For anyone interested in being an indie filmmaker, or in how indie filmmaking works, The Reel Truth (published by Faber & Faber) is worth a look.
Written by Reed Martin, who taught business courses at Columbia and NYU, The Reel Truth is both pep talk and compendium of cautionary tales. Martin points out that the new digital technology makes it easier and cheaper than ever to make movies, and a plethora of new media makes it possible for anyone to present work to the public. For all that, there are so many indies struggling for attention that most will never be widely seen. And beware, he warns, of claims made in supposedly reputable film magazines about how economical it has become to make an indie. Sure, maybe you can shoot one for under $1000. But then comes post-production and a host of other expenses.
Some of The Reel Truth's most interesting material is drawn from quotes by indie directors who have succeeded in reaching wider audiences. According to Doug Liman, poverty can be the mother of invention. His debut film Swingers would not have been as good if the budget hadn't been so tight. Liman is right. None of his movies since have worked as well as his first, low-budget indie.
