Rebel without a Deal
or: How a 30 Year Old Filmmaker with $11,000 Almost Became a Hollywood Player
By Vincent Rocca
With Commentaries by Kevin Smith
334 pages

Discover how a High School dropout made his first movie in five days for $11,000 and got it distributed by Warner Bros. where it grossed over $1,000,000.00, Yes, Million.

Would you like to find out how to get a critical quote from Kevin Smith? Would you like to see your movie on the shelves of Wal*Mart, Blockbuster and Best Buy? Would you like to have your movie break IMDb's top 100 charts? Read on to find out how all this happened with a little indie slacker film.

Read it, and then, to paraphrase Rocca, get off your butt and shoot something.
- Jim Pfeiffer, Film and Digital Times
"When you tackle the book as if it were required reading for Film Production and Financing 301, you get drawn in. Rocca did not complete high school. It was not education or family connections that resulted in his securing a distribution deal with Warner Home Video; it was his determination alone... This is to his credit and worth examination. Every step in the process is documented. That’s valuable."


Rebel without a Deal is the ultimate independent filmmaking book. It contains a detailed first hand account of the actual filmmaking process, delivered in the fast paced diary style fashion made popular in Rebel without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez.

This is the ONLY filmmaking book ever released to contain every aspect of making a film from concept to distribution. Rebel without a Deal is a fun yet versatile book. It's filled with all the necessary information for beginners plus detailed statements and road maps to studios contacts for the seasoned pro. This amazing reference is an essential asset to your filmmaking arsenal.

Perhaps of most interest to aspiring filmmakers, this unique filmmaking book contains profit and loss statements, including the actual statements received from the distributor. You not only experience:

  • how to make a film in 5 days for $11,000,
  • how it got through post,
  • how it connected with Kevin Smith,
  • how it did in foreign markets,
  • how it navigated over 25 distributors and got to National Lampoon and Warner Bros.,
  • but ultimately you discover exactly how much money the movie made.

In his own witty and outspoken style, Vincent Rocca quickly discloses all the unique strategies and innovative techniques he used to make his movie and get it distributed. This fast paced book quickly draws you in as Rocca chronicles the full filmmaking journey and you'll feel like you are in the directors chair calling the shots.

Everything is covered from film school to distribution including writing, financing, shooting, postproduction, film festivals, meeting Kevin Smith and suicidal depression. No subject is taboo. This is a real account of no-budget filmmaking, down to profit and loss statements. This powerful tome is truly the only filmmaking book you will ever need.

But wait, there's more, Rebel without a Deal also contains over 40 pages of humorous conversations with New York Times-bestselling author and award winning screenwriter and director, Kevin Smith, as he relates his experience with Clerks and Red State.

Some notable topics Kevin Smith covers:

  • How to get in Sundance.
  • The budget of Clerks and how it was spent.
  • Miramax's purchase of Clerks and what Kevin did with the money.
  • How the back end of Clerks was calculated and the fat check that showed up years later.
  • His writing process on Red State and its 15 page monologue scene.
  • Of course… Kevin's thoughts on the movie Clue.
  • And his inspirational words of wisdom that every filmmaker should heed.

Take the journey with Rocca, check out his book, then watch Kisses & Caroms.
- Kate Vendetta, Icon vs. Icon
"This is a great book for up-and-coming directors who need an honest look at how to write a script, shoot a movie and get it distributed, complete with an undoctored look behind the scenes so newbies know it isn’t all glitz and glamour."


Rebel without a Deal is a David fighting Goliath story. With no education, no money, no connections—a mere peasant like David, Vincent Rocca attempts to become a Hollywood player.

After a weekend filmmaking course, the High School dropout sells adult videos to a penis enlargement company in order to finance his feature film. Next he closes his parent's retail store and shoots the independent film in five days for $11,000.

Like the Little Engine That Could, he climbs the distribution mountain only to get knocked down by everyone in his path. Depressed, suicidal and with nothing to lose he takes aim at the biggest studio in the world and finally gets his movie distributed by Warner Bros. where it goes on to gross over $1 Million dollars.

