Whether you are a working professional, a performance student or just interested in the techniques behind the effects, Secrets of Hollywood Special Effects provides the insights you've been looking for. This text is the comprehensive guide to special effects.
Many different kinds of effects are covered, including chemicals, pyrotechnics, weapons, levitation and weather. Written by a recognized expert in the field, this book contains over 200 illustrations and diagrams providing in depth coverage of every detail. Case studies and a "behind the scenes" look at the 'The Fisher King' are included.
Perfect for the professional or for the performance student.
Covers a wide variety of effects and techniques.
Numerous case studies and illustrations are included.

Filmmaking is an art, but, like so many art forms, there are basic underlying tools and techniques and a body theoretical knowledge that must be understood and mastered before artistic expression can flourish. This book is an invaluable resource for all aspiring DoPs.
Practical Cinematography can be dipped into for quick reference - perhaps to answer a specific question or deal with practical problems relating to a shoot - or read from cover to cover. It discusses the principles of cinematography and the expertise which is unique to the Director of Photography (DoP). It deals with all the basic theory such as color temperature and sensitometry, and all the practical things a DoP needs to know, from the make-up of the crew to how to prepare an equipment list.
* An accessible introduction to the principles of cinematography written by an award winning cinematographer
* Illustrated with 150+ images
* Includes a new section on DV

You see them on the video shelves, with titles such as Domestic Strangers, The Bride of Frank, The Blood Between Us, Strawberry Estates and Sandman. Skeptically, perhaps, you rent one and slip it into the VCR. Hey, you think, this isnt so bad--sometimes actually quite good. Suddenly, you discover that there is a whole range of movies from filmmakers operating outside the studio system that have their own attractions that the big budget fare cant match. You have, of course, discovered the world of independent filmmaking. Intrigued, you begin thinking that maybe you could do this, maybe you could make an independent feature film. In this work, J.R. Bookwalter, Ronnie Cramer, Mike Gingold, Eric Stanze, Steve Ballot, and 20 others tell what it is really like to make an independent feature. Covering such topics as the script, equipment, actors, publicity, distribution, all facets of production, and budgeting, these indie filmmakers give a virtual how-to for those interested in joining them or just learning more about how those interesting titles end up on video store shelves.

Many semi-pro and professional wedding photographers are looking to "wake up" their style, stay current, and stimulate business. And today, that means lifestyle photography, also referred to as "fine art wedding photography." Fine art wedding photography isn't just a catchy phrase; it's a modern approach in which design is paramount. Fine art wedding images are more graphic and stylized than traditional wedding photojournalism, as if they were pulled from the pages of a glossy wedding or lifestyle magazine.
Acclaimed wedding photographer Jose Villa was a pioneer in fine art wedding photography before it became a trendy buzzword. Here, he shares his secrets for bringing a stylized sense of composition, lighting, posing, and most important, design, to your images, while still keeping them organic and narrative. You'll learn Jose's trademark technique of capturing the more natural moment "after" a pose, and tips for getting images right in-camera to avoid the need for heavy postproduction. Final chapters show you how to integrate design through the delivered product, whether an album or slideshow, and continue nurturing clients after the wedding by expanding to baby and family portraiture.
Packed with real-life examples, solid techniques, and stunning images from one of the wedding industry's brightest stars, this book will both educate and inspire photographers seeking to update their work and satisfy a new generation of brides.

Written both for students and working professionals, this book walks readers step-by-step through the foundations of color grading for projects of any size, from music videos and commercials to full-length features. In this clear, practical, and software-agnostic guide, author Charles Haine introduces readers to the technical and artistic side of color grading and color correction. Color Grading 101 balances technical chapters like color-matching, mastering, and compression with artistic chapters like contrast/affinity, aesthetic trends, and building a color plan. The book also includes more business-focused chapters detailing best practices and expert advice on working with clients, managing a team, working with VFX, and building a business. An accompanying eResource offers downloadable footage and project files to help readers work through the exercises and examples in the book. This book serves as a perfect introduction for aspiring colorists as well as editors, cinematographers, and directors looking to familiarize themselves with the color grading process.

