Fundamentals Of Film Making, The

Description:
Through a combination of accessible language, visual material and key interviews the production process is illustrated in easy to digest stages. 'The Fundamentals of Film Making' offers a valuable insight into the working methods of film makers. Starting with clear explanations of the different roles within the production team this book sets out the division of labour and illustrates how these separate departments come together to produce a film. It is both a practical guide and creative inspiration to new film makers looking for a way to navigate the field. This title is aimed at foundation level and first year undergraduates needing to understand the basic concepts of the discipline before moving into more in-depth areas of film making, students of media, film studies and the visual arts, and amateur enthusiasts interested in developing their skills in, and knowledge of, film making.

Review:
'The Fundamentals of Film-Making is dynamite!' - Steven Womack, Watkins College of Art, Design & Film, USA. 'Good, all round compact introduction, ideal for beginners. A key text', Chris Twigg, Lincoln University, UK. 'A new book by author Jane Barnwell, 'The Fundamentals of Film-making' (AVA Publishing SA), offers readers a quick and entertaining reference guide to the art of making films. If you've ever wondered what a treatment is, or what a gaffer does, Barnwell's book is a valuable addition to your personal library. Barnwell, the Senior Lecturer at London Metropolitan University, carefully breaks down nearly every position on a film set...Her writing is straight to the point and easy to read. What I enjoyed about her book was the fact that she combines references to both old and new films. Her readers aren't subjected to endless paragraphs on why 'Citizen Kane' or 'Birth of a Nation' were towering film achievements. They were, of course, monumental films. But she keeps the prose fresh by speaking about new films and new filmmaking techniques...Barnwell has written a fine introductory guide to filmmaking. She has managed to condense a lot of information into an easy-to-read reference guide. Film students of today, you never had it so easy.' - Bill Kallay, From Script to DVD.com.

Table of Contents:
How to get the most out of this book. Introduction. The team: Overview of the crew; Departments and job descriptions; Collaborating and working as a team. Scriptwriting: Treatments; Screenplay - format and layout; Narrative structures; Protagonists and antagonists; Adaptation; Genre; Loglines. Producing: Production planning for documentary and drama; Documentary proposals; Budgeting; Schedules; Locations; Equipment; Distribution and exhibition. Directing: Shot sizes - meaning and motivation; Camera movements - methods and meaning; Master shots, cutaways, inserts and reactions; Parallel action; Shooting scripts; Storyboards; Working with actors. Production design: Visualising and breaking down the script; Concepts - the look; Space; Light and colour; Period; Process; Special effects; Costume. Cinematography: Format; Picture composition and framing; Lighting; Colour; Lenses. Sound: Audio field production; Microphones; Post-production sound; Music; Sound effects. Post-production: Editing; Continuity; Manipulating time; Montage; Continuous shot. Making meaning: Documentary; Representation; Realism; Genre; Ideology; Auteur theory. Appendix: Essential viewing; Essential resources; Mini interviews. Index. Acknowledgements and credits.

Author Biography:
Jane Barnwell is Senior Lecturer at London Metropolitan University, where she combines her passions for film making and teaching. After graduating from Leeds University and the Northern School of Film and Television, she began her career at the BBC and has since worked extensively as a designer for film, television and theatre. Jane published a book entitled Production Design: Architects of the Screen in 2004 and was awarded an Arts and Humanities Research Council grant this year for her project London at Home. Jane continues to work in film production, designing the British independent feature Making a Killing (2003) and has branched into exhibition work, co-directing special screenings festivals in association with Film London, BBC London, CIDA and The Museum of London.