Filmmaking in Action

by Leipzig, Adam; Weiss, Barry S.; Goldman, Michael

• ISBN13: 9780312616991
• ISBN10: 0312616996
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2015-07-15
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's

Summary

Learn the craft of video and filmmaking and develop the right skills through a focus on storytelling and collaboration from the esteemed authors of Filmmaking in Action.

Author Biography

Adam Leipzig is the CEO of Entertainment Media Partners, which provides informed guidance for independent media companies, financiers, and producers, and is the publisher of Cultural Weekly (www.culturalweekly.com). Adam teaches at Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, in the Executive Education program of UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, and in UCLA's Professional Producing Program. He has overseen more than 25 movies as producer, executive, or distributor, including March of the Penguins; Dead Poets Society; Titus; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids; Amreeka; and The Story of the Weeping Camel. Adam served as president of National Geographic Films and as senior vice president at Walt Disney Studios, and in each of those positions was responsible for the movie industry's most profitable film of the year. He is the author of　Inside Track for Independent Filmmakers: Get Your Movie Made, Get Your Movie Seen, a how-to manual with tips for solving the problems most faced by emerging and independent filmmakers. Adam worked his way through college with a number of summer jobs, including a stint as a garbage collector for the City of Los Angeles. He says it prepared him well for his work in Hollywood. Adam loves to hear from his readers; contact him at [e-mail].

 

After completing his MFA at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Barry worked on some of the most profitable, award-winning projects of the last 20 years. In the roles of animation executive, producer, and collaborator with Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, Nickelodeon, and Turner Pictures, he has achieved an unparalleled record of success. Barry was instrumental in the creation of two animation studios, leading the teams that created the animated characters for the Stuart Little and Spider-Man franchises, plus characters for 20 additional films, such as Open Season and Academy Award nominee Surf's Up. He is credited on 62 films and shorts, two of which have won Academy Awards and eight additional nominations. Barry is also an Emmy Award winner. Barry began his Hollywood career as a tour guide at Universal Studios. He still has fond memories of his daily encounters with mechanical sharks and flash floods.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Big Picture
Why Make a Film?
Three Filmmaking Principles
Six Filmmaking Viewpoints
The Filmmaking Path
Chapter Essentials

Part 1. Concept and Preparation

Chapter 2: Start with the Script
Where Do Ideas Come From?
Theme, Story, and Character
Writing and Screenplay Formats
Development
Chapter Essentials

Chapter 3: Directing
The Director’s Role
Seeing Your Project through a Director's Eye
Planning and Visualizing the Shoot
Working the Movie You Just Shot
Chapter Essentials

Chapter 4: Conceptualization and Design
The Principles of Design
Design Plan
Previsualization
Chapter Essentials

Chapter 5: Production Planning and Management
Management Overview
Scheduling
Budgeting
Chapter Essentials　

Part II. Images and Sound

Chapter 6: Camera Skills
Your Screen is Your Canvas
Image Capture Media and Machines
Digital Cameras
Film
Lenses
Supporting and Moving the Camera
Chapter Essentials

Chapter 7: Telling the Story with the Camera
Basic Shots
Camera Angles: How You View the Scene
Composition
Creating Images for Continuity
Chapter Essentials

Chapter 8: Lighting Skills
Qualities of Light
Exposure
Color
Lighting Gear
Chapter Essentials

Chapter 9: Telling the Story through Lighting
Style, Planning, and Preparation
Outdoor Lighting
Indoor Lighting
Special Lighting Situations
Chapter Essentials

Chapter 10: Sound
Principles of Sound Design
Planning Sound Design
Sound Recording
Post-Production Sound
Chapter Essentials

Part III. Production Glue

Chapter 11: Editing Skills
Getting Started
Organize the Assembly
Finishing
Chapter Essentials　

Chapter 12: Telling the Story through Editing
The Phases of Editing
Find the Rhythm
Editing Basics
Transitions and Cuts
Chapter Essentials

Chapter 13: Visual Effects and Animation
VFX Overview
Special Effects
Computer Generated Imagery
Character Animation
Managing Data
Chapter Essentials

Part IV. Filmaking and Beyond

Chapter 14: Marketing and Distribution
Defining the Audience
Reaching Your Audience
Distributing Your Film
Studio (Theatrical) Distribution
Chapter Essentials

Chapter 15: Careers in Filmmaking
Analyzing the Credit Roll
Navigating the Industry
Helping Yourself
Chapter Essentials

Glossary
Index