How to Shoot Video That Doesnt Suck

Description

"How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck" is all about the language of video. It's about how to think like a director, regardless of equipment (amateurs think about the camera, and pros think about communication). It's about the rules developed over a century of movie-making - which work just as well when shooting a two-year-old's birthday party. Written by Steve Stockman, the director of "Two Weeks" (2007), plus TV shows, music videos, and hundreds of commercials, "How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck" explains in 74 short, pithy, insightful chapters how to tell a story and entertain your audience. Here's how to think in shots - how to move-point-shoot-stop-repeat, instead of planting yourself in one spot and pressing 'Record' for five minutes. Why never to shoot until you see the whites of your subject's eyes. Why to 'zoom' with your feet and not the lens. How to create intrigue on camera. The book covers the basics of framing, lighting, sound (use an external mic), editing, special effects (turn them off), and gives specific advice on how to shoot a variety of specific situations: sporting events, parties and family gatherings, graduations and performances. Plus, how to make instructional and promotional videos, how to make a music video, how to capture stunts, and much more. At the end of every chapter is a suggestion of how to immediately put what you learned into practice, so the next time you're shooting you'll have begun to master the skill. Accompanying the book is a website with video clips to illustrate different rules, techniques, and situations.

Steve Stockman is a director, producer, and writer of films, television shows, and commercials. He made the feature film Two Weeks (2007) starring Sally Field, Ben Chaplin, and Tom Cavanagh. Every summer he mentors aspiring filmmakers and teaches video-making at Summer Stars Camp. He lives with his family in Los Angeles.

Stockman has packed a veritable film school between the pages of this highly informative, yet entertaining book. Very highly recommended. --Videomaker Magazine Great tips from a video expert. --PC World Whip-smart and funny... teaches readers how to think about film and reveals the why and when behind techniques; there is next to zero tech or tool talk. --Library Journal His simple-to-follow guide takes readers step-by-step through the film- and video-making process --Kirkus Reviews "Like two years of film school in 248 pages. I've been in the movie biz for twenty-five years and I still learned a ton from Steve Stockman's How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck. I guess that means either I'm pretty dumb or Steve is really smart." --Steven Pressfield, Author of The War of Art and The Legend of Bagger Vance "Stockman has packed a veritable film school between the pages of this highly informative, yet entertaining book. Very highly recommended." --Videomaker Magazine "Great tips from a video expert." --PC World "Whip-smart and funny... teaches readers how to think about film and reveals the why and when behind techniques; there is next to zero tech or tool talk." --Library Journal "His simple-to-follow guide takes readers step-by-step through the film- and video-making process" --Kirkus Reviews "It's all in here--family video, business video. . . even college application videos. What's not in here? A bunch of technical stuff nobody understands. We can all shoot video on our smart phones or digital cameras--the question is, can we shoot video that doesn't suck?" --Joe McCambley, Co-founder/Creative Director, The Wonderfactory "The odds are good that some of you suck at video. . . Steve is one of the smartest media minds in the game. This book is the perfect gift for any would-be filmmaker with the need to suck. . . less." --Rob Barnett, Founder/CEO, www.MyDamnChannel.com "Stockman skipped past all the technical crap about how to use a camera and cut right to the chase: how do you shoot a video somebody else will WANT to watch? The only thing missing is a time machine so I could reshoot fifteen years of sucky birthday party and school play videos." --David A. Goodman, Executive Producer/Head Writer of Family Guy