on the subject.

Great book if you've never made a film before...if you've made 1 or a few of them, this is a decent review, but you probably already do all these things. The digital info is a little outdated as it was published in 2000.

This book is really great! I learned a lot, and at the same time wanted to keep reading more. The book is really funny, and made me laugh lots of times. Bret Stern is very clever at telling you things, and he makes it fun along the way. And you can understand all that he says! it dosen't just go over your head! I'm young, and just learning, and I highly recomend this book! its one of the best of its kind! From teaching you how to write in script format, to trying to get your film to a distributor, Bret Stern shows you all that!

This is one of the worst books I've ever read, about anything, ever. If you follow some of the advice in this book, you will actually be a worse filmmaker than if you just started bumbling your way through it on your own. (And, some of his advice will land you in jail, if you get caught.)

The book is poorly written, incoherent at times, and each short section only conveys the vaguest information possible about the subject it purports to be about. The tone is sarcastic and vaguely insulting. Some of the advice was so stupid I was offended by it. I've read at least fifty books about filmmaking, and this is hands-down the worst. Period. It's hard to comment on the information in much detail, because there is so little depth to the information in this book that it's like reading a ream of blank paper.

If you read this book, you'll need to read at least one good one to understand all the vague things, and un-lear all the incorrect things, that you'll hear about filmmaking from this piece of junk.

The value of the book lies in two chapters: "Mixes" and "Sauces and Dressings." If you only use the information from these chapters,you will save a bunch of money. For example, I bought spices in bulk and made the italian seasoning, onion soup mox, and broth mix for pennies! If you've ever bought large quantities of pre-mixed spices or broth, you know how expensive it can get--especially for someone like me who eats only organic (I'm allergic to most pesticides and hormones-not a joke--it gets very expensive).

I am a fan of Jonni McCoy's other two books - "Frugal Families" and "Miserly Moms", so I purchased her book "Miserly Meals". I have to say that we have tried a week's worth of meals (including lunches) and we are sorely disappointed. These may be inexpensive and healthy, but they are not all that tasty. Some don't even work right. Last night, I made Mock Pizza in the slow cooker and it called for uncooked egg noodles. There apparently wasn't enough liquid in the recipe because the bottom noodles were cooked, but the top ones were still crunchy. I kept adding liquid, but then it was plain old mush. Yuck. Several other recipes are bland and boring.

I did like the meatball recipe, however, and even tripled it for my freezer. Some of the other basic recipes were also good, such as the taco sauce and spaghetti sauce. But we were very disappointed in many of the meals.

One other concern I had was that the yield of the recipes were not consistent. Some served four, some six, some eight. I would have appreciated a little more consistency there. We have a family of six, though, and even recipes that said they served six weren't enough for us.

I did like the kitchen tips and the nutritional breakdown of each meal. I wish the index was a little more comprehensive so that I could find a recipe when I wanted to use tomatoes, for example.

Overall, we were simply disappointed.

I've re-frugaled my life after 10 years of being a spendthrift.

I have to say the recipes offered in the book are basic- yes, but sometimes newbie frugal parents need that in order to understand the concept of cooking and baking from scratch or using the lowest priced items.

One also needs to understand that you can interchange 'boneless chicken breasts' with the 'thighs' or just debone a chicken yourself. Which is the cheapest way. Or use tofu. It really doesn't matter.

But she offers a nice array of meals from soup to nuts to offer your family. Nobody will like ALL the recipes- and that is true of EVERY cookbook- even Fanny Farmer or Betty Crocker.

Take what you want... and leave the rest.

While the "Kitchen Helps" section is good, and I loved all the mixes and substitution info she gives, "Miserly Meals" was a bust as far as the recipes go. I too have tried several and they either didn't taste good, or didn't turn out right.
Mrs. McCoy's Bisquik substitute has become a staple in our house and IS saving a ton of money, but on the whole, I was disappointed.
I do reccomend her "Miserly Moms", however!

I have owned this book for a couple of years and tried many of the recipies in it. It is the cookbook that is the most "used" looking on my shelf right now. Some of my favorites are the taco seasoning mix, ranch dressing mix, dough enhancer, broth powder, (No MSG like nearly every store bought ones), and Caesar salad dressing ...these are things I make over and over and end up saving $$ in my food budget.

It makes me sad to read other reviewers who probably didn't give this book a chance. It truly has a frugality to it that is hard to find in other cookbooks. I checked mine out from the library and decided it was one I wanted to own. I have never been disappointed!