Chapter 1. The Approach

There are many ways to approach making a film, and there are even many ways to approach making a film on a modest budget. But the DV Rebel approach is special. It centers entirely on production value, that nebulous quality that makes a film feel big—or not. Production value doesn’t have to cost money—think of an episode of “Project Runway” where each of the designers gets $50 to buy fabric, but only one of their creations “looks expensive” to the judges. You can fake production value. You do it by knowing how the barest minimum of resources can look like a million bucks, and by planning your film out in detail to ensure your every effort finds its way onto the screen.

Work Backward, Not Forward

Hollywood action movies ...

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