Independent Books

I just completed a feature length screenplay that will soon become a feature length film. To prepare for production I decided to purchase two books: Creative Producing A to Z, and, A Film Director Prepares, both by Myrl Schreibman. Having just finished reading them, I now know I could not have made two better choices. Buy them both, read them both, then read them both again! I promise, your film career will be well served.

This book is the producer's version of Gray's "Anatomy of the Human Body." Without a doubt, Schreibman's text is the blueprint for any successful indie film and should be read and thoroughly consulted by every creative producer - experienced or otherwise. Furthermore, this book that can be extremely useful to directors and screenwriters because it provides a real understanding of what the producer does and how the other creative entities can best collaborate with the producer for creative and practical synergy. In short, this book is a must for anyone who wants to make movies.

I bought this book for my cousin who wants to start out in the film business. This book helped me break down the who's who in the industry and the breakdown and samples are easy to understand.

I recently finished producing my own independent film and found this book right at the beginning of my post-production period.

I wish I had found it earlier. It is full of no-nonsense advice and information that is practically bullet-proof, and I ended up agreeing with about all of it. Schreibman, who apparently has a long history of producing films for t.v. and theatrical market, has paid his dues, done his homework, and knows another "feel-good" you-can-do-it book isn't necessary.

He tells you like it is, doesn't pull any punches, and helps you avoid the most common mistakes, both legally and aesthetically. Writing and directing are generally the more "arty" positions in film production - the Producer is supposed to keep the ship moving forward and avoiding any fatal mistakes. This book directs you in the right direction.

My film was a "micro-budget" film, and this book may ultimately be more useful for "larger" independent features, including ones with SAG deals, distribution in place, and budgets closer to 7 figures. While all the advice here applies to everyone making a movie, it's the attitude Myrl conveys that I really appreciated and believed in, more than some of his nuts-and-bolts info. The contract samples at the end were also very helpful when I went out and began looking for more help finding money to finish my film (which I eventually did).

Now I'm dreaming of using the rest of the info here for my next film!

If you are looking for a practical, REALISTIC book on how to begin and finish the production process, this is the book for you. I began my very extensive hunt for a book that would spell out the production process from A-Z. This book delivered on what it said. Very often in this industry it can be smoke and mirrors...not here my friend. Myrl speaks from experience and gives it to you straight. You WILL understand the production process from start to finish after reading this book.

As an added note, I was so impressed with the book that I contacted Myrl to consult with me on a recent project. He delivered on his promises and helped me guide my project to a successful finish. A five-star book and a five-star person.

As always, the South Beach cookbook set NEVER lets me down. I found this book full of great menu options for a variety of events. Also, they can be easily adjusted to your personal flavor desires....JUST GET IT!!!!

We've used it a few times in the 3 weeks we've had it. Good low carb recipes.

Great recipes abound in this book like all south beach recipes. I look forward to the next book!

I love this South Beach diet cookbook, has wonderful receipe's in it that satify all my cravings and more! This is my second SB cookbook I have bought and I plan to buy any more new ones that come out!

I went on the South Beach Diet in November 2005. In one year I went from weighing 280 lbs to weighing 215! My cholesterol went from 221 to 141,and my blood pressure went from 150/100 to 117/77 (with NO drugs). Also I lost 6 inches around my waist. It went from 42 inches to 36.As of May 2008, I currently weigh 212 (at 5' 11') and am trying to work my way to 195 now.I own all of the books and am one of the biggest advocates of the diet. I would recommend this book to anyone!

I'm just glad I read this book while my children are still young. Now I get to use all of Merilee's fabulous ideas from the start! This book reads so quickly too and the ideas don't require anything but the desire to have your children be truly, deeply happy in life. I love how she discusses our society's misinterpretation of self-esteem. True self-esteem comes from true self-sufficiency -- not from mommy and daddy always coming to the rescue! It's so refreshing! MUST READ! This is the instruction manual for parenting that should come with every new baby! :)

I'm highly considering giving this book to anyone having a baby. It is SOOO wonderful, I cannot possibly tell all the great things.

But in case you are wondering, everything is in this book. Ideas of how to handle allowances, jobs, money management (I wish I were taught these things!), etc, etc, etc.

For any parent out there that just wants to be a better one- READ THIS BOOK! And then pass it to anyone you know!

