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Fast, Cheap, and Under Control: Lessons from the Greatest Low-Budget Movies of All Time
Learn the tricks of low-budget filmmaking from the pros!
"We never put out an actual textbook for the Corman School of Filmmaking, but if we did, it would be Fast, Cheap and Under Control ."
Roger Corman , Producer
★★★★★
Learn the tricks and pitfalls of low-budget filmmaking from 33 successful independent films and the filmmakers who created them.
Includes never before published interviews with low-budget mavericks such as Steven Soderbergh, Roger Corman, Jon Favreau, Henry Jaglom, and many more.
Learn the lessons from such classics as Clerks, Night of the Living Dead, Swingers, Open Water, El Mariachi, Slacker, sex, lies and videotape, The Blair Witch Project, Eraserhead, Monty Python & The Holy Grail, Dark Star, Return of the Secaucus Seven, The Little Shop of Horrors, Caged Heat and Targets .
★★★★★
Praise for the Fast, Cheap and Under
"We never put out an actual textbook for the Corman School of Filmmaking, but if we did, it would be Fast, Cheap and Under Control."
Roger Corman , Producer
"This terrific little book explains how to make every penny count on the often-arduous journey from script to screen."
John Carpenter, Director, Halloween, Starman, Escape from New York
"A helpful and funny guide for beginners and professionals alike."
Jonathan Demme, Director, Silence of the Lambs
"This book is as good as film school, and a lot less expensive. It's required reading in Tromaville."
Lloyd Kaufman, President, Troma Entertainment, Creator, Toxic Avenger
"I wish I'd read this book before I made Re-Animator."
Stuart Gordon , director, Re-Animator
"This simple and sensible book injects reality into the process and helps any filmmaker prevent their film from becoming a money pit. Lessons like those in this book are cheap at ten times the price."
John Badham , director, Saturday Night Fever, Dracula, Blue Thunder
"For everyone who wants to make art without breaking the bank, John Gaspard's book is worth every penny."
Derek Pell , Editor, DingBat Magazine
"A richly-detailed, highly readable and inspiring book jam-packed with information that will keep low-budget filmmakers from making costly mistakes. Filled with a ton-full (not a spoonful) of fascinating, insightful interviews, with a you-can-do-it approach."
Dr. Linda Seger , consultant on over 2,000 screenplays, best-selling author of Making a Good Script Great and 7 other books
"Just when you thought the low-budget film topic had been strip-mined to death, John Gaspard and his merry crew of subjects hit a whole new mother lode."
Jon Pierson , Author, Spike, Mike, Slackers & Dykes
"Filled with riveting stories of how a wildly diverse group of filmmakers, with very little money and an abundance of passion, determination, and courage, got their movies on the screen."
Michael Hauge, Author, Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds.
"One of the best!"
K. Chiba , Amazon.com (verified purchase)
"A necessary book for any filmmaker."
Jeremy Hanke , editor, Microfilmmaker Magazine
"This book is for film fans (and film makers) and it is indispensable."
Matthew Terry
"We never put out an actual textbook for the Corman School of Filmmaking, but if we did, it would be Fast, Cheap and Under Control ."
Roger Corman , Producer
★★★★★
Learn the tricks and pitfalls of low-budget filmmaking from 33 successful independent films and the filmmakers who created them.
Includes never before published interviews with low-budget mavericks such as Steven Soderbergh, Roger Corman, Jon Favreau, Henry Jaglom, and many more.
Learn the lessons from such classics as Clerks, Night of the Living Dead, Swingers, Open Water, El Mariachi, Slacker, sex, lies and videotape, The Blair Witch Project, Eraserhead, Monty Python & The Holy Grail, Dark Star, Return of the Secaucus Seven, The Little Shop of Horrors, Caged Heat and Targets .
★★★★★
Praise for the Fast, Cheap and Under
"We never put out an actual textbook for the Corman School of Filmmaking, but if we did, it would be Fast, Cheap and Under Control."
Roger Corman , Producer
"This terrific little book explains how to make every penny count on the often-arduous journey from script to screen."
