Fast, Cheap & Written That Way: Top Screenwriters on Writing for Low-Budget Movies (Fast, Cheap Filmmaking Books)

"Packed with war stories and savvy advice for beginning screenwriters, the interviews in Fast, Cheap & Written That Way also constitute a highly worthwhile history of the last quarter-century phenomenon called 'Indie Film.'"
Larry Gross, Screenwriter, 48 Hrs., Streets of Fire, True Crime

"I wish I'd read this book before I made Re-Animator."
Stuart Gordon, Director, Re-Animator, Castle Freak, From Beyond

"A perfect read for anyone who wants to write a film script or for anyone who just enjoys watching movies."
Fred Willard, Actor, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman

"This volume is full of useful little nuggets of information and, as you might expect from a book of interviews with writers, many of the views expressed are completely contradictory. Pick and choose what works for you."
Jonathan Lynn, Director, My Cousin Vinny, Clue, Nuns on the Run, The Whole Nine Yards

"John Gaspard has gathered the perfect mix of filmmakers, each of whom brings something vital to the party. This is one of those books you wish you'd read before you made your last film. Fortunately, you can read it before your next."
Jeffrey Hatcher, Screenwriter, Mr. Holmes, Stage Beauty, Casanova
 
"A well-researched must-read for new screenwriters and filmmakers."
D.B. Gilles, Author, The Screenwriter Within
 
"This is a great book exploring the idea of the low-budget film world through the writers that created it!"
Matthew Terry, Amazon.com (verified purchase)
 
"The book covers many varied viewpoints and not a one comes without some kernel of insight that had my highlighter being repeatedly uncapped to keep certain insights fresh."
Todd E. Babcock, Amazon.com (verified purchase)
 
 
 
 

INTERVIEW WITH JOHN GASPARD
By The Angry Filmmaker
 
KELLEY BAKER: How did you get into filmmaking?
 
JOHN GASPARD: When I was a teenager, my uncle gave me his old wind-up Reg-8 camera. I soon graduated to a Super-8 camera, and the rest was history. I made my first feature (in Super-8 single-system sound) in 1976 and then made another one in 1977. In college I did a couple features on video (U-matic video cassettes) and then after college did a couple features in 16mm. My last few features have been shot on digital video.
 
KB: Can you tell me a little about your feature "Beyond Bob"?  What it cost, shooting schedule, and how long you worked on it from beginning to end?
 
JG: "Beyond Bob," a romantic comedy ghost story, was shot on 16mm for about $28,000 in 1991. We shot over the course of four consecutive weekends, followed by some b-roll and silent pick-ups while in post. From script to finished movie, it took about 2 years. The movie was released on VHS back in the day and is now available on DVD and streaming video.
 
KB: In your book, "Fast, Cheap & Written That Way," you emphasize the script. How many drafts did you do on your films and how long did they take to write?
 
JG: "Beyond Bob" went through multiple script drafts and was also revised after rehearsals with the actors. It was originally written as a Hollywood spec script and was designed to be shot with a much higher budget. We re-wrote it to fit a smaller budget and I think it's better in that format.
 
KB: So many filmmakers feel that if they are not "on the set" then somehow they aren't making a movie. How important is pre-production to you?
 
JG: It's all about pre-production! You can save yourself a fortune with smart pre-production. 
 
KB: Are there filmmakers that were a big influence on you? What did you learn from them?
 
JG: Although I don't love all his films, I am a big fan of Henry Jaglom, for his passion about getting it done his way. I love the intelligence that Sidney Pollack brought to his films. Hal Ashby was a big influence, with his use of music and montage. Brian DePalma (and his early editor, Paul Hirsch) still make me smile with his wicked sense of humor on film. And of course, Woody Allen in the mid-70s (Sleeper, Love & Death, Annie Hall).
 
KB: "Fast, Cheap & Under Control" was published in 2006. With all of the changes in digital filmmaking that have happened since then, are there still lessons to be learned from your book?
 
JG: Absolutely - in fact, the whole premise of the book was the tendency of filmmakers to unnecessarily re-invent the wheel every time a new technology comes about. The key lessons of filmmaking - strong script, smart pre-pro, tricks for keeping production costs low - are valid regardless of whether you're shooing with the Red camera ... or making a feature with your iPhone.
 
KB: A lot of our readers are making films on really tiny budgets. What is your advice to them?
 
JG: Simple math: The less you spend, the less you have to make. If you can remove economics from the equation - create films that don't HAVE TO make money - you open up a whole world of possibilities.

Write Your Screenplay with the Help of Top Screenwriters!

It’s like taking a Master Class in screenwriting … all in one book!

Discover the pitfalls of writing to fit a budget from screenwriters who have successfully navigated these waters already. Learn from their mistakes and improve your script with their expert advice.

"I wish I'd read this book before I made Re-Animator."
Stuart Gordon, Director, Re-Animator, Castle Freak, From Beyond

John Gaspard has directed half a dozen low-budget features, as well as written for TV, movies, novels and the stage.

The book covers (among other topics):

• Academy-Award Winner Dan Futterman (“Capote”) on writing real stories
• Tom DiCillio (“Living In Oblivion”) on turning a short into a feature
• Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou”) on writing for a different time period
• George Romero (“Martin”) on writing horror on a budget
• Rebecca Miller (“Personal Velocity”) on adapting short stories
• Stuart Gordon (“Re-Animator”) on adaptations
• Academy-Award Nominee Whit Stillman (“Metropolitan”) on cheap ways to make it look expensive
• Miranda July (“Me and You and Everyone We Know”) on making your writing spontaneous
• Alex Cox (“Repo Man”) on scaling the script to meet a budget
• Joan Micklin Silver (“Hester Street”) on writing history on a budget
• Bob Clark (“Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things”) on mixing humor and horror
• Amy Holden Jones (“Love Letters”) on writing romance on a budget 
• Henry Jaglom (“Venice/Venice”) on mixing improvisation with scripting
• L.M. Kit Carson (“Paris, Texas”) on re-writing while shooting
• Academy-Award Winner Kenneth Lonergan (“You Can Count on Me”) on script editing
• Roger Nygard (“Suckers”) on mixing genres

This is the book for anyone who’s serious about writing a screenplay that can get produced! 

Grab it today!

★★★★★

"A perfect read for anyone who wants to write a film script or for anyone who just enjoys watching movies."
Fred Willard, Actor, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman

"This volume is packed full of useful little nuggets of information."
Jonathan Lynn, Director, My Cousin Vinny, Clue, Nuns on the Run, The Whole Nine Yards

“Packed with war stories and savvy advice for beginning screenwriters.”

Larry Gross, Screenwriter, 48 hrs., Streets of Fire, True Crime

John is author of the Eli Marks mystery series as well as two other stand-alone novels, "The Greyhound of the Baskervilles" and "The Ripperologists."

He also writes the Como Lake Players mystery series, under the pen name Bobbie Raymond.

In real life, John's not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less - that's no small trick. He's also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they've made more than the films. 

Those books ("Fast, Cheap and Under Control" and "Fast, Cheap and Written That Way") are available in eBook, Paperback and audiobook formats.

John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several dogs, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies.