How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro [Paperback]

Steve Stockman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2011

How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck is a quick and easy guide that will make your video better instantly-- whether you read it cover to cover or just skim a few chapters.  It's about the language of video. How to think like a director, regardless of equipment (amateurs think about the camera, pros think about communication).  It's about the rules developed over a century of movie-making--which work just as well when shooting a two-year-old's birthday party. Written by Steve Stockman, the director of Two Weeks (2007), plus TV shows, music videos, and hundreds of commercials, How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck explains in 74 short, pithy, insightful chapters how to tell a story and entertain your audience. How to shoot video people will want to watch.

Here's how to think in shots--how to move-point-shoot-stop-repeat, instead of planting yourself in one spot and pressing "Record" for five minutes. Why never to shoot until you see the whites of your subject's eyes. Why to "zoom" with your feet and not the lens. How to create intrigue on camera. The book covers the basics of framing, lighting, sound (use an external mic), editing, special effects (turn them off!), and gives advice on shooting a variety of specific situations: sporting events, parties and family gatherings, graduations and performances. Plus, how to make instructional and promotional videos, how to make a music video, how to capture stunts, and much more. At the end of every chapter is a suggestion of how to immediately put what you learned into practice, so the next time you're shooting you'll have begun to master the skill. Accompanying the book is a website with video clips to illustrate different rules, techniques, and situations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Stockman has packed a veritable film school between the pages of this highly informative, yet entertaining book.  Very highly recommended."   -Videomaker Magazine

"Great tips from a video expert." -PC World 

"Whip-smart and funny... teaches readers how to think about film and reveals the why and when behind techniques; there is next to zero tech or tool talk." - Library Journal 

"His simple-to-follow guide takes readers step-by-step through the film- and video-making process" - Kirkus Reviews

"Like two years of film school in 248 pages" - Steven Pressfield, author of "The War of Art" and "The Legend of Bagger Vance"

Review

“Stockman skipped past all the technical crap about how to use a camera and cut right to the chase: how do you shoot a video somebody else will WANT to watch? The only thing missing is a time machine so I could reshoot fifteen years of sucky birthday party and school play videos.”
--David A. Goodman, Executive Producer/Head Writer of “Family Guy”

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; First Printing edition (June 2, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761163239
• ISBN-13: 978-0761163237
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.7 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (87 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Cinematography
  • #19 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Equipment, Techniques & Reference

More About the Author

Steve Stockman is a producer, writer and director of over 200 commercials, short films, web series, music videos, and TV shows. He's Executive producer of the new Food Network series $24 IN 24 and the hit Discovery Channel series DEVILS RIDE. Steve wrote, produced and directed the award-winning 2007 MGM feature film TWO WEEKS, starring Sally Field, Ben Chaplin, Tom Cavanagh, Julianne Nicholson, Glenn Howerton and Clea DuVall.

Visit Steve's blog at www.stevestockman.com for more great articles (and videos!) about video. Follow him on Twitter too-- @SteveStockman.

For workshops and speaking opportunities, please contact [e-mail]

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great title, good insights, so-so structure May 25, 2012

By Jeremey Donovan

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

With no prior training, I was immediately drawn to this book to improve the quality my home videos.

Here are my take-aways to Plan-Move-Point-Shoot-Stop-Edit:

I.Plan:
- Make sure that every video, scene, and shot has a clear intent of how you want the audience to react and be explicit
- Select a point-of-view (the "side"/opinion of a specific individual)
- Either script or build a checklist of an anticipated key shots
II. Move:
- Keep the light behind you; make sure the lighting matches the story
- Match location, background, and foreground to the story
- Make moves in large increments
III. Point:
- Focus on people's eyes to capture emotion
- Do not move the camera or use digital zoom before or during the shot
- Keep the focus of your image out of the middle square of a 3x3 grid
- Use an external mic (lavaliere or boom)
IV. Shoot:
- Make every shot an action with a clear hero and a beginning, middle, and end.
- Make each scene answer questions from the prior scene and raise new ones
- If using two cameras, manually synch their AWB (automatic white balance)
V. Stop:
- Keep shots under 10 seconds (if traveling, shoot two 10-sec shots per hour)
VI. Edit:
- Keep videos as short as possible; if doing a how-to, consider breaking into a series
- Edit out everything that does not need to be there
- Limit the use of graphics/text/titles; if used, make text/titles simple (ex: Helvetica) and effect-free
- Consider using a call-back to link the final shot to the initial shot
- Music & Sound: Test music that is on-story, counter-story; and unrelated and see what works; Add natural sound effects
- Rely almost completely on cuts with a rare wipe (to convey movement) and even rarer dissolve (to shift to a somber mood)
- Seek feedback and address all common concerns and think about unique ideas/concerns

[UPDATE: I updated this review from 2 stars to 5 stars on Jan 14, 2013. Though the book has a high degree of redundancy, it has truly transformed the way that I approach video.]

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm glad this book was written May 28, 2011

By Jay Rose

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've spent most of my career in various aspects of film and TV production. There are principles of shooting and structure most of us in the biz take for granted... but it's obvious, now that low-cost cameras are everywhere, that these techniques aren't intuitive. Many people seem to think of the camera as an extension of their eyes: wherever they're looking at the moment, they also point the lens. But it doesn't work that way. Even though these cameras have a lot of automatic functions, shooting that way gives you video that's hard to watch and sometimes downright embarrassing.

The tricks we use aren't difficult, just not obvious. Stockman breaks them down into tiny steps, makes them easy to master, and even adds a touch of humor. Take his advice and you'll shoot better videos, whether they're of your kid's birthday party or your boss's sales pitch.

I've worked with hundreds of writers, producers, and directors on various projects, including with Steve Stockman. I can tell you he knows his stuff, runs a happy and productive shoot, and is very good at explaining how he accomplishes it.

This is not a difficult book. You'll get a lot out of reading it. More important, the people who watch your videos will get a lot out of your having read it.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book twice and then once more June 2, 2011

By A. Sheridan

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm a weekend warrior. I have a cool camera and all the toys guys like me buy. Over a few years of trial and error, mostly error, and some photography experience, my video has improved. If I'd only had this book 5 years ago I could have saved countless painful hours watching sucky video. This book is unique. Good luck finding anything like it. I think this book should be sold with every camera with a video record button. It's the best $10 I've spent in a seriously long time. I just downloaded it this morning and I'm getting ready to read it a second time. Ok, ok, what's the big deal? I'll let you in on a little secret: it's nearly impossible to find a pro that will reveal the real gems that will turn your crappy home videos into fun to watch pro quality movies. What is it about pro quality video that makes you think, "Wow, I wish I could do that?!". This book will show you the light.

I highly recommend it. Thank you Steve Stockman!