A classic guide to creative nature photography, now updated for the digital world.
Amateur and experienced photographers interested in taking more compelling, personal images will love this new edition of "Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography, "now updated to address the exciting possibilities (and challenges) of digital image-making. Author Brenda Tharp's inspiring approach has garnered fans all over the world, as she teaches that magical skill no camera can do for you: learn how to "see." Readers expand their photographic vision and discover deep wellsprings of creativity as they learn to use light, balance, color, design, pattern, texture, composition, and many simple techniques to take a photo from ordinary to high-impact.
Featuring more than 150 stunning, all-new images, "Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography, Revised Edition" is for anyone who understands the basic technical side to photography but wants to wake up their creative vision.

This book examines the art and craft of motion picture photography through a veteran professional cinematographer's personal experiences on five major motion pictures, each selected to illustrate a particular series of challenges for the photographer. "Every Frame a Rembrandt" is an expression heard on sound stages and locations the world over. While in most cases the expression is used lightly and not infrequently with a certain amount of sarcasm, its true meaning speaks highly of most cinematographers' commitment to producing the best, most interesting, unusual and memorable images for the screen. Through the five films he selected for this book Laszlo is able to show the broad range of complexity in motion picture photography, from the relatively simple "point and shoot" in the typcal western to complex in-camera effects. In recounting his "war stories" Laszlo is able to show the day to day activities of a cinematographer before, during and after filming the project, discussing equipment, film stocks, testing, labs, unions, agents, budget requirements, and working with the director and producer. The five films discussed are Southern Comfort, The Warriors, Rambo: First Blood, Streets of Fire, and Innerspace. The book is illustrated throughout with production stills from Laszlo's extensive collection (12 in a color insert).

The Language of the Lens explores the expressive power of the camera lens and the storytelling contributions that this critical tool can make to a film project. This book offers a unique approach to learning how lenses can produce aesthetically and narratively compelling images in movies, through a close examination of the various ways lens techniques control the look of space, movement, focus, flares, distortion, and the "optical personality" of your story's visual landscape. Loaded with vivid examples from commercial, independent, and world cinema, The Language of the Lens presents dozens of insightful case studies examining their conceptual, narrative, and technical approaches to reveal how master filmmakers have harnessed the power of lenses to express the entire range of emotions, themes, tone, atmosphere, subtexts, moods, and abstract concepts. The Language of the Lens provides filmmakers, at any level or experience, with a wealth of knowledge to unleash the full expressive power of any lens at their disposal, whether they are shooting with state-of-the-art cinema lenses or a smartphone, and everything in between.

The Filmmaker's Guide to Visual Effects offers a practical, detailed guide to visual effects for non-VFX specialists working in film and television. In contemporary filmmaking and television production, visual effects are used extensively in a wide variety of genres and formats to contribute to visual storytelling, help deal with production limitations, and reduce budget costs. Yet for many directors, producers, editors, and cinematographers, visual effects remain an often misunderstood aspect of media production. In this book, award-winning VFX supervisor and instructor Eran Dinur introduces readers to visual effects from the filmmaker's perspective, providing a comprehensive guide to conceiving, designing, budgeting, planning, shooting, and reviewing VFX, from pre-production through post-production. The book will help readers: Learn what it takes for editors, cinematographers, directors, producers, gaffers, and other filmmakers to work more effectively with the visual effects team during pre-production, on the set and in post, use visual effects as a narrative aid, reduce production costs, and solve problems on location; Achieve a deeper understanding of 3D, 2D, and 2.5D workflows; the various VFX crafts from matchmove to compositing; essential concepts like photorealism, parallax, roto, and extraction; become familiar with the most common types of VFX, their role in filmmaking, and learn how to plan effectively for the cost and complexity of VFX shots; See visual effects concepts brought to life in practical, highly illustrated examples drawn from the real-world experiences of industry professionals, and discover how to better integrate visual effects into your own projects.