Its been said before, but this is the best parenting book I have read. It is practical, fun to read, and full of ideas which will change your life. It provides your children with ways to gain experience, knowledge and direction. I hope my children will have many friends who were raised by parents who used this book. If I had to describe it in one word I would choose: empowering.

I am very impressed with the thoroughness with which the author addresses the topic of teaching children to work, save, and become independent adults. In all of the reading--and research--I've done, none compares with Boyack's "Plan" for parents to raise independent and confident children. Never before have I seen a detailed, age-appropriate "how-to" list of what we need to teach in our families to produce the kind of adults that seem to becoming more and more rare in our society. I admit that I am feeling a bit over-whelmed by The List, as my children are already 3, 8, 11, 14, and 18 years old (and I am therefore quite a bit behind the schedule!), but I figure "better late than never" and will do my best to get them prepared for life beyond the family home. All in all, suffice it to say I WISH I'D HAD THIS PLAN YEARS AGO!

I was absolutely spurred to action by Merrilee's book. This is a great book for giving parents back the power they never knew they had, to raise uncommonly capable children. And she made it a kick to read! She is wonderful!

This was my last purchase to complete my Industry Yellow pages set. I also have The Industry Yellow Pages: The Official Club & Venue Touring Directory, listing over 1700 Music Clubs & Venues in the U.S. and Canada for Your Touring ... Deserve and all the others. We truly use these because they are a great reference for any indie musician!

This volume 5 of the series is all i needed to complete my collection of the best industry yellow pages on music business there is. With full detail and a structure so easy to search through you can ask a 5 year old this collection will make your work more valuable and provide you with quality recommendations

Great Volume, the best so far and I am looking for the next. It's complete and a good structure and you can find whatever you need very easy! A perfect book!

I also bought the other volumes for this book and I must tell you this is the most complete of them all. Good structure and easy to find names. Whatever you need whenever you need it!
It works great when you are in a hurry and you can't find the right person for the job!
It made my job easier and I even fired some of my assistants because this book is all I need!

This is the most complete book of this type I have ever read! It gave me a lot of information and I am very glad I bought it! I want to recommend it to all the people that have a music business because they will find here a lot of tips to increase their business and also to gain access to some areas where they normally wouldn't.

Get rich schemes are out of control today. Beyond the schemes, many people seem to use the lottery their own personal retirement plan.

This is not a get rich quick book, but a common sense guide to becoming wealthy over time. Told though thoughts of a "wealthy barber," this book goes back to basics to teach wise saving and investing techniques. It also reinforces ideas that many have learned over time.

There are several powerful concepts to investing in the book. One of the most important concepts is: Pay yourself first. Although simple, it has profound implications on becoming financially secure.

Another powerful concept is how to invest wisely. The Wealthy Barber talks about the good and bad sides of stock market investing, real estate investing and more. The book also exposes some of the wasteful ways of spending money such as buying cash value life insurance as opposed buying term insurance and investing the difference.

I found the book refreshing and insightful. Great for the beginner as well as advanced investor, these ideas should never go out of fashion. I try to apply many of these principles in my own life and encourage others interested in doing the same.

Overall, this is an excellent book to re-discover common sense and learn the basics of saving, investing, patience, and the magic of time to become wealthy. Highly recommended!

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

I really liked this book. I read it as part of a workshop for school. The author made the subject matter easy to understand for everyone, and in a format that was fairly enjoyable. It made me see the importance of good planning.

Pros:
-covers a broad range of topics
-gives great financial tips
-reads like a novel
-concise and quick to read
-is easy to understand
-inspires you to start your planning right away

Con:
-could have written a little more about a couple of the topics

The bad news first: The author had a great idea of putting sound financial advice in a novel format. The characters are boring and one dimensional save for the fact that they are sports fans. The dialogue is forced and fast, but for the purpose of getting to the lessons where the dialogue is disruptive at times.

The good news: If you can forge through the pages of banter and witticisms you will find some things that you'll be glad you found such as a proxy [check it out] and some things about investing and insurance.

The outcome: This story takes place in Michigan, which is also the state who's company's representatives (AmWay, now Quixtar, Inc.) launched a major dealing in the distribution of this book. It appealed to their wide client/distributor base and sent its sales into the stratosphere.

