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Filmmaking
Digital Filmmaking Resources
This page is reserved for listing of resources related to filmmaking. Please add links to web resources or details on print resources when you discover them. Make the title into a link by using the link button (globe with chain link) above, on the toolbar. Remember to look for tutorial videos, also! I haven't listed many tutorial videos here, and we could use some. Before you add a link, explore it and decide if you think it really is useful. Please fill out all fields in the table.
Treatment and Screenplay
| Title |
Organization or author |
Brief description |
What you liked / didn't like
|
Your name |
| Ch. 2 - 3 of Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling Off Your Shorts. In classroom library -- see bookcase. |
Lanier and Nichols |
Covers concepting, treatment, and screenplay, including short sample. |
Great for generating ideas, avoiding a boring script by using the concept of "reversal," keeping it manageable and cutting back ruthlessly -- excellent. Highly recommended. |
Ms. H |
| http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/Filmmakingguide |
BBC |
A website index with links to help guide a new film maker. |
It has a lot of good links and recommended reading and watching. Links help a beginner to anyone wanting to learn more. |
Meleeya Schwartz |
| Screenwriting: The Language of Film. screen_print.pdf |
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |
8 page guide that suggests activities for studying existing screenplays and (briefly) writing your own. Covers adaptations. |
Contains a page from screenplay for "Good Will Hunting," with notes at side -- good quick glimpse.
Contains a page from Sense and Sensibility by Austen and suggests you compare it to the corresponding scene from teh Emma Thompson film to study making a screenplay SHOW interior thoughts, etc. Seems like a useful exercise.
Link to Nichols Fellowship page is BROKEN; seems not to exist now
|
Ms. H. |
|
AFI Handbook pp. 62 - 67handbook2007.pdf
|
American Film Institute |
Explains screenplay format and provides sample screenplay. |
Most helpful breakdown of elements of a screenplay and how to format it. Recommended for that purpose; remember that telling a good story matters the most, but using the conventions will help you make yourself clear. |
Ms. H. |
| "How to Turn Your Boring Movie Into a Hitchcock Thriller" |
Borgus.com |
Runs through techniques used in Hitchcock films -- several of the steps listed here apply to the writing that drives the film (Hitchcock was meticulous about planning -- actors never allowed to stray from teh script). Covers things like irony, humor, dialogue, surprise, keeping story simple. |
Some repeititon, but very good overall. Emphasizes the use of humor in unexpected ways, to balance suspense.
|
Ms. H. |
|
The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprensive Guide for the Digital Age
|
Steven Ascher and Edward Pincus |
Covers everything about filmmaking, guides the reader through every part of the filmmaking process. |
Really good. It helps with everything you need to know about making a film. But in words that normal people can understand. |
Meleeya Schwartz |
| The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide pp. 1-14 (bookshelf) |
Anthony Q. Artis |
This not about scripted narrative films, but there is an excellent section on storytelling in documentary films. See ch. 1 |
Extremely helpful for documentaries (or any film, from a technical standpoint -- lots of good tips on equipment use) |
Ms. H. |
Storyboards / Framing, Angles, and Movement
| Title |
Organization or author |
Brief description |
What you liked / didn't like |
Your name |
| AFI Handbook p. 19; 49 - 61 handbook2007.pdf |
American Film Institute |
storyboard template p. 19
glossary of shot types pp. 49-61
|
Very comprehensive section on shot types -- SUPER. |
Ms. H. |
| The Grammar of Television and Film |
Daniel Chandler
(UK)
|
Top of page offers brief section on camera techniques w/ basic pics |
It's a good reference; some terms may have changed or may be specific to UK |
Ms. H. |
| Ch. 6 of F. F. T. |
Lanier and Nichols |
Suggests exercises for watching segments of movies with screenplay in hand, observing various aspects of the camera work.
One page of sample "shotboard" (storyboard / shot list)
|
It's a bit brief, but the student sample is OK.
Reccomends combining shot list with storyboard to save time, whereas some resources suggest handling these separately
|
Ms. H. |
|
Storyboarding (pdf to be loaded later)
|
Gil Garcia
Austin High School
|
Slides from Keynote presentation, takes you through storyboarding basics, then gives a short assignment |
Several different styles of storyboards are shown --helpful |
Ms. H. |
| "Rushmore" -- Criterion Collection (locked in cabinet) |
Dir. by Wes Anderson |
DVD extras include storyboard / scene comparison (only on Criterion Collection) |
Movie is really fun -- one of my all time favorites. Have not yet reviewed the extras (this is recommended by Gil Garcia) |
Ms. H. |
| Framing, Angles, and Movement shottypes.pdf |
Ms. H. |
Covers shot types, pulled from several different resources. |
I used some pictures from a storyboard book that I think are attention-grabbing illustrations of certain shot types. |
|
| Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know (bookshelf) |
Jennifer Van Sijll |
Title pretty much explains it; covers editing, camera position, camera motion, lighting, sound. Each technique is concisely explained with one page of text and a facing page illustrating an example from a feature-length film. |
EXCELLENT. You can quickly read several sections and absorb A LOT of great information. |
Ms. H. |
| Storyboard study plan -- set of instructions to get you started with a storyboard: storyboardstudyplanlitfilm.pdf |
Ms. H. |
|
|
Ms. H. |
| Sample Storyboard: drvstrybrd.pdf |
Unknown |
Sample storyboard for a driver's ed instructional film using the same template that we have available in the classroom. |
Basic -- shows that you don't have to have great artistic ability to sketch out a storyboard. |
Ms. H. |
| Storyboard Templates - in a folder in the front of the file drawer labeled "Siren." |
Unknown |
Blank templates for use when you create a storyboard. |
|
Ms. H. |
Production (Shooting)
| Title |
Organization or author |
Brief description |
What you liked / didn't like |
Your name |
| ch. 4:7 - 10 of F.F.T. |
Lanier and Nichols |
Ch. 4 covers assembling a production team
Ch. 7 - 10 Covers directing, use of equipment, light, and sound
|
Lots of pages, but it's not overwhelming. You can read it all in a few hours. You will see where you can skip past some parts that don't apply. Writing is tight, right to the point. EXCELLENT.
