Emily Schooley dot com

As you may or may not know, aside from all the time I've spent in front of the camera, I also have a significant amount of experience behind the scenes. I've directed and produced several projects - along with being the writer/production manager/lead actor/etc for an independent series that involved over 100 cast and crew. (Yes, that was a busy summer.)
Last year, I was invited to speak about independent filmmaking at a conference in the States, and while writing my speech I discovered I knew much more than I thought I did about the process from both sides of the lens. As an actor, I know what helps actors to achieve their best performances, and as a director/production manager/wardrobe mistress/DOP/craft services/set decorator/etc I know what it's like behind the camera, too. I know how Hollywood does it, and I know how to emulate that with a much smaller budget but equal or greater work ethic. I know what mistakes get made when people start out, and I know what contributes to a project's ultimate success or failure.
With all that in mind I decided to release an e-book based on my own experiences, to offer up advice to filmmakers who want to get started on their first few projects or to streamline their process. For just $9.99 you get a copy of the 25 page guide, as well as a contact email to send along any further questions you may have. Obviously I can't make your movie for you, but I am happy to provide creative and technical support as an added bonus.
As I'm currently doing this all myself, manually, you will receive a copy of the e-book within 24 hours of me receiving your payment. Click the Paypal button below to get your copy of From Page to Screen and Everything in Between now.

Reviews of From Page to Screen...:
From: Mark W. Schumann (Critical Results.com - fixing Software Projects that Suck)

"Short story: if you have any interest in independent filmmaking, even if you've already produced a film or two of your own, you should get it. It's worth the ten bucks.
I bought the eBook because I enjoyed Schooley's presentation on the subject at NOTACON 7. I probably won't ever make my own indie flick, but my son will, so this made a nice joint purchase. Let me tell you about it.
In presentation terms, this is about the simplest eBook ever. It's a total of 25 pages, dense with information and recommendations. There are no pictures. There are no charts. It's straight-up words on pages. If you want ideas without fluff, this is for you.
All the same, I would have liked some sample documents. For example, Schooley tells you to get "disclosures" signed by actors, but doesn't gives us examples to copy. It would be awesome to have Canadian and U.S. versions of a simple actor's release agreement. Better still if there were preprinted waivers and contracts of all kinds. Ideally, these would be fill-in PDFs. I'm aware that's asking a lot from a ten-buck eBook, but there's always room for a sequel. (Author's note: duly noted, and in the works...)
This eBook isn't for scriptwriters (although they might benefit from reading it), actors (ditto), or any of the dozens of people who might be part of your new independent movie. The intended audience is producers and directors, no matter what size the production, how it is funded, or where the final movie is to be shown.
The thing about undertaking an independent film project is what you don't know. Beyond grabbing a Flip camera and shooting--which is basically what my son does with his friends, garnering some memorable outcomes--you know there has to be more. But you don't know what to ask. Or whom. Getting this eBook is like hanging out with Schooley for an hour or two over some tea as she rattles off the things you need to know or at least need to ask about:
* Where can I shoot?
* What help do I need?
* Can I do without this and that helper?
* Why might I not want to put this up on YouTube right away?
* How long does it take?
* What could go wrong?
* How to assemble a production binder
* What insurance will I need?
* Do I need specialized lighting gear?
* What kind of microphone is best?
* How to deal with a problem actor
* How do I save time doing auditions?
* and so on
* and so on
The list really is exhaustive, but Schooley's conversational manner makes it far from exhausting. It's a tremendous amount of work to make a movie, that's clear; but it's also that much fun. So is going through this book, concise as it is. It's engaging and gives you a lot to think about.
Given the title, "From Page...", don't expect any help with script writing. Schooley starts with the premise that you already have a story and a script, but talks about making storyboards from the script you do have. I imagine scripts of any quality are a dime a dozen, so getting the "right" one should not be the hard part. Am I right?
I would have liked a section (or a sample worksheet) on calculating your budget against expected revenues. On the good side, Schooley makes it very clear that people and expenses can be scaled up and down depending on your resources. On the wish-it-had side? Examples. What's the smallest viable production you can do? What's the biggest one you can do for less than $10,000? Show me how to estimate your revenues. That sort of thing.
Along those lines, I wonder about funding. Are grants hard to get? Loans? Partners?
What I love about this eBook is that it opens up so many more questions than I had in the first place. How would I get an indie film funded? What kind of audience would I show it to? How can I identify a good script, or improve the one I have? Making movies on a small budget is hard, but it's easier if you at least have some idea what questions to ask and where to go for more information. That's the niche that From Page to Screen fills, and it does it appealingly and admirably."


