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Brief Contents Preface vii 1 The Big Picture 1 Part One Concept and Preparation 17 2 Start with the Script 19 3 Directing 43 4 Conceptualization and Design 69 5 Production Planning and Management 97 Part TWO Image and Sound 119 6 Camera Skills 121 7 Telling the Story with the Camera 149 8 Lighting Skills 177 9 Telling the Story through Lighting 199 10 Sound 219 Part THREE Production Glue 249 11 Editing Skills 251 12 Telling the Story through Editing 275 13 Visual Effects and Animation 297 Part Four Filmmaking and Beyond 323 14 Marketing and Distribution 325 15 Careers in Filmmaking 349 Glossary 365 Index 377 xv 00_LEI_1699_FM_i-xxviii.indd 15 2/9/15 9:23 AM
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Contents 1 Preface vii The Big Picture 1 Why Make a Film? 3 Action Steps: Getting Started 5 Three Filmmaking Principles 6 Six Filmmaking Viewpoints 8 Producer 9 Writer 9 Director 9 Editor 9 Image and Sound Crew 10 The Audience 10 The Filmmaking Path 10 Producer Smarts: Congratulations, You Are a Movie Producer! 11 How Do I... Get My First Movie Made? 12 Business Smarts: Taking Care of Business 15 Chapter 1 Essentials 16 Part ONE Concept and Preparation 17 2 Start with the Script 19 Where Do Ideas Come From? 20 Original Ideas 20 Action Steps: Brainstorming Ideas 22 Source Material 22 Intellectual Property 24 Rights and Title 25 Fair Use 26 Theme, Story, and Character 26 It s about Someone Who... 27 Structure 28 Action Steps: How to Avoid Writing a Bad Student Film 30 xvii 00_LEI_1699_FM_i-xxviii.indd 17 2/9/15 3:13 PM
xviii CONTENTS Writing and Screenplay Formats 31 Action Steps: How to Get Started Writing Your Script 32 Development 36 Developing Your Script 36 The Studio Development Cycle 36 How Do I... Respond to Script Notes? 37 Business Smarts: A Writer s Contract 38 Producer Smarts: How to Work with the Writer 41 Chapter 2 Essentials 42 3 Directing 43 The Director s Role 44 Producer Smarts: Producer and Director, a Working Relationship 46 Seeing Your Project through a Director s Eyes 46 Getting the Script and Working It 46 Action Steps: How to Mark Up Your Script 48 Casting Actors 50 Action Steps: The Audition Process 51 Selecting Department Heads 52 Business Smarts: Agents, Managers, and Lawyers 53 Planning and Visualizing the Shoot 54 Planning the Shoot 54 Visualizing the Shoot 55 On the Set 56 How Do I... Set the Tone On-Set? 57 Different Styles of Aesthetics and Leadership 58 Working On-Set 59 Action Steps: How to Work with Actors 61 Supporting Positions 62 Working the Movie You Just Shot 63 Finishing the Movie 64 Final Cut 65 Chapter 3 Essentials 67 4 Conceptualization and Design 69 The Principles of Design 71 Design Composition Elements 71 Mise-en-Scène 73 Tech Talk: Color Theory in Design 76 Action Steps: Choosing a Color Palette 77 How Do I... Use Design to Tell a Story? 78 00_LEI_1699_FM_i-xxviii.indd 18
CONTENTS xix Design Plan 79 Action Steps: Design Analysis 79 Research and References 81 Producer Smarts: Dumpster Diving 82 Locations 83 Sets 85 Tech Talk: Common Set Structures 87 Previsualization 88 Sketches and Storyboards 89 Digital Previs 91 Tech Talk: Digital Storyboard Tools 95 Chapter 4 Essentials 96 5 Production Planning and Management 97 Management Overview 98 Business Smarts: Business, Insurance, and Legal Requirements 101 Scheduling 102 Script Breakdown 103 Shooting Schedule 107 Action Steps: Be Prepared 107 Budgeting 110 Budget Document 111 Be Resourceful 113 How Do I... Manage My Production s Details? 