In this book, Charles Merzbacher offers a concise, definitive guide to the essential skills, techniques and logistics of producing short films, focusing on the practical knowledge needed for line producing and overseeing smaller-scale productions. Drawing on insights from real-life production scenarios, veteran filmmaker and instructor Charles Merzbacher takes producers through every stage of the production process, from fundraising, preproduction and planning to the producer's role in postproduction and distribution.
Key topics include:
Finding a worthy project;
Schedules and budgets;
Managing the casting process;
Recruiting and managing crew;
Location scouting;
Legal and safety issues;
Running a production;
Negotiating music rights;
And much more!
An accompanying website-available at theshortseries.com-offers document templates for contracts, call sheets, budgets and other production forms, as well as sample production documents and short video guides featuring top industry professionals.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
"Charles Merzbacher-professor and filmmaker-has much to say on not only about how to make a film, but about how to make a GOOD film. His wisdom, insights and advice will be indispensable to anyone setting out on their cinematic journey."
-Richard N. Gladstein, Two-time Academy Award-nominated Film Producer, Pulp Fiction, The Cider House Rules, Finding Neverland, The Bourne Identity, The Hateful Eight
"This book does a great job in showing the kind of thinking and problem-solving film production requires. After so many years of guiding students through this process, Charles knows how to break it all down. He highlights what's important and then shows examples to support each point. The information here not only addresses making short films, but gives solid advice that would be useful in all filmmaking and project development."
-Georgia Kacandes, Executive Producer of The Hateful Eight, The Wolf of Wall Street and Hugo
"An excellent guide to a complicated and detailed process. This book, from someone who has actually done the job, contains a comprehensive look at the difficult and meticulous line producing process. It should be required reading for anyone contemplating making a short film."
-Chris Hansen, Filmmaker; Chair of the Department of Film & Digital Media, Baylor University
"If you're yearning to make a short film but don't know where to start, this is the book for you! If you've made short films, but it's been awhile and you need a refresher course, this is the book for you! If you're teaching short film production to a group of students and you want to make sure every aspect of the filmmaking process is covered in your course, this is the book for you and your students!"
-Alexandra Rose, Film Producer; Professor at the Dodge College of Film & Media Arts, Chapman University "Charles Merzbacher-professor and filmmaker-has much to say on not only about how to make a film, but about how to make a GOOD film. His wisdom, insights and advice will be indispensable to anyone setting out on their cinematic journey."
-Richard N. Gladstein, Two-time Academy Award-nominated Film Producer, Pulp Fiction, The Cider House Rules, Finding Neverland, The Bourne Identity, The Hateful Eight
"This book does a great job in showing the kind of thinking and problem-solving film production requires. After so many years of guiding students through this process, Charles knows how to break it all down. He highlights what's important and then shows examples to support each point. The information here not only addresses making short films, but gives solid advice that would be useful in all filmmaking and project development."
-Georgia Kacandes, Executive Producer of The Hateful Eight, The Wolf of Wall Street and Hugo
"An excellent guide to a complicated and detailed process. This book, from someone who has actually done the job, contains a comprehensive look at the difficult and meticulous line producing process. It should be required reading for anyone contemplating making a short film."
-Chris Hansen, Filmmaker; Chair of the Department of Film & Digital Media, Baylor University
"If you're yearning to make a short film but don't know where to start, this is the book for you! If you've made short films, but it's been awhile and you need a refresher course, this is the book for you! If you're teaching short film production to a group of students and you want to make sure every aspect of the filmmaking process is covered in your course, this is the book for you and your students!"
-Alexandra Rose, Film Producer; Professor at the Dodge College of Film & Media Arts, Chapman University
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Für Beruf und Forschung
Illustrationen
36 s/w Abbildungen, 8 farbige Abbildungen, 36 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder, 8 Farbfotos bzw. farbige Rasterbilder, 9 s/w Tabellen
9 Tables, black and white; 8 Halftones, color; 36 Halftones, black and white; 8 Illustrations, color; 36 Illustrations, black and white
Maße
Höhe: 229 mm
Breite: 152 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-8153-9420-4 (9780815394204)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Charles Merzbacher serves on the Film & Television faculty at Boston University. During his long career, he has overseen the production of several thousand student films and has delivered workshops and lectures at other institutions at home and abroad. As a filmmaker, Merzbacher has won several awards for his many productions. His feature film, Jane Street, premiered at the British Film Institute, and his short films have been exhibited around the world, including at the Sundance, San Francisco, Seattle and Montreal International Film Festivals.
