Here, 24 independent filmmakers describe wha t it is like to make an independent feature. It covers scrip ts, equipment, actors, publicity, distribution, budgeting an d all facets of production. '

You see them on the video shelves, with titles such as Shadow Tracker, Psycho Girls, and The Blair Witch Project. Skeptically, perhaps, you rent one and slip it into the VCR. Hey, you think, this isn't so bad - sometimes actually quite good. Suddenly, you discover that there is a whole range of movies from filmmakers operating outside the studio system that have their own attractions that the big budget fare can't match. You have, of course, discovered the world of independent filmmaking. A fascinating group of independent film directors and producers, in interviews with the author, discuss...

The success of low-budget independent films like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity clearly demonstrated that successful movies can be made with very small budgets. Still, working on a tight budget requires both skill and ingenuity, and is an inevitable and continuous learning experience for the filmmaker. Join two dozen truly independent filmmakers--those used to working, and delivering, within extreme limitations--as they bluntly chronicle their experiences creating features from the trenches. They cover the major stages of the filmmaking process, from financing, technical...