115 Producer Smarts: Finding Funding 116 Action Steps: Planning Crew Meals on a Tight Budget 117 Chapter 5 Essentials 118 Part TWO Image and Sound 119 6 Camera Skills 121 Your Screen Is Your Canvas 122 Aspect Ratios and Formats 122 Action Steps: Shooting for Multiple Formats 124 Special Formats: 3D Stereoscopic and Giant Screen 125 Producer Smarts: Creative Discussion about the Look of the Film 127 Image Capture Media and Machines 127 Tech Talk: What Are You Seeing? 129 00_LEI_1699_FM_i-xxviii.indd 19
xx CONTENTS Digital Cameras 130 How Digital Cameras Work 130 Types of Digital Cameras 131 How Do I... Prepare the Camera? 132 Action Steps: Using Your Digital Camera 133 Film 133 Film Formats and Film Stock 134 How Film and Film Cameras Work 136 Action Steps: Using a Film Camera 137 Lenses 137 Tech Talk: Go Negative! 138 Action Steps: Taking Care of Your Camera and Lenses 138 Focal Length 138 Focus 140 Key Factors: Aperture and Shutter Angle 141 Depth of Field 142 Action Steps: Rack Focus and Depth of Field 143 Supporting and Moving the Camera 144 Business Smarts: The Camera Package 147 Chapter 6 Essentials 148 7 Telling the Story with the Camera 149 Basic Shots 150 Long Shots 151 Medium Shots 152 Close Shots 154 Camera Angles: How You View the Scene 156 Action Steps: Low-Budget Dutch Angle Trick 159 Action Steps: Dirty vs. Clean 159 Composition 160 What Is Good Composition? 160 Producer Smarts: Composition Outside the Frame 165 Action Steps: Shooting People and Objects 166 Composition in the Moving Frame 166 Composition and Lenses 168 Action Steps: Low-Budget Hacks to Make Your Student Film Look High Budget 169 Creating Images for Continuity 169 How to Shoot a Scene 170 Don t Cross the Line! 171 Eyelines, Visual Effects, and Animation 172 How Do I... Motivate the Camera? 173 Business Smarts: How Many Shots Do You Need? 174 Chapter 7 Essentials 175 00_LEI_1699_FM_i-xxviii.indd 20
CONTENTS 8 xxi Lighting Skills 177 Qualities of Light 178 Shadows and Contrast 179 Directional and Diffused Lighting 182 Measuring Lighting 182 Exposure 183 Approaches to Exposure 184 Elements of Exposure 184 Exposure in Action 185 Action Steps: Solving Exposure Problems 186 Color 187 Color Temperature 188 White Balance 188 Lighting Gear 189 Action Steps: Lighting Safety First! 189 Lighting Instruments 190 Exterior Lights 190 Interior Lights 190 Tech Talk: Don t Blow that Circuit! 191 How Do I... Light with Minimal Tools? 193 Business Smarts: Renting Lights 194 Mounting Equipment 194 Producer Smarts: How Much Is Enough? Diffusers, Gels, Filters, and Cookies 195 195 Chapter 8 Essentials 198 9 Telling the Story through Lighting 199 Style, Planning, and Preparation 200 Action Steps: Planning the Lighting 201 How Do I... Light for Mood? 202 Three-Point Lighting 203 Action Steps: How to Set Up Three-Point Lighting 203 The Lighting Ratio 204 Continuity and Your Lighting Triangle 205 How Much Light? 206 Adjusting the Lights 207 Producer Smarts: How Long Will Setups Take? 208 Outdoor Lighting 208 Adjusting for Weather and Time of Day 209 Practical Outdoor Setups 210 Indoor Lighting 211 Lighting Diagrams 211 Practical Indoor Setups 213 00_LEI_1699_FM_i-xxviii.indd 21
