Filmmaking in Action

First Edition

Publication Date: September 16, 2015

Paperback ISBN: 9780312616991

Pages: 416

The one-stop resource for students

Script.   Direction.   Design.   Production.   Sound.   Lighting.   Editing.   Effects.   Animation.   Marketing.   Careers.  ...
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Filmmaking in Action

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Chapter 1: The Big Picture

Why Make a Film?

ACTION STEPS: Getting Started

Three Filmmaking Principles

Six Filmmaking Viewpoints

PRODUCERS SMARTS: Congratulations, You Are a Movie Producer!

[video] HOW DO I…? Get My First Movie Made, with Cherien Dabis

The Filmmaking Path

BUSINESS SMARTS: Taking Care of Business

Chapter Essentials

 

Part I: Concept and Preparation

Chapter 2: Start with the Script

Where Do Ideas Come From?

Original Ideas

ACTION STEPS: Brainstorming Ideas

Source Material

Intellectual Property

Rights and Title

Fair Use

Theme, Story, and Character

"It’s about someone who…"

Structure

ACTION STEPS: How to Avoid Writing a Bad Student Film
Writing and Screenplay Formats

ACTION STEPS: How to Get Started Writing Your Script

Development

Developing Your Script

[video] HOW DO I…? Respond to Script Notes, with Julia Camara

BUSINESS SMARTS: A Writers Contract

The Studio Development Cycle

PRODUCER SMARTS: How to Work with the Writer

Chapter Essentials

 

Chapter 3: Directing

The Director’s Role

PRODUCER SMARTS: Producer and Director, A Working Relationship

Seeing Your Project through a Directors Eyes

Getting the Script and Working It

ACTION STEPS: How to Mark Up Your Script

Casting Actors

BUSINESS SMARTS: Agents, Managers, and Lawyers

ACTION STEPS: The Audition Process

Selecting Department Heads

Planning and Visualizing the Shoot

Planning the Shoot

Visualizing the Shoot

[video] HOW DO I…? Set the Tone On-Set, with David Gordon Green

Different Styles of Aesthetics and Leadership

Working On-Set

ACTION STEPS: How to Work with Actors

Supporting Positions

Working the Movie You Just Shot

Finishing the Movie

"Final" Cut

Chapter Essentials

 

Chapter 4: Conceptualization and Design

The Principles of Design

Composition Elements

Mis-en-Scène

ACTION STEPS: Choosing a Color Palette

TECH TALK: Color Theory in Design

[video] HOW DO I…? Use Design to Tell a Story, with Alex McDowell

Design Plan

ACTION STEPS: Design Analysis

Research and References

PRODUCER SMARTS: Dumpster Diving

Locations

Sets

TECH TALK: Common Set Structures

Previsualization

Sketches and Storyboards

Digital Previs

TECH TALK: Digital Storyboard Tools

Chapter Essentials

 

Chapter 5: Production Planning and Management

Management Overview

BUSINESS SMARTS: Business, Insurance, and Legal Requirements

Scheduling

Script Breakdown

Shooting Schedule

ACTION STEPS: Be Prepared

[video] HOW DO I…? Manage My Productions Details, with Lulu Zezza

Budgeting

Budget Document

Be Resourceful

ACTION STEPS: Planning Crew Meals on a Tight Budget

PRODUCER SMARTS: Finding Funding

Chapter Essentials

 

Part II: Images and Sound

Chapter 6: Camera Skills

Your Screen is Your Canvas

Aspect Ratios and Formats

ACTION STEPS: Shooting for Multiple Formats

Special Formats: 3D Stereoscopic and Giant Screen

PRODUCER SMARTS: Creative Discussion about the Look of the Film

Image Capture Media and Machines

TECH TALK: What Are You Seeing?

Digital Cameras

How Digital Cameras Work

TECH TALK: Picking on Pixels

[video] HOW DO I…? Prepare the Camera, with Jacob Pinger

Types of Digital Cameras

ACTION STEPS: Using Your Digital Camera

Film

Film Formats and Film Stock

How Film and Film Cameras Work

ACTION STEPS: Using a Film Camera

TECH TALK: Go Negative!

Lenses

Focal Length

Focus

Key Factors: Shutter and Aperture

Depth of Field

ACTION STEPS: Rack Focus and Depth of Field

Supporting and Moving the Camera

BUSINESS SMARTS: The "Camera Package"

Chapter Essentials

 

Chapter 7: Telling the Story with the Camera

Basic Shots

Long Shots

Medium Shots

Close Shots

Camera Angles: How You View the Scene

ACTION STEPS: Low Budget Dutch Angle Trick

ACTION STEPS: Dirty vs. Clean

Composition

What is Good Composition?

PRODUCER SMARTS: Composition Outside the Frame

ACTION STEPS: Shooting People and Objects

Composition in the Moving Frame

Composition and Lenses

ACTION STEPS: Low-Budget Hacks to Make Your Student Film Look High-Budget

Creating Images for Continuity

How to Shoot a Scene

Don’t Cross the Line!

Eyelines, Visual Effects, and Animation

[video] HOW DO I…? Motivate the Camera, with Mandy Walker

BUSINESS SMARTS: How Many Shots Do You Need?

