Filmmaking for Dummies (Paperback)

~ (Author), Jerry Lewis (Foreword) "Film is a powerful medium..." (more)
Key Phrases: scheduling your film, distributing your film, shooting your film, Los Angeles, New York, Undercover Angel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I found Filmmaking For Dummies a thorough and informative read: a complete A to Z that demystifies not only production, but pre- and post- production as well. Stoller paints a picture of filmmaking so basic that you'd have to be not just a dummy but completely braindead if you're unable to make your own movie after closing the book." (Entertainment Weekly, September 5, 2003)

Product Description

Film is a powerful medium. Successful filmmakers possess the passion to visually tell a story that will affect people's emotions, make them see things differently, help them discover new ideas, or just create an escape for them.

Whether you love the experience of being enthralled by movies or the excitement, challenge, and magic of making the movie yourself, Filmmaking For Dummies is your primer to creating a respectable product. For the seasoned professional, this friendly reference can inspire you with fresh ideas – before you embark on your next big flick. Get ready to roll with expert information on

Defining the difference between independent and studio films

Knowing what genre fits your fancy

Finding perfect locations

Storyboarding your film

Directing the action

Giving credit and titles

Written from the author's 30 years of hands-on work as a writer, producer, and film director, Filmmaking For Dummies carries you through from screenplay to distribution, with lots of experience-packed insight into

Writing or finding a screenplay

Raising financing for your film

Budgeting and scheduling your film

Hiring the right actors and crew

Planning, shooting, and directing your film

Putting your film together in the editing room

Finding a distributor to get your film in from of an audience

Entering (and maybe even winning) film festivals

Taking into account the advent of digital technology, author Bryan Michael Stoller focuses on creative elements that apply to both film and video production. He also points our technical differences and notes the many similarities between traditional and newer age making of motion pictures – all in a fun and engaging way that'll have you shooting for the stars!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1st edition (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764524763
• ISBN-13: 978-0764524769
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #322,597 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Filmmaking Course on a Budget!, September 5, 2003

By	scherf.com "scherf.com" (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews

I always love to learn about subjects that interest me, and even though I may have read through dozens of books on a subject to gain the maximum know-how about it, it's always a thrill to pick up a read that is truly superb. Bryan M. Stoller, the author of Filmmaking for Dummies, has accomplished one of the best jobs on this subject matter that I've found so far over the years. He's categorical and precise and I'd call it the best Filmmaking Course on a budget. The reader can learn in this inexpensive book just as much as in many 8-week filmmaking courses that often cost thousands of dollars and the good part is that with this book you already have the notes printed in front of you. The author offers a volume of resources discussing the differences of using actual film vs. video and new 24fps digital camcorders like the Panasonic AG-DVX100 Cinema Camera. He has excellent chapters on lighting, sound and camera filters, as well as on the commercial aspect of idependent film distribution and film festivals, etc. This is a very practical, right-to-the point book and it's an enormous resource from a qualified guy who's been interested in filmmaking for a long time and who has at least 20 years of on-hand in-the-field experience. Stoller also offers very helpful Website addresses for further information, even where to buy or rent equipment, etc., etc. Every aspiring and even professional filmmaker will definitely benefit from this book. Amazingly, this book is so updated as if it was just written a few weeks ago including the newest technological developments regarding digital film formats.

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Well written, but content is misguided, April 16, 2004

By	J. Adams "crustyjusty" (Ann Arbor, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this book, as well as others, because I'm taking a stab at filming a screenplay with some other people. I have enjoyed some of the other dummies books, but I thought this one was off target. It is very high level. For example, in the first or second chapter, he goes over what the job roles are for the production assistant, and ten other job titles you might see at the end of a Hollywood movie, and I'm thinking to myself, am I really going to have a full-time grip on my movie? I was hoping this book would focus on the nuts and bolts of making a small-budget / zero-budget film, but it talked about numbers that apply to people who aren't going to be reading a dummies book. On the whole, I thought it was a real surface look at independent filmmaking, and would be appropriate for someone who wanted to learn about it, but not do it. You would be better off buying IFILM Filmmakers Handbook and some individual books on lighting and sound if you really want information about how to make your own film. A lot of the information in this book can be found on the web, also.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Filmmaking for Dummies, July 19, 2005

By	Gabriel Flores - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book is very helpful. It brings a lot of good information for new filmmakers. You can find tricks, terminologies, tips, techniques, and more to start your career as a new filmaker. There are many good material to learn. The author uses recent movies as examples. It covers many aspects of the filmmaking industry and how to make a low budget film. Beside, the book brings a lot of links to interesting web pages related with the filmaking industry.