| | |  | The Click List: Best in Short Film | Home » » » How Not to Make a Short Film: Secrets from a Sundance Programmer | | | | | | | Description: | | "Roberta Munroe is that rare person in the film world who can not only recognize an inspired, great film, but she can actually help you make one."
--Mark Duplass, Sundance and SXSW award-winning filmmaker."Roberta Munroe is brilliant. Her advice and insights on our project, The Tribe, from rough cut to completed film were instrumental and invaluable to its success. It is exciting to think that all filmmakers will have access to her incredible mind and experience through this book."
--Tiffany Shlain, award-winning filmmaker Anyone can make a short film, right Just grab some friends and your handheld and you can do it in a weekend or two before being accepted to a slew of film festivals, right Wrong. Roberta Munroe screened short film submissions at Sundance for five years, and is an award-winning short filmmaker in her own right. So she knows a thing or two about how not to make a short film. From the first draft of your script to casting, production, editing, and distribution, this is your one-stop primer for breaking into the business. Featuring interviews with many of today's most talented writers, producers, and directors, as well as revealing stories (e.g., what to do when the skinhead crack addict next door begins screaming obscenities as soon as you call "action") from the sets of her own short films, Roberta walks you through the minefield of mistakes that an aspiring filmmaker can make--so that you don't have to make them yourself. | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Roberta Marie Munroe | | Paperback:
| 288 pages | | Publisher:
| Hyperion | | Publication Date:
| January 20, 2009 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1401309542 | | Product Length:
| 7.8 inches | | Product Width:
| 5.1 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.9 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.52 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.8 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.1 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.9 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.5 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 18 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 18 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 21 found the following review helpful:
 How not to write a how not to bookMar 22, 2009
By labologie
This title is at its best when it lives up to its name and talks about how NOT to make a short film. I especially liked the chapters on short film plots we've seen a million times and the list of 50 short film cliches (who knew that opening with a Japanese tea ceremony was a cliche?). The material on what festival programmers are looking for (and not looking for) is also valuable as is the list of festivals at the end.
However, most of the book is actually devoted to "how TO" make a short film citing the author's experience making two short films. Don't expect anything out of the ordinary here. There's some good information spliced into sections on directing, producing, budgeting and marketing. But Munroe's approach to filmmaking is strictly top-down, old-school, hire the best crew you can stuff with an emphasis on production value. The theme here is professionalism, not innovation. This book is a worthwhile read if you can accept it for what it is--a couple of great chapters and a catchy title padded with vanilla material on how to follow the traditional filmmaking process.
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Excellent guide for any independent filmmakerMar 24, 2010
By Guy Reader
The information in this book is stuff you need to know as a filmmaker. Reading this will help you make better films and feel more secure about the process that goes into making that possible. Your creativity and artistry is something you will have to bring to the table, but if you follow Roberta Munroe's advice you will be a few steps further on the path to success. You will get more value than the cost of this book and you would be a fool not to read it!
5 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 Not badJul 18, 2010
By FreeRange
"FreeRange"
I was going to rate this book lower but decided I should read the other reviews first for a refresher and what might have been good. I've been reading a lot of books about filmmaking recently and thought I may be acting unfairly towards Munroe. Turns out, I was. I read this book shortly after finishing 'Shooting to Kill' by Christine Vachon. Compared to that book (which could use an updating, a point Munroe wins on), HNTMASF feels very "outsider looking in." That's my real complaint about this book. It feels mostly an appeal to authority to her friends rather than a first person, "This is how we did it" like Vachon's book. I couldn't tell you how many times her friend Steak House is quoted or how many times her website is listed (www.steakhaus.com) but, after a point, you might just wish you were reading their book and getting insight into their professional, first-person experiences.
As a standalone book, this isn't that bad. It only feels less significant when compared to another book but that's entirely unfair to do. Would I still sooner recommend 'Shooting to Kill'? Yes. Would I discourage someone from reading 'HNTMASF'? Not at all! This is like a lighter version from the perspective of someone who fully acknowledges that your best course of action is to surround yourself with people that know the details better. That's her advice for your crew and it's what she puts into practice for the book!
The book covers a ton of subjects and aspects about filmmaking and Munroe uses the people she knows that know that stuff better than she does to explain it all. I hope that made sense. With that in mind, Munroe sometimes feels like she's directing traffic and steering the chapter toward someone's significant passage on a subject so, occasionally, the flow and progression of the book didn't work for me. Also, when she's got too much on a subject, the chapters feel like they're lingering until everyone has had a chance to say their piece.
Now, I did say that the point Munroe gets is for being more modern than Vachon. Vachon's book was published in 1998, I believe, so it's more a matter of that book predating technology rather than it not being covered. Munroe has it in there, but it's still such an emerging space that I'm not sure it's all that valuable.
There are a few things that are entertaining, like the list of cliches in short films, but I imagine that's available online and fwd'd around by film students like mad anyway.
A significant amount of the book is reference websites for everything under the sun. I might say that that's the real goldmine of the book. That and she tells you why not to bother with a fancy case, DVD menu or literature when you're submitting your film to a film festival. I won't spoil the ending by telling you why though. For that, you'll need to buy the book.
6 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Great, practical reference for film students that is easy to get through!Oct 24, 2009
By Film Student
Before I shot my final project for school, I made sure to read the entire book and it was very helpful and easy to get through. Because of HOW NOT TO MAKE A SHORT FILM, I brought on board an experienced AD, hired a casting director, among other things, which made the shoot much more efficient and smooth. I highly recommend that film students check out this book before they start making films!
4 of 6 found the following review helpful:
A MUST READ for Any Aspiring Filmmaker!Mar 07, 2010
By Books for Us
"B4U"
Roberta Munroe's book, "How Not to Make a Short Film," provides hundreds of helpful tips from well-known filmmakers, producers, festival programmers, and distributors in the industry. Munroe's book is a page turner that I could not put down. It is encouraging , full of great wit, humor, and resources.
This is a "must read" for any aspiring filmmaker. The information and tips provided are invaluable and sure to take any aspiring filmmaker's career to the next level. Don't miss out on this book!!! It is one to cherish, keep, and hold, as you seek to manifest your dreams in the film industry.
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