or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering
Sell Us Your Item
For a $9.30 Gift Card
Trade in
Kindle Edition
Read instantly on your iPad, PC, Mac, Android tablet or Kindle Fire
Buy Price: $27.19
Rent From: $7.03
 
 
 
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 

DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Video [Paperback]

Kurt Lancaster
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)

List Price: $39.95
Price: $28.62 & FREE Shipping. Details
You Save: $11.33 (28%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Only 16 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Want it Friday, May 24? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
Free Two-Day Shipping for College Students with Amazon Student

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
 
Kindle Edition
Rent from
$27.19
$7.03
 
Paperback $28.62  
Sell Back Your Copy for $9.30
No matter where you bought them, get up to 70% back when you sell your books at Amazon.com.
Used Price$19.98
Trade-in Price$9.30
Price after
Trade-in
$10.68
There is a newer edition of this item:
DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Large Sensor Video Cameras DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Large Sensor Video Cameras 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
$37.27
In Stock.

Book Description

October 18, 2010

Video-capable DSLR cameras give filmmakers a quality previously impossible without high-end cinema cameras. Exploring the cinematic quality and features offered by hybrid DSLRs, this book empowers the filmmaker to craft visually stunning images inexpensively.

Learn to think more like a cinematographer than a videographer, whether shooting for a feature, short fiction, documentary, video journalism, or even a wedding. DSLR Cinema offers insight into different shooting styles, real-world tips and techniques, and advice on postproduction workflow as it guides you in crafting a film-like look.

Case studies feature an international cast of cutting edge DSLR shooters today, including Philip Bloom (England), Bernardo Uzeda (Brazil), Rii Schroer (Germany), Jeremy Ian Thomas (United States), Shane Hurlbut, ASC (United States), and Po Chan (Hong Kong). Their films are examined in detail, exploring how each exemplifies great storytelling, exceptional visual character, and how you can push the limits of your DSLR.


Frequently Bought Together

DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Video + The DSLR Filmmaker's Handbook: Real-World Production Techniques + The Filmmaker's Eye: Learning (and Breaking) the Rules of Cinematic Composition
Price for all three: $81.85

Some of these items ship sooner than the others.

Buy the selected items together


Editorial Reviews

Review

"A huge thank you to Kurt Lancaster for giving a voice to HDSLR in this new trail-blazing book.” -Shane Hurlbut, ASC (DP of Terminator Salvation)

"This book should be in every camera bag. A rich, comprehensive, and poetic examination of how filmmakers and cinematographers are creating stunning moving imagery with HDLSRs." -Rodney Charters, ASC (DP of TV series, 24).

"Kurt has written a masterpiece in HDSLR books-something that everyone starting to make a movie should read.”-planetMitch (www.planet5D.com)

"Out of nowhere, two DSLR cameras came out, and over a period of 18 months, they have been embraced by everyone from Lucasfilm to keen enthusiasts .. This is easily the most exciting time I have experienced in my 20 or so years in the business.”-Philip Bloom, DP, Director, Filmmaker (www.philipbloom.net)

"It tells me exactly what I want to know - how to get the LOOK that I need. Hats off to the author for tackling this subject. It make the book INVALUABLE for the DSLR filmmaker." -Julian Grant, Producer/Director

"It will spread the revolution and introduce people to this way of thinking...it would be a must read for anyone who has been filming for a year or two and still thinks in the old ways of looking through a camera." -Andrew Jones, Cinematographer

"If you are new to filmmaking with a DSLR camera and are looking for a place to get started, or if you are a seasoned filmmaker and just want to add some knowledge to your experiences, DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Video is a great place to start that will give you solid information that you can put into practice immediately." - Tracey Lee, dslrcinema.com

"[T]his is the best book/training material about HDSLR video I have seen so far.. It summarizes of all the information available on the net about HDSLR on top of which Kurt has added interesting case studies and behind the scene tips from other shooters."---Canon5DTips

"A valuable reference to DSLR camera abilities, offering case studies from an international cast of DSLR shooter and covering all the basic tools, techniques, and composition opportunities of DSLR."--CA Bookwatch

"This is a fantastic resource for anyone just getting into the DSLR game. It has tons of information on using these cameras for the good of film kind. Kurt does a great job of breaking down everything from equipment to technique."--WideOpenCamera.com

"It's rare for me to make a simple, blanket, superlative statement like this, but I absolutely love this book. I'm usually suspicious of technology specific books like this that would logically become outdated with the release of 'next years model' of camera or technology, but this book is different for so many reasons. Its difficult to narrow down what I loved most about this 320-page soft cover] book, but pressed I would have to say the professionals' comments. Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) shooters from around the world explain their experiences with this new technology and I couldn't get enough (luckily Lancaster has a website where the fun continues).. The book is inspiring, well written, excellently paced and chock full of pictures, screen shots and illustrations that tie everything together. One of the best cinema production books I've read."--VideoMaker Magazine

