Nick Willoughby - Digital Filmmaking for Kids for Dummies

Digital Filmmaking For Kids For Dummies

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

Copyright 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2015937646

ISBN 978-1-119-02740-9 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-02747-8 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-02745-4 (ebk)

1. Table of Contents

So you want to be a filmmaker? Have you ever watched a film or a TV show and wondered how they made it and what it would be like to make your own? Well, you picked up the right book this is where your filmmaking journey starts.

Digital filmmaking is the process of creating and telling a story or presenting information through the art of film using digital video cameras. Basically, its a way creative people like you can turn the ideas in your heads into films audiences can watch on movie screens, TVs, or computers. The filmmaking process can take weeks, months, and even years, depending on the length and complexity of the film being made. It involves taking an idea, turning it into a story and a script, storyboarding the script into a series of images, recording the actors performing the script using video cameras and microphones, transferring the video clips from the camera to a computer, and editing the footage into the final film for the audience to enjoy. It may sound like a complicated process, but its not, really its fun, and Im sure youll enjoy every moment.

There are thousands of filmmakers in the world, living their dreams of making films and documentaries every day. You could be one of them! Digital Filmmaking For Kids For Dummies introduces you to the magical world of filmmaking and guides you through the process of making your own films to share with your family and friends.

There arent many places where you can discover and develop filmmaking knowledge and skills and then practically apply them to your own film projects. In Digital Filmmaking For Kids For Dummies, I give you all the knowledge and skills you need and guide you through the filmmaking process step by step.

They say a wise person learns from his mistakes and a clever person learns from other peoples mistakes. Ive learned everything I know from working in different roles within the filmmaking industry, and the mistakes I made along the way helped me develop my skills and made me better at what I do. The great thing about this book is that I share with you the tips and techniques that I learned, which saves you having to make the same mistakes I did.

In this book, you

• Explore the different types of camera shots and angles you can use in your films.
• Discover how to record sound using onboard and external microphones.
• Find out about how to light your scenes and add mood using natural light and extra lights.
• Edit your own films together using the editing tool on your computer.
• Create, film, and edit your own 60-second film trailer.
• Explore ways to share your films with others, including uploading your films to YouTube.
• Create, film, and edit your own info film or documentary.
• Audition people to play the characters in your film.
• Create a story, write a script, create a storyboard, and then film and edit your own short film.

Its better to understand the process and techniques of filmmaking before you go out and make your first film. This book helps you gain this understanding, as well as the following:

• Inspiration: I help you think of ideas and stories to tell through film and find ways of making your camera shots look great.
• Knowledge: I give you the information you need to get the best from your ideas and stories and turn them into amazing films.
• Skills: I show you ways to enhance and improve the look and sound of your films through camera and microphone techniques.
• Results: I explain how to edit everything youve filmed together and bring it to life in the editing tool to make a film you are proud to share with your family and friends.

You may know a little bit about me (especially if youve read the About the Author section at the back of this book), but I know nothing about you. Still, to write this book I had to make a few guesses and assumptions about the things you already know about filmmaking and about the experience you may have had before reading this book. These foolish assumptions helped me to decide what to include in this book.