These in-depth profiles illuminate the careers of ten motion picture crew members who worked during Hollywood's Independent Age of film and television production--basically from 1945 to 1980. A celebratory insiders' look at the Tinseltown machine, the book utilizes individual interviews and rare crew photographs to provide the back story of production challenges and solutions for some of the world's most recognized movies, including such classics as The Searchers, Chinatown, The Hustler, and Bullitt among many others. It provides not only an educational treatment of the jobs and techniques of filmmaking but also a dose of humorous and memorable experiences from the trenches.

These in-depth profiles illuminate the careers of ten motion picture crew members who worked during Hollywood's Independent Age of film and television production--basically from 1945 to 1980. A celebratory insiders' look at the Tinseltown machine, the book utilizes individual interviews and rare crew photographs to provide the back story of production challenges and solutions for some of the world's most recognized movies, including such classics as The Searchers, Chinatown, The Hustler, and Bullitt among many others. It provides not only an educational treatment of the jobs and techniques of filmmaking but also a dose of humorous and memorable experiences from the trenches.

Budding filmmakers, television producers, directors, writers, and students get a crash course on the independent production scene in this riveting account of the business and its key players. Now revised to reflect the latest production trends in the entertainment industry, this book is packed with never-before-revealed secrets about the challenging and exciting role producers play in bringing a film or television pilot to the screen, told by two veteran, award-winning producers. Readers will learn what skills and traits they need to succeed as the mastermind behind an independent production, including insider tips on how to assemble and manage a talented ensemble of writers, directors, actors, and crew-members. The book also includes up-to-date contact information for film festivals and foreign distributors, as well as sample budgets, film partnership proposals, and other forms. Aspiring film and television artists will find the practical understanding and insight vital to success.

What would you do if alligators were loose in your office? Or if your place of business changed 80 times during a four month period? What if two of your key employees were infant twins? Or you were asked to manage 130 people who were hired yesterday? Tom Reilly has faced these obstacles and thousands more in his three-decade career managing major motion pictures. He’s led more than 100,000 employees and been responsible for overseeing over two billion dollars in pro-rated production budgets and learned that successful management isn’t about what you want; the question is, what do you NEED? Often filming at live locations, Reilly was forced to adopt a unique set of strategies to accommodate for extreme workplace conditions and the challenge of leading and managing big budget projects, a revolving-door workforce of technicians, and actors such as Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, Tom Hanks, Charlize Theron, Sean Connery, and Harrison Ford. In The Hollywood MBA, Reilly explores the ten key strategies he utilized to manage big crews, big budgets, and big personalities on major motion pictures, and shows us how these strategies can be leveraged in any business for success. With an eye for making small adjustments to management strategy that produce big results, Reilly utilizes the narrative backdrop of the film set as an extreme case study in modern management identifying proven, easy-to-implement, and often counter intuitive practices that will increase engagement, team cohesion, efficiency, creativity, quality, and the bottom line in any industry.

Go Hollywood—with a complete, insightful look at the biggest jobs on the movie set. What I Really Want to Do on Set in Hollywood is one-stop shopping for anyone who wants to work in film. It's the only behind-the-scenes title that offers a detailed look at the industry explores more than 35 jobs from around the film industry. A must-have for anyone interested in Hollywood.

Hollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry is the essential guide to starting and succeeding at a career in film and TV. Written by a Hollywood insider, Honthaner's invaluable experience and advice will give those attempting to enter and become successful in the entertainment industry the edge they need to stand out among the intense competition. Because while film school prepares students to write a script, direct a scene and operate a camera, few newcomers enter the job market understanding how this business truly works and how to land a first job-much less succeed in the industry. Hollywood Drive is not merely a book about what it takes to get your foot in the door. It goes beyond that by offering you the tools, attitude, philosophy and road map you'll need to give yourself a good fighting chance at success -- whether you're looking for your very first job or for a strategy to move your career to the next level. This book will allow you to proceed with your eyes wide open, knowing exactly what to expect. Hollywood Drive explores the realities of the industry: various career options, effective job search strategies, how to write an effective cover letter and resume, what to expect on your first job, the significance of networking and building solid industry relationships, how a project is sold, and how a reel production office and set operate. You'll learn how to define your goals and make a plan to achieve them, how to survive the tough times, how to deal with big egos and bad tempers, and how to put your passion to work for you.

Named One of The Hollywood Reporter’s “100 Greatest Film Books of All Time” Famed independent screenwriter and director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids, Machete) discloses all the unique strategies and original techniques he used to make his remarkable debut film El Mariachi on a shoestring budget. This is both one man's remarkable story and an essential guide for anyone who has a celluloid story to tell and the dreams and determination to see it through. Part production diary, part how-to manual, Rodriguez unveils how he was able to make his influential first film on only a $7,000 budget. Also included is the appendix, "The Ten Minute Film Course,” a tell-all on how to save thousands of dollars on film school and teach yourself the ropes of film production, directing, and screenwriting. A perfect gift for the aspiring filmmaker.