Vincent Rocca's journey will uplift you, inspire you and give you the confidence to conquer your dreams and attack the obstacles in your way. If this ninth grade dropout can make a film and get it on the shelves of Wal*Mart, then there is nothing you can't overcome.

You’ve found the only book to chronicle the entire filmmaking process. From film school through the street date and all the way to distributor statements. This unique filmmaking book is the producer's bible with fast easy answers to your tough questions. It covers the complete filmmaking expedition and details every aspect of how to manage it. While film schools teach the trade, Rebel without a Deal details how to produce your movie onto a store shelf.

Rebel without a Deal was written by Vincent Rocca, writer, director and producer of the cult indie film Kisses and Caroms. This is the ONLY book ever released to detail every aspect of moviemaking. This producer's bible lets you quickly reference important sections to easily get the information that interests you the most. You get answers to questions like:

  • How do you shoot 18 pages a day and complete your movie in 5 days?
  • How did you get a critical quote from Kevin Smith?
  • Are film festivals a waste of money?
  • What is a film market like and how much do foreign territories sell for?
  • Where do you find a distributor?
  • What was Kisses and Caroms total cost and How much did it make?
  • How much money does a Warner Bros released indie make?

it earns the right to be on the bookshelves of many low-budget filmmakers.
- Jeremy Hanke, MicroFilmmaker Magazine
"I was really impressed with the willingness Rocca had to delve into all the gritty details of the ordeal of making the film, the costs of things at each step of the way, his endless desire to improve the film, his eventual deal to distribute the film, and his in-depth breakdowns of the costs, times, and actual returns he received on his investment. He managed to provide all sorts of great info in this book, without dragging down the overall interest level, which is great... so pick a copy of the book up and see what you think!"


If you're making a film and have no idea how to sell it. STOP! You need a game plan to distribute your independent movie. Rebel without a Deal will quickly give you the details you need to be prepared for your journey through distribution.

Profit and loss statements until now have been closely guarded by producers, keeping newcomers in the dark. This unique filmmaking book finally shines light on all the financial aspects of filmmaking from the production costs to foreign sales and distribution statements.

How can you properly prepare a return on investment for your partners when you have nothing to compare to? Many companies charge thousands of dollars to produce confusing movie financials for blockbusters; Rebel without a Deal contains the only complete report available on a micro-budget direct-to-video indie movie. These easy to follow statements with simple explanations will help you fully realize your movies profit potential.

Most independent filmmaking books present an almost fairy tail aspect of moviemaking. Many first timers think that all they have to do is make a "calling card" movie and the world will see how brilliant they are, or they will get into Sundance and a feeding frenzy will push their movies into a theater. This is rarely the case. While many people do manage to finish their films, they don't know how to secure distribution and sadly, those films often wind up on the bottom shelf of their closet never to be seen again.

Rebel without a Deal will quickly open your eyes to what really happens and prepare you to make a film. You'll go through the complete filmmaking experience and live it as if you're walking in the author's shoes. Rebel without a Deal will prime you for the entire filmmaking excursion. You'll be ready to handle all the surprises with your own movie and be better prepared to negotiate your way to success.

This is an essential book for anyone interested in making a film. Unlike other film books this is an actual case study of a real movie that got real distribution and can even be seen on NetFlix now. Everything is covered from film school, writing, storyboarding, loglines, casting, crewing, production, editing, music, sound design, critical reviews, press kits, artwork, film festivals, rejection, post production, delivery, distribution, foreign sales, film markets, video on demand, rentals, marketing, street date, to actual revenue statements, including simple explanations of how they are calculated.

No other filmmaking book is this complete and fast paced. Rebel without a Deal is the only moviemaking book to chronicle the full filmmaking process from script to store shelves. This will serve as your absolute point of reference for all filmmaking topics.

If you want to quit dreaming and begin creating, this fun fast-paced book is where you need to start.

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