Less than a decade since they began working in the movies, Mark and Michael Polish have established themselves as critically acclaimed, award-winning independent filmmakers. Their innovative approach to art direction, use of digital photography, and ability to attract stellar talent to their modestly budgeted films sprang from necessity; now these aesthetics have become admired trademarks of their work.
Infused with this same balance of artistic integrity and popular appeal, The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking is a practical guide to writing, shooting, editing, scoring, promoting, and distributing short and feature films. Mark and Michael have packed this book with star-studded, often hilarious tales from their own experiences--as well as helpful insider photos. This is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in filmmaking, whether a high school student with a $500 budget or a serious filmmaker looking for a fresh approach.
A Harvest Original
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
Very entertaining and informative, a good read., October 22, 2008
By
Michael Bird (Yorba Linda, CA United States)
First off I'd like to say that the anecdotal stories and real life experiences made this book a great read, even for someone only mildly interested in the business and art of film making. For anyone that is serious about independent film this book is a must read, not reading a book of this caliber would be plain ignorance on the part of would be film makers or film students.
It's interesting to me how many people invest in stocks and don't read books on investing, or play serious poker and don't read books on poker, I'm always amazed at the arrogance of people that think they don't need help or advice. There are many great "how to" books on the market, some good, some not so great. I don't have experience in the film making business, but I do recognize the sound of an honest voice trying to be helpful and sincere. I think this book has that quality.
I really enjoyed the stories, some of the technical stuff was a bit over my head, but I think I learned a lot, and I love to learn, so I'd recommend the book to beginners for that quality too. Looking for a critique of the book, I'd say I wished there were more details on the money side of things. They mention how expensive it can be to buy the rights to music, but don't say how expensive. Is it five thousand dollars, fifty thousand dollars or what? Obviously it depends on the song, but they don't give any numbers, so I felt left out of the process in this part of the reading.
I don't know if they were under contractual obligation to refrain from writing about the dollar amounts involved in deals, deals with their actors, deals with the studios, etc., but I think if they could have included a bit more of this information, it would have made the book better.
All said, I'm giving this book a strong recommendation to any interested in this field. I struggled for a moment about whether it should be a five or four star rating, I think I'd rather give it four and half stars, I wish there were some areas they'd gone into more detail. But all in all it's a really good book and belongs in the collection of all young would be film makers.
Just ok, nothing special..., April 16, 2007
By
Ryan Shapiro (Germantown, MD)
The book is interesting reading but not all that great. Enough said.
def recommend this book, February 5, 2007
By
Justin SI'm a big fan of this book. I live in Los Angeles, I'm very serious about pursuing a career in independent film, and I've read a great deal of ground-up Hollywood "making it" books. Some like "Rebel Without A Crew" were actually pretty inspiring and others like "Nuts and Bolts Filmmaking" were very helpful in terms of, well, the nuts and bolts of filmmaking.
But no book I read really addressed the "big picture"- why people make independent films, and how they go about making independent films. This book was admirably neither bogged down in self-congratulation or in tiny, picky details.
The Polish Bros and Sheldon started from the ground up and guide you pretty much step-by-step through the indie filmmaking process, and it was great to get their advice based directly on their own experiences, with concrete examples.
The book doesn't offer anybody any false hope, but at the same time it's pretty damn inspirational. It offers the notion that you CAN have a different and original filmmaking vision AND successfully translate that to the screen. Through hard work and cleverness, the Polish Bros and Sheldon succeeded in making daring and thoughtful films outside of the conventional Hollywood model, and you, perhaps, can too.
I read this book at the right time, and it made a huge impact on me. It gave me both hope and cold-shower, practical advice. I'd definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in independent film.
GET THIS BOOK, February 4, 2007
By
Grover (Bermuda, United States)
There are plenty of indie books out there, but this is the only one I've found which is comprehensive and made by real indie filmmakers. It's highly technical where it needs to be, like in the camera chapter, and easily understood throughout. My favorite chapters were distribution and writing as they illuminated the process in ways I hadn't fully understood previously. The book was a pleasure to read, I recommend.
Enjoyable L-I-T-E Reading, January 4, 2007
By
N. Corl (Portland, OR United States)
An informed and anecdotal account of the process of making indie films from the talented and accomplished Polish Brothers. However, it's a bit remedial and general for the initiated filmmaker. There are a couple of bonafide pearls of wisdom and the book moves right along, covering the process of making indies. Which makes it a fun read, but for my time and money there are much better books on independent filmmaking.
