Customer Reviews

The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I have an entire library of filmmaking books - this one book (esp. the 2008 update) is fantastic - covering every aspect of filmmaking - and not just the technical stuff - even working with actors, directing and some basics of film theory. Of course it is best at the technical side - including HD production and post production editing. Very few of my collection come close to this one for breadth and depth.

I've read a lot of books on cinematography, and this is by far the finest I've seen.
This is an extremely well written, comprehensive book on ALL aspects of film making.
The authors have obviously worked very hard on this book, and it shows. For example, there are EXTENSIVE cross references throughout the book like: "before you read this you should read pages 22-25". This kind of cross referencing takes a lot of time to do accurately.
The cost is a real STEAL for the amount of information in it. In my opinion it is the only book you need on cinematography. If you don't think so, at least read this first. I think all your questions will be answered.
I can't recommend it highly enough.
Daniel O. Benson

I would encourage anyone from amateur (photographers committed by passion) to professional (photographers committed by career choice) to include within their ongoing study curriculum source material covering cinematography. And, this book should be first on their reading list! It is a perfect compendium of technique, theory, equipment and practice.

What impresses me is how much more deeply the authors explain basic concepts, beyond what you find in most of the regular digital photography books currently on the market; and, the explanations are so succinct. Take, for instance, when discussing depth of field and distance compression and expansion in perspective, the choice between changing the camera to subject distance or changing focal lenght to control the size of the subject in the frame, pages 142 to 146, makes an enormous difference in the way the image will look. It is explained that,

" ... as the camera is moved closer, the relative size of foreground and background objects increase at different rates. [...] Perspective may be thought of as the rate at which objects become smaller the farther they are from the camera."

This isn't your ususal dslr concept of camera to subject distance and its effect on the still image, but it goes a great deal further to better conceptualize, visualize and help dslr photographers understand how to consciously and intelligently compose scenes to communicate subject character and thematic content. The authors then go on to explicitly demonstrate this concept through comparing and contrasting different photographs, and diagrams.

Another instance of this succint and analytical style of writing is near by, between pgs. 151-153, concerning applying focusing to the image and determining depth of field:

"In the ideal (theoretical) lens, there is only one subject plane in focus-everything in front of or behind this plane is out of focus. In the case of the portrait, if the man's eyes were exactly 10 feet from the camera, his nose and ears would be out of focus. Fortunately, with real lenses the area that looks in focus is more generous. A zone (called the depth of field) extends from in front of the subject to behind the subject, delineatiing the area of acceptable sharpness (see Fig. 4-8). In other words, the depth of field is the zone, measured in terms of near distance and far distance from the camera, where the image appears acceptably sharp."

Illustration follows to assist the visualization. These are just a couple of examples of the analytical and clear vision with which the book in its entirety has been written. These are the kinds of explanations for which I have been searching; and, no doubt, which you would welcome in lieu of sitting in a classroom listening to a professor lecture.

I bought this book after browsing at Borders for something to help me understand how to use cinematography techniques to produce still photos that look more cinematic. I got lucky that night! But you will find even more luck getting it from Amazon, since the price may be about half of what I paid at Borders. It's a great deal to get so much expert guidance for Amazon prices!

I have enjoyed reading this book. It is the nuts and bolts of film making. It is a step up from a technical manual, but it does gloss over the feel and philosophy of filmmaking. I would recommend this book to serious independent filmmakers. It is probably too basic for professional filmmakers and too technical for shooting home-movies. This really nails that middle ground.

For those who love films but don't really know what's involved in their getting made, this is an excellent guide. Of course, it's even more indispensible for those who hope one day to make a film but aren't currently involved in the business. I emphasize "business" here because this isn't really a guide to the art of making films; you could imagine a similar book called "The Entrepeneur's Handbook: A comprehensive guide to establishing your own business in the age of the internet" and it would cover the same types of topics. For a guide to the art of filmmaking/directing, my favorite book is "Film Directing Fundamentals" by Nicholas Proferes. But for the practical and day to day and big picture of the business of filmmaking, "The Filmmaker's Handbook" is Indispensible: an excellent and thorough introduction and guide to the processes, the people, the arrangements, the contracts, the details that go into making films, especially independent films.

I required this book as one of the textbooks for my film history course on "American Independent Film" because it seemed to me there was no better way to indicate to students how much is involved in getting films made. It's a very helpful piece of the course and gives students a perspective that they wouldn't get from my own emphasis on film theory and criticism.

Very detailed breakdown of how to do film production. Even if you are specializing in a particular department, you should read this book. It gives excellent information that helps you make informed decisions based on the type of production. It also goes into detail about each aspect of the film making process. If you feel overwhelmed by the amount of information surrounding film production, this one book will give you the confidence to make informed decisions. It breaks everything down into understandable language and is easy to read. It also helps you learn about the various options you have as a film maker. This truly is a film makers Bible! I don't think I would recommend it to costumers or make up artists but for anyone working in the technical fields surrounding film production this is a great resource book.

This book is actually well put together as a review of equipment and doing the business end. However it does not have a very in depth chapter of the "How To Do This" from the storyboarding or from a cameraman's point of view, there are some pointers but not as much as I had hoped for in that area. Still a good read so far.

Yes it is worth the read, especially if you want to put together a production company.

Excellent resource explaining data and software issues for film and digital video. this book was recommended to me by the teacher in my TV media class.

This book most likely has a straight forward answer to any technical film OR video production question you have. The book is very unbiased and doesn't preach to any filmmaker's agenda. Furthermore, it is up to date and includes discussions on HD technology, its benefits, and its drawbacks.

I'm a broadcast engineer that has worked with analog systems all his life. I recently started working in a Full SD television studio and in a year or so may want to go HD. This book helps to give you a basic grasp of terminology for the new HD world, as well as tips for every aspect from Pre-production to post- production and even distrubution.