Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction to the second edition

How to use this book

 

Chapter 1 Overview

1 Think big

2 The filmmaking process

3 Low-budget filmmaking

 

Chapter 2 Inside video

1 What is digital technology?

2 How the camcorder works

3 Operating the camcorder

Project 1 In-camera edit: hand-made movie

4 Video safety and good practice

5 Video compression

 

Chapter 3 Films and how they work

1 Types of film and filmmakers

Project 2 In-camera edit

2 How films work

3 Film language and how to speak it

 

Chapter 4 Pre-production

Part 1: Logistics and crew

1 Working out a budget

2 Collaboration and you

Project 3 Scene description

Project 4 Collaboration

Project 5 Developing stories

3 Making a schedule

Part 2: Scriptwriting

4 Story and structure

Project 6 Core scenes

Project 7 Silent movie remake

5 Alternative script structure

Project 8 New movie structures

6 Devising stories for low budgets

Project 9 Revealing subtext in your movie

Project 10 Symbolism in the movies

Part 3: Visuals

7 Visualizing your film

8 Storyboards and visual tools

 

Chapter 5 Production tools

1 A condensed guide to shooting

2 Lighting

3 Sound recording

Project 11 The chase

Project 12 Sound environment

4 Real world guide to location shooting

5 Shooting for compression

Project 13 New format movie

 

Chapter 6 Production aesthetics

1 Better looking films

Project 14 Close-ups

2 Continuity

Project 15 Urban legends

3 Documentary

Project 16 My obituary

4 Music video and the VJ

Project 17 Music video

 

Chapter 7 Post-production tools

1 Condensed guide to editing

2 Starting to work in digital editing

3 Preparing to edit

4 Editing with sound

5 Understanding timecode

6 Working with text

 

Chapter 8 Post-production aesthetics

1 Editing aesthetics: editing for genre

2 Editing aesthetics: non-narrative

Project 18 Polymedia movie

3 Montage editing

Project 19 Movie spell

 

Chapter 9 Careers and distribution

Part 1: Where am I going?

1 What’s a career?

2 Careers: essential knowledge

3 Essential qualities

4 Three stages of a career

5 The career map

6 Career troubleshooting

Part 2: How do I get there?

7 Where to get your movies seen

8 Guide to distribution

9 Strategies for promotion

Project 20 Showreel: who am I?

10 Film festivals

11 Using Internet broadcast sites

12 Your rights: protecting your movie on the web

 

Chapter 10 Mapping the industry

1 State of the art: mapping the film industry

2 State of the art: expansion and convergence

3 Trends affecting film

 

Glossary of film and video terms

 

Bibliography

 

Index