There are plenty of books on making movies. I own quite a few of them. But in my opinion, Diane Bell’s SHOOT FROM THE HEART is the best guide available for someone working in the indie arena. I say this as a film school graduate and as someone who has had a feature film produced. While the book isn’t explicitly for mobile moviemakers, all of the advice applies to shooting movies with phones, tablets, drones, and GoPros.

The qualities of SHOOT FROM THE HEART are numerous: Bell writes beautifully (with a comedic touch). She speaks from experience (three films produced so far). She offers a complete 16-step approach from “Step 1. Develop a Singular Script” through “Step 16. Execute Your Distribution Plan.” The book’s organization is clear and meant to work as a checklist.

In terms of detail, the book can’t be beat. Bell has the ability to get way down in the weeds…and still make it interesting. For example, in the section about the importance of getting feedback on the script, she suggests the type of readers you need—and why your mother might not be the best choice. She talks about the number of feedback givers she relies on, and she provides specific prompts that evoke useful feedback. She also identifies what constitutes a destructive feedback giver and what you should do when you encounter a bitter armchair critic who tries to destroy your work. She even handles the difficult matter of whether a script is over-developed or underdeveloped.

Perhaps most important, Bell is truly encouraging. She acknowledges that producing a movie can be scary and that making it happen requires a great amount of hard work. But based on her experience, she assures novices that they can do it. While she acknowledges that her method isn’t the only way, she makes the case that her approach will get the job done. The key—as suggested in the title—is to pay attention to what one’s own heart is saying.