xxii CONTENTS Special Lighting Situations 215 Low Light and Mixed Light 215 Skin-Tone Variations 215 Lighting for Movement 216 Lighting for VFX and Animation 216 Chapter 9 Essentials 218 10 Sound 219 Principles of Sound Design 220 Producer Smarts: The Sonic Business 222 Planning Sound Design 222 Dialogue and Sound Effects 223 Action Steps: Annotate Your Script for Sound Opportunities 224 The Music Plan 224 Business Smarts: Licensing Music 226 Sound Recording 227 Recording Best Practices 227 Tech Talk: Acoustics 228 Action Steps: Using the Boom 229 How Do I... Fulfill Sound Requirements? 231 Production Recording: Dialogue 232 Recording Sound Effects 233 Recording Levels 233 Microphones 234 Recording Equipment 237 Postproduction Sound 238 Tech Talk: Mixing Consoles 239 Action Steps: Prepping for Editing and Mixing 240 Dialogue Editing 240 ADR 241 Sound Effects Editing 242 Foley 243 Music Editing 243 Art of the Mix 244 Chapter 10 Essentials 247 00_LEI_1699_FM_i-xxviii.indd 22
CONTENTS xxiii Part THREE 11 Production Glue 249 Editing Skills 251 Getting Started 252 NLE Hardware 253 Computer 253 Monitor 253 Cards and Devices 254 NLE Software 254 Organize a Workflow 256 Logging 256 Ingest 256 Backup/Storage 257 Resolution 257 Producer Smarts: Stretching Resources 258 Organize the Assembly 259 Files and Bins 259 Timelines 261 Technical Assembly Techniques 263 Action Steps: Art of the Trim 264 How Do I... Keep Track of Footage? 266 Finishing 265 Tech Talk: Native Editing 267 Action Steps: Adding Titles and Graphics 268 Offline/Online Workflow 269 Color Correction 270 Outputting a Master File 272 Chapter 11 Essentials 274 12 Telling the Story through Editing 275 The Phases of Editing 276 Producer Smarts: Watch Yourself 278 Find the Rhythm 279 Analyze the Material 280 Transition In and Out 282 Action Steps: Cutting a Conversation 283 Editing Basics 284 The Styles 284 Action Steps: Art of the Montage 286 The Rules 287 Breaking the Rules 289 How Do I... Show Point of View through Editing? 290 Transitions and Cuts 291 Types of Transitions 292 Types of Cuts 293 Chapter 12 Essentials 296 00_LEI_1699_FM_i-xxviii.indd 23
xxiv CONTENTS 13 Visual Effects and Animation 297 VFX Overview 299 Planning Visual Effects 299 Storyboards and Previsualization 300 Producer Smarts: Affording Visual Effects 301 Typical Visual Effects 302 Action Steps: Wire Removal 305 Special Effects 306 How Do I... Embrace Simplicity in Visual Effects? 307 Computer-Generated Imagery 311 Action Steps: Plate Photography 315 Character Animation 317 Key Techniques 317 Motion Capture 318 Managing Data 320 Chapter 13 Essentials 322 Part FOUR 14 Filmmaking and Beyond 323 Marketing and Distribution 325 Defining the Audience 326 Learning from Your Audience While You Work Your Movie 327 Action Steps: Preview Screening 328 Kinds of Audiences 329 Reaching Your Audience 330 Action Steps: Messaging Your Movie 330 Publicity and Promotion 331 Action Steps: Making Your Trailer 333 How Do I... Market My Movie Like a Pro? 334 Producer Smarts: The Producer s Role in Marketing 335 Paid Marketing 335 Distributing Your Film 336 Distribution Basics 336 DIY Distribution 337 Festivals 338 Business Smarts: Distribution Rights 339 Action Steps: Entering a Film Festival 340 Studio (Theatrical) Distribution 342 Distribution Patterns 342 Exhibition Venues 343 00_LEI_1699_FM_i-xxviii.indd 24
CONTENTS xxv The Right Date 344 Business Smarts: Piracy 345 Windows 346 Chapter 14 Essentials 347 15 Careers in Filmmaking 349 Analyzing the Credit Roll 350 How Do I... Decide on a Career Path? 352 Navigating the Industry 353 Networking 353 Internships 354 Helping Yourself 356 Action Steps: Creating a Demo Reel 358 Business Smarts: Build Your Online Platform 360 Chapter 15 Essentials 362 Glossary 365 Index 377 00_LEI_1699_FM_i-xxviii.indd 25