100 Ways to Take Better Nature & Wildlife Photographs is something really special. Not only is it a collection of over 100 breath-taking nature and wildlife photographs; Guy Edwardes also provides expert advice on how to achieve similar results for yourself. The book includes 100 straightforward practical tips to boost your photography. There is advice on everything from technique, composition and coping with extreme field conditions, to Photoshop manipulation and digital editing. This is an invaluable guide for photographers of all abilities. The main text describes the basic techniques for less-experienced photographers, while the captions describe the methods used and thought processes behind the images. More experienced photographers will benefit from useful tips and suggestions throughout the book, and the images will provide everyone with inspiration and new ideas. Above all, the photography is a joy. From capturing the actions of large mammals to snapping wild birds and flowers in the garden Guy Edwardes' wonderful images are an inspiration for both nature lovers and photographers alike. The author is a leading nature and landscape photographer. His landscape photography is explored in his book 100 Ways to take Better Landscape Photographs.

There is an astonishing world just waiting to be photographed underwater. With marine biologist Dr Alexander Mustard as your guide you can learn all you need to know to explore the amazing creatures and landscapes that lie beneath the surface. From information about diving equipment and cameras, to crucial advice on understanding and controlling light underwater, this book provides all the background you need before you take the plunge. Topics covered include wide-angle light, macro lighting, ambient light and macro techniques. All this is illustrated, of course, with stunning images of the weird and wonderful animals and sights he has encountered beneath the waves.

Since the birth of photography, photographers have been taking images of the earth from the air with spectacular visual results. Celebrating over 150 years of these incredible images, this book tells the fascinating story of how these pictures were created and the photographers that have propelled image-taking to bold new heights.

Taking advantage of the amazing sense of perspective that aerial photography offers, this incredible collection of images also offers a unique overview of the events, challenges, and changes of the past 150 years of human history.

Producing Videos has been called the 'bible' of video making. It offers a comprehensive and user-friendly guide to all aspects of video production - from using a camera to the chapter on distribution. All the elements of video production are covered: camera operation; scriptwriting; composition; budgeting; preproduction planning; lighting and sound recording; interview techniques; field production and studio shoots; digital editing; digital post-production techniques; video streaming and other forms of online distribution. This edition has been fully revised to cover developments in technology, promotion and distribution. It includes tips from over 120 experienced video teachers from around the world.

Legendary Danish filmmaker Carl Theodor Dreyer (3 February 1889-20 March 1968) was born in Copenhagen to a single mother, Josefine Bernhardine Nilsson, a Swede. His Danish father, Jens Christian Torp, a married farmer, employed Nilsson as a housekeeper. After spending his first two years in orphanages, Dreyer was adopted by Carl Theodor Dreyer, a typographer, and his wife, Inger Marie Dreyer. He was given his adoptive father's name. At age 16, he renounced his adoptive parents and worked his way into the film industry as a journalist, title card writer, screenwriter, and director. Throughout his career he concealed his birth name and the details of his upbringing and his adult private life, which included a period in which he explored his homosexual orientation and endured a nervous breakdown. Despite his relatively small output of fourteen feature films and seven documentary short films, 1919-64, he is considered one of the greatest filmmakers in history because of the diversity of his subjects, themes, techniques, and styles, and the originality of the bold visual grammar he mastered. In Cinematography of Carl Theodor Dreyer: Performative Camerawork, Transgressing the Frame, I argue: 1) that Dreyer, an anonymous orphan, an unsourced subject, manufactured his individuality through filmmaking, self-identifying by shrouding himself in the skin of film, and 2) that, as a screenwriter-director who blocked entire feature films in his imagination in advance-sets, lighting, photography, shot breakdowns, editing-and imposed his vision on camera operators, lighting directors, actors, and crews in production, he saw filmmaking essentially as camerawork and he directed in the style of a performative cinematographer.