My son picked this book up many years ago. Both he & I read it. It made an imprint on my life, as well as his. I am financially independent & semi retired at age 57.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't know anything about money. It is really easy to understand and doesn't skip over the basics. If you know the basics you may not find it an interesting read.

I read this book in three days really, I couldn't put it down. The book is the best around for every detail in trying to prepare a documentary. It describes how, why, when, and what types of equipment to use for your projects in a professional way. It also tells you how you can save money and get help from around you to fund your documentary. This book explains how to be no, low, or high budget and still produce a professional result. I can say that I now have a down and dirty attitude from reading from a guerilla style way of shooting films. "GET THE BOOK NOW"

This book is outstanding as far as the logistics of shooting a documentary goes. It's simple and yet very insightful and covers every aspect of production from nuts to bolts.RRP

This might be the best "quick start" guide you're likely to find on any subject.

Anthony Artis' knows video and he knows how to teach. More important, he knows how to get even a rank beginner out into the field and started shooting video. Artis' writing is sharp, clear, direct and street-wise with a touch of warmth and humor. Reading "Shut Up and Shoot" is like a long conversation with a smart friend who knows all about how to shoot video.

If you're already an experienced shooter, read this book anyway. Artis will make you a better shooter than you are now.

This is the book that I was looking for, for a long time on how to do a Documentary. I like the step-by-step process that he takes you through.
I also like the section on equipment recommendations.
I highly recommend it.

I bought this guide for my 14 year old son who made his first documentary 'One Light' without any experience or knowledge at 13. He wants a bit more professional production this time in a small budget and after spending a lot of time looking for a reasonable Film making camps for teens we resorted to self learning for him and came across this guide and I am very happy about it.

He has learnt quite a bit from it. I think it is a great beginer's reference guide and covers almost all aspects of DIY project.It is simple enough for him to read and incorporate the pointers for his next production plan.


This guide could be supplemented with another book that covers developing story and plot in more depth.

Gurmeet

A great book that explains how as men we can be warriors that God intended us to be but at the same time being tender to what God wants us to do. This is on my list to re-read eventually again just because it's that good. I would recommend this book to anyone who is Christian and looking for a good book from a great author.

I got this for my husband because it was assigned reading for a Bible study. He is not an avid reader, but he jumped in with both feet and really enjoyed it. He did feel that he should take the time to go through it again, that his study meetings just scratched the surface. High praise from someone who usually reads only car magazines!

Stu is a man everyone could learn from. He redefines 'macho' and, as a woman reading it, makes you long for this tenderness from your own husband. The topics he touches on are supported biblically, statistically and scientifically. A man who can pull from this book and live his life as a 'tender warrior' is truly 'every woman's dream'. I have nothing but good to say about every area of this book. If your husband is at all interested in self and/or spiritual growth, this is a must read.

Stu Weber takes off the gloves and gives it to you straight. If you're a husband and/or father, God's word has some things you need to know. Avoid making the common mistakes and get prepared for the challenges.

Unlike the reviewer who cannot identify with Pastor Stu's military background, there are many who have served this country, that can identify with Pastor Stu's background and his major decision as a Captain in the 5th Special Forces/Ranger with service overseas, including Republic of South Vietnam. I believe his sacrifice to country and his previous role as a soldier (the values of Duty, Honor, Country) makes Pastor Stu more credible and a more powerful advocate of what it is to be a man, a GODLY man. I also believe that had Captain Weber not decided to choose the ministry over the military career, he would have been quite successful in the military and achieve a field grade ranking of General in the U.S. Army. As it turned out, the ministry gained an influential shepherd who has written a number of books that has and will continue to influence other men in their walk with GOD.

