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

Jeremy Vineyard (Author), Jose Cruz (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2008

Over 100 storyboards with simple descriptions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Vineyard is a writer and director.

Product Details

• Paperback: 155 pages
• Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions; 2nd edition (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932907424
• ISBN-13: 978-1932907421
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 11 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #79 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Cinematography

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

258 of 274 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Waste Your Money - This is B grade rubbish, July 30, 2004

By 

S Jameson "Area 51" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know (Paperback)

I don't normally write reviews, but I am so insulted by this book (and I've never been insulted by a book before), that I feel compelled to write this review. If I can save one person from spending money on this piece of literature, then I will at least have got some satisfaction out of buying what is the worst book I have ever owned.

The review above by Robert Zraick is spot on, it's insulting, badly written, badly illustrated. I'm mystified as to how anyone could give this crap a rating of five, let alone even publish such utter rubbish. I just wish I had listened to Robert. Anyone that disagrees with Roberts review must either have an agenda (i.e. they have a relationship with the talent-less author), or they are actually quite intellectually challenged.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a professor, and I'm only an amateur photographer, but this book is just terrible, so if I can work that out most of you will too.

This book is written by Jeremy Vineyard, who is apparently "a writer and avid student of film" (his description).......This should read, who has never completed any elements of formal study, has no industry experience, has never worked professionally as a DOP and is a world expert in setting up a shot...

In short, this guy sat in front of his video player watched a ton of movies, wrote down as many different types shots as he could identify, had his mate draw up some equally amateur pictures (by Jose Cruz, who is unfortunately talent-less as well. I'm not kidding, an 8 year old can do better illustrations) and then made up some really neaty names for each one (just to help you remember the shots)..... my god, how did this is ever get published, it's a total tragedy.

Just to help us further, he's included some tuition in the form of some really brilliant exercises to help with your development. These follow after each chapter, which is to help hone your skills. Here's a word for word example of an 'exercise' from `Exercises' page 22. "Read a few good books on composition" (no recommendations given). That's Jeremy's very special piece of advice, just for us. Thanks Jeremy, you're a star. I'm running out the door right now to find that good book. Your wisdom, direction and skilful tuition techniques has truly changed my life. Another personal favourite is "Visit an art gallery or read a photography book" (also a verbatim copy of an `exercise').

On every page you get "This Jeremy's made up name for the shot", followed by the title "What does it look like" then a couple of paragraphs and then the title "Where can I see it" which is where he points you to a specific film (not the scene as that would require additional writing skills)....this is on every page, it drives you crazy.

Unless your IQ is the same size as your shoe size, don't buy this crap. Go and get a copy of "The Five C's of Cinematography" and don't waste you time on this amateur (it's not even amateur, its actually worse than that) attempt to be creative. The 5 C's is written with the same intent as this book, but delivers what this doesn't, and it's written by an experienced professional.

This book is B grade rubbish, do yourself a favour, don't buy it.

91 of 102 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Only useful to a high school beginner, maybe., March 24, 2000

By 

Degan (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know (Paperback)

I was very disappointed in this book. "Setting Up Your Shots" tries to fill a needed gap for a book that explains the basic visual vocabulary of video composition. This book ends up being nothing more than an extended glossery with thubnail descriptions and B&W line drawings to illistrate the shot. But it goes into very little detail about when these shots are used. It does mention a film or two that uses each shot. There is not even a brief discussion of ideas like open vs closed form or any other guiding principle of choosing which shot to use. There is often little or no instruction on how to acheive a shot. For instance, it tells you what rack focus is, but not how to exicute one. There is a brief discussion of axis of action, also known in video as the vector line, but it is so brief as to be useless. Mostly, the book seems written to a ninth or tenth grade level. This book might be of some use to a beginner who just bought their first camcorder and wants a quick apply-it-right-now manual, or to a juinor high student. But there are better books available that discuss shots, like "Picture Composition" by Ward, or chapters 2 and 3 of "Understanding Movies" by Louis Giannetti, although these are more expensive and take more work to read and understand. Also, the author recommends reading other books on subjects like compositon, but there are no specific books recommended. Spend a little more money and time and find a more complete and useful resource. This might work as a glossery to a larger book, but it doesn't stand alone very well.

59 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Setting Up Your Ignorance, July 13, 2004

By 

Robert Zraick (Hollywood, California, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know (Paperback)

This is without a doubt one of the most worst books I have ever read. It is written for a child and has a tone which will be insulting to anyone who is intersted in professional film making.

In some cases the author is simply incorrect in his terminology. The author is a wannabe film maker who has a snowball's chance in hell of ever doing anything other than to write this innane piece of crap.

This book was obviously not written by a professional film maker, but by an amateur for amateurs.

The illustrator claims to be a "professional". The illustrations for this book are equally bad.

Don't waste your time or money on this waste of paper.