CHAPTER CONTENT

Take a peek inside the book and see what subjects are covered in our chapters.

CHAPTER 1: SCRIPTWRITING

 

MY START ● SHORT VERSUS FEATURE ● STORY ● RESOLUTIONS ● STRUCTURE ● FORMATTING ● SCENE DESCRIPTIONS/ACTION ● POETRY ● CHARACTER'S ACTIONS ● CHARACTERS ● BACKSTORY ● DIALOGUE ● PLANTS AND PAYOFFS ● REWRITING

CHAPTER 2: PRODUCING

 

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRODUCERS ● THE STAGES OF PRODUCTION ● MY START ● APPLYING THE BASICS: HOW DO YOU BECOME A “PRODUCER”? ● BUDGET ● BUDGETING FOR CREW ● BUDGETING FOR GEAR RENTAL ● BUDGETING FOR FOOD / TRAVEL / ACCOMMODATION ● SCHEDULE ● PAPERWORK, RECEIPTS, AND MONEY ● CALL SHEETS ● ARRANGING LOCATIONS ● LIMITING THE VARIABLES ● BEING RESOURCEFUL ● THE PERCEPTION OF A PRODUCER

CHAPTER 2: CAMERA

 

CAMERA BASICS ● EXPOSURE ● APERTURE / F-STOPS ● DEPTH OF FIELD ● ISO / GAIN / EI (EXPOSURE INDEX) ● SHUTTER SPEED ● FOCUS ● PRIME LENSES / ZOOM LENSES ● WIDE AND LONG LENSES ● FILTERS ● CINEMATOGRAPHY ● LIGHTING PLANS AND GEAR LISTS ● GEAR ● TYPES OF LIGHT — HARD AND SOFT ● COLOR TEMPERATURE ● GELS ● PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE ● SHOT SIZES ● COMPOSITION ● ASPECT RATIO ● HOW TO LIGHT — 3-POINT LIGHTING ● SHOOTING ON THE FILL SIDE ● CONTROLLING LIGHT ● USING THE CLAPPERBOARD / SLATE ● CONCLUSION

CHAPTER 4: SOUND

 

A FEW PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ● WORKING WITH ACTORS ● ROLES ● RECORDING AUDIO AND THE CAMERA ● RECORDING STRAIGHT INTO THE CAMERA ● HOW DO WE CAPTURE SOUND? ● RECORDING AUDIO SEPARATELY FROM THE CAMERA ● GEAR ● SOUND MIXER / RECORDERS ● MICROPHONES ● CABLES ● RECORDING METERS ● AUDIO SETTINGS ON THE CAMERA ● SETTING SOUND LEVELS

CHAPTER 5:  DIRECTING PART ONE - THE CAMERA

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ATTITUDE AND APPROACH ● CONFIDENCE ● PREPARATION — SHOT LISTS AND STORYBOARDS ● STORYBOARDS ● COVERAGE — HOW TO “COVER” OR SHOOT A SCENE ● CHARACTERS LOOKING AT “SOMETHING” ● CUTTING IN YOUR HEAD ● GIVE THE CHARACTERS SOMETHING TO DO ● STAGING AND ORIENTATION —

PLACEMENT OF YOUR ACTORS AND HAVING THE ACTION MAKE SENSE TO THE AUDIENCE ● ORIENTATION ● TELLING THE MINI STORY ● 180-DEGREE RULE OR CROSSING THE LINE ● CHANGING EYELINES ● CONNOTATIONS — WHAT DOES THE SHOT MEAN? ● EMBEDDED INFORMATION — WHAT DOES THE CAMERA SEE?

CHAPTER 6:  DIRECTING PART TWO - ACTORS

 

IN REHEARSAL / ON SET ● TALKING TO ACTORS ● WHAT DO YOU WANT? ● ACTION VERBS ● WHAT NOT TO SAY TO ACTORS ● BEHAVIOR ● EDITING AND ACTING

CHAPTER 7: EDITING

 

MY START ● WHERE DO YOU START ON THE FIRST SHOT OF THE EDIT? ● CUTTING DIALOGUE ● SEEING FACES ● WHEN TO CUT ● EDITING — APPROACH AND THEORY

CUTTING ON ACTION ● RULE OF THREE ● CUT! CUT! CUT!

CHAPTER 8: THE THREE SECRETS TO FILMMAKING

CHAPTER 9: COMMON TRAITS OF STUDENT FILMS

CHAPTER 10: FINAL THOUGHTS