There are many worthy insights in this book and the others written by Pastor Stu. It has been some time since reading the book, but I recall that a key decision must be made by all men and that is, "Who is Your Authority?" This is a crossroad..."who will you follow?" With you continue to follow your own personal inclinations, the secular wisdoms of the day, or will you allow GOD to be the authority in your life, the guiding principles of your life, and obey the WORD? It is the most important question for all men to consider and then choose wisely. There are many other Biblically sound teachings that are covered. I will only touch upon one. As Christians who are walking in FAITH, there is a need to eschew being the "lone ranger", the Clint Eastwood-machismo solitary gunfighter that takes on an entire pack of vermin and wastes them all in glorious Hollywood images. Rather, a Christian man needs other GODLY men to stand with them, because the battle against the secular world value system and against evil spiritual principalities cannot be realistically defeated as in a Hollywood-Clint Eastwood shootout type scenario and a symbolic ride into the sunset....NO, Pastor Stu and the Bible identifies the need for comrades-in-arms, "Ranger buddies", other centurions, GOD-fearing warriors who will watch your back and your flank. You need others in this spiritual warfare. Otherwise, you will succumb. He tells it like it is. A strand of 3 cords is tough to break. A group/team of committed GODLY men cannot be defeated. Gideon had his 300. Joshua and Caleb had their forces, albeit invariably outnumbered in their battles, Joshua and Caleb's army prevailed. Obedient to GOD, go to Battle alongside other Christian brothers-in-arms. Put on the full armor of GOD and you will win EVERY Battle. Hope this review helps.

I must say I was very surprised at how good this book was! Yes there were basic things included as well, as mentioned in another review but there was also tons of new ideas and more advanced strategies. I understand how many people dont know the basics such as my bass player..lol Myself I know alot more than basic and this book gave me lots of ideas.. we already have booked more shows and following is growing for sure as more people are coming to shows..and got a review in the paper! never would of done that without this book! great read, Great strategies, and useful ideas here! Thank-You, Thank-You, Thank-You!

The book has some good ideas, but much of it explains really basic things like how to upload audio and video files. There's simply too much filler. All of the really good marketing ideas could have been written in ten pages or less.

There has never been anything available before that offers such clarity and knowledge of this industry. A must have for someone starting out either as an artist or anyone wanting to get into the field. The author really knows his stuff.

In today's world where music is the number one download on the Internet and connected with the top gift lines of today, making money with it has not been the on the "top of the online businesses to make money" for the average person. Until now.

From basic HTML codes to social networking, this book clearly and simply explains every single step of the way to the bank, with success whistling all the way. Its contents and index provide an easy way to browse through the book to find exactly what you need to know or do, with professional advice and teaching from cover to cover.

The book is written from heartfelt experience, tough roads, and successful insight. I enjoyed reading it, and with the information in this book opening up a new field on line--it would be best to jump in now ahead of everyone else.

I'm extremely suspicious of this book getting 17 5-star ratings. It was alright! Seriously though, any more than 3 stars is generous.

THE BAD:
It's quite basic, explaining how to set up a myspace page, etc. Now, maybe I'm biased because I was not new to MySpace when I purchased the book. I already knew about bulletins and blogs and messages and how things work on MySpace. I was more interested in getting more traffic to my band's page.

Certain things about the book were frustrating. For instance, there is a subheading in one of the chapters titled "Getting on the Front Page." Well, in that section it talks about what a great opportunity it is to get on MySpace's homepage. (Duh.) However, it does NOT tell you how to accomplish this. Instead, it states how unlikely it is, but that it's a "wild dream for everybody." Useless. Basically, the book tended to tell you which things would be good things for you to do but then left you clueless as to how to go about it.

There was a type-o probably every 5th or 6th page, and that REALLY irritated me. It was hard to take the book seriously when it clearly had not been edited.


THE GOOD:
It is a quick read. You could go through the whole book in a day.

It talked a good deal about promotions for your band. Although, most of it involved writing or hiring a writer rather than flyers or other traditional techniques I assumed would be the most proficient.

Nicky Kalliongis obviously has a lot of contacts and has done some great stuff in his musical career. ... but I would not by any means consider him a good author.

Anyway, yeah, 3 stars, no more.

In this book the author blames the initial assault on David Koresh's Mount Cramel property on the ATF. He neglects to mention that David Koresh had enough guns, hand grenades and illegal automatic weapons to outfit the Kosovo Army for it's next Revolution.The BLAME lies with David Koresh and his followers. When you amass such as stockpile of ILLEGAL weaapons then you should expect a visit from the authorities which is exactly what happend . And due to Koresh's arsenal he managed to "outgun" the ATF and four good Peace Officers were murdered. All of this occurred because that madman and psychopath Koresh thought he had a "Direct Hotline" to God. Those 86 people chose not to surrender. Perhaps they thought the seige would end with flowers and free bottles of French Champagne? It seems like nearly everybody wants to blame somebody else for the Waco Incident instead of laying the blame at Koresh and his followers.I give this book 5 stars because no doubt it will apeal to the Paranoid Conspiracy Theorists out there and the Survivalist who now think their Government is "The Enemy "ever since Russians turned out to be nice people after all.