Strong images only come about through a combination of technical excellence and thorough composition. While there is plenty of technical advice, photographers often turn to fine-art sources for the so-called 'rules of composition'. This book, however, acknowledges photography's quite different dynamic and offers a contemporary approach to composition more suited to the medium. The second edition of Basics Photography 01: Composition offers a contemporary approach to composition. Its six core chapters cover historical background and personal motivation, formal elements, space and time within the photographic frame and composition in real-world situations. The Basics Photography series, originally published by AVA Publishing, comprises a collection of titles including: Lighting, Composition, Capturing Colour, Post-Production Black & White, Post-Production Colour, Working in Black & White and Exposure. Easily accessible and highly readable, the books clearly explain and explore fundamental photographic concepts; they are fully indexed and illustrated with clear diagrams and inspiring imagery, building to provide an essential introduction to the subject.

Polaroid Now celebrates new work created by contemporary artists working with Polaroid cameras and film today, and discusses the history, and evolution of the first instant imaging camera system that became a household name.

This curated selection of images is diverse aesthetically and geographically, and embraces the world-wide community of Polaroid artists. The book celebrates the unique, one-of-a-kind, and instantly gratifying qualities of Polaroid imagery. Additionally, Polaroid photographs by renowned luminaries such as Andy Warhol, David Hockney, and Chuck Close are included, as well a section on the 20x24 Polaroid camera.

• The cover of the book features a design that is reminiscent of the vintage Polaroid Colorpack Film boxes.
• The book features over 200 photographic images that explore the inherent beauty and possibilities of Polaroid film, as created by Polaroid artists from around the world.
• An index features popular Polaroid cameras that are still available and used today.

Understanding light is fundamental to good photography. How any image is lit will change how the viewer sees and interprets the content. The second edition of Lighting teaches the theory and background of how light works, the different types of light and the rules it obeys. The book gives guidance on how to measure, control and use light for the best photographic exposure. With new images and case studies, this edition encourages a bolder and more innovative approach to the use of light in photography.

In film history, director-cinematographer collaborations were on a labor spectrum, with the model of the contracted camera operator in the silent era and that of the cinematographer in the sound era. But in Weimar era German filmmaking, 1919-33, a short period of intense artistic activity and political and economic instability, these models existed side by side due to the emergence of camera operators as independent visual artists and collaborators with directors. Berlin in the 1920s was the chief site of the interdisciplinary avant-garde of the Modernist movement in the visual, literary, architectural, design, typographical, sartorial, and performance arts in Europe. The Weimar Revolution that arose in the aftermath of the November 1918 Armistice and that established the Weimar Republic informed and agitated all of the art movements, such as Expressionism, Dada, the Bauhaus, Minimalism, Objectivism, Verism, and Neue Sachlichkeit ("New Objectivity"). Among the avant-garde forms of these new stylistically and culturally negotiated arts, the cinema was foremost and since its inception had been a radical experimental practice in new visual technologies that proved instrumental in changing how human beings perceived movement, structure, perspective, light exposure, temporal duration, continuity, spatial orientation, human postural, facial, vocal, and gestural displays, and their own spectatorship, as well as conventions of storytelling like narrative, setting, theme, character, and structure. Whereas most of the arts mobilized into schools, movements, institutions, and other structures, cinema, a collaborative art, tended to organize around its ensembles of practitioners. Historically, the silent film era, 1895-1927, is associated with auteurs, the precursors of Francois Truffaut and other filmmakers in the 1960s: actuality filmmakers and pioneers like R. W. Paul and Fred and Joe Evans in England, Auguste and Luis Lumiere and Georges Melies in France, and Charles Chaplin and Buster Keaton in America, who, by managing all the compositional, executional, and editorial facets of film production-scripting, directing, acting, photographing, set, costume, and lighting design, editing, and marketing-imposed their personal vision or authorship on the film. The dichotomy of the auteur and the production ensemble established a production hierarchy in most filmmaking. In formative German silent film, however, this hierarchy was less rank or class driven, because collaborative partnerships took precedence over single authorship. Whereas in silent film production in most countries the terms filmmaker and director were synonymous, in German silent film the plural term filmemacherin connoted both directors and cinematographers, along with the rest of the filmmaking crew. Thus, German silent filmmakers' principle contribution to the new medium and art of film was less the representational iconographies of Expressionist, New Objective, and Naturalist styles than the executional practice of co-authorship and co-production, in distinctive cinematographer-director partnerships such as those of cinematographer Theodor Sparkuhl and director Ernst Lubitsch; Fritz Arno Wagner with F. W. Murnau, Fritz Lang, and G. W. Pabst; Rudolf Mate with Carl Theodor Dreyer; Guido Seeber with Lang and Pabst; and Carl Hoffmann with Lang and Murnau.

