Recommended books for DSLR Film makers.

BeyondersINC

BeyondersINC

Yo guys.

So what good books are there out there that you recommend for new DSLR Film Makers?
I have found one that I'm gonna order once i get this months payment and it is the DSLR Cinema by Kurt Lancaster.

I have read a lot of good reviews of that books and gotten a few recommendations.

Are there any other really good books out there for a beginner DSLR Film Maker? Not neccesary about the DSLR part but about film making and directing in general.

Thanks!
 
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While they're not books, but these video tuts (cost $149 each) might be worth considering:

Introduction to HDDSLR Cinema

In this course, first-time filmmakers and photographers making the transition into video will be introduced to many of the core building blocks necessary to make their first short films.

Students will come away from this online workshop with a good understanding of what tools they need for their productions, and when and how to best use them.

By Vinent Laforet http://www.creativelive.com/courses/vince_laforet


HDDSLR Filmmaking

For the first time in history a camera that costs roughly $2,500 can shoot material good enough to hold its own weight on the highest professional levels. Gale Tattersall, renowned Director of Photography, has been at the forefront of pushing HDDSLR’s in Hollywood. He shot the season finale of House entirely on a Canon 5DMII last year.

by Gale Tattersall http://www.creativelive.com/courses/hddslr-filmmaking-gale-tattersall


There are plenty of others, but these are the ones that came to mind.
 
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Okay, cool!
I just finished reading through the free guide at nofilmschool.com.

Sweetie, have you tried any of those tuts? I mean, if I spend 149 bucks on something it would be nice to get some confirmation that the tuts actually teach you something that is worth 149$.

Thanks a lot for all the recommendations :)
 
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BeyondersINC said:
Okay, cool!
I just finished reading through the free guide at nofilmschool.com.

Sweetie, have you tried any of those tuts? I mean, if I spend 149 bucks on something it would be nice to get some confirmation that the tuts actually teach you something that is worth 149$.

Thanks a lot for all the recommendations :)
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do not blow that much money on a video course, not because i think its crap but because do you really need to spend that much money at this point? the best way of learning is first to use the camera, there are plenty of online tutorials that are free which cover most of what these books tell you anyway, if you feel you have reached a great enough level to spend that much on the video then do so, but for now i wouldnt recommend it. iv bought only 3 books and studied films and used online tutorials to get me through, i was debating to go to a raindance film festival one day course but in the end didnt go.

still choice is yours.
 
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8salacious9 said:
do not blow that much money on a video course, not because i think its crap but because do you really need to spend that much money at this point? the best way of learning is first to use the camera, there are plenty of online tutorials that are free which cover most of what these books tell you anyway, if you feel you have reached a great enough level to spend that much on the video then do so, but for now i wouldnt recommend it. iv bought only 3 books and studied films and used online tutorials to get me through, i was debating to go to a raindance film festival one day course but in the end didnt go.

still choice is yours.
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That was exactly what i though too.
I have always thought that learning by doing is the best choice. Mainly because it's cheaper and also because experience by trial/error is better than just watching something and learning it in theory.

I'm not saying that the tutorials wouldn't do me anything good, but you're right about the part that i can spend 149 bucks somewhere more worthy. Like more lights :cool:
 
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BeyondersINC said:
Sweetie, have you tried any of those tuts? I mean, if I spend 149 bucks on something it would be nice to get some confirmation that the tuts actually teach you something that is worth 149$.
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I haven't watched them myself so I cannot comment on the quality of the materials. However, they do come rather well recommended. I suggest punching the name into google with "review" on the end of it to get more ideas of how good they are.

The differences between books and video tuts depend on your learning style and the material being taught. Cinematography is really visual. It's hard for a book to fairly describe the difference in distance of lighting, turning a subject slightly and see the slight differences on the screen.

There are some more technical subjects that are suited more to books. I find film business/distribution is really suited to books while sfx/cinematography/directing is more suited for videos.

While as others suggest, you can learn from doing. We all know that learning shortens out learning curve. So that 1 month of doing to get it right may be learned in 1-3 days or reading/tuts with some trying in there. Just do what suits you best to learn. Some people learn best by experimenting/doing (trial and error), others by being shown then doing (in person learning), others by watching (video tuts/classroom) and others by reading.

One thing I don't like to do is limit my learning. I work out what is the best option for me and do it. Price doesn't come into the equation for me. But that's just me.
 
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