I’m on record in many places as saying that I’m a big fan of the Guerilla Film Makers Handbook series and I’ve got the complete set sitting on my shelves as I type. I was, I supposed, pre-destined to be a fan of the all new Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook, but at the same time I had my reservations.
Mostly it’s to do with size: the thing I always loved about the Handbooks was that they’re SO comprehensive, covering all areas of production, post-production and beyond in such minute detail even the most confused newbie to the film world could come out of it with a really solid background of knowledge.
I kind of felt, then, that Chris Jones, Andrew Zinnes and Genevieve Jolliffe were doing themselves a disservice in boiling it all down to something that slides neatly into your pocket – which it does. Very neatly.
As I’ve discovered in the last few days, being wrong can be great. And boy, was I wrong to worry about this book.
The Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook is everything that the other GFHs are and more besides. Remarkably (and I want to know what kind of witchcraft the authors used) they seem to have distilled all the information down into prime nuggets of need-to-know info, combined with great interviews with people who are at the cutting – nay, bleeding – edge of the New Indie Filmmaking Order.
People like DP Philip Bloom who’s been instrumental in showing just what DSLR filmmaking can achieve, having impressed the likes of Lucasfilm and others enough that they’ve converted to using Canon 5DMkII cameras for some recent shoots. People like Sheri Candler and John Reiss who are working to help revolutionise the way indie filmmakers approach the marketing and distribution of their films at a time when it’s getting harder and harder to get huge sums for your finished flicks.
This book covers all the basic elements and nitty-gritty of producing quality short or feature films, but so much more besides. The great strength of the Guerilla books across the board is to give you all the information you want, all the information you need and then a whole load of truly vital information you had no idea you needed, wanted or could even ask about.
Congratulations to Jones, Zinnes and Jolliffe on another outstanding addition to their library. If you’re a filmmaker and you’re serious about learning, expanding and exploiting your craft, art and talent, you simply cannot afford not to buy this book.
The Pocketbook is available here via the authors themselves and will be available on Amazon shortly here. Buy it. Now.