Kopel and Blackman did more than just their homework on this book. It is perhaps the most factual yet interesting critique on the way in which federal law enforcement operates today. The attack on Mt. Carmel is a very important even in the history of this nation and only from our mistakes can we change the future. This review I believe is especially credible since I read but certainly don't always like David Kopel's writings. Highest recommendation and a great source for research papers.

A very impressive accomplishment. There is a tremendous amount of detail here -- right down to how the ATF's name evolved from BATF -- but presented in a compelling and readable way.

This book is unusual in that it does not slant everything in one direction; it refuses to classify those involved as unambiguous good guys or bad guys.

The scope of the book goes beyond what's implied by the title. There is plenty of fascinating history here, many references to other law enforcement debacles. A compelling case is made that law enforcement has become too militarized and too federalized. The discussion of how "groupthink" on both sides (the government and the Davidians) leads to this kind of tragedy is especially excellent.

I've long wondered why liberals and conservatives seem inverted on Waco. Liberals are thought to be strong on civil rights, including religious freedom, and anti-military. Conservatives are thought to favor strong law-and-order. The authors explain this puzzle: the Congressional hearings quickly degenerated into an attempt to embarrass political opponents rather than a dispassionate search for the truth. The American public and the media took their orientation from Congress to a large extent. If a Republican had been president at the time of Waco, it's very possible the sides would have been reversed.

The authors show very clearly that the real problems with law enforcement have been building regardless of which party controls the White House or the Congress. I hope some legislators read this book and take the excellent reform suggestions to heart.

Once again David Kopel (and Paul Blackman) gets to the bottom of things and shows what the Waco disaster was all about. If you only read one section of this book, read the part detailing the search warrant. It appears that all the death and destruction (on the part of both the Branch Davidians and the BATF agents who were killed) was brought on because of a failure to pay a several hundred dollar tax on a firearm.

This book focuses on Waco but also delves into the expansion of federal law enforcement and the effect it has on civil liberties in this country.

As per the United States Constitution, the federal government should have law enforcement jurisdiction over the following acts: piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, offences against the law of nations, and counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States.

Something has gone terribly wrong.

Read this book. Then read anything else that David Kopel has written. It will be well worth your time, and you will be well educated about the erosion of our rights as citizens.

This work is not only an outstanding explanation of the Waco and Ruby Ridge incidents, but a critical review of modern federal law enforcement. The book goes beyond sorting out -- in meticulous detail -- what really happened in these debacles. Even more valuable is the objective analysis of the abuses and excesses of federal law enforcement, along with suggested remedies.

This book is a "must read" for anyone concerned with civil liberties or law enforcement.

I purchased this expecting some advice on legal issues, but this book is so much more. It talks you through the whole process of producing a film from start to finish, including valuable information on finding investors, attaching stars, behind the scene terminology, production advice, sample legal forms and what do with your film once you've made a cut. All of the advice is indispensable. This is a must have for any independent film producer, especially those new to the industry. It should be taught as a textbook in film schools. The most helpful book on producing I've stumbled upon yet.

I highly recommend this book. As a first time amateur independent film producer, with about 30 film books resting on my shelf, I believe I was constantly thumbing through this one the most during preproduction. This book contains so much useful information and helpful insights, it's almost like having an industry consultant right there with you. Unlike other books, there weren't a lot of sections where they seemed to rush on to the next chapter without exploring the present topic in some depth.

If it's not already, this book will soon become the industry standard for substantive knowledge of the film business for independent filmmakers. Deal points, standard contract provisions, the often technical and confusing jargon, and the historical context for many industry practices are all covered here in comprehensive yet concise fashion. Topics of interest that are covered in depth include standard talent and producer agreements, developing a screen play, financing, and digital distribution. The book was a tremendous asset to me when I had to help an independent filmmaker comply with complicated federal securities laws in order to raise $200,000. Highly recommended.

jeffbrownlegal@gmail.com

It was a book with that gave you a good background on how film production works from a legal perspective. So you should read it if that is your concern. The authors are lawyers, not producers.

This book is a serious but very readable approach to educating filmmakers on the maze of legal hoops that must be jumped through in order to create a film. Indispensable resource to have.