Filmmaking

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS = xi PREFACE = xiii PART Ⅰ. THE TOOLS OF FILMMAKING 1. GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE CAMERA = 3 THE LENS Lens Positions within the Zoom Depth of Field Lens Aperture and F/Stops The Body Filming Speeds—Frames Per Second—Fast and Slow Motion The Shutter Fades—Lap Dissolves—Double Exposures Focusing the Eyepiece FILM FORMATS, RAW STOCKS, AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS Film Gauges Chemical Composition Emulsion Speeds Color Temperature 2. LOOKING AT THE SUBJECT = 18 LIGHTING Lighting Hardware Placement of Lights Types of Lighting Lighting Ratio and Exposure Meters Filming with Unbalanced Light Natural Lighting—Out-of-Doors Effects of Lighting SEEING WITHIN THE RECTANGLE Cinematic and Theatrical Presence The Rectangle Subject Size: Close-ups and Long Shots Using Depth of Field for Emphasis Camera Position Framing and Composition of Elements Motion and Time Subject Movement Camera Movement: Pans—The Mobile Camera Using the Zoom 3. PLANNING A FILM = 44 GETTING STARTED Using Suggested Projects Getting an Idea Point of View A Word on Scripting 4. SHOOTING YOUR FILM = 51 GESTURE: VISUAL PHRASING Structural and Inferential Aspects Active and Passive Gestures Cutting on the Action FILMING WITH GESTURE FOR COHERENT EDITING: WORKING WITH SYNTAX Some Basic Transitional and Continuity Devices More Cutting on the Action Directionality of Movement: Role and Rule Systems 5. PUTTING YOUR FILM TOGETHER = 63 ORGANIZING AND SPLICING THE FOOTAGE Getting Organized Cutting the Film Titling A FURTHER WORD ON EDITING INTRODUCTION TO SOUND Sound Aesthetics Obtaining Sound Recordings: Use of Microphones Editing Sound Tape Synching Sound with Film LEVELS OF FILMIC REALITY HOW THE PROCESS OF MUTUAL INFORMATION WORKS PART Ⅱ. THE DOCUMENTARY 6. UNDERSTANDING THE DOCUMENTARY = 83 INTRODUCTION THE DOCUMENTARY AND ITS RELATIVES Newsfilm Feature Newsfilm The Informational-Instructional Film Promotional and Propagandistic Films THE CREATIVE INVESTIGATIVE FILM The Social Documentary A FILM WITHOUT A SCRIPT: THE INTIMATE DOCUMENTARY 7. WORKING WITH THE SUBJECT = 100 CHOOSING A SUBJECT FOR AN INTIMATE DOCUMENTARY DIRECTING THE SUBJECT EXPLORING THE SUBJECT INTERPRETING THE SUBJECT FILMING WITH GESTURE 8. DOCUMENTARY EDITING AND SOUND = 120 EDITING STYLES EDITING FOR CONTINUITY EDITING FOR EMPHASIS EDITING FOR PACE AND RHYTHM EDITING FOR JUXTAPOSITION Montage EXPRESSIONISTIC EDITING EDITING FOR THE INTRODUCTION AND ENDING DOCUMENTARY SOUND A Note on Interview Technique PART Ⅲ. THE FICTIONAL NARRATIVE 9. THE FICTIONAL NARRATIVE AS A FORM = 141 INTRODUCTION Oiling the Action: Viewer Anticipation Activities and Performers SOME FICTIONAL NARRATIVE “TYPES” Basic Episodic The Situation Film Disjointed Narrative Surrealistic Narrative 10. PRE-PRODUCTION—THE PLANNING STAGE = 152 IDEA SOURCES FOR STORY FILMS WRITING A STEP OUTLINE OR TREATMENT WRITING A SHOOTING SCRIPT STORYBOARDING KEY SCENES PREPARING A BUDGET—FOR THE PROFESSIONAL FILM SCHEDULING THE FILMING AND BREAKING DOWN THE SHOTS CASTING FOR CHARACTER TYPES REHEARSING THE SCENES 11. PRODUCTION = 171 LIGHTING FOR THE STORY FILM FILMING AND EDITING FOR CONTINUITY AND EMPHASIS SOME THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT STORY FILM SOUND PART Ⅳ. THE EXPRESSIONISTIC FILM 12. MAKING AN IMAGE: MAKING A LANGUAGE = 187 WHAT IS MEANT BY EXPRESSIONISTIC? MAKING AN IMAGE: MAKING A LANGUAGE (Shaping and Communicating a New Language). THE PERSONAL APPROACH METHODS OF TRANSFORMATION 13. MAKING A COLLAGE FILM = 214 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COLLAGE AND MONTAGE GATHERING MATERIAL THE FILM AS SUBJECT: ROLES AND RULES, GESTURE, AND AMBIGUITY Roles and Rules Inferential Gesture Ambiguity A DESCRIPTION OF SHOTS IN STAN BRAKHAGE’S PRELUDE: DOG STAR MAN CARL LINDER DESCRIBES HIS WAY OF WORKING 14. WORKING WITH PURE STRUCTURE = 241 SENSUALISM WITH COLOR, FORM, AND MOVEMENT BOB ACOSTA DISCUSSES HIS FILM NEW DIRECTIONS—ANTISENSUALIST FILMMAKING—REDISCOVERING TIME AND MOTION A. SUGGESTED PROJECTS = 251 INVOLVEMENT—CAMERA INTERPRETATION AND SUBJECT INTERPRETATION SCULPTURING WITH LIGHT WORKING WITH COLOR WORKING WITH MOVEMENT FILMING CLOSE-UPS SEEKING EXPRESSIVE CAMERA POSITIONS SEEING WITHIN THE RECTANGULAR FRAME AND MANIPULATING SPACE WORKING WITH TIME AND MOTION CONCENTRATING ON GESTURE SHOOT A ROLL OF DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE DO A MINI-STORY FILM USE A POEM AS A SCRIPT EXPERIMENT WITH SOUND TRANSFORM THE SUBJECT MAKING A MONTAGE IN THE CAMERA MAKE A COLLAGE IN THE CAMERA SHOOT A ROLL OF AMBIGUITY SHOOT AND EDIT A SHORT FILM TO ILLUSTRATE EXPANSION AND COMPRESSION OF TIME A FEW MORE IDEAS TO TRY B. SUGGESTED READING = 277 USEFUL ARTICLES FROM THE FILMMAKERS NEWSLETTER SELECTED BOOK LIST C. GLOSSARY = 284 INDEX = 293

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