John Carpenter, Director, Halloween, Starman, Escape from New York
"A helpful and funny guide for beginners and professionals alike."
Jonathan Demme, Director, Silence of the Lambs
"This book is as good as film school, and a lot less expensive. It's required reading in Tromaville."
Lloyd Kaufman, President, Troma Entertainment, Creator, Toxic Avenger
"I wish I'd read this book before I made Re-Animator."
Stuart Gordon , director, Re-Animator
"This simple and sensible book injects reality into the process and helps any filmmaker prevent their film from becoming a money pit. Lessons like those in this book are cheap at ten times the price."
John Badham , director, Saturday Night Fever, Dracula, Blue Thunder
"For everyone who wants to make art without breaking the bank, John Gaspard's book is worth every penny."
Derek Pell , Editor, DingBat Magazine
"A richly-detailed, highly readable and inspiring book jam-packed with information that will keep low-budget filmmakers from making costly mistakes. Filled with a ton-full (not a spoonful) of fascinating, insightful interviews, with a you-can-do-it approach."
Dr. Linda Seger , consultant on over 2,000 screenplays, best-selling author of Making a Good Script Great and 7 other books
"Just when you thought the low-budget film topic had been strip-mined to death, John Gaspard and his merry crew of subjects hit a whole new mother lode."
Jon Pierson , Author, Spike, Mike, Slackers & Dykes
"Filled with riveting stories of how a wildly diverse group of filmmakers, with very little money and an abundance of passion, determination, and courage, got their movies on the screen."
Michael Hauge, Author, Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds.
"One of the best!"
K. Chiba , Amazon.com (verified purchase)
"A necessary book for any filmmaker."
Jeremy Hanke , editor, Microfilmmaker Magazine
"This book is for film fans (and film makers) and it is indispensable."
Matthew Terry
- GenresFilmAudiobookNonfiction
281 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2006
23 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
John Gaspard
93 books143 followersJohn is author of the Eli Marks mystery series and the Como Lake Players mystery series. He also has four other stand-alone novels: “The Greyhound of the Baskervilles,” “A Christmas Carl,” “The Sword & Mr. Stone” and “The Ripperologists.”
He hosts two podcasts: "Behind the Page: The Eli Marks Podcast," and "The Occasional Film Podcast."
In real life, John's not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less - that's no small trick. He's also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, those books made more than the films.
John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several greyhounds, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies.
He hosts two podcasts: "Behind the Page: The Eli Marks Podcast," and "The Occasional Film Podcast."
In real life, John's not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less - that's no small trick. He's also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, those books made more than the films.
John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several greyhounds, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 21, 2018
Each movie is a short 3-5 page summary of what points a filmmaker learned while developing said project. An interesting "behind the curtain" look at the profession.
July 4, 2012
I love filmmaking, I love the process, and I love books that tell stories about the process. and books about filmmaking and and filmmakers allows me to live vicariously through the creation process and learn about how it all comes together. Fast, Cheap and Under Control looks at the experiences behind some great low-budget movies to offer advice to potential future filmmakers, but the stores told are often entertaining enough to be of interest to non-filmmakers, too. One of the main lessons in this book is if you really want to make a movie, just get out there and do it. Persistence is the key to getting a movie made, not necessarily money. Though the chapters on each movie were short (and I kind of wished for more stories about some of them), I really enjoyed this glimpse into the process.
January 24, 2022
Cool little tome full of interviews with indie (and some big-time) filmmakers on the craft of filmmaking and getting it done… well, fast, cheap, and under control. The anecdotes behind some of your favorite indies are amusing, but there are real lessons to be learned from the likes of Steven Soderbergh, Robert Rodriguez, Richard Linklater, Kevin Smith, David Lynch, Roger Corman, and so many more. It’s an inspirational read, one leaving you feeling like you can pick up the nearest camera and shoot your own low-budget feature.
July 28, 2008
because i am obsessed with movies right now, in a very nerdy way
November 17, 2013
Gaspard's questions keep this book tight and concise, for those of us trying to get into the industry. A great, quick read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews