Before I take on a project of sizeable note, I have a ritual that some time in the few weeks before hand I watch 3 films that kind of keep up my gumption for the possibilities of the project and keep the blood going. But these films, beyond their personal meanings to me, I think have universal lessons for any director that is struggling with no money, not enough time, unwilling cast and the realities of what film making really is.

Tim Burton's masterpiece. I really think that this is Burton's best film and it's a super painful tale about the worst film maker ever, Edward D. Wood Jr. The story is loosely based on fact, the events in the film take place actually over 5 years, and they omitted 2 other Ed Wood “classics” that were made in-between the timeline of the reality of the film. I will say that I don't care if a film based on true events is in actually any way close to those events, all that matters to me is that they tell a good story, and I think that Burton here tells his best.

I don't want to digress to much into the life of Ed Wood more then he was a cross dresser and arguably the worst film director of all time, everything else is pretty unimportant. Johnny Depp does a great job as Wood and paints the portrait of this tragic um “artist” and I realy have to mention it because of how amazing his performance is. Martin Landau rocks as heroin addicted aging Bela Lugosi. But while Ed Wood was one of the worst directors of all time there is something to learn from the film: despite not having a clue he still got the job done. A lot of the time that's what it takes to make a film - ANYTHING to get the job done. Depp's character also has something else that is very important for both the actors and the director of any film that's being made and that is he's got an excitement for the work. You need that to make it through the very long and grueling days, not to mention the sleep deprivation. Dope friends and freaks is pretty much the reality of who's going to make up your cast and crew on any low budget production. You don't get to work with the normal people till you get to be able to really pay them.

John Waters (who really started out as a guerrilla film maker) directs this “homage” to his early days of film making. The film stars Stephen Dorff (as Cecil B. Demented) as a no budget film director that kidnaps a big time movie star for his film (Melanie Griffith) and forces her to act at gun point in situations of real violence.

This film is chock full of what you need to be to make a film, which is to be totally fucking nuts and fanatical about getting your project done. Through out the film there are pearls of wisdom and Waters has stated in speaking engagements that the character of Cecil is a mouth piece for the director.

“The first take is the only true reality”

“Technique is nothing more then an excuse for failed style”

But Cecil is more then just Waters' politics on film; we live in a time when it seems to be every persons ambition to just sell out. Cecil is “A Prophet Against Profit” to quote Cecil. he speaks about artistic integrity in a world where I think that's become an almost alien idea.

All this being said I think the most important thing a director can take from the film "Cecil B. Demented" is sometimes the best way to motivate a difficult actor/actress is with a taser.

Ritchie Anasky very accurately depicts what the reality of nano-budget filmmaking is. It's funny that I can remember when low budget film making was considered making a film for less then $100,000, now it's way closer to $1000. This film is one that anyone working on a no-budget film needs to see. The film is also, in some ways, the reality of who a lot of the people making no budget films are and the future of film making.

The story is of 2 brothers, David and Vance Lincoln. David wants to make a movie called “Clearwater Canyon” about a mulleted Indian (er, Native American) that goes around killing people, or at least that's his idea. The film takes place almost entirely in pre-production and David never gets to make his beloved “Clearwater Canyon.”

The first day of filming, I believe, has an amazing parallel to real life, when you tell people “auditions for a no budget film.” The parallel of course being that no one shows up. He winds up sulking in his bath tub. I think I wound up sulking in my bed about 3 years ago doing that. Then again the first film is always the hardest.

He eventually starts to do auditions and the first actress that shows up winds up calling him and his mentally unstable brother, played by Greg Freeman, a bunch of “bitch cunts” and then storms out.

I do have to mention that Greg Freeman's performance in this is brilliantly over the top. I almost want to say the guy's like half Jason Mewes and half Gary Oldman. When the next actress is auditioned, he then makes her take off her clothes for no reason, totally objectifies her, and then finally when unsatisfied with her performance at the audition, kills her.

This movie is genius, in that it doesn't try to be “Clean” and it doesn't try to meet conventional standards of how a motion picture should look. It excuses itself by having a an inept closeted sound man that talks too much while shooting. David Lincoln, the brother who started the whole ball of wax, never mentions any type of film education-- I've met a ton of people that claim to make films that have never read a book on film criticism, or for that matter film making technique such has how to light or edit. This is not necessary, but it makes a person look like they aren't really all that serious about film as an art, but just a way to make a quick buck. It's obvious that the characters in this film fall into that category, however the makers of the film obviously are much smarter then the characters they depict

Aside form a few other locations, the film is shot almost entirely in a house and a shed. Reducing the amount of locations you have is a very important thing for a no-budget film maker. More locations equals more time and money. "Actress Apocalypse" is almost an education for the nano-budget film maker.

In fact, of all of these films, for anyone trying to make it with no money, I say this is the most important one to watch because it really shows the reality of how it's going to be. Well... despite the actress killing, hopefully. It also shows that sometimes no one will help and at the same time everyone one wants to be famous with no real interest in art.

Of the three films on this list "Actress Apocalypse" is the one that I'd have to recommend most to a first time film maker. It's also the only one that seems to also represent how it's going to be done from now on in a way, and that is in digital. Unless another format suddenly pops up, digital will be inarguably the future of the moving picture.