Book Review - What They Don't Teach You at Film School: 161 Strategies for Making You Own Movie No Matter What

Review by Ron Cotton - August 26, 2005

by Camille Landau and Tiare White (ima@soca.com)
Published by Hyperion Books (http://www.hyperionbooks.com/)
244 pages, Copyright 2000.
ISBN 0-7868-8477-0 (US Trade Paperback - $14.00)

“The practical hints throughout this book adds up to one thing: we think the mechanical details should not be allowed to hold your imagination hostage. Too much is at stake: what you want to say and why you need to say it.”
- Introduction

If film school really inspired many filmmakers to direct, lets ask one simple retorical question: where are they now? I know... I know. You're different, you have all the qualities to make it, and you will make it to the majors someday, like some sappy drama. Do you have to go to school to make the awe-insprational films? If you hear an echoing of the the first question raised, don't be surprised. The simple answer is of course no, and if you never had the drive, you can easily save yourself the four years and the thousands of dollars of getting nowhere.

This book presents that the action and creation of the final film is the greatest teacher. The road is hard and no matter how well traveled, every event can never be planned. Without the difficultly and demands of this creation, you'll not hunger and strive for your unique message to present itself on the silver screen. Without this kind of dedication, you'll find yourself being yet another two-bit director emulating genius rather than being it.

“To be the director, you need to be able to say, 'I care.'”
- The Magic Words

The layout of this book is unconventional, representive of its teachings. It first presents the issue with a single-sentence statement and describing the reasoning behind each statement in a couple of paragraphs thereafter. Seperated by relevant chapters, this book offers itself perfectly as coffeetable reading, both for its small footprint and how the book need not to be read linearly to “get the point.” Talking firsthand of other famed people's experiences as well as their own – this book will help you think outside the box. It's written with a very personal yet powerful voice.

Some of topics that break the basic mores of filmmaking include: Film Versus Video, Glamour on Ten Dollars a Day, Pitching is Storytelling by Another Name, and Loyalty over Experience Anyday. Although, not always going against the grain of filmmaking, every point driven across is open-minded and less stigmatized than how conventional film schools view these topics.

“We urge you to do a cost-benefit analysis of your options, and only choose a school, or a school at all, if it's the most efficient, technically practical, and financially sound means to make your film.”
- Excuses are Fears by Any Other Name

After reading the entirety of the book, I was shocked to discover that both Camille Landau and Tiare White are both graduates of USC and the American Film Institute. Both have worked together and created shorts as well as full-length feature films. In the end, neither have lost credibility about the question of film school or not film school. In fact, thinking back, it was quite liberating that both suggested taking the beaten path rather than expounding on the benefits of film school.

This book is psychological and insperational candy that all filmmakers who lack vision need desprately. Even if your not, it's great. There might even be moments where you even shed a tear.