Book Review - The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook

Review by Ron Cotton - May 26, 2005

by Genevieve Jolliffe & Chris Jones (http://www.livingspirit.com/)
published by Continuum (http://www.continuumbooks.com/)
U.S. Soft cover $29.95
720 pages, Copyright 2004.
ISBN: 0-8264-1464-8

“The Ultimate Guide to Filmmaking”

When taking your first steps in filmmaking, the only references that most initiates draw upon is the techniques of those who've already accomplished and achieved those tasks with exception. Soon to be writers, directors, cinematographers, DP, and other crew members in film all have their contemporaries. One's first jaunt into filming almost never takes place because of the unsurmountable questions with no immediate answers and the alienation of not knowing where to start. Newcomers will be asking questions about: Budget? Video or Film? Lighting? Insurance? Liability? Distribution? ...These are but a few of the variables that can make a movie production fall dead in its tracks.

The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook a mighty hefty yellow book with a lit bomb on the cover brings to mind 'terrorist' or even 'unconventional' like director Robert Rodriguez. Which goes to show the age-old adage that “one cannot judge a book by its cover“ holds very much true. The book has interviews with unions, setting up business plans, and other ways to go the “legitimate” route to film making. So what sets it apart from every other filmmaking book that claims to cover everything?

This book actually accomplishes it, jamming it chock full of honest, down-to-earth answers to the questions that you strive for, from people who work in the industry. From indie to Hollywood, few stones are left unturned. Interspersed in the informative interviews has grey-boxed information bubbles that delves deeper into the subject than just scratching at the surface level. Anything from recommended books, websites, to comparisons and to fact sheets. The layout is quite professional and easy to read with tabs on the outside for quick reference to different sections within the book.

There is very little to be said negatively about this book. Some would say that Jolliffe & Jones shouldn't have gone into great depth into their own Living Spirit Pictures. On the other hand, this is grinding stone that they've tested their mistakes at and doesn't present itself like a shameless promo. They don't go into all the specifics and yet some current technical issues are brought to the table. Unlike Digital Video and DVD Authoring, it doesn't go step-by-step in the process. Instead, The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook points you into the right direction.

This book is the best of it's kind and I'd be hard pressed to find of another book to compare it to. Standing out on a league of its own and certainly a must have for any crew member in the film industry. Over 150 Interviews with insiders from Donnie Darko to the Project Greenlight series makes one wonder how they've lived without this book before. Simply Perfect and Quite Useful.