Bryan Michael Stoller - Filmmaking for Dummies

Filmmaking For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2019952445

ISBN 978-1-119-61785-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-61786-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-61789-1 (ebk)

1. Chapter 10
2. Chapter 11
3. Chapter 19

1. Chapter 4
2. Chapter 6
3. Chapter 9
4. Chapter 10
5. Chapter 11
6. Chapter 12
7. Chapter 13
8. Chapter 14
9. Chapter 15
10. Chapter 16
11. Chapter 17
12. Chapter 18
13. Chapter 19
14. Chapter 20
15. Chapter 21
16. Chapter 22
17. Chapter 23
18. Chapter 24

Welcome to the wonderful world of filmmaking or as many now call it, moviemaking or digital filmmaking. Whether you love the escape of watching movies or the excitement, challenge, and magic of making a movie yourself, this book is an informative, entertaining guide to help you realize your dream. For the beginner, this book is your primer and reference guide to making a movie, whether it be an independent film, a short narrative, an insightful documentary, entertaining YouTube video, or just slick home movies. For the seasoned professional, this is a perfect refresher course (with many new ideas and tons of advanced technology) to review before starting your next big flick. My holiday release, Santa Stole Our Dog, was distributed by Universal Home Entertainment. Before I signed the contract with the studio, I reviewed the second edition of my book Filmmaking for Dummies, which reminded me of some great ideas and techniques and recapped some smart negotiating points when it came to signing contracts.

This book will inspire you to reach for your filmmaking goals and it will be a great adventure along the way! Filmmaking For Dummies, 3rd Edition, comes out of my moviemaking experiences both my successes and my mistakes and is bursting with helpful information and secret tips to assist you in making your own successful movie.

This book has been completely updated from the second edition of Filmmaking For Dummies, which was written almost 11 years ago. The advancements in technology have really gone further than anyone could imagine. Im actually writing this introduction from my spaceship quarters right now (okay, maybe not that advanced)! Movie cameras that used physical film stock are almost obsolete (at least in the independent filmmaking world). New technologies have made it affordable for almost anyone to shoot a movie now even with your smartphone! Dollies, flying drones, and camera-stabilizing systems that used to cost tens of thousands of dollars are now at the disposal of the independent filmmaker for only a few hundred dollars or even less.

The first television show I directed was an episode of Tales from the Darkside entitled The Bitterest Pill. The show was about a crazy inventor who created a pill that gave him total recall. The premise of the episode was that knowledge is power. With Filmmaking For Dummies, 3rd Edition, you gain the knowledge and thus the power to make movies. Whether youre a great filmmaker depends on how you apply the information and secrets youll find in this book. This third edition is jam-packed with all the information, techniques, and advancements in gadgets and software to help make your movie, along with tips and secrets including how to tell a great story and working with actors that you need to get started. This book that you hold in your hands (or are viewing on an electronic screen or in a futuristic hologram format) is your prescription for making your own movies so read it and call your distributor in the morning!

Ive written this book with over 40 years of hands-on experience (I started young, eager and nave at the age of 10), so I have the experience and knowledge of everything I talk about in this book through trial and error. I can save you a lot of time, trouble, and money because Ive been there before this book helps make your first time on the set seem more like youve been there before, too.