(Part 2) Top products from r/WeAreTheFilmMakers

These might help, especially the first one:

• What I Really Want To Do On A Set In Hollywood
  
  
• Film Production Management 101
  
  
• The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook
  
  
• The Complete Film Production Handbook
  
  From my own personal experience:
  
  First Assistant Director
  
  
• The directors right hand, the producers left
  
  
• Breaks the script down into what is needed, props, cast, etc
  
  
• Creates the schedule from the broken down script
  
  
• Hires the 2nd AD, 2nd 2nd AD and 3rd AD if neccesary (I've only worked on sets that had a 1st and 2nd, I did work on one TV Show that had a 2nd 2nd but they were more a field producer)
  
  
• Calls for the 2nd AD to bring the talent to the set when they are needed
  
  
• Tells the rest of the crew the planned shot after the director has blocked it
  
  
• Is responsible for keeping the production on time and moving, any overtime is on their shoulders (well, them and the production manager)
  
  
• Oversee's what the 2nd AD is doing
  
  
• Quiets the set down, lets everyone know when the director is going for a take
  
  
• Calls out the rolls (Roll camera, roll sound), sometimes repeats Action from the director, and calls cut after him (but louder).. you need to be loud to be an AD
  
  
• Makes sure the director got everything he had planned, every setup and shot
  
  
• Checks to make sure the director is happy after a take, if he is he calls "Moving on" and begins motion to move everyone to the next shot. Releasing the actors to their trailers, calling the DP into a meeting with the director to plan the next shot. It's like a huddle, everyone comes in, makes a plan, breaks and then it is the AD who is responsible for making sure everything happens.. and happens quickly.
  
  2nd AD:
  
  
• Makes call sheets
  
  
• Calls talent and crew for updated call times
  
  
• Uses PA's to pass out call sheets
  
  
• Shuttles the talent from their dressing room/trailers to the set and back as needed
  
  
• Typically in charge of the set PA's
  
  Plus there's a lot of paperwork involved, filling out time sheets, crew sheets for payroll, daily breakdowns, etc.
  
  [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistant_director](This wiki page) has a lot of good information on what the entire assistant directing team does. As well as the book that ou mentioned "The Film Director's Team" is also very valid.
  
  The hierarchy on set, if something goes wrong, is something like this:
  
  
• Producer > Production Manager (sometimes called UPM) > 1st AD and Production Coordinator > 2nd AD and Assistant Production Coordinator > PAs
  
  If you've been a non-union AD on four films, you are probably in pretty good shape. It also sounds like you might have enough days to apply to be a 2nd AD in the union, you may not need to go through the DGA Trainee program.
  
  You need 400 days worked non-union (with proof (call sheets) and pay (pay stubs) as a 1st AD to get in. Or if you have 400 days between working as a 1st AD, 2nd AD or UPM, you can apply to be a 2nd AD.
  
  Also, check out Sheli The AD on Twitter, send her a tweet and she should respond. She's really responsive and helpful and just an all around good person.
  
  Good luck, and if you are still non-union in the future drop (and based in LA) me an email to [email protected]. A good AD is hard to find, I've been with way too many bad ones.

The Rebel's Guide to Filmmaking is a pretty good introduction to cheap filmmaking - although more geared towards hollywood-like filmmaking.

Good tips on how to do things on the cheap though.

Mind you: if you're just getting into filmmaking you're looking at at least 3-6 years of short film/music video production, before you can even consider going into business. There is also the hassle of applying for money from different grants. This alone is just as important as your talent...And you'll probably spend lot's more than what you are going to earn. You also have to keep at it all day, every day - which means you can't have a normal job on the side... You can teach yourself anything, but a film making school might be a better alternative in terms of learning stuff fast and with the least amount of hassle: mentors, crew and equipment all available for free.

As far as the next big art movement I'm not sure what you really mean. But great leaps in art history is usually produced by accident by a small group of talented people working together. Where the next big thing in film will come from (and when) is anybody's guess: New York, Brussels, Paris, London, Tokyo, Sidney or Seoul...

Make sure this is really what you want though! Are you a good storyteller? Verbally? In my opinion most directors started out with the desire just to get the status that comes with calling themself a director. There are, however, some exceptions!

Good luck though!

I'm actually in the middle of reading this (http://www.amazon.com/Eyes-Wide-Open-Stanley-Kubrick/dp/0345437764) right now, and while it's not a biography and probably not exactly what you're looking for, it's pretty interesting.

It was written by Frederic Raphael, the screenwriter of Eyes Wide Shut. It's as much about the adaptation process on Raphael's side as it is Kubrick himself, but you get an interesting look into his creative process and how he viewed film.

