Here’s a book I wish I’d read five years ago: Producing With Passion. The authors outline ways to making producing and directing films slightly easier on yourself. It’s good stuff, written by Dorothy Fadiman and Tony Levelle.
They mention some things I had to learn the hard way while making Abandoned Allies, my first feature-length documentary film. If only I’d read it before starting that project…
- I probably wouldn’t have had so many mental break downs.
- I probably wouldn’t have gained / lost weight from being so stressed out.
- My relationships with family and friends might have been much healthier.
- I might have finished the film much faster, instead of tweaking it and tweaking it for so long.
The book was a gift from my future mother-in-law in 2011, and I’m so happy to be reading it. I almost finished the entire book during my recent trip to L.A. and back — it made the flights go by so quickly. And it helped me ignore a particular passenger on the plane who kept staring me down. Don’t know what that’s about. Maybe she needed a good book, too.
If you’re interested in filmmaking, but not quite sure how to start, this is a good book for you. It’s also good for the folks who have finished one or two films, and want to improve their approach the next time they make a film. Folks interested in producing narrative work might also glean helpful info from the book.
If you read it, be sure to tell me whatcha think, eh?
Producing With Passion: producingwithpassion.com