Product Description

Brand new edition of this bestseller - the only book an amateur film maker needs! An entirely new, updated, and expanded third edition of the UK's best-selling filmmaker's bible, last updated in 2000. This new edition builds upon the most successful features of the previous books. It is larger in format, and includes hundreds more illustrations, diagrams, and box-outs. The Q&A approach with experts is attractive in content and easy to digest. Where else can you listen to over 150 of the most knowledgeable people as they discuss their particular areas of expertise? And being filmmakers (not historians or lecturers), Jones and Jolliffe know which questions to ask and which are irrelevant or a distraction. They get to the core. The first half of this book is expanded with significantly more expert interviewees, delving into new areas of filmmaking not covered in the second edition. And all of the case studies are brand new, featuring in-depth stories from recent low-budget success stories like "Shaun of the Dead", "Open Water", and "Saw". This book comes with a DVD, packed with further Interviews with filmmakers, as well as theatrical trailers and other goodies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17263 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 756 pages

Review
"'This book will save you about five years worth of trials, errors, heartbreaks, and unpleasant credit card statements... Totally indispensable... It really doesn't get much better than this.' TOTAL FILM 'It's in an undisputed position as the indispensable guide for first-time filmmakers.... Astonishing.' FILM REVIEW 'Comprehensive and invaluable... a revelatory read that will inform and inspire in equal measure' EMPIRE 'Immensely informative and entertaining to read... a terrific book for anyone interested in films' BBC Radio 4"

About the Author
Chris Jones and Genevieve Jolliffe are independent filmmakers and their experience in the field is unparalleled.

Customer Reviews

So you wanna make a movie? Go buy this book!
I bought the first and second editions of TGFMH and wondered what on earth they could do in the third edition - well I wasn’t disappointed! The book is now encyclopedic in content, I mean EVERYTHING is covered. It’s a lot bigger than the last edition with so much more information. In fact there is so much information that some people may be daunted, but the simple Q and A and hot tips approach means that it never gets too bogged down. Now it sits on my shelf next to my PC and whenever I have a question, I just look up the relevant section and read the expert interview. No matter where you are in your career, starting out or seasoned pro, there are gems of wisdom for you here. I recommended both previous editions, and this massive re-write gets just a big thumbs up! Go buy it and save yourself a load of headaches!

OSCAR WINNER!
The man that wrote this book will be an Oscar winner for sure. If you're serious about making films and you're starting out I honestly can't think of a better investment than buying this and reading the whole thing cover to cover. I did and on doing so signed up for a film school course.

One reviewer stated that, in tone, the book seemed a little daunting. I've just finished a rough cut on my most recent film and I can say with my hand on my heart that the ENTIRE process of making just one film is daunting - let alone making a career out of it. Every time I do anything film related I have to take a breath because, despite being truly awesome, I know it'll be tough and at times I will hate the process or myself - this book is written by someone who will not sugar coat that for you. If you can't handle that then maybe writing for Empire or Total Film is the job for you instead - that way you get to sit in a warm chair inside writing reviews :)

I've just spent quite a lot of money on a year at a top London film school. If you're lacking in the kind of cash you need to attend film school then I would urge you to buy this book (and also a couple of others) and just spend the money on making some films. You'll learn at least all the same stuff as me and your films will not be any less good if you treat them seriously and enjoy yourself.

Chris Jones is a very inspiring writer and for the price of the book you not only get a MASSIVE number of interviews with industry professionals but you also get a CD-ROM. I found the interviews with film industry employees the most useful part of this book for me in particular. Simply because I a) wasn't sure what many of the jobs actually were (key grip for example) and b) what kinds of job might be available to me as a uni and film school graduate. Jones isn't a snob when it comes to these interviews either and interviewed everyone. For example he speak to people like a stop motion animator who was creating a children's television program for BBC Wales. Really useful because prior to working in the industry I had no clue about what anyone actually did bar maybe a screenwriter.

On the CD-ROM are various producing aides and also a very useful screenplay formatter so you don't have to fork out a hundred and seventy-nine quid for Final Draft!!! Just use this formatter once and you can get an extra days shooting with the money you save.

Basically this is required reading if you want to make films. If you want to make just one film then don't bother buying any books just go and make your film. BUT if you'd like to write, direct or have any kind of job in the industry I truly believe that this book will be worth every single penny you spend on it. It's right up there with Story and In The Blink of an Eye! Currently Chris Jones has funded a film by asking everyone he knew for fifty quid and shot it with Vernon Layton as DoP and it is now in the long-list for Oscar selection. What other currently-publishing authors writing about filmmaking are up for Oscar selection? This guy walks the talk. BUY BUY BUY!

A tome of info
Yup.. a tome of information. Presented well enough and lots of it extremely useful. Other stuff is a bit over the top and needless. The amount of information can make film-making seem a little daunting. Nothing beats getting up and actually making the film to learn the lessons needed but it's a useful reference. Perhaps a few too many interview type sections.
Useful additional info on disc.