If you are shooting with a dslr this is the best book I've ever purchased. It covers all the mundane aspects of filmmaking at the beginning that I am sure you already know all about but once you get into it gives some fantastic advice!

http://www.amazon.com/The-DSLR-Filmmakers-Handbook-Real-World/dp/0470876603/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1332334359&sr=8-2

A little pricey, but definitely worth it... It includes Quicktime video lectures and the materials to follow along. I used this to learn After Effects and it's MUCH better than sitting in a class. They have it for CS4 too. check here

I've read pretty much all of the books referenced here and I would say The Visual Story:
http://www.amazon.com/Visual-Story-Second-Creating-Structure/dp/0240807790

Nothing else provided as much useful information about how to make a good movie as this for me.

If you want to see what it is to truly break down action into its smallest and most concise bits, you need to read this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Directing-Film-David-Mamet/dp/0140127224

You need to decide what the impact of the action is. WHY does he need to shown deciding to head for bed? Once you have that answer, you'll have the action which best correlates to displaying that decision.

My favorite has always been Grammar of The Film Langauge. But you might also want The Filmmakers Handbook and Understanding Movies. All 3 are great books.

Sure, they make good stuff, too. Don't take my suggestions as the final word in what gear to get, use it as a guide for what you can get in a reasonable price range.

This one gets gets good reviews and is only $210, but you'll have to buy the power unit for an extra $250. That's why the AT might be a better buy for you.

It's sometimes embarrassing to have a DSLR because DSLR filmmakers show up to a pro set looking like Blankman.



I'm trying not to be too critical but Flourescent bulbs aren't exactly sought after for their CRI, flicker characteristics, and inability to be dimmed well. Sure, they output a LOT of light, but you need to be careful because they pulse like mad, have a REALLY strange color cast, they can't be dimmed, AND are really noisy if you get dimmable ones.

Just get a PAR64 as a direct light through diffusion or build a softlight with some bare studio bulbs for softboxes and (the only good idea in the whole tutorial) that crazy cake pan reflector painted white. Either idea would probably only cost slightly more (for the REAL bulb receptacles) and put out A SHITLOAD more light (and a better quality/CRI of light).
Also, it's not that hard to build film lights with spare parts. There's even a section that starts on page 144 of the Harry C Box Set Lighting Technician's Handbook that teaches you how to make quality lights for the same amount of money or slightly more. The coop light that they recommend is REALLY good and isn't an embarrassing blankman invention. Clients actually do respond negatively to cheap equipment.

Also, you can build a kino flo if you have the time. All you need is coreplast (corrugated plastic), some fluorescent shoplights with ballasts, and real kino bulbs (since they have a much more acceptable CRI and are more rugged by a factor of 100).

It boggles my mind how people are so scared of real film lights even though they are commonly hand-built for specific purposes in the pro parts of the industry I'll get off my high horse. I'm just getting really tired of DSLR shooters kludging everything together just because they're scared of real film equipment.

I'll recommend von Hurkman's Color Correction Handbook, which is exceptionally helpful. And thorough.

Best After Effects book ever. Taught myself AE using an older edition of the book. Still use it as a reference after almost 10 years.

http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Motion-Graphics-After-Effects/dp/0240814150/ref=pd_sim_b_6

Stanley Kubrick: A Narrative and Stylistic Analysis

One of the most academic looks at his movies in terms of narrative flow, his use of time and space etc.

If your intrested in these then you'll love Rob Ager's Anaylsis.

I read this one in film school and really liked it.

Independent Feature Film Production by Gregory Goodell
http://www.amazon.com/Independent-Feature-Film-Production-Distribution/dp/0312181175

Also, Michael Caine's Acting In Film is worth reading as well.

Here's a few:

Kubrick: The Definitive Edition

Stanley Kubrick, Director: A Visual Analysis

Stanley Kubrick: The Complete Films

Alright, I left my syllabus at school (on break) but here is the list of movies we watched this semester, and the style that we learned with them. Also, we used the book Film Art and almost all of the movies are referenced in it.

Narrative

Chungking Express- Kar-Wai

The Conversation- Francis Coppola

Ball of Fire- Howard Hawks

Jaws- Spielberg

Raging Bull- Scorsese

Nashville- Altman

Chinatown- Polanski

The 400 Blows- Truffaut

Back to the Future- Zemeckis


Cinematography

Stagecoach- Ford

East of Eden- Kazan

Ashes and Diamonds- Wajda


Mise-en-scene

Do the Right Thing- Lee

Written on the Wind- Sirk


Sound

A Man Escaped- Bresson


Editing

Strangers on a Train- Hitchcock

Grand Illusion- Renoir

The Seven Samurai- Kurosawa


Documentary

High School- Wiseman

Nobody's Business- Berliner


Avant-garde

Ballet mécanique- Murphy/Lérger

Meshes of the Afternooon- Deren

Scorpio Rising- Anger

Our Lady of the Sphere- Jordan

Alone: Life Wastes Andy Hardy- Arnold

The Heart of the World- Maddin

Have you looked into making your own?

i was looking at shoulder rigs yesterday and had the idea of maybe doing a diy rig and this is the rough list I've come up with so far.

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Make Your Own Damn Movie by Lloyd Kaufmann