Reddit reviews The Filmmaker's Eye: Learning (and Breaking) the Rules of Cinematic Composition

The Filmmaker's Eye - Easy to read book that I've fallen in love with. Not sure if it's what you're looking for, but definitely something to consider!

https://www.amazon.com/Filmmakers-Eye-Learning-Cinematic-Composition/dp/0240812174/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502971148&sr=8-1&keywords=filmmaker%27s+eye

https://www.amazon.com/Visual-Story-Creating-Structure-Digital/dp/0240807790/ref=pd_sim_14_10?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0240807790&pd_rd_r=C197QEE8EMEY1KGN3N2E&pd_rd_w=PKzWC&pd_rd_wg=vF29K&psc=1&refRID=C197QEE8EMEY1KGN3N2E

https://www.amazon.com/Cinematography-Directors-Guide-Creative-Collaboration/dp/1932907556/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502971260&sr=1-10&keywords=cinematography

I'm a fan of this book, The Filmmakers Eye.

I am currently reading The Filmmaker's Eye by Gustavo Mercado
I am enjoying it a lot

Meaning is imbued into a shot (or any creative decision) by the filmmaker. Depending on the context, the intent, and the execution, a single creative choice (like a shot) could mean all sorts of different things.

In other words: you won't find a comprehensive guide with 1 to 1 definitions for every shot out there because meaning ebbs and flows. It's subjective, and interpretive. That's part of what makes filmmaking so awesome.

That said, a good place to start with shots is this book. It's basically Composition 101. It'll teach you the fundamentals about what shots are, how to recognize them, and generally what they're used for. But pay close attention to the title of the book...learning what the shots are and what they do is only the first step. Learning to break the rules in interesting ways, turning them inside out, flipping them on their head -- that's the mark of a great filmmaker.

Hey man. I definitely got heated. Might have something to do with sleep deprivation and the marathon of HIMYM I'm currently on.

Regardless, excuses aside. Sorry man, shouldn't have been that harsh.

I would LOVE to go into detail about every single one of your shots and what I would've done and what I thought needed work. But to be honest. It's all subjective. It's an art. You might like something that I hate.

THAT BEING SAID, there are some basics you should really avoid. And there are are things you need to learn in order to accurately pull that idea out of your head and successfully get it into film.

Instead of yelling at you. I'm gonna gather up some resources for you that I really hope you take the time to learn from.

Now I stated that

"You wasted 2:45 seconds. A lot of short films can make a grown man weep in that time"

I would just like to show you an example of what 2:42 seconds can do.

Here's the list:

QUICK VIDEOZ UP IN DIS BITCH:

Hands on lecture about Cinematography


Get out of AUTO mode! Some quick tips on shooting with a DSLR. I assume you're using a DSLR because that's what I started with. Regardless of camera this is great advice to start with

Wise words from my man Kevin Smith on independent filmmaking

Intro lecture on pre-production, script writing, and filmmaking in general

More DSLR tips and tricks



READING MATERIALS YO, READ DIS SHIT:

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Filmmakers-Eye-Cinematic-Composition/dp/0240812174

http://www.amazon.ca/The-Filmmakers-Handbook-Comprehensive-Digital/dp/0452297281



Now I understand if you can't afford to buy the books. When I was in highschool I was lucky enough to be able to beg my friends to borrow their camcorders in order to film my shorts. It's how I got started.

That being said I don't want to break rule #2 of this subreddit that I fucking love.

THAT BEING SAID.

LET'S JUST SAY.... THAT A CERTAIN BEARDED PIRATE.... IS CHILLING AT A CERTAIN BAY... AND IF YOU JUST GO TO HIM AND SAY THE WORDS "The Filmmaker" I'M SURE HE COULD HOOK A BROTHA UP WITH SOME OF DEM KNOWLEDGE PAPERS YA DIG?


Anyways brother/sister. I'm sorry about being harsh on your film. I wish you the best of luck in the future. All the stuff I've thrown your way you don't have to go through it all in one sitting. Just delve into some of them on your freetime every now and then.

Peace bitch. (I mean bitch in the nicestest most Aaron Paul way possible)

What have your read about composition?

http://www.amazon.com/Shoot-Video-That-Doesnt-Suck/dp/0761163239/ref=sr_1_1

http://www.amazon.com/Filmmakers-Eye-Learning-Cinematic-Composition/dp/0240812174/ref=sr_1_1

What videos have you watched that talk about composition?

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=film+composition

I liked The Filmmaker's Eye

this is the book we are using in my cinematography class. I really like it.

My favorites:

The Visual Story


In the Blink of an Eye

How to Read a Film (personally bored by it but a lot of film classes I took in uni versity used it)

The Filmmaker's Eye (huge fan of this book)

The rest of this post is just general advice on how to gain a deeper knowledge of film.

If you want to learn the grammar of film, read about film history (it will help introduce you to editing/camera movement/directing techniques and the filmmakers/films that influenced your favorite directors).

Read criticism from Pauline Kael, Andrew Sarris, David Bordwell (his blog is a fantastic resource), Jonathan Rosenbaum, and older critics such as Bazin/Eisenstein. There are more out there, but this is a good start.

Read reviews after you watch a film instead of beforehand--those reviews will hopefully give you a deeper view of the film. That being said, you really have to look around to figure out who you like, stylistically speaking. There are a lot of critics that have no idea what they're talking about from a technical standpoint. If you're bored with short reviews without substance you might like FILMCRITHULK.

Watch YouTube tutorials and video essays on filmmaking. Video essays are particularly helpful at illustrating and pointing out things that you might not have noticed otherwise. It's also a hell of a lot more entertaining than reading criticism that was written in 1962 in another language.

From a practical standpoint, pick up a camera and shoot something. Edit it. Read books on composition--I've found that photography composition books are pretty helpful. Read scripts from films you love and films you haven't seen to get an idea of how a film exists before the first day of shooting takes place.

Keep watching films, and watch them actively. Don't text during films, and try to watch them in one sitting. The goal is to immerse yourself in the image and analyze the shots/cuts/etc. as they happen. Watch films with commentaries, watch them with the sound off, and branch out into different genres and time periods so that you can attain a more concise view of film.

Above all else, watch as many films as you can. You'll find that the watchlist keeps growing, no matter how many films you see.

The Filmmaker's Eye is a brilliant basic starting point. Very easy to read quickly.

the filmmakers eye
http://www.amazon.ca/The-Filmmakers-Eye-Cinematic-Composition/dp/0240812174