Best book to learn DSLR videography from start to finish? (shooting and post production)

[tylerdurden1]

Any suggestions for a good book that teaches production/post production. I'm using a t2i and Adobe Premiere. I'm willing to switch programs if the book requires me to. I have no knowledge of post-production and minimal knowledge of filming.

I'm not looking to start a videography business, just would like to learn.

Thanks!

 

[Bobby49]

I'm also interested. I started shooting wildlife videos five years ago. I managed to dump all of my raw footage into Sony Vegas HD Studio as a video editor where it could be sliced and diced, titled, etc. Adding a sound track was fun. But then I discovered that the finished product was not very portable. The file size was huge.

Or, if not a book, maybe somebody can refer us to a web site that is good.

 

[Sean Nelson]

I will leave it to others to recommend material on post-production - although I will point out that there are a number of online tutorials that are available with a quick Google search. Whether you use a book or a video, it's invaluable to actually trying the things you're learning on your own system. You learn by doing, it's that simple.

Even more important then post production, IMHO, is having a vision for what you're trying to accomplish and knowing how to shoot it. For that purpose, you can't beat "How to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck" by Steve Stockman. It's not technical, but it is very highly recommended.

 

[havanna60]

having a vision for what you're trying to accomplish and knowing how to shoot it. For that purpose, you can't beat "How to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck" by Steve Stockman. It's not technical, but it is very highly recommended.

In earlier discussions Sean already recommended videothatdoesntsuck.com and I've bought it recently: absolutely brilliant book.

I have three videography books in my collection:

• Joe Caneen's runandgunvideography.com (Kindle),
• the Stockman book (paper),
• and The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age: 2013 Edition (by S. Ascher, E. Pincus)

The Ascher-Pinkus book is full of technical details, like a comprehensive, heavy text book. It is not meant to read from page one to the end (for fun). The Caneen book is brilliant, too, and much easier to read; very practical about lighting, interviews, audio, practically everything a run-and-gun solo shooter has to know without going into the utmost technical details. Three completely different books about filmmaking and cinematography.

Miki

--
Have fun on http://www.flickr.com/photos/99398503@N07/sets

 

[jkoch2]

Jeremey Donovan's review of Mr. Stockman's book is very succinct.

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www.amazon.com

However, camera technique is only a fraction of the result. Things Stockman recommends are often outside the realm of control, too, except in structured settings. For instance, the counsel to "keep shots under 10 seconds, shoot only 2 10-second shots per hour if traveling," is plausible in some cases, but impossible most of the time.

Other works to consider:

Trial and Error,

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Pain in the A**

Read the Fu**nny (Premiere, FCPX, Vegas, Avid, etc) Manual

Authors largely forgotten or anonymous.

Did anyone ever learn to cook by reading treatises on Haute Cuisine? Or master aircraft piloting by reading the memoirs of Chuck Yeager or Saint Exupery? Do Army recruits start by reading Clausewitz? And how about those sure-fire "get rich" guidebooks? Oh, some of them are sure-fire, but mainly on the basis of long term savings, thrift, and forebearance in times when markets sour.

Without disparaging the talents of authors of standard film school texts, very few of the people assigned to read them got very far unless they spent considerable, daunting time learning how to edit. In the DIY world, that makes all the difference. It involves lots and lots of time mastering excruciating, even tedious, bits of detail. Furthermore, it is not anything one can learn from a book without continuous interaction with the tools.

No different than practicing a musical instrument or fixing the home plumbing. Work. Not impossible tasks, but work. Learn to love it, and you may succeed. But you may also discover that the time required can be very daunting and exceed the reward. After all, most viewers have their standards set by lavish commercial productions they see continuously, yet often sneer at, or think the achievement rests on the genius of celebrity actors who star.

Comments never heard: "Oh, did you see [fill in blank]? Wasn't the editing great? And with no use of special effects, syrupy sound track, exotic location, pyrotechnic chase scenes, cliffhanger escapes, or guy-gets-redeemed-and-gets-girl ending?"