Note explanation of "not crossing the axis" pp. 120-121. The best explanation of this concept I've seen.
Note that writers strongly recommend shotgun mics with boom poles. We don't have that kind of mic yet, but we are working it. Our experience is that the mic on the GL-2 is working out pretty well. Sound has not been the biggest challenge in the past, but we will continue to upgrade the equipment as our budget allows.
|
Ms. H. |
Shooting Video Basics Shooting Video Basics_2.doc
|
Dr. Wes Legget
SchoolTube.com
|
Quick guide covers some important basics to consider when shooting |
Short but very good content. Example:
"Coiling"
If you do need to do a pan, point your feet in the direction the pan will end and begin the shot with your waist turned.
|
Ms. H. |
| The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide (book shelf) |
Anthony Q. Artis |
Focuses on making documentaries; covers choosing an idea and an approach, assembling a crew, shooting on location, interviewing techniques, and every imaginable technical concern for the beginner. |
EXCELLENT. Highly highly recommended. |
Ms. H. |
Editing
| Title |
Organization or author |
Brief description |
What you liked / didn't like |
Your name |
| F.F.T. ch. 11 |
Lanier and Nichols |
Covers craft of editing, cuts, dissolves, telling the story, etc. |
Start on p. 140 -- you don't need the preceding pages because your editing studio is already taken care of.
Emphasizes being ruthless with cutting back -- keeping the piece moving forward, eliminating what isn't necessary. THIS IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE I HAVE SEEN WITH STUDENT PROJECTS. Please, learn to cut back.
|
Ms. H. |
|
Video Editing
(several parts -- click "next module" when you get to bottom of page)
|
Cyber College |
Several pages of detailed instruction on conventions of editing |
Don't be fooled by lackluster web design -- content is sophisticated and interesting.
Might be a little overwhelming, but worth the time it takes. Just use parts that you need. Can help you think through HOW you want to tell your story -- might want to try something unusual to take your audience by surprise.
|
Ms. H. (recommended to me by experienced broadcasting teacher) |
| AFI Handbook pp. 36 - 38 handbook2007.pdf |
American Film Institute |
Explains how to use an assembly edit, get feedback, then go back to create final cut. |
The assembly edit seems like a good idea, so that the editor can get "unstuck" if she feels like she's out of ideas and unsure of where to go from a certain point. |
Ms. H. |
| Die Hard (Special Edition Steelbook) |
Dir. John McTiernan |
Extras contain an exercise where you can re-edit a scene from the movie |
Extras not yet reviewed by me; another teacher says students find this helpful |
Ms. H. (recommended by another teacher)
|
Model Shorts
| Title |
Director |
FYI |
What you liked / didn't like |
Your name |
| Strangers (2004) |
Erez Tadmor & Guy Nattiv |
Short Flim |
At the begining I liked the camera angle of the shot and that there was backround sounds and then there was some kind of music or drum beat.
I also liked that there were no words but you could see with there eyes what they were thinking and if they were to talk what they would say.
The thing that I didnt like was how it sort of draged on. It took a lot of uneeded time to get to the main part of the film, it was seven minutes long and it could have been around five.
|
Sam Cocks |
| Black Button- Short Film |
Directed By Lucas Crandle
DarkHeart Productions
|
Short Film |
The Black Button is a short film that just has two people and a black button. The thing I like a lot is the camera angles that the film makers use. Also people are on there toes and they want to know if he is going to push the button. There is also a moral to the short film which you dont see till the end of it. It also looks like the new movie coming out called The Box, but they are not the same. But the camera angles and editing are some of the best and most creative I have seen. |
Sam Cocks |
| Steven's Untitled Rock Show |
|
Talk Show |
I liked how he interviewed the band, and then how they took us through the recording process. When they would talk about where they started they would give a shot of the room and I find this helpful when watching and shooting. But i think this is a good example of giving interviews and the sound is really nice, because they all have mics. |
Sam
Cocks
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