Autor*in
Boston University, USA
Introduction - Looking Before Leaping
Be Prepared
Is There an Audience for This Short?
Defining the Producer's Role
The Short Dilemma: Who's in Charge?
Shoebox Redhead
: A Textbook Case
Terminology
Production Management Software
Chapter 1 - Getting Down to Business
Financing Your Film
Television Distribution
Government Support
The Funding of Student Productions
Private Foundations and Commercial Underwriting
Specialized Markets
Profit Versus Non-Profit
Ownership Versus Sponsorship
Online Fundraising Platforms
Appealing to Friends and Family
Setting Up to Do Business
Chapter 2 - Preproduction
Safety First
Clearing Rights to Intellectual Property
Copyright and the Public Domain
Story Rights
Screenplay Rights
An Overview of Preproduction and a Timeline
Chapter 3 - Script Breakdown
What Exactly Am I Producing?
Numbering Scenes
Measuring Scenes
Marking Up the Script: Know the Code
Putting the Code into Action
Chapter 4 - Breakdown Sheets
Creating Breakdown Sheets
How Many Sheets?
A Sample Sheet
Filling in the Header
Some Tricky Details
Pushing On
Chapter 5 - The Schedule
Building the Shooting Schedule
Options for Laying Out the Schedule
What Has Priority?
How Many Days?
Taking a Stab at It
The Arc of the Shoot
The Schedule in Overview
Chapter 6 - The Budget
The Secrets of Budgeting
The Architecture of a Budget
Different Kinds of Zeroes
Fringes, Per Diems and Other Budgeting Terms
Negotiating Rates with Vendors
To Buy or To Rent
A Budget Template
Chapter 7 - Beyond Budgeting Basics
Revealing Details
How Food Can (and Should) Eat Up Your Budget
Taxes, Mileage and Other Details that Can Break the Bank
A Walking Tour of a Budget
Stunts and Special Effects on a Budget
Chapter 8 - The Crew
How Big Is Big Enough?
Understanding Departments and Crew Hierarchy
Payments, Deferrals and Favors
Cutting Deals: From Box Rentals to Favored Nations
Chapter 9 - The Cast
The Producer's Role in Casting
The Casting Process
Hiring a Casting Director
Producing Auditions
Casting Professionals and Actors from Other Regions
Working with the Actors' Unions
Using Non-Actors, Friends and Other Special Cases
Casting Crowds
Performer Releases
Chapter 10 - Locations
Ask, Don't Steal
Scouting Locations
Negotiating and Securing Locations
Copyright, Trademark and Fair Use
Insurance
A Note about Operating Vehicles and Heavy Machinery
Chapter 11 - Production Paperwork
Before You Roll: The Final Details
The Daily Production Schedule
Options for Displaying and Sharing Your Schedule
The Call Sheet and Other Paperwork
Purchase Orders
Working Away from Home
Chapter 12 - The Shoot
Once More with Feeling: Safety Matters
Riding the Whirlwind
Conceding, Settling, Hanging Tough and Whittling
How to Manage Crises and Tiffs (and How to Tell Them Apart)
Revising the Schedule During Production
Tracking the Budget Through Production
Chapter 13 - Music
Kinds of Film Music
Music Rights
Using Existing Music
Production Music and Music Libraries
Licensing Commercially Released Music
Working with a Composer
Temp Track Love
Chapter 14 - Postproduction
The Producer's Role in Postproduction
Pick-Ups
Postproduction Workflow
Fixing It in Post: Color Correction and Other Adjustments
Mixing, Outputting and Archiving
Budgeting for Postproduction
Chapter 15 - Promotion and Distribution
The Ladder to Success
Distribution Strategies for the Short Film
Scarcity Versus Ubiquity
The Festival Circuit
The Press Kit and Other Promotional Materials
Deliverables
Online Distribution
Conclusion - The Long and the Short of It
Appendix A - Script for Shoebox Redhead
Appendix B - Budget for Shoebox Redhead
Appendix C - Contract Templates
Story Rights Agreement
Screenwriter Agreement
Example of Screenwriter Exhibit A
Work for Hire Agreement for Crew
Performer Agreement for Cast
Location Agreement
Synchronization License for Music
Master Use License for Music
Composer Agreement
Appendix D - Further Reading
Appendix E - Contributor Bios
Appendix F - Glossary of Terms
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Index