Chapter Essentials

 

Chapter 8: Lighting Skills

Qualities of Light

Shadows and Contrast

Directional and Diffused Lighting

Measuring Lighting

Exposure

Approaches to Exposure

Elements of Exposure

Exposure in Action

ACTION STEPS: Solving Exposure Problems

Color

Color Temperature

White Balance

Lighting Gear

ACTION STEPS: Lighting Safety First!

TECH TALK: Dont Blow that Circuit!

Lighting Instruments

Exterior Lights

Interior Lights

[video] HOW DO I…? Light with Minimal Tools, with Willie Dawkins

BUSINESS SMARTS: Renting Lights

PRODUCER SMARTS: How Much is Enough?

Mounting Equipment

Diffusers, Gels, and Cookies

Chapter Essentials

 

Chapter 9: Telling the Story through Lighting

Style, Planning, and Preparation

ACTION STEPS: Planning the Lighting

[video] HOW DO I…? Light for Mood, with Russell Carpenter

Three-Point Lighting

ACTION STEPS: How to Set Up Three-Point Lighting

The Lighting Ratio

Continuity and Your Lighting Triangle

How Much Light?

Adjusting the Lights

PRODUCER SMARTS: How Long Will Set-Ups Take?

Outdoor Lighting

Adjusting for Weather and Time of Day

Practical Outdoor Set-Ups

Indoor Lighting

Lighting Diagrams

Practical Indoor Set-Ups

Special Lighting Situations

Low Light and Mixed Light

Skin Tone Variations

Lighting for Movement

Lighting for VFX

Chapter Essentials

 

Chapter 10: Sound

Principles of Sound Design

PRODUCER SMARTS: The Sonic Business

Planning Sound Design

Dialogue and Sound Effects

ACTION STEPS: Annotate Your Script for Sound Opportunities

The Music Plan

BUSINESS SMARTS: Licensing Music

Sound Recording

Recording Best Practices

TECH TALK: Acoustics

ACTION STEPS: Using the Boom

[video] HOW DO I…? Fulfill Sound Requirements, with Paul Ottosson

Production Recording: Dialogue

Recording Sound Effects

Recording Levels

Microphones

Recording Equipment

Post-Production Sound

TECH TALK: Mixing Consoles

ACTION STEPS: Prepping for Editing and Mixing

Dialogue Editing

ADR

Sound Effects Editing

Foley

Music Editing

Art of the Mix

Chapter Essentials

 

Part III: Production Glue

Chapter 11: Editing Skills

Getting Started

NLE Hardware

NLE Software

Organize a Workflow

PRODUCER SMARTS: Stretching Resources

Organize the Assembly

Files and Bins

Timelines

Technical Assembly Techniques

ACTION STEPS: Art of the Trim

[video] HOW DO I…? Keep Track of Footage, with Mindy Elliott

Finishing

TECH TALK: Native Editing

ACTION STEPS: Adding Titles and Graphics

Offline/Online Workflow

Color Correction

Outputting a Master File

Chapter Essentials

 

Chapter 12: Telling the Story through Editing

The Phases of Editing

PRODUCER SMARTS: Watch Yourself

Find the Rhythm

Analyze the Material

Transition In and Out

ACTION STEPS: Cutting a Conversation

Editing Basics

The Styles

ACTION STEPS: Art of the Montage

The Rules

Breaking the Rules

[video] HOW DO I…? Show Point of View Through Editing, with William Goldenberg

Transitions and Cuts

Types of Transitions

Types of Cuts

Chapter Essentials

 

Chapter 13: Visual Effects and Animation

VFX Overview

Planning Visual Effects

PRODUCER SMARTS: Affording Visual Effects

Storyboards and Previsualization

Typical Visual Effects

ACTION STEPS: Wire Removal

[video] HOW DO I…? Embrace Simplicity in Visual Effects, with Ken Ralston

CASE STUDY

Special Effects

Computer Generated Imagery

ACTION STEPS: Plate Photography

Character Animation

Key Techniques

Motion Capture

Managing Data

Chapter Essentials

 

Part IV: Filmmaking and Beyond

Chapter 14: Marketing and Distribution

Defining the Audience

Learning from your Audience While You Work your Movie

ACTION STEPS: Preview Screening

Kinds of Audiences

Reaching Your Audience

ACTION STEPS: Messaging Your Movie

Publicity and Promotion

[video] HOW DO I…? Market My Movie Like a Pro, with Dennis OConnor

ACTION STEPS: Making Your Trailer

Paid Marketing

PRODUCER SMARTS: The Producers Role in Marketing

Distributing Your Film

Distribution Basics

DIY Distribution

Festivals

BUSINESS SMARTS: Distribution Rights

ACTION STEPS: Entering a Film Festival

Studio (Theatrical) Distribution

Distribution Patterns

Exhibition Venues

The Right Date

Windows

BUSINESS SMARTS: Piracy

Chapter Essentials

 

Chapter 15: Careers in Filmmaking

Analyzing the Credit Roll

[video] HOW DO I…? Decide on a Career Path, with Lucy Fisher and Doug Wick

Navigating the Industry

Networking

Internships

Helping Yourself

ACTION STEPS: Creating a Demo Reel

BUSINESS SMARTS: Build Your Online Platform

Chapter Essentials

 

Glossary

Index

Instructor Resources

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