READINGS
Presented here by Tier group are the collections of recommended and required readings to accompany the course of study. Essays, articles, technical guides and conceptual perspectives all form reference material for your course work and the page here should serve as a ready reference library for core elements of your study.
Where possible, the readings are made available here as downloadable PDF’s so you can have access to them off-line; in each case the online link for the article will be shown at the top of the PDF. Others here are links directly to the article as it sits online.
TIER 1
Film Analysis – Yale Film Studies
(This is the core reading for all areas of study at IFSS. Its provides a basic over view of all elements of cinema related to cinema language)
Ten Minute Film School – Robert Rodrieguez
The Language of Film – Michael Wohl
Dogme Manifesto95: Vow of Chastity
Murch and Dymytrk : Editing ‘Rules’…?
‘Dialogue and Sound’ – Siegfried Kracauer
‘ Film and Video Lighting for Low Budgets’
Panasonic DVC30 Equipment Test
Using Colorista in Final Cut Pro Introduction (mov)
Using Colorista in Final Cut Pro Advanced (mov)
___
TIER 2
Art of the Interview – by David Tames (PDF) + Notes on the interview
Images over time. Matt Soar & Peter Hall
The sound of sound: A Brief History of the Reproduction of Sound in Movie Theaters by Rick Altman
Practical Sound Recording Techniques for better Video by David Tames (pdf 34mb)
[absolute MUST READ document giving the most succinct and practical info on sound recording you can find Anywhere!]
Editing Voice Tracks Like a pro - by Jay Rose
Film Crew Glossary: Guide to roles and responsibilities
Digital Camera Composition part 1
Digital Camera Composition part 2
Composing a more dynamic frame with depth by Kendall Miller
___
TIER 3
Editing the Soprano’s. Interview with Conrad Gonzales by Tom Soper
Ken Dancyger The Technique of Film and Video Editing:
-Editing for Genre; Action Sequences
Color Correction by Kevin Shaw
When color correction is a necessity by Kevin Shaw
Layer it by Kevin Shaw – colour correction techniques
Professional Color Correction with Premiere Pro -
After Effects or Velvet Revolution. Lev Manovich
Depth of Field explained (video tutorial series focused on 35mm adapters such as P+S/RedRock)
EX1 Shooting Tips; Avoiding OverExposure, Creating Film look, Reproducing vivid colours
Sony XDCAMEX Software Browser guide (PDF)
Adobe Premiere Pro XDCAMEX workflow guide
Light: Why we need light by Ryan Patrick O’Hara
An Open letter from your Sound Department
US Editor’s Guild magazine : Norman Hollyn’s Interviews with feature editors
___
TIER 4
UnrealCity : How ILM used the Unreal game engine to pre-visualize Stephen Speilberg’s AI.
Form in Motion: An interview with filmmaker and motion graphic artist Matt hanson on title sequences and motion graphics.
Web Video 2.0: Delivering your video on the web - By David Tames
Creating ‘lean forward moments’ – In this podcast editor and USC film school teacher, Norman Hollyn, talks about using the craft of editing to create moments in films that affect the audience’s emotions. He also shares his advice to film students entering the job market and his take on managing the chaos in the edit room.
Art Direction Wiki – a free online repository of information relating to new and classic technologies and methodologies relevant to the art of film design.
___
CINEMATOGRAPHY
The history of the discovery of cinematography
Film Analysis – Yale Film Studies
The art of pulling focus video series. looks at technique and process of using follow-focus lens systems:
- The art of pulling focus Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3
Depth of field video tutorials:
- Understanding Depth-Of-Field
Concept Art Composition – Part1 – Part2- Part3
Exposure Meters for Cinematographers (PDF) – Gerald Hirshfield
Camera reports: The right way – Rayn Patrick O’Hara
Lowel EDU – comprehensive site dedicated to tutorials and information on lighting techniques
A Chronicle of the Motion Picture Industry
Colour Temperature – A crash course by Ryan Patrick O’Hara
35mm Film and the Golden Rectangle
RED RAW and Beyond HD (RAW format and IFSS Workflow)
___
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
Below are a selection of books that should be on the shelf of every filmmaker and are recommended reading for all students.
The Lean Forward Moment by Norman Hollyn. A profoundly engaging, dynamic and inspiring book that gets right into the meat of what editign is and how the ‘lean forward’ moment is developed in the audience through change and difference. Not a technical editing book but one focused on the articulation of story, character and cinematic engagement.
On Filmmaking by Alexander Mackendrick. An introduction to tge craft of the Director.
The Filmmakers Handbook by Steven Ascher and Edward pincus. The absolute indispensable bible on cinema production.
Directing Feature Films: The Creative Collaboration Between Director, Writers, and Actors by Mark Travis
Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television by Judith Weston
The DV rebels guide by Stu Machwitz. Fresh, ‘no-bullshit’ and utterly packed with a dynamic and innovative approach to indie production.
The power of film by Howard Suber. An absolutely engrossing anthology of micro 1-2 page essays on cinematic ideas using creative surgery to isolate profound dramatic concepts.
Great sound for Digital Video by Jay Rose. Everything you ever need to know about digital sound production made very very accessible.
Writing the TV drama series by Pamela Douglas. Great read on episodic TV drama writign alogn side soem insightful interviews with some the best writers of the last 20 years such as Aaron Sorkin (West Wing) and David Milch (Deadwood)
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. A great insight into screenwriting and what it is that makes us Want to Watch.
Conversations: Walter Murch and the art of editing by Michael Ondaajte. A book compiled from interviews and discussiosn between acclaimed author Michael Ondaajte and film editor Walter Murch.
Film Art by David Bordwell and Kristen Thompson. The definitive text on film style and cinema analysis.
The Language of New Media by Lev Manovich. One of the most important text for understanding the language of cinema in the digital age.
So you want to be a producer? by Lawrence Turman. What does it take to be a producer, how does one get started, and what on earth does one actually do?
[...] Readings [...]
[...] Readings [...]
[...] Readings [...]
[...] READINGS [...]
hey mike – you need a blog on successful public screenings!!!!