Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling Off Your Shorts

Troy Lanier and Clay Nichols teach filmmaking at a high school in Austin, Texas. Because they were never able to find a good textbook that effectively taught filmmaking while holding the ever-wandering attention of teens, they decided to write their own book. The result was Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling Off Your Shorts. By breaking down the complex process of creating and completing a short, the authors show that it is possible for anyone to make movies. Comprehension This is not your typical, mind-numbing textbook on how to make a movie; it simplifies the process of filmmaking by shortening the length of the project: just 5-6 minutes. Filmmaking for Teens gives you an idea of what to plan for when making a film by going over all of the essentials. As you read the book, you start to understand that this is pretty much the same process that all big-budget Hollywood films go through... just on a much smaller scale. The writing is humorous in a satirical, tongue-in-cheek way (you know... the way high schoolers are), while at the same time not getting too ridiculous. It explains the technical side of moviemaking in language that both techie geeks and novices can understand and appreciate. Depth of Information For its (relatively) small size, this book packs a LOT of information in. Starting with brainstorming (or, as they call it, "brainshowering"), they walk the reader through writing, planning, filming, and finally editing the film. The authors give several guidelines and pointers for obtaining equipment, finding locations, organizing a cast and crew, and getting attention for the finished product. The cool thing is they also emphasize creativity, professionalism, and responsibility with their teen audience. While they give suggestions, they rarely promote "shortcuts"; instead, they encourage the reader to learn to do things properly, with the understanding that the process will become easier with each project. Interest Level There is no danger of this book losing your attention. It's technical and challenging enough to keep your brain cells engaged and operating, but the humor that is woven in with it makes this book both interesting and enjoyable. Reusability This book is definitely one to keep as a reference for when you do your projects or to recommend to a friend. The summaries at the end of each chapter can be used on almost any film project, no matter the size. There is also valuable information included about publicity, generating funding for future films, and entering student film festivals. For any young (or even old!) aspiring filmmaker, this book will be your "film bible". Value vs. Cost Although the retail price of the book is $18.95, you can buy it from the Michael Weise website for less than $15. Is it worth it? Heck yes. That and a whole lot more. The amount of time, money, and headache this will help prevent is immeasurable. I wish that I had had this book two years ago when I was the producer on my first indie film;

I read a article in MovieMaker Magazine about teen filmmakers and it mentioned this book. I checked out some websites and looked at some movies made by teens and it was great. I'm a 22 year old filmmaker and I wanted to read this book. I may not be a teen, but it does not matter. This book explains things other books don't. You pretty much have to learn this stuff on your own. Like it talked a lot about getting good pictures and sound from your camera. Just great stuff. Why didn't they write this book 7 years ago. I would have been making movies over and over again when I was 15 years old. They make the process so open. I read film books for adults and I couldn't understand that stuff at the time, so I waited until college. This book is great for all ages.

FILMMAKING FOR TEENS/Pulling Off Your Shorts, written by Troy Lanier & Clay Nichols, should really be titled FILMMAKING FOR EVERYONE WHO EVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT! Listen up, folks, this is a great little book that makes the fine art of writing, financing, producing, directing, shooting, editing and promoting your stories on film understandable, super easy and a lot of fun. The whole creative process, from concept through premiere, is explained, detailed and illustrated in a clever, thought-provoking and inspirational way, and in understandable, real-life language that makes the book a total pleasure to read, cover-to-cover, for all those budding Spielbergs out there. I'm certainly not a teenager, but, man...I sure wish I'd read this cool book before I wrote, financed, produced, directed and edited my very first disaster...uh, I mean short film! Absolutely nothing of the whole creative filmmaking process is left out, and it's seriously fun to read. I highly recommend FILMMAKING FOR TEENS/Pulling Off Your Shorts for everyone who ever even thought about creating a short film. It should be on the absolutely required reading list for every single film school and filmmaking class, for both teens and adults alike. When I finished reading this book, I knew I could do it...but right, this time!

For anyone who wants a really detailed book on how to make films using today's technology, this book is perfect. Don't worry if you're not quite a teenager yet or if you've already graduated from high school -- you'll find this book incredibly helpful in getting you started as a filmmaker. Highly recommended! Kim Adelman Author, The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide to Short Films

My TV program, America's Best Student Shorts, showcases short films and videos by high school and college students. I have reviewed hundreds of shorts submitted by young moviemakers. All but a handful would have benefited if their producers had read Filmmaking for Teens and followed its recommendations. This book would be a great gift for a fledgling filmmaker of any age and it would make an excellent text for high school film production classes. I wish I'd had this book before I made my own first short. Filmmaking for Teens is intensely practical. It takes the filmmaker through the whole creative process from concept to distribution, covering along the way screenwriting, team building, budgeting, equipment, camera technique, lighting, audio, and editing. Because it is practical, the book is also tremendously motivating - it dissolves the inclination to procrastinate while waiting for the perfect camera, or the perfect screenplay, or the perfect moment. Since I pay high school and college students for licenses to use their short movies on my TV show, I wish that Filmmaking for Teens devoted more attention to the legalities of making a movie, specifically talent releases. This is particularly important when the on-screen talents are minors. On balance, this is an excellent book, destined to become a classic. Tom Hoopengardner, Producer America's Best Student Shorts