What Is Filmmaking All About?
Filmmaking is the process of making a film, a movie, a video.
It's a collaborative art and the process is one where the film gets written many times before you end up with a finished print. All film elements must work together to support the story.
Filmmaking is about story telling.
Filmmaking is visual storytelling.
If you, the filmmaker or videomaker, keep this in mind, through out the whole production, you will have a high probability of making a great movie!
Films With A Great Story
where all aspects of filmmaking come together
The Shawshank Redemp...
Run Lola Run by Tom...
The Insider by Micha...
Blade Runner by Ridl...
Crash by Pau Haggis
Amores Perros by Ale...
Caché by Michael Ha...
Memento by Christoph...
Mar Adentro by Aleja...
Talk To Her
The Godfather II by...
The Usual Suspects
An Example of Visual Storytelling
Actors, Cinematography, Editing, Music and Script Support The Story
Share Your Thoughts
Do you want me to add anything more?
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RedSportNiac
Awesome lens. Thanks for sharing all these excellent knowledge. Well done and all the best. Posted July 05, 2008 |
I love the medium of film. Thank you for your insights.
Posted May 11, 2008
I would like to add one more movie that got great storytelling.. It's the great movie "300". The editing in this movie is fantastic (and the story is also great!) The film editing software used in 300 was final cut pro from apple. (Mac ofcourse)
Posted May 11, 2008
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SellingforEngineers
this is very interesting info on film-making which shows real insight and suggests new ways of looking at things. I enjoyed reading it. thanks you Posted March 22, 2008 |
Hi - Love your site/ lens. We also love films, and have setup a cool site called Film Annex. A place where you can watch, download and enjoy a range of independent, art and short films. Just Visit - http://www.filmannex.com
Posted February 29, 2008
The Best Book on The Subject, Hands Down!
The Visual Story, Second Edition: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, TV and Digital Media
Amazon Price: $23.07 (as of 07/25/2008)
Used Price: $20.00
Essential reading for filmmakers and producers who aspire to take advantage of the potentials of the medium. It opens your eyes to the wide range of ways in which moving images can be meaningful to your viewers. You will gain the insight and tools to make your own movies visually compelling and powerful!
What's Important in Filmmaking?
As a low-budget independent filmmaker, you wonder what will make your film succesful? You wonder which elements you should invest your money in?
All elements in a film are somewhat important as they also depend on each other. However, there are elements that are essential for the film to be succesful.
Even if you are on a low budget, you can still achieve good production values by "investing" in the following key elements.
Key Elements in a Film
- The Script/Screenplay
Without a story, we have no film, even if we have the best actors and/or production. - The Actors
Actors usually play fictional characters. When an actor is miscast, it's harder for the audience to suspend belief, in other words believe that the actor is indeed the character. - The Editing
The images themselves are not sufficient. They're very important, but they're only images. What's essential is the duration of each image and that which follows each image. The editor is the ultimate story teller. - The Cinematography
It's the discipline of making lighting and camera choices when recording images for the cinema. The person responsible for a feature being correctly lit, shot and framed, is also known as the Director of Photography (DP or DOP). - The Direction
The director is the leader who shapes the visual part of the story telling and creates the tone and style as well as guide the actors' performances. The decison maker. - The Sound
The sound is said to be equal or more important than the picture. It's composed of dialog, music and sound effects. - The Location
The accuracy and mood of the movie depend on where it is shot. - The Casting
The casting director finds actors for the parts in the script. This normally requires an audition by the actor. Lead actors are carefully chosen and are often based on the actor's reputation or "star power." - The Continuity
Consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events. It's particularly a concern in the production of a film due to the difficulty of rectifying errors after shooting has completed. This is handled by a script supervisor. - The Art Direction
The art department makes production sets, costumes and provides makeup & hair styling services.
Learn From The Best Teachers!
Is there a better education?
DV Filmmaking: From Start to Finish (O'Reilly Digital Studio)
Are you an aspiring filmmaker? Do you want to create films, but aren't sure where to start? Are you currently an amateur filmmaker, but need to tune some of your skills? This book doesn't just show you how to be a filmmaker, it lets you follow along with sample projects on the included CD.
Amazon Price: $26.37 (as of 07/25/2008)
Film Directing: Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Michael Wiese Productions)
This reference is worth the money. I learned everything I needed to know about setting up shots for my first two films from this book. Diagrams, pictures, instructions. Wonderful!
Amazon Price: $18.45 (as of 07/25/2008)
Painting With Light
A fascinating book about how to conceive, organize, and illuminate scenes in movies.
Amazon Price: $21.09 (as of 07/25/2008)
Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 07/25/2008)
The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/25/2008)
Video Clips on Filmmaking
Takagi Masakatsu: Multimedia Artist
Horrors of War EDITING 2 web doc
Moviemaking Techniques SHOT TYPES
Horrors of War EDITING 1 web doc
THE CUTTING EDGE: the magic of movie editing (pt1)
Lowel DVcreator Light Kit - 3 point lighting technique
What Is The Most Important Element in a Film?
Learn The Art of Filmmaking by Watching Movies
A more entertaining way to learn!
One of the best ways to learn how to make movies, is by watching films. The more you know about the art of filmmaking, the more you will learn. You name it, you can learn about it: scriptwriting, directing, editing, sound, lighting, shot selection and so many other things.With film appreciation you will develop your power of observation, establish habits of perceptive watching, and discover complex aspects of film art that will further enhance your enjoyment of watching movies.
Just keep watching...
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Movies to Learn From
Just Watch!
- 001- Garden State
Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff, who also directed) returns to his hometown in New Jersey after a decade...- 002- Juno
Facing an unplanned pregnancy, teenage Juno (Ellen Page) devises a plan to locate the proverbial per...- 003- Friends with Money
Set in Los Angeles, Nicole Holofcener's bittersweet tale examines the evolving lives of four women f...- 004- Secretary
Recently released from a mental hospital after treatment for self-mutilating tendencies, a young wom...- 005- In the Bedroom
Set in a tranquil town on the Maine coast, In the Bedroom tells the story of a couple (Sissy Spacek...- Try Netflix free for 14 days
Magazines on Filmmaking
These mags will get you started!
Articles, Stores and Video Clips on Filmmaking
- Billy Wilder: 10 Screenwriting Tips
- Billy Wilder was one of the greatest writer/directors in film history, having co-written and directed such classics as Sunset Boulevard, Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, and Double Indemnity. What screenwriter wouldn't want a little advice from him?
- 10-Minute Film School
- Article by Guerilla Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.
- Filmmaking Film School
- This is where you enter the online, filmmaking film school. Get started right now finding the great story idea, turning it into a killer screenplay, shooting and editing your film, and finding your audience.
- Move Beyond Amateur Filmmaking
- Wanna be a filmmaker? Just grab your DV camera and start shooting, right? Well, if you want to produce something more professional than a glorified "home video," it's not that simple. Article by Susan Boyer.
- The Cutting Edge
- This is a BBC documentary about the art of film editing. It shows how film editing came about, and explains all the groundbreaking. This is really a must see for any big film buff.
- New Tools in Film School
- "This young craft of storytelling keeps moving forward with big steps. Film school or not, instant liking for new tools or not, it's good to have an open mind."
- The Director's Chair ezine
- This page contains links to a series of filmmaking articles that were written for the monthly ezine, The Director's Chair.
- Filmmaking Gotchas
- What follows is a long list of tips that are based on things I've learned while making movies. Article by Jeff Cook