"Over the past year DSLRs have become a powerful tool utilized in cinema. From indie production to hollywood work, they have become a tool that is taken seriously by filmmakers everywhere. And now thanks to Focal Press and Kurt Lancaster, there is finally a physical guide to using them. There are some cons to publishing a detailed guide like this on paper. But its sooo nice to have a physical book with this many features in ones hands. Learn to think more like a cinematographer than a videographer, whether shooting for a feature, short fiction, documentary, video journalism, or even a wedding. DSLR Cinema offers insight into different shooting styles, real-world tips and techniques, and advice on postproduction workflow as it guides you in crafting a film-like look."--DSLRvideoshooter.com

"This book will teach you to think more like a cinematographer than a videographer, whether shooting for a short fiction, feature, documentary, video journalism, or wedding. This account offers insight into different shooting styles, real-world tips and technique, and advice on postproduction workflow. 'DSLR Cinema' guides you in crafting a film-like look, case studies feature an international cast of cutting edge DSLR shooters, including Philip Bloom, Bernardo Uzeda, Rii Schoer, and others. Their films are examined in detail. The book covers the fundamental tools and visual techniques related to great stories offers wide array of technical information composition, camera movement, lighting; includes companion website which shows the films discussed in the book; offers inside perspective from master class of DSLR shooters."--NeoPopRealism

About the Author

Kurt Lancaster has shot documentaries that have screened nationally and internationally. He has also consulted for the Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper, The Christian Science Monitor, training some of their print journalists in video journalism, as well as shooting and editing documentary journalism pieces. He is also an assistant professor of digital media in the School of Communication at Northern Arizona University, where he teaches courses on documentary multimedia production, scriptwriting, and production techniques. Kurt earned his PhD from New York University. His students have gone on to earn video journalism awards, screen documentaries at film festivals, as well as creating independent video companies. Dr. Lancaster's essays and articles on journalism, popular culture, performance, and communication have appeared in the International Journal of Communication, the Performing Arts Journal, Modern Drama, Journal of Popular Culture, Journal of American Culture, and The Christian Science Monitor. His previous books include: The Documentary Journalist: The Art and Craft of Video Journalism for the Web. Building a Home Movie Studio and Getting Your Films Online (Watson Guptill, 2002). Warlocks & Warpdrive: Contemporary Fantasy Entertainments with Interactive and Virtual Environments (McFarland, 1999).

Product Details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Focal Press; 1 edition (October 18, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0240815513
  • ISBN-13: 978-0240815510
  • Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.8 x 9.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

This book is a very practical guide to help you make better video with your DSLR. Dan  |  27 reviewers made a similar statement
The right book at the right time! Kent Wagner  |  9 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 54 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful book for DSLR HD video noobies November 1, 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The book seems ambitious in its scope -- HDSLR gear, camera techniques, sound, lighting, editing, software, etc. -- however the knowledgeable author, Kurt Lancaster, succeeds in providing a well-developed conceptual framework AND pragmatic specifics to help his readers to understand and achieve success with the complexities of HDSLR filmmaking.

Lancaster offers VERY specific advice about essential gear for a range of budgets. He dissects techniques used in specific examples, citing HDSLR videos for readers to watch at Vimeo and other sites.

I drank the KoolAid some time ago and do share the author's delight at how enjoyable it is to watch well-produced DLSR footage. Although I recall feeling impressed by Vicent Laforet's very clean, professional "Reverie" about two years ago:
vimeo (dot) com / 7151244

But it was the intensity and immediacy of one short piece about the 2010 Nashville flood, shot by Michael Deppisch using a handheld Canon 5D Mark II that really made a deep impression and triggered my deeper interest in learning HDSLR filmmaking:
youtube (dot) com / watch?v=vwCGz1vSh_M

To distinguish the image texture of "conventional/normal video" from "digital film", Lancaster explains in his introduction that the "film look" is a result of the overall image quality and "cinematic approach", not a particular technical spec on the camera or sensor. He also further distinguishes the look of cinema film from the "HDSLR cinema aesthetic".

I'm very new to digital filmmaking (fiction or documentary), but have worked with video for art and for marketing for over 20 years. Over the past four months, I've invested a good deal of time researching everything I could find online about shooting DSLR HD video from:
cinema5d (dot) com
vimeo (dot) com
cheesycam (dot) com
nextwavedv (dot) com
philipbloom (dot) net
blog (dot) vincentlaforet (dot) com / mygear

Lancaster links to some of those same sites from his blog at
kurtlancaster (dot) com / dslr-cinema

Lancaster continues to regularly add blog posts, which I've found helpful as I learn how to get professional sound and video from a Canon 60D.

"DSLR Cinema" covers most of the practical advice I was able to find in those several months of research, and he adds a great deal more applied knowledge which I doubt I could have ever found online, even after many more months of effort. The author seems to genuinely desire that his readers would be successful with these tools and it seems important to him to share both his delight and the wisdom gathered from his and others' experiences.

Because DSLR represents a convergence of video, film and photographic techniques, this book may not be helpful to every type of HDSLR video filmmaker (beginner to pro), but it does exactly meet my needs as I develop a list of gear to pack for my own journey into this exciting, new territory of DLSR film making.

Of course, pro DSLR photographers (like Laforet) are NOT the first to discover the landscape of cinema, much of which was settled long ago by highly-experienced filmmakers, directors, and cinematographers -- it has been over a hundred years since the Lumière brothers began to explore the realm of moving images:
youtube (dot) com / watch?v=4nj0vEO4Q6s

Lancaster works hard at being a native guide in this land and I'm grateful for his experience as I begin to learn how to shoot efficiently and effectively with these new tools.

[My apologies for the spelled out URLs. Amazon strips any URLs from the review, but oddly not from the Comments. I've added the complete review again as a Comment, below. Thanks to Pablo for the suggestion! - Jonathan]
Was this review helpful to you?
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Video November 30, 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
In the past 3 months, I have purchased close to 24 different books on DSLR camera HD recording. This is an exceptional book with direct hands on recommendations for how to craft that mystic "35mm film look". It is packed with excellent insight and practical information that will immediately improve your skills. I have actually read some of the chapters a number of times and keep finding additional "golden nuggets". Love the executive summaries at the end of each chapter and the tips and techniques spread throughout the book. The equipment configuration discussions are excellent and I hope they keep the book current with new versions as more support equipment becomes available. At the moment, this is one of the top three DSLR books available and a must have book at that!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Creative Opportunities with your DSLR in video mode December 14, 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Kurt Lancaster has put together a comprehensive review of how to use your DSLR to create video with a definite film look. In fact, he sets the standard of DSLR filming. I like the many check-lists that prepare the reader for most eventualities when using a DSLR instead of a Prosumer Camcorder. He systematically addresses all aspects of production and post-production and gives some great examples of shorts filmed on DSLRs which can be viewed on the Publisher's Website. The detailed analysis of the making of these shorts is very helpful in understanding planning, design and other production issues when shooting with a DSLR. He also includes lists of equipment packages one might want to consider.
Not everyone is as excited about DSLR cinema as Kurt, and several camera manufacturers are already developing Prosumer Camcorders with substantially larger sensors that should be able to give the same "filmic" look as DSLRs. True, these camcorders will be much more expensive than DSLRs. However, the great advantage of a DSLR is its small size that allows one to record video in point-and-shoot style. By the time you have added a JuicedLink pre-amp that allows you to add a mic or two and/or lavalieres and suppress the automatic gain control of the DSLR, and after you've added a matte box for your filters, you got a substantial rig. Talent often prefers DSLRs because they are less intimidating. The future will show whether the DSLR develops into a shooting style of its own, or whether the DSLR will be useful in addition to a souped-up camcorder.
What I found most helpful was the discussion of the colorspace in the DSLR and the rationale for its adjustment both before shooting and in post production.
This is a very thorough and knowledgeable discussion of DSLR filming.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars For Stills Shooters Getting Into Video, This Is It
What I would have given to have a guide like this 4 years ago, as a 100% stills shooter. When we all saw Laforet's "Reverie" and what the new (at that time) Canon 5D Mark II could... Read more
Published 1 month ago by PD
5.0 out of 5 stars very informative !
very good book because I thought that I know almost every thing in this aspect but I've changed my mind.
still reading the book but if you are thinking to buy or not.... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Hosain
5.0 out of 5 stars Cinematography 101 with expensive and mostly Canon gear
I didn't find this book as good or as bad as other reviewers. Then again I knew nothing about Cinematography or using a DSLR camera to film with. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Russ Emrick
5.0 out of 5 stars text
this book tells all.
the best text to have with you details how to use your canon 5D better than anything I have come across.
Published 5 months ago by Lisa Anderson
2.0 out of 5 stars Not very helpful at all, definitely not for a DSLR shooter on a budget
This book just blabbered on about what gear you'll need for DSLR shooting. All of it very expensive and definitely not essential. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Edith P Tower
5.0 out of 5 stars Model of How-To
I never ended up getting a DSLR, but the author put this book together so clearly and comprehensively, not only showing how to shoot a movie on DSLR, but in the process giving a... Read more
Published 9 months ago by wordtron
5.0 out of 5 stars THANK YOU
This book has SAVED my life! if you are an aspiring film maker or cinematographer you MUST get this book esp if you own a DSLR! Read more
Published 12 months ago by Three D
4.0 out of 5 stars Good pre-camera research.
Before I blow more than $100 on something I research it. This book is great if you're thinking about adopting a DSLR into your digital media creation and want to know more. Read more
Published 12 months ago by THOMAS BRANDSTETTER
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, subtitle should include exclusive focus on Final Cut...
Decent overview of the DSLR video format but felt a bit misled. Focusing solely on a FCP as a video editing suite is fine, but was prevalent enough that it need cover billing.
Published 14 months ago by Derrial Book
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for Anyone Doing DSLR Movie Making
I received a copy of this to review for my the book review segment of my youtube show "Action Filmmaking". Read more
Published 14 months ago by Nathyn Masters
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews


Forums

There are no discussions about this product yet.
Be the first to discuss this product with the community.
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 





Look for Similar Items by Category