Video Production Books

As with each viewing of an Antonioni film (sans "Zabrieske Point"), the essays in this book make the reader appreciate and "understand" the films of Antonioni more.

Antonioni is a genius, and what he has to say about the process of filmmaking is essential to anyone who wishes to make a respectable film.

And for those of you are still begging to know: Antonioni explains how he made that-probably the greatest in film history-final tracking shot in "The Passenger". God, what a shot that is!

This book is the bible on the 16SR camera system. It has everything you could want to know about this camera system. If you ever work on a music vide, comercial or low budget film this book is the best piece of equipment to have in your ac bag. It tells you how to do every thing from loading too trouble shooting it when something goes wrong.

If you browse through Jon Fauer's latest book, THE ARRIFLEX 35 BOOK, the following statement from page 28 might catch your eye. "This funny looking tool (ARRI K.4.30689.0), which looks like a scissors mated with a platypus, can be..." One might wonder, what kind of technical manual this is? But as you read on, the validity of the text quickly becomes obvious and statements such as the above, elevate Jon Fauer's book above so many dry, and difficult to comprehend technical books. From the first page to the last, 358 pages bristle with the most thorough and detailed information. THE ARRIFLEX 35 BOOK is comprehensive, providing the reader with the know how required to use, maintain and care for the Arri family of cameras, one the world's most popular professional motion picture systems.

The informative, logically presented text, peppered with Jon's wry humor, is amply illustrated with hundreds of clear and precise drawings and photographs that leave nothing to the imagination. All available accessories, even home made ones, are discussed in this detailed and illustrated text. Even so, the book is not restricted to technical information alone. Useful information, such as shipping weights, Arriflex worldwide suppliers, and sales agents are listed with included addresses and phone numbers.

Additional information, shooting tips, and other equipment used in cinematography are discussed. Jon's enormous research compiles the knowledge of some of the top people in the industry. When added to his own vast experience, this book, "platypus" and all, is clearly the best, most important and necessary text to anyone who owns, maintains or works with Arriflex cameras. It is simply a must read for students and professionals alike.

Good work Jon! Thanks very much!

Andrew Laszlo A.S.C.

I started my career in visual effects around the same time the first edition was published and have referenced it constantly through out the 9+ years. I bought the 2nd edition for two reasons, my copy of the first edition was falling apart and nostalgia. I was not expecting much new information and was mostly just looking for an intact copy of the first edition with a few new tidbits here and there. I could not have been more wrong.

The second edition has so much NEW information in it was like reading a time capsule of the technological advances of the last ten years. There is not a topic or subject used in compositing that is not covered here. Only two books have sat on my desk my entire career, the first edition and the cinematographers manual. I have read many books available on visual effects, but none compare, honestly. The main reason for that is complete software independence, not partial, complete.

There is no other book that teaches you the raw knowledge you need to be an artist. Anyone can teach you how to push certain buttons of a specific app, this is the only book that clearly teaches you when to push them and why. Artists in today's marketplace need a deep core knowledge of what the software packages are doing so that they can easily switch to other packages. This is especially true in feature film compositing where the industry is at a point of impasse and there is no clear winner of the package wars, fingers crossed for NUKE ;). There is no standard tool anymore so the best way to stay employable is to know what this book teaches, the math, the science, the art.

This book is chock full of examples, color photos and production examples. Whether you've been at this for a while or are new to the art, own this book. Own it for years and years and years. Yes, it's more expensive then any other book on the subject but it is worth so much more then the others that it will pay for itself very quickly. If you already have the other books, sell them, get this.

I'm a film buff and have read lots of histories of film as well as books about how films are made and this one is far and away the best. It is a fully detailed, extremely well written account of all phases of the movies--from the magic of movies to the business of movies. A particularly interesting feature is interviews with people in all aspects of the movie biz from producers, to screenwriters, to directors, to editors, to cinematographers, to casting directors and so on. It's also thoroughly illustrated....some of the stills are priceless. This is simply a "must have" addition to any serious film library.

Quite astonishing, wrote one critic, and this, often very dreamy, book of 1915!!! is exactly this. I am not a movie critic, just a reader and this book was a delight to read. It deals about the era of the silent movies, around 1915 when there were no Rambos or Terminators running across the screen with Qsound and computerised warping effects. It was the time when everything had to be expressed in gestures, like a moving picture book, because of the lack of sound.
The author therefore comes with a lot of interesting theories and opinions of how a story could and should be elegantly communicated in a moving picture. He even comes up with a theory of why California is as crazy as Hollywood seems to most of us now.
This work has to be a classic of movie pictures, just like The Art of War for the military, or Keynes for economics, and for people that are, like me, just interested readers of all kind of subjects, also highly recommended.

College-level libraries strong in video production techniques and teachings will find The Art of Video Production serves two purposes: as a classroom text it will offer a thorough grounding in the principles and skills of video production, and as a library reference it teaches not only how to make superior television programs, but how to juxtapose content and values and how to understand what makes for a superior production. Interviews with industry professionals offer analysis and concepts which can be used in all phases of production.

This book is a very good collection of essays that review and analyze Arthur Penn's "Bonnie and Clyde" in the context of the 60's and our own time. Discussions around the movie that have taken place at the time of its release and today have altered significantly. And that is what the book reflects on. Arthur Penn's essay in the collection gives an enlightening impression on the making of "Bonnie and Clyde" and describes the difficulties connected with the production of the film. His and David Newman's (who is analyzing the on going discussion of what "Bonnie and Clyde" is really about)pieces stand in refreshing contrast to the "academic" interpretations of the movie, because they reveal more than a view from outside that only sees the movie and succeed in giving a feeling for the artistic process instead of just analysing the final result. Steven Alan Carr's and Stephen Prince's essays offer wonderful contextualizations by looking at "Bonnie and Clyde" in the context of the film's influence on and from society and the film's influence on violence in American film history. This is for sure one of the books one should read in an attempt to understand "Bonnie and Clyde" in its historical context and its significance for American film history. And it is not only a source of knowledge and thought it's definitely also a lot of fun.

In Attack of the Killer Video Book, Mark Shulman and Hazlitt Krog, two veteran American filmmaker/writers who specialize in young people's film and video production,provide everything young people need to know to create their own masterpieces on video. Illustrated by artist Martha Newbigging's cartoons, the book stands out for a number of reasons, particularly the authors' ability to walk that fine line between making filmmaking seem "cool" to young readers while at the same time dispensing the kind of practical technical advice they need.

Shulman and Krog cover every imaginable aspect of moviemaking, including scriptwriting, choosing locations and costumes, shooting, and editing footage. What's more, they go beyond the technical details of production, providing excellent instructional material that teaches young readers how to brainstorm potential story ideas and how to promote their work and organize a premiere screening. Readers will benefit by the outstanding organization of the text into step-bystep thematic chunks - including assembling a production team, instructions for directors, handling and operating a camera - while at the same time enjoying the high-energy prose and lively illustrations.

Adults will value the book's underlying can-do theme, which shows how young people can create something of lasting value on their own while learning important lessons about creativity, team-building and seeing a big project through to completion. As a writer and organizer of film discussion groups for kids, this book is highly recommended.

It's incredible how many Aussies dominate our movies now. This is a great read about how they did it. The stars interviewed for this book are huge - Eric Bana, Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush, Naomi Watts, directors and many more. The interviews are quite candid and the authors don't gush over their subjects like magazine articles do. Anthony LaPaglia and Heath Ledger's stories are particularly interesting. There's good gossip for fans, great tips for aspiring actors and directors and inspiring tales for anyone else. Another great Australian export!