Amateur Production Books

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In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing

Walter Murch, Francis Ford Coppola

In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing Walter Murch, Francis Ford Coppola List Price: $12.95
By: Silman-James Pr
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very helpful! 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book has a wealth of information for the inexperienced and beginner, film editer, or anyone who is looking for a good book on the subject. I have found it to be very helpful, as I am still learning how to do professional editing!

Editorial Review:

In the Blink of an Eye is celebrated film editor Walter Murch's vivid, multifaceted, thought -- provoking essay on film editing. Starting with what might be the most basic editing question -- Why do cuts work? -- Murch treats the reader to a wonderful ride through the aesthetics and practical concerns of cutting film. Along the way, he offers his unique insights on such subjects as continuity and discontinuity in editing, dreaming, and reality; criteria for a good cut; the blink of the eye as an emotional cue; digital editing; and much more. In this second edition, Murch reconsiders and completely revises his popular first edition's lengthy meditation on digital editing (which accounts for a third of the book's pages) in light of the technological changes that have taken place in the six years since its publication.

When The Shooting Stops ... The Cutting Begins: A Film Editor's Story (Da Capo Paperback)

Ralph Rosenblum, Robert Karen Ph.D.

When The Shooting Stops ... The Cutting Begins: A Film Editor's Story (Da Capo Paperback) Ralph Rosenblum, Robert Karen Ph.D. Amazon Price: $12.24
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By: Da Capo Press
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A veteren film editor shares his life 4 out of 5 stars.
19 of 20 people found this review helpful.

Rosenblum edited feature films from the late 50s until early 80s, and is most noted for his collaborative efforts with Woody Allen in the 1970s. But his most interesting stories in the book are from a decade earlier when he was still experimenting. Though, I have only seen about half of the movies Rosenblum writes of, it makes the stories no less fascinating.

Rosenblum's major accomplishment in the book is to shed light on the importance of the film editor in motion pictures. He's not wrong in stating that their efforts have been largely ignored by critics and the public at large. What's interesting is that the editor as an influence in film is rarely even discussed by film critics and historians. It's probably because people are largely unsure of what an editor's true contributions are to any one motion picture.

Through the course of the book, Rosenblum takes apart THE RAID ON MINSKY'S, THE PAWNBROKER, and ANNIE HALL in depth. He also gives examples of how much an initial cut of a film can differ from the final cut.

I found the book quite informative, and learned more about film editing than I had expected.

Editorial Review:

The story of one of the most important and least-understood jobs in moviemaking—film editing—is here told by one of the wizards, Ralph Rosenblum, whose credentials include six Woody Allen films, as well as The Pawnbroker, The Producers, and Goodbye, Columbus. Rosenblum and journalist Robert Karen have written both a history of the profession and a personal account, a highly entertaining, instructive, and revelatory book that will make any reader a more aware movie-viewer.

The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap (Peachpit)

Stu Maschwitz

The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap (Peachpit) Stu Maschwitz Amazon Price: $31.49
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By: Peachpit Press
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 66 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Written by Stu Maschwitz, co-founder of the Orphanage (the legendary guerrilla visual effects studio responsible for amazing and award-winning effects in such movies as Sin City, The Day After Tomorrow, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), this book is a must-have for all those budding filmmakers and students who want to produce action movies with visual effects but don't have Hollywood budgets. The Orphanage was created by three twenty-something visual effects veterans who wanted to make their own feature films and discovered they could do this by utilizing home computers, off the shelf software, and approaching things artistically. This guide details exactly how to do this: from planning and selecting the necessary cameras, software, and equipment, to creating specific special effects (including gunfire, Kung Fu fighting, car chases, dismemberment, and more) to editing and mixing sound and music. Its mantra is that the best, low-budget action moviemakers must visualize the end product first in order to reverse-engineer the least expensive way to get there. Readers will learn how to integrate visual effects into every aspect of filmmaking--before filming, during filming and with "in camera" shots, and with computers in postproduction. Throughout the book, the author makes specific references to and uses popular action movies (both low and big-budget) as detailed examples--including El Mariachi, La Femme Nikita, Die Hard, and Terminator 2. Note from the Publisher: If you have the 3rd printing of The DV Rebel’s Guide, your disc may be missing the data files that accompany the book. If this is the case, please send an email to Peachpit in order to obtain the files at ask@peachpit.com

Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for Animated Features and Shorts

Nancy Beiman

Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for Animated  Features and Shorts Nancy Beiman Amazon Price: $26.37
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By: Focal Press
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Packed with illustrations that illuminate and a text that entertains and informs, this book explains the methods and techniques of animation preproduction with a focus on story development and character design.

Story is the most important part of an animated film-and this book delivers clear direction on how animators can create characters and stories that have originality and appeal. Learn how the animation storyboard differs from live action boards and how characters must be developed simultaneously with the story. Positive and negative examples of storyboard and character design are presented and analyzed to demonstrate successful problem-solving techniques. Artwork from an international array of students and professionals supplement the author's own illustrations. Three never-before-published interviews with well known development artists and a comprehensive glossary are also included.

·Written and illustrated by a renowned animator with 30 years experience as producer, designer, and story artist.
· Storyboard and character design examples from an international array of students and professionals.
· Positive and negative examples illustrate the techniques.

The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide: A Down & Dirty DV Production

Anthony Q. Artis

The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide: A Down & Dirty DV Production Anthony Q. Artis Amazon Price: $23.07
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By: Focal Press
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

So you want to make a documentary, but think you don't have a lot of time, money, or experience? It's time to get down and dirty! Down and dirty is a filmmaking mindset. It's the mentality that forces you to be creative with your resources. It's about doing more with less. Get started NOW with this book and DVD set, a one-stop shop written by a guerrilla filmmaker, for guerrilla filmmakers. You will learn how to make your project better, faster, and cheaper. The pages are crammed with 500 full-color pictures, tips from the pros, resources, checklists and charts, making it easy to find what you need fast.

The DVD includes:
* Video and audio tutorials, useful forms, and interviews with leading documentary filmmakers like Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens), Sam Pollard (4 Little Girls), and others
* 50+ Crazy Phat Bonus pages with jump start charts, online resources, releases, storyboards, checklists, equipment guides, and shooting procedures

Here's just a small sampling of what's inside the book:
* Putting together a crew
* Choosing a camera
* New HDV and 24P cameras
* Shooting in rough neighborhoods
* Interview skills and techniques
* 10 ways to lower your budget
* Common production forms

* Pull off your vision in creative and cost-effective ways
* Bonus DVD with video and audio tutorials, interviews, bonus pages with forms and checklists, and more
* 500+ full color illustrations: this book shows you, not tells you

From Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film

Dov S-S Simens

From Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film Dov S-S Simens Amazon Price: $12.21
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By: Grand Central Publishing
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

highly recommended, and highly recommends other books 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is awesome. I recieved it as a gift with my first feature film coming up (coming from shorts). I went from having a little bit of a clue, to knowing almost every in and out of what I should do, how to do it, and how to get the upper hand in doing it.

The author is great. His points are humourous because they are so blunt. He'll add little comments that tell you a ton, and totally make fun of something in the process; but whatever it is is so true that it's the information you really need to know. For example, he puts "TOP SECRET" signs by any huge point that makes or breaks films, that 4-year film school and HY avoids telling people. All points helpful, enlightening, and direct.

It also is a huge directory book for studios, executives, rental houses--basically contact information for every single thing he goes over in the book. It also lists other books, films, etcetera to go and read and view and further your knowledge. You can't learn from just 1 book and go out and make it.

I'm going through this particular book, thought, 3 times--at least. To (2) index everything and then (3) pull everything from it together into a timeline that works best for me.

