Digital Filmmaking

By S.R. Watson and Ryan Stacks

Now there is no reason to prevent anybody from making a film. The technology exists, the equipment is much cheaper than it was, the post-production facilities are on a laptop computer, the entire equipment to make a film can go in a couple of cases and be carried as hand luggage on a plane. --Mike Figgis

In this indispensable guide, Academy Award nominee Mike Figgis offers the reader a step-by-step tutorial in how to use digital filmmaking technology so as to get the very best from it. He outlines the equipment and its uses, and provides an authoritative guide to the shooting process--from working with actors to lighting, framing, and camera movement. He dispenses further wisdom on the editing process and the use of sound and music, all while establishing a sound aesthetic basis for the digital format.

Offering everything that you could wish to know on the subject, this is a handbook that will become an essential backpocket eference for the digital film enthusiast--whether your goal is to make no-budget movies or simply to put your video camera to more use than just holidays and weddings.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0571226256
• ISBN13: 9780571226252
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux-3pl
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Young Filmmaker in AUS

"This is the new reality - it's virtual, man, get with it. Cinema is dead, long live cinema." (p.158, 2007, Figgis)

Good, quick read

I was impressed with this book, a teacher in my low-budget filmmaking class at UCLA listed it as required reading. It reads quickly and the author has some good ideas. Technology is constantly improving so some aspects of it were outdated, but the concepts were still strong. Good book, overall.

very useful book

I really liked this book. It was very personal and most useful. There are loads of books out there about how to do this and that. What I wanted was some great advice. For starters know your equipment inside out, get a book and write notes about how your settings work, try different combinations. I thought that might be obvious to some but it was inspirational to me. Another great tip was treasure your equipment. Keep it immaculate,...

A D.P. DISAVOWS LIGHT

In regards to an early criticism of Figgis's advice on lighting, one has to understand that Figgis is NOT unique in his suggestion of using "practical," available lighting. Figgis has served as D.P. on his movies, pre-digital. He shot Leaving Los Vegas, which had a national release. Many D.P.s adhere to starting from no kit lights first, which is possible thanks to Kodak coming out with faster and lower grain celluloid stock...

A powerful manifesto for a new breed of filmmaker

Mike Figgis's little guide is both inspirational and handy, full of insights into and practical information regarding the nature of the new digital cinema. It can be compared to Sidney Lumet's "Making Movies" for its simple and authoritative reflections, with the difference that Sidney Lumet is a fine spokesperson for the directorial task of injecting personal vision into the old studio system of making movies, while Figgis...