Reddit Reddit reviews How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro

We found 7 Reddit comments about How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro
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7 Reddit comments about How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro:

u/HybridCamRev · 9 pointsr/Filmmakers

/u/SquidLoaf - welcome to the world of filmmaking!

You might want to read a book or two before you start.

The book I recommend to everyone just starting out is "[How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: Advice to Make any Amateur Look Like a Pro] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051NHJFU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0051NHJFU&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)" [Referral Link] ($8.99 for Kindle).

This book was written by Hollywood writer/director [Steve Stockman] (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1870021/), who directed Sally Field in [Two Weeks] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TV1ST2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000TV1ST2&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20) [Referral Link]. It is a great introduction to visual storytelling for beginners.

Here is the book trailer: http://vimeo.com/24147165

Reading Steve's book will save you a lot of time and money - and make your videos better right out of the gate.

It won't really help with equipment selection, but it may help with something even more important - storytelling.

Once you've read the book, you can get started by shooting your first videos with your smartphone. If you have an iPhone, you can download FiLMiC Pro ([$9.99 from iTunes] (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/filmic-pro/id436577167?mt=8&at=1000l8mT)) [Referral Link].

For Android, you can download [FiLMiC Pro] (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.filmic.filmicpro&hl=en) or [Cinema FV-5 for $2.49] (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flavionet.android.cinema.pro&hl=en) on Google Play.

These apps will allow you to control aspect ratio, white balance, exposure, resolution and frame rates - turning your phone into a pretty good approximation of a camcorder.

For about $20, the price of a book and an app, you can get started on the road towards becoming a filmmaker.

Hope this is helpful, good luck and best of the holidays to you and yours!

u/HybridCameraRevoluti · 6 pointsr/Filmmakers

When I was in film school 35 years ago, I had to read a bunch of expensive books - none of them taught me the answers to these questions. I had to figure it out for myself. Today, a few inexpensive Kindle books will save you a lot of time and headaches and give you a much better idea of what you actually have to do to make a movie.

Here's what I would read if I were starting out today - all from authors who have actually made movies, not just written about it (prices as of this post):

["11 Simple Steps to turn a Screenplay into a Marketable Movie" - 99 cents] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009YKJ5UI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009YKJ5UI&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20). This is a real world story of a guy who made a $10,000 movie that made money.

["How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro" - $7.69] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051NHJFU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0051NHJFU&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20). You probably already have a firm foundation in the basics of storytelling, but here is a nice little summary of what it takes to make a movie watchable.

And, if you can afford it

["Raindance Producers' Lab Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking" - $22.99] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GISSHO4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00GISSHO4&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20). Soup to nuts for the low budget filmmaker.

The authors of these three books have actually made movies. Better to learn from their hard-won experience than to go out and reinvent the wheel.

Good luck!

u/benwubbleyou · 3 pointsr/Filmmakers

A book that really helped me learn how to properly shoot was "How To Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck" by Steve Stockman. It's only like 12 bucks on amazon.

u/brunerww · 2 pointsr/videography

Hi /u/fynnz0r - here's a ten year old article from Videomaker with the basics: http://www.videomaker.com/article/9254-how-to-use-a-camcorder-buttons-and-contols

Once you have the basic terminology down, you may find it useful to read something like: "[How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051NHJFU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0051NHJFU&linkCode=as2&tag=battleforthew-20)". The Kindle version is only $3, and it will be a good grounding in the fundamentals of videography.

Then, I would look at some of the basic how-to videos on the Internet - I like the approach over at [Wistia] (http://wistia.com/learning/diy-office-video-studio).

After that, you'll be ready to look at some of the resources other people have recommended (such as IndyMogul, FilmRiot and No Film School). I also like Dave Dugdale's [Learning DSLR Video] (http://www.learningdslrvideo.com/).

Hope this is helpful!

Bill

u/luxshots_films · 2 pointsr/videography

Those mics ain't gonna cut it. If you are fond of Rode, look into their NTG-2. These aren't specifically designed to be mounted on camera, as they work best boomed over (or scooped under) talent. For the best audio possible, you want to have the boom mic just outside of frame. If you plan on shooting interview style setups, I suggest you go the wireless lav mic route, so you can run two or more mics right on talent, and not have to worry about having a boom operator (or two) . I suggest this one from Saramonic set. I have used this in everything from weddings to legal depositions, and it has never let me down.

But you also may need a mixer recorder. This is so you can adjust the levels for each person separately, as everyone doesn't talk the same loudness. I use the Tascam DR-60D, they are cheap, but they have a glaring problem, that they won't recognize over a 16GB SD card. For that reason alone, I recommend getting a DR-70D or a competing mixer/recorder from Zoom. The reason why I recommend these instead of ones that are cheaper, is that these have dedicated physical gain buttons for each channel, so you can "ride the pots" to keep your levels where they need to be.

Lastly, since you're a Noobie, I don't want you to suck, so I picked out some great, cheap, Kindle books that I've bought and read cover to cover, and they really helped BIG TIME! I recommend this book called How to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck and The Angry Filmmakers Survival Guide - Part One (this is more about indie film production, but damn near everything can be applied to your use case).

I spent several years getting my lighting chops doing portraiture photography. I knew how to do what I needed with soft and hard light from studio strobes. But dealing with "hot lights" (continuous lighting) for multiple people or a whole room is something else altogether! The most expensive book I'll recommend (around $22.00 USD) is Lighting for Cinematography Please buy this book!! It is fascinating the amount of information you learn from this publication, as it's chock full of pictures from on sets of lighting setups.

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I hope this helps!