This is the Companion Workbook to Kelley Baker's acclaimed The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making The Extreme No Budget Film. It consists of filmmaking tips and hints to keep in mind during all aspects of making your movie. It contains a sample short film script (All The Important Things by William Akers & Mark Cabus), and practical exercises as you prepare to make either a short film or a feature. These exercises include numbering scenes, breaking down a script, breaking out props and finding locations. You'll have to figure out a production schedule and a budget. The book includes copies of forms that are used in the business to assist you and a Glossary of film terms.Sample Tips include: 6) Show your screenplays to people whose opinion you trust. Give out short questionnaires with your screenplays, including specific things that you are concerned about. You get more specific feedback when you outline what it is you're looking for, and it's always nice to have written feedback that you can refer to later.18) When you are scheduling your shoot never put the final scene, big climactic scenes, or any love scenes early in your schedule if you can avoid it. Your cast and crew are still getting to know how each other work, and you haven't set up a good working pace yet.30) Cast a wide range of actors, especially age-wise. The more diverse your cast is, the more an audience will think they're watching a "real" movie. If people think they're watching a twenty-something production, they're going to take it less seriously. Have actors from all walks of life in various roles. A film festival judge told me he can usually tell the age of a director by the cast. It's something to think about.71) When people see something that's shot on digital and they comment on how good it looks, it's usually because it's well lit. I would rather take an extra hour at the beginning of each scene to light the whole thing, than to light just what I need for the master, and then relight for each medium shot or close-up. The lighting of each individual shot can eat up hours on the set when you add it all together. When you think about it, lighting the whole set makes more sense, if you are using the entire set.88) After a take, if you want performance changes go up to your actors and quietly talk to them. Don't shout it out. The discussions you have with any actor to get a performance should be private. I see commercial directors and amateurs shout out directions to actors from a distance. They treat the cast like just another prop. They could get better performances if they took a little extra time and showed the actors some respect.As the director, you are going to want an actor to dig down deep inside and to go to a place where they can make that character become whole. Keep your conversations private.What others are saying about The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making The Extreme No Budget Film. (The companion to this workbook.) "Read this book and you will not only SURVIVE but you will SUCCEED. One of the best books on making your way through the independent filmmaking jungle with justifiably-angry filmmaker Kelley Baker as your top-notch guide: Funny, profane and committed to telling the unblemished truth. Don't make your next movie until you've read this terrific book."John GaspardAuthor, "Digital Filmmaking 101" and "Fast, Cheap and Under Control"This is a great book, written by an impassioned filmmaker who also happens to be a teacher of the first magnitude. An incredibly rare combination. Profit from your luck at having stumbled on this gem. Do yourself a favor; listen to what Kelley Baker has to say. William M. AkersAuthor of Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways To Make It GreatTo get the most out of this Workbook, use it in conjunction with The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide Part One: Making the Extreme No Budget Film. For more info go to angryfilmmaker.com.

Motion picture audio is one of the least understood parts of filmmaking and is neglected by many film students and filmmakers alike. It's boring, scary, too technical and not considered important by most filmmakers. Until they get into the editing room and realize that by not paying attention to audio earlier they are screwed. Over the years tons of false information has spread through the independent film world, and most students and filmmakers don't want to deal with sound. If they do it is usually done incorrectly through ignorance and at a huge financial expense. This book is intended to shatter the myths and mysteries around film audio and give both students and experienced filmmakers the knowledge and tools so that their films will sound like they have come from the Hollywood studios without huge Hollywood budgets. I have assembled a lineup of some pretty amazing people in all areas of audio production for film and television. This group consists of location recordists, sound designers, picture editors, sound editors, re-recording mixers, and post-production supervisors. This all-star cast has won Oscars and Emmys in addition to awards from various film industries worldwide. In the book's interviews, Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson, Jim LeBrecht, Ron Eng, Harry B Miller III, Peter Kurland, Lee Haxall, Ken Karman, David A. Cohen and a host of others discuss their methods and secrets. Sound is an excellent carrier of emotion. And film is about emotion. - Gary Rydstrom, sound designer - Saving Private Ryan, Jurassic Park (winner of 7 Academy Awards) Sound is NOT the enemy! - Lee Haxall, editor Crazy Stupid Love I'm capturing a performance, and that performance is only going to happen one time the way they want it, in the environment, with everybody in the mood. - Peter Kurland, location recordist - No Country For Old Men In my mind, dialog is king, if you can't understand what they're saying then the movie is a waste of time. - David A. Cohen, dialog editor - Lost In Translation A good dialog editor can figure out a way to make nearly every line of dialog usable. Milly Iatrou, dialog editor - Walk The Line I would rather see no music than music used improperly. - Ken Karman, music editor - Forrest Gump We're like the ugly evil stepchildren in the basement. - Jana Vance, foley artist - Toy Story When I look at a film or look at a script I think of what I'm gonna need to make that world. Jane Tattersall - sound effects editor - Naked Lunch I like off beat stuff, weird sounding films and subtle sound tracks as compared to bombastic. - Ron Eng, supervising sound editor - Mulholland Drive Sound is kind of invisible, but when it's wrong we know it immediately. - Jim LeBrecht, sound designer - The Singing Detective Good sound goes unnoticed, bad sound ruins a film. - Dan Olmstead, re-recording mixer - Cecil B. Demented The rule of thumb for good sound is: does it tell or promote the emotional content of the scene, does it support and/or reveal the story. - Tom Johnson, re-recording mixer - Alice In Wonderland (winner of 2 Academy Awards) If you want to see what the future of storytelling looks like then check out Kelley Baker. Brian David Johnson, Futurist, filmmaker, author If you read only one book on sound, this is the one, and, after you've read it, you'll never, ever, ever say, "We'll fix it in post." William M. Akers, author of Your Screenplay Sucks!

The Student Filmmaker Survival Guide familiarizes readers with the critical concepts and processes involved in the production of a film or television show. The handbook helps budding filmmakers better understand the operations of a film set, develop valuable work habits, and contribute meaningfully to a production. The book begins with a foreword from Stephen Broussard, a producer with Marvel Studios, as well as a preface and introduction by the author. Each chapter features four sections that guide and enhance the student learning experience: Picture is Up!--an introduction to the chapter topic; Rolling!--an overview of the history or background of the subject; Action!--tips for taking action and getting things done; and That's a Wrap!--a conclusion. Individual chapters cover time management, feeding your crew, securing necessary permits, scouting locations, conducting rehearsals, and slating shots. Readers learn the importance of filling out camera and sound reports, getting safety takes, obtaining proper clearances, backing up data, and more. Featuring short, easy-to-read chapters written in a conversational tone, The Student Filmmaker Survival Guide is a practical and essential resource for filmmaking students and novice film professionals.