The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide

Part One, Making the Extreme No-Budget Film

By: Kelley Baker

Narrated by: Kelley Baker

Kelley Baker is the Angry Filmmaker. But his independent films are not angry - they're honest. He's angry at the state of independent film. For Baker, it's about telling the story, not what actors are starring in it.

Baker worked in Hollywood for over 20 years. He was the sound designer on six of Gus Van Sant's feature films, including My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, and Finding Forrester.

He is a graduate of USC's film school and has written and directed three full length features (Birddog, The Gas Cafe, and Kicking Bird), eight short films, and quite a few documentaries. His films have aired on PBS and Canadian and Australian television, and have been shown at Film Festivals including London, Sydney, Sundance, and Edinburgh.

He travels the country showing his fiercely independent work at art house theaters, media art centers, colleges, universities, and even bars. Here, with all his attitude, is the wisdom of an Angry Filmmaker, gained the hard way, through experience.

©2009, 2016 Kelley Baker (P)2016 Kelley Baker

a lot of good meat on that film knowledge bone

no sauce needed. Salt and Pepper? Definitely not. just chew and masticate. it goes down really easy like.

Cathartic.

Angry Filmmaker says what we’ve all thought but haven’t yet expressed about the film industry. Thank you, angry filmmaker! Rock on. :)

I'm an Indie Filmmaker and this is Gold

Kelly's voice comes off loud and clear. He's genuine, has plenty of regrets, and a wealth of knowledge for anyone who is trying to start making their own films.

This would have been perfect to listen to before my first short, but the next ones will be better thanks to this audible.

Mandatory Listening for Independent Filmmakers

Where does The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is the best book you'll find on independent filmmaking.

What other book might you compare The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide to and why?

There really are no comparable books to The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide. There are plenty of books written by independent filmmakers but none of them have the combination of honesty and motivation that Baker's book provides. Other books prepare you to enter an industry. This books prepares you to express yourself with practical guidelines.

What does Kelley Baker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

You get a hint of emphasis from headings and italics but nothing in the written form translates Baker's passion. He genuinely cares for his readers as filmmakers and his voice never fails to communicate that. Also, cursing is far better spoken than written. Baker curses with the best of them. George Carlin would be proud.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

As a fellow filmmaker, there are two sections of the book that meant the most: writing and post-production. Baker does a great job of articulating the creative AND practical implications of the writing process as it pertains to the production of your movie. He also does a great job of dissecting the potential successes and failures in post-production as a result of what you did in production.

Generally speaking, I'm loathe to read the anecdotes of successful filmmakers as they often do a great job of showing off for the author but don't demonstrate anything of use for the reader. Baker does quite the opposite. Many of his anecdotes could be qualified as "failures" in the filmmaking process but Baker presents them as learning opportunities that he's taken into subsequent productions. Baker isn't out to wow you with his resume. He's out to inform you about the process.

Any additional comments?

Anyone who sets out to make personal, meaningful films should be required to listen to this book. It's as though you have a terribly cool uncle in the same field you want to enter and he pulls no punches in telling you what you really need to know before you get started. Baker's tough love and hard-earned wisdom are great antidotes for all the books that promise to give you all the secrets to making a great film. He promises nothing more than generously sharing all the knowledge he's accrued through decades in film. This filmmaker is grateful for that.

I like behind the scenes content

I don't work in film, but I work in a creative industry adjacent to it. I like to take peoples career lessons and map it to my own.

This is pretty entertaining which is all I would ask for.

the hard truths every aspiring filmmaker needs

great and informative. at first I thought "this guy is just another bitter filmmaker who can't compete in the new market. by the end I realized I was a dumb ass.

A MUST HAVE!!

I love this book because Kelley gives it to you straight, he tells it like it is, and this book has personally helped me to become a better storyteller.

No Bullshit, Straight Up

If you could sum up The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide in three words, what would they be?

The practical realities of independent filmmaking.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kelley is delightfully salty.

What does Kelley Baker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I wouldn't have read the book because I have a print media disability. If not for the audio format, I'd never have had the pleasure. Hearing the author's own voice is well worth the trouble he took to record it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I could have... but I never WANT to listen to books in one sitting because it uses them up and I like to have time to think about what I read in between sittings.

Any additional comments?

I liked this book so much that I just gave the author money and recommended the book to my friends on facebook. It may not have been much money, but that's tough. It's nice to hear the real voice of experience unguarded and unhindered by the BS language standards of polite society. He tells it as he knows it and as he feels it. Wonderful and extremely helpful to a student about to enter film school.

A good education and a good non-fiction read.

Real talk for anyone who wants to try to realize their vision. A cold shower, a wake up call and your own anti-motivational motivator. I'm a fan of film but I want to work in audio and I took a lot of inspiration form this. Good performance too. It comes off kinda edgy at first but after a while it totally fits. Yeah, its good, you should listen to it.

good independent Filmmaker summary and info

overall, I really strong book from independent filmmaker and clearly a passionate, driven and knowledgeable man with years of experience doing what he loves.