When I was working to make my first feature, I read a bunch of filmmaking books. I wanted to find out how to finish my screenplay and how to raise money for my movie. The problem was, much of the information was bogus.
A lot of those “experts” had never even made a movie! One guy even said I should ask my dentist or doctor for money. Frustrating.
Fortunately, I found few a great filmmaking books. Here are my top 3! I didn't put these filmmaking books in order, but in full disclosure I did use affiliate links that will redirect you to Amazon. If you don't like Amazon, get these books somewhere else, but do read them!
- How I Made A Hundred Movies In Hollywood And Never Lost A Dime
– In this book, Roger Corman explains how he was able to build an amazing motion picture business. Now before you decide that Roger doesn't make the type of movies you want to make – think again. New technology allows filmmakers to make movies rapidly. So it's very possible you'll make your first feature film sooner than you think. But the real money in movies will be your ability to sustain the product pipeline. (In other words, you need to make many movies, not just one.) Roger provides a great model for this type of thinking.
- Extreme DV at Used-Car Prices: How to Write, Direct, Shoot, Edit, and Produce a Digital Video Feature for Less Than $3,000
– In this book, Rick Schmidt wrote one of the classics. Despite changes in technology, one thing remains – If you are going to make a feature film, you need to take action! Rick also has workshops where you can collaborate with other filmmakers and come out with a feature film.
- Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player
– I got this one for a gift. After reading how Robert Rodriquez sold his body to science, made a feature and became famous. If he could make feature films, so can you!
Aside from those books, I'd like to recommend one more. Filmmaking Stuff: How To Make Your Movie In 21 Steps – Ok, this is the book I wrote. But unlike the other stuff I mentioned, you can get this filmmaking book for free.