As you may or may not know, aside from all the time I've spent in front of the camera, I also have a significant amount of experience behind the scenes. I've directed and produced several projects - along with being the writer/production manager/lead actor/etc for an independent series that involved over 100 cast and crew. (Yes, that was a busy summer.) Last year, I was invited to speak about independent filmmaking at a conference in the States, and while writing my speech I discovered I knew much more than I thought I did about the process from both sides of the lens. As an actor, I know what helps actors to achieve their best performances, and as a director/production manager/wardrobe mistress/DOP/craft services/set decorator/etc I know what it's like behind the camera, too. I know how Hollywood does it, and I know how to emulate that with a much smaller budget but equal or greater work ethic. I know what mistakes get made when people start out, and I know what contributes to a project's ultimate success or failure. With all that in mind I decided to release an e-book based on my own experiences, to offer up advice to filmmakers who want to get started on their first few projects or to streamline their process. For just $9.99 you get a copy of the 25 page guide, as well as a contact email to send along any further questions you may have. Obviously I can't make your movie for you, but I am happy to provide creative and technical support as an added bonus. As I'm currently doing this all myself, manually, you will receive a copy of the e-book within 24 hours of me receiving your payment. Click the Paypal button below to get your copy of From Page to Screen and Everything in Between now. *Reviews of From Page to Screen...:* From: Mark W. Schumann (Critical Results.com - fixing Software Projects that Suck) "Short story: if you have any interest in independent filmmaking, even if you've already produced a film or two of your own, you should get it. It's worth the ten bucks. I bought the eBook because I enjoyed Schooley's presentation on the subject at NOTACON 7. I probably won't ever make my own indie flick, but my son will, so this made a nice joint purchase. Let me tell you about it. In presentation terms, this is about the simplest eBook ever. It's a total of 25 pages, dense with information and recommendations. There are no pictures. There are no charts. It's straight-up words on pages. If you want ideas without fluff, this is for you. All the same, I would have liked some sample documents. For example, Schooley tells you to get "disclosures" signed by actors, but doesn't gives us examples to copy. It would be awesome to have Canadian and U.S. versions of a simple actor's release agreement. Better still if there were preprinted waivers and contracts of all kinds. Ideally, these would be fill-in PDFs. I'm aware that's asking a lot from a ten-buck eBook, but there's always room for a sequel. (Author's note: duly noted, and in the works...) This eBook isn't for scriptwriters (although they might benefit from reading it), actors (ditto), or any of the dozens of people who might be part of your new independent movie. The intended audience is producers and directors, no matter what size the production, how it is funded, or where the final movie is to be shown. The thing about undertaking an independent film project is what you don't know. Beyond grabbing a Flip camera and shooting--which is basically what my son does with his friends, garnering some memorable outcomes--you know there has to be more. But you don't know what to ask. Or whom. Getting this eBook is like hanging out with Schooley for an hour or two over some tea as she rattles off the things you need to know or at least need to ask about: * Where can I shoot? * What help do I need? * Can I do without this and that helper? * Why might I not want to put this up on YouTube right away? * How long does it take? * What could go wrong? * How to assemble a production binder * What insurance will I need? * Do I need specialized lighting gear? * What kind of microphone is best? * How to deal with a problem actor * How do I save time doing auditions? * and so on * and so on The list really is exhaustive, but Schooley's conversational manner makes it far from exhausting. It's a tremendous amount of work to make a movie, that's clear; but it's also that much fun. So is going through this book, concise as it is. It's engaging and gives you a lot to think about. Given the title, "From Page...", don't expect any help with script writing. Schooley starts with the premise that you already have a story and a script, but talks about making storyboards from the script you do have. I imagine scripts of any quality are a dime a dozen, so getting the "right" one should not be the hard part. Am I right? I would have liked a section (or a sample worksheet) on calculating your budget against expected revenues. On the good side, Schooley makes it very clear that people and expenses can be scaled up and down depending on your resources. On the wish-it-had side? Examples. What's the smallest viable production you can do? What's the biggest one you can do for less than $10,000? Show me how to estimate your revenues. That sort of thing. Along those lines, I wonder about funding. Are grants hard to get? Loans? Partners? What I love about this eBook is that it opens up so many more questions than I had in the first place. How would I get an indie film funded? What kind of audience would I show it to? How can I identify a good script, or improve the one I have? Making movies on a small budget is hard, but it's easier if you at least have some idea what questions to ask and where to go for more information. That's the niche that From Page to Screen fills, and it does it appealingly and admirably."