Rick Schmidt is the author of Feature Filmmaking at Used Car Prices (Viking Penguin, 1988, 1995, 2000), which is considered "The Bible" of fledgling filmmakers, credited with influencing filmmakers Kevin Smith, Vin Diesel, Tom DiCillo, many others.  Extreme DV (Penguin/Random House Books), his digital video book, is now available on e-book. And his first novel, Black President, was published by Picnic Publishing in UK,
In 2006, Schmidt received a Lifetime Achievement Award at Rome Intl., . His films have been screened worldwide, at film festivals including Sundance's Dramatic Competition (Grand Jury Prize nomination), Slamdance, Rotterdam, Berlin International, New Directors/New Films, Museum of Modern Art (NY), and on Channel Four, UK.