Filmmaking Resources
Books and websites to help bring your film to life.
Recommended Books
DIRECTING
“MAKING MOVIES”
by SIDNEY LUMET
Vintage
Amazon
“SCULPTING IN TIME”
by Andrey Tarkovsky
University of Texas Press
Amazon
“WERNER HERZOG: A GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED”
by Werner Herzog & Paul Cronin
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Amazon
SCREENWRITING AND STORYTELLING
“THE SCREENWRITER’S BIBLE”
by David Trottier
Silman-James Press
Amazon
“STORY”
by Robert McKee
ReganBooks
Amazon
“THE WRITER’S JOURNEY”
by Christopher Vogler
Michael Wiese Productions
Amazon
PRODUCING
“CREATIVITY, INC.”
by Ed Catmull & Amy Wallace
Random House
Amazon
“DEALMAKING IN THE FILM & TELEVISION INDUSTRY”
by Mark Litwak
Silman-James Press
Amazon
“FILMMAKERS AND FINANCING: BUSINESS PLANS FOR INDEPENDENTS”
by Louise Levison
Focal Press
www.moviemoney.com
Amazon
CINEMATOGRAPHY
“FILM DIRECTING SHOT BY SHOT”
by Steven D. Katz
Michael Wiese
Amazon
“PAINTING WITH LIGHT”
by John Alton
University of California Press
Amazon
“Shot By Shot: A Practical Guide to Filmmaking”
byJohn Cantine, Susan Howard, and Brady Lewis
Pittsburgh Filmmakers
Amazon
POST-PRODUCTION: EDITING
“IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE”
by Walter Murch
Silman-James Press
Amazon
“THE CONVERSATIONS”
by Michael Ondaatje
Knopf Publishing
Amazon
“FIRST CUT”
by Gabriella Oldham
University of California Press
Amazon
POST-PRODUCTION: SOUND
“THE FOLEY GRAIL”
by Vanessa Theme Ament
Routledge Publishing
Amazon
“PRACTICAL ART OF MOTION PICTURE SOUND”
by David Lewis Yewdall, MPSE
Routledge Publishing
Amazon
“SOUND DESIGN”
by David Sonnenschein
Michael Wiese Productions
Amazon
FILM HISTORY
“EASY RIDERS, RAGING BULLS”
by Peter Biskind
Simon & Schuster Publishing
Amazon
“HITCHCOCK”
by Francois Truffaut
Simon & Schuster Publishing
Amazon
“FILM HISTORY: AN INTRODUCTION”
by Kristin Thompson & David Bordwell
McGraw-Hill Publishing
Amazon
INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING AND PRODUCING
“ART & FEAR”
by David Bayles and Ted Orland
City Lights Press
Amazon
“THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING”
by Mark/Michael Polish & Jonathan Sheldon
Harvest/Harcourt
Amazon
“THE HOLLYWOOD PITCHING BIBLE”
by Ken Aguado & Douglas J. Eboch
CreateSpace Publishing
Amazon
“THE LONG TAIL” and “FREE”
by Chris Anderson
Hachette Book Group
Amazon (The Long Tail)
Amazon (Free)
“THE ULTIMATE FILM FESTIVAL SURVIVAL GUIDE”
by Chris Gore
Penguin Random House
Amazon
“INDEPENDENT FILM PRODUCING: THE OUTSIDER’S GUIDE”
by Paul Battista
Lucrifacio Books
Amazon
“ON THE SET: THE HIDDEN RULES OF MOVIE MAKING ETIQUETTE”
by Paul J. Salamoff
Tavin Press
Amazon
“THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX OFFICE”
by Jon Reiss
Hybrid Cinema Press
Amazon
“SELLING YOUR FILM WITHOUT SELLING YOUR SOUL”
by John Reiss, The Film Collaborative, and Sheri Candler
Amazon
“SHAKING THE MONEY TREE”
by Morrie Warshawski
Amazon
“SHOOTING TO KILL” and “A KILLER LIFE”
by Christine Vachon
HaperCollins (Shooting To Kill)
Limelight Editions (A Killer Life)
“SAVE THE CAT”
by Blake Snyder
Amazon
“RIDING THE ALLIGATOR”
by Pen Densham
Amazon
“VOICE & VISION”
by Mick Hurbis-Cherrier
Focal Press
Amazon
“PRACTICAL MOVIEMAKING”
by Joe Wallenstein
McFarland Publishing
Amazon
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Websites
INDIE FILM ORGANIZATIONS & NEWS SOURCES
FILM INDUSTRY STATISTICS AND RESEARCH
INDEPENDENT SHORTS/FEATURES
FISCAL SPONSORSHIP SITES
INSURANCE AND COMPLETION BONDS
We are always looking to add to this list, so if you have a book,
site or other resource you swear by, please let us know. Thanks!
