Teach Yourself Film Making [Paperback]

Tom Holden (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071398244 | ISBN-13: 978-0071398244 | Publication Date: July 25, 2002 | Edition: 1

If you have ever dreamed of making a film, Teach Yourself Film Making is for you. It demystifies the process and proceeds with step-by-step advice while providing pointers on creative and technical elements along the way. It highlights the joys as well as the pitfalls of making a film, without the usual industry jargon. Areas covered include script writing and casting, finding locations, financing, useful contacts, and many more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tom Holden has worked across the spectrum of low-budget fiction films, international documentary films, as well as studio based programs since 1994.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (July 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071398244
• ISBN-13: 978-0071398244
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,590,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gem of a book!, July 25, 2002

By 

Timothy Danevsky (San Diego, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teach Yourself Film Making (Paperback)

Gotta say, with many, many books telling you how easy it is to make a hit film it's nice to have come across and read this honest, and highly readable, approach.
I liked the size, unlike several other film making guides it wasn't some 'Book of Lore' that requires lifting equipment to read. You could probably fit this in your back pocket and read it over a couple of afternoons(or nights...)
It's simple, it doesn't fly away with obscure technical speech, and I liked the way when some film making process was on the verge of getting complicated, there's a breather and explanation that allows the reader to follow EVERYTHING.
It actually talks about creativity and how to go about writing scripts and thinking of stories as well as how to get the most out of camera and methods and procedures of making a film. I don't think I've ever seen a book or on-line guide that merged these themes so well. Three for the price of one!!
I guess the British guy who wrote this, knows what it takes to get a film started and made. OK, there's a few Britishisms, but the information is pretty universal and above all simple and helpul.
Definitely good background reading to my film studies course.
I feel as though I have discovered a real gem here.
T.D.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential College Reading - par excellence, August 23, 2002

By 

Gloria Katcezia (Long Island) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teach Yourself Film Making (Paperback)

Did anyone forget that making films should be fun? The guy who wrote this book sure didn't. This has got to be the first book where everything is infused witha real sense of enjoyment and fun, but at the same time combined with simple and structured learning. I've read some real stinker film making guides for my media production college course, but this book bucks the trend big time.
Highly reccomended reading for the media or film production student!!
Read, enjoy, have fun, learn.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful !, June 9, 2005

By 

R. Sitaraman "Ramki" (Iowa ,US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teach Yourself Film Making (Paperback)

Hi ,
I bought this book a week ago .Iam a software engineer and i was never associated with film industry either in theory nor in practice .I actually wanted to read about scripts and i had mistakenly bought this book .

To my surprise ,this book is wonderfully written .To a non-art guy like me ,it was pure bliss reading this .He starts with the most common sense issues to topics like framing ,cut ways ,editing .He touches upon each and every aspect in the making the film .No false promises ,no hypes -Just plain common sense and knowledge .

The intresting aspect is that while he discusses all the technical aspects ,he does not assume the user to be film-savy guy or anything like that .Also ,there are few examples where the user can actually think of alternatives and be a active reader .

The bottomline - As a non-art student ,after reading this book ,i got a different way of appreciating films !Well ,isn't it more beautiful to appreciate arts than juding it ?

What are u waiting for ?Just go and grab this book !