The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age: Fifth Edition

Very detailed breakdown of how to do film production. Even if you are specializing in a particular department, you should read this book. It gives excellent information that helps you make informed decisions based on the type of production. It also goes into detail about each aspect of the film making process. If you feel overwhelmed by the amount of information surrounding film production, this one book will give you the confidence to make informed decisions. It breaks everything down into understandable language and is easy to read. It also helps you learn about the various options you have as a film maker. This truly is a film makers Bible! I don't think I would recommend it to costumers or make up artists but for anyone working in the technical fields surrounding film production this is a great resource book.

I have an entire library of filmmaking books - this one book (esp. the 2008 update) is fantastic - covering every aspect of filmmaking - and not just the technical stuff - even working with actors, directing and some basics of film theory. Of course it is best at the technical side - including HD production and post production editing. Very few of my collection come close to this one for breadth and depth.

I was assigned to read this as a textbook for my film class and wow, this book gets down to every little technical detail you could think of when it comes to making movies. This is definitely an invaluabe resource for anyone who's interested in making narrative, documentary, experimental, or corporate movies with a video or film camera(s).The book explains the differences between the multitude of film systems from super 8 to 35mm, it goes into detail about how the camera works, discusses how to take care of your equipment and why, and goes all the way up to funding and distributing your movie. There are nine appendices which includes charts and calculations on how to adjust certain aspects of the camera/lens/etc. to get the certain look you want. So if you're on a set and need to adjust something on (or inside) the camera but are unsure of the calculations, it's just quick flip of the book to the appendix to find what you need.The book also deals with the scientific features of filmmaking so anyone can get a better idea of how the various aspects of filmmaking work and which way of doing things is best for the filmmakers particular needs.A few problems arise however. The technical jargon can be overwhelming sometimes and may require you to reread a paragraph several times in order to get a clear understanding of what the author is talking about. The fact that there's no glossary doesn't help that problem either. My biggest gripe however is the lack of coverage on digital filmmaking. The book is outdated and lacks the information needed for people wishing to make movies with DV cameras. Despite those problems, I still HIGHLY reccomend this book to anyone wishing to make films.

I'm getting into film production but don't have time to attend a real film school. And I'm basically interested in the mechanics of filmmaking - so this book The Filmmkaer's Handbook is perfect.It gets down to all the basics of filmmaking. If you want to know what a line producer does, how light meters work and the ratio of film stock to projection, this is the book for you.It's thick but easy to read with nice B & W illustrations. As a novice and somebody who wants to know how a movie is made this book is perfect. I was really impressed by how simple and to the point this book was on the mechanics and made it an easy read. I will keep in hand at all times for reference as well!Very well done and exactly what I was looking for in a filmmaking book!