Now, [[[ CONS ]]] . Like other reviews have mentioned--he goes off on how "the other 97% of you probably had a hard time parting with the money to buy this book" when talking about budgets, hinting that you probably are making a 5000$-50000$ feature--and then turns around and gives his most detailed, step-by-step process of making a film, about 15 chapters, all around making a 250,000$ film (which, as you'll find out, is marketed as a 1,000,000$ film). You have to take this relatively. Take what's there, and shrink it down to your budget. He explains SOME things you can cut down on to make a film with lower budgets afterwards, but only spends about a few paragraphs on it. So you go through all the process of the 250,000$ film and take from it everything you can. Bring it down to your level. It has all the information you need to get started, as listed, but you're going to have to get creative and cut down hard on the 250,000$ budget--starting with the things he mentions during those paragraphs.

The other con is, this book is published in 2003, so written during 2002 or earlier. This book doesn't know about HD, HD cameras, and HD tapes. Among others. It's either film or miniDV. And DVC--ha. It's surprisingly savvy on Internet distribution, primarily because it hasn't evolved there yet, but obviously there is other information about it that is present now that you won't find in the book. The main thing is, again, it's a little dated on digital stuff, which is dissappointing, because digital is like the light of ultra low budget film making. However, some updates on this topic can be found at his web school.

Another personal con is all the endorsements and stuff. So a few big names have succeeded by involving Dov's information--it's sad that that's what it takes to sell the book. If you bought the book because tarauntino or queen latifa's names on it, you probably aren't going anywhere. Luckily, he doesn't mention these people anymore than anyone else once you dive into the text; only as references to first-time film makers, etc.

-

Great information, I think it lives up to it's claims, and the personality of Simens makes it interesting all the way through. His personality is extremely direct, and if you can't take the heat, you probably won't make the cut in the industry, so it's probably a great thing.

Enjoy

Editorial Review:

Based on his acclaimed "2-Day Film School"(tm), Dov S-S Simens serves up a flawless and detailed blueprint for creating successful independent films. With his signature in-your-face, no-holds-barred advice, the Godfather of Independent Film teaches readers everything they need to know to create full-length feature films. From screenwriting ("There are two types of scripts: It's great or it sucks!") to distribution ("Who are the whores of Hollywood?"), Simens provides encyclopedic, precise, and creative instruction for making a vision a reality. By the end of the book, readers will know exactly what to do to make their films.

Filmmaking For Dummies (For Dummies (Career/Education))

Bryan Michael Stoller

Filmmaking For Dummies (For Dummies (Career/Education)) Bryan Michael Stoller Amazon Price: $13.59
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Good overall reference. 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Good overall reference for filmmaking, for the beginner. For the experienced, good reminder of the basics that one might have forgotten.

Editorial Review:

Now updated--the step-by-step secrets to capturing great moments on film

With all the recent advancements in filmmaking technology, more people than ever are trying their hand at filmmaking. Keeping up with the newest information in this booming field, this updated edition of Filmmaking For Dummies features up-to-the-minute coverage of the latest and greatest hardware, software, accessories, and trends--including high-definition technology and new outlets for films such as YouTube and MySpace. It demystifies the nuts-and-bolts of filmmaking, from developing a project and securing financing to hiring a cast and crew, editing, and getting distribution. This new edition also provides new movie examples and updated contacts and resources. Whether people want to become professional filmmakers or simply shoot quality home movies, this practical guide has all the advice and tips needed to succeed.

Cartoon Modern: Style and Design in 1950s Animation

Amid Amidi

Cartoon Modern: Style and Design in 1950s Animation Amid Amidi Amazon Price: $40.00
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By: Chronicle Books
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

More biography than imagery 2 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I absolutely love 50's (and early 60's) animation styles, so based on the other reviews here I eagerly awaited this book. It was a huge letdown.

First of all, the majority of content here is biographical information about the artists who created this art. As such a nice piece of scholarship and research, and giving these artists their just rewards is a Good Thing. But that's basically all there is.

Yes, there are some images, even quite a lot, but the artwork isn't large or arranged in a manner to make any sense (other than as biographical material). There are a few tantalizingly good images, but the vast majority are small, rather pedestrian and, oddly enough, not particularly indicative of the style of the period.

