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Fast, Cheap & Under Control: Lessons Learned From the Greatest Low-Budget Movies of All Time (Collector's Edition): (20th Anniversary Collector's Edit
Hardcover
Film StudiesFilmmakingFilm Guides & Reference
Publisher: John Gaspard
Published: Dec 22 2025
Pages: 394
Weight: 1.99
Height: 1.19 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Twenty years later, the secrets are presented with new depth.
When Fast, Cheap & Under Control first hit shelves in 2006, it became the underground handbook for a generation of indie filmmakers. This Collector's Edition celebrates two decades of that influence with upgraded materials and a richer visual presentation that elevates the stories and images inside.
Inside this Collector's Edition:
-More than 100 photographs-a curated mix of color and black-and-white images that bring interviews and case studies to life.
-Printed on 70lb white paper with Premium color for superior opacity, contrast, and a substantial, archival page feel.
-Exclusive interviews with legends like Steven Soderbergh, Roger Corman, Jon Favreau, Henry Jaglom, Kasi Lemons, Dan O'Bannon, Bob Odenkirk and more
-40+ links to trailers, scenes, and supplementary material that turn the book into an interactive master class.
-Real-world case studies from 33 groundbreaking low-budget films-from Clerks and El Mariachi to The Blair Witch Project and sex, lies, and videotape.
-Field-tested lessons from the author's own four features-practical techniques you can use on set, in the edit room, and on screen.
Designed for collectors and serious filmmakers, this edition is meant to be handled, studied, and returned to again and again.
Roger Corman called it the textbook for his legendary filmmaking school. Now it's your turn to learn from the best.
★★★★★
This terrific little book explains how to make every penny count.
-John Carpenter, Director, Halloween
As good as film school, and a lot less expensive.
-Lloyd Kaufman, President, Troma Entertainment
I wish I'd read this book before I made Re-Animator.
-Stuart Gordon, Director
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