The author sets great store by "unconventionalism", but in point of fact the art of the 50's and 60's did become conventional -- it became its own convention. And this kind of historical perspective is sorely missing here, in large part due to the way the material is organized (it's strictly a studio by studio look -- no timeline or growth of the art is presented in any way. Each studio is given a page or two, and the studios are listed alphabetically).

If you are into cartoon history *facts* then this book will be a goldmine of information for you. If, like me, you are more interested in the visual aspects of the art then I'd strongly recommend skipping this and spending the money either renting or buying some of the cartoons from that time period that are available on DVD (contrary to the author's opinion, much of the stuff IS available: once again, his bias towards the unconventional means that he overlooks the majority of work of that time period).

Editorial Review:

Between the classic films of Walt Disney in the 1940s and the televised cartoon revolution of the 1960s was a critical period in the history of animation. Amid Amidi, of the influential Animation Blast magazine and CartoonBrew blog, charts the evolution of the modern style in animation, which largely discarded the "lifelike" aesthetic for a more graphic and often abstract approach. Abundantly found in commercials, industrial and educational films, fair and expo infotainment, and more, this quickly popular cartoon modernism shared much with the painting and graphic design movements of the era. Showcasing hundreds of rare and forgotten sketches, model boards, cels, and film stills, Cartoon Modern is a thoroughly researched, eye-popping, and delightful account of a vital decade of animation design.

Video Shooter: Storytelling with DV, HD, and HDV Cameras (DV Expert Series) (DV Expert Series)

Barry Braverman

Video Shooter: Storytelling with DV, HD, and HDV Cameras (DV Expert Series) (DV Expert Series) Barry Braverman Amazon Price: $30.99
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Video Shooter is a guide to both the mechanics of the video camera and the craft of shooting. Written by a veteran in the industry and utilizing an engaging, conversational style (including illustrative anecdotes from the author's many years of experience), the book takes the reader beyond "button pushing" to teach the complete range of skills required to capture compelling images. Topics include equipment selection, camera setup and operation, shooting techniques, and working with lighting and audio. Although the techniques illustrated in Video Shooter are appropriate for users of a wide range of camera models, the book focuses on the most popular 3-CCD DV and HDV cameras. A chapter on issues and techniques relating to DVD output makes the book especially suitable for industrial, educational, and government video producers. The book also features a companion DVD with tutorials, footage demonstrating storytelling techniques, and technical matter such as a comparison of various filters.

Written by a veteran in the industry, Video Shooter is a guide to both the mechanics of the video camera and the craft of shooting.

Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know

Jeremy Vineyard

Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know Jeremy Vineyard Amazon Price: $15.61
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Setting Up Your Shots 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I have been using this book in my Video class and it is passable, but should include useable films as examples rather than R-rated films I cannot use in the classroom. While most teens have seen most of these movies, I cannot show them as examples in a classroom setting, due to rating problems. If this is to remain a viable product in the future, the examples will have to be toned down.

Good perspective on visual setups 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

June 12, 2008
By R. Otterman (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews


This book feels more like film analysis than a field guide given its breakdown on a number of well-known pictures. It does, though, have merits as an instructional book for considering the frame and motion that define cinematography and the shot. In that way it's a help and was a help to me in planning shots for a film. If nothing else, this book gets a filmmaker thinking in terms of planning shots that go beyond closeup-medium-wide.

Illustrations give a sense that the author spent a good amount of time considering what to add and what to draw upon as better examples of good filmmaking, and creative shooting at that. The one criticsm of the book is that there is not a little more in the way of description, though that might be said to be a strength for visually-oriented material. Some of the reviews that called it rubbish, etc. seem to miss the point that this book is intended for filmmakers to get ideas by way of considering the who's who of shots, not a descriptive understanding of the metaphoric value of cinema. On a simple and basic level the book accomplishes what it sets out to do- generate possibilities by gathering the best of the best in shots and organizing them into a collection for the planning artist to consider.

For me, anyway, this worked and I've taken much from the book the last few years and I'm looking forward to the new edition that's coming out.

Editorial Review:

Over 100 storyboards with simple descriptions.

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