Behind each shot there lies an idea or purpose. When setting up a shot, the camera operator can employ a range of visual techniques that will clearly communicate the idea to an audience. Composition is the bedrock of the operator's craft, yet is seldom taught in training courses in the belief that it is an intuitive, personal skill. Peter Ward shows how composition can be learned, to enhance the quality of your work.
Based on the author's own practical experience, the book deals with the methods available for resolving practical production questions such as:
Does the shot composition accurately reflect the idea that initiated the shot?
Will the content and method of presenting the subject accurately convey the idea?
Major innovations in television and film production since the previous edition have affected the styles of composition, such as wide-screen and the use of mini DV cameras. These new technologies and their implications for picture composition are addressed in this new edition. A new colour plate section is also being included to update the section on colour.
If you are a practising camera operator, trainee camera operator, student or lecturer on a television or film production course, or simply a video enthusiast wishing to progress to a more professional standard you will find this book essential in enhancing the quality of your work.
* Learn the secrets of successful composition from an experienced camera operator
* Completely rewritten including compositional implications of widescreen, DV cameras
* Teaches through varied examples of practical scenarios and problem-solving

In 1891, William Dickson, a researcher at Thomas Edison's firm, developed the Kinetograph, a motion picture camera that used Eastman Kodak's new celluloid film. Almost immediately, an industry was born. The new artistic and technical discipline of motion picture photography matured as the film industry grew. From the beginnings of the movie camera, developments in film production and exhibition have been inextricably linked to the evolution of motion picture photography. This work traces the history of motion picture photography from the late 19th century through the year 1960, when color photography became the accepted standard. Generously illustrated, it covers each decade's cameras, lenses, cameramen, film processing methods, formats, studios, lighting techniques and major cinematographic developments. Each chapter concludes with examples of the decade's outstanding cinematography.

An enthralling exploration of the biologically richest island on Earth, featuring more than 200 spectacular color images by award-winning National Geographic photographer Tim Laman In this beautiful book, Bruce Beehler, a renowned author and expert on New Guinea, and award-winning National Geographic photographer Tim Laman take the reader on an unforgettable journey through the natural and cultural wonders of the world's grandest island. Skillfully combining a wealth of information, a descriptive and story-filled narrative, and more than 200 stunning color photographs, the book unlocks New Guinea's remarkable secrets like never before. Lying between the Equator and Australia's north coast, and surrounded by the richest coral reefs on Earth, New Guinea is the world's largest, highest, and most environmentally complex tropical island-home to rainforests with showy rhododendrons, strange and colorful orchids, tree-kangaroos, spiny anteaters, ingenious bowerbirds, and spectacular birds of paradise. New Guinea is also home to more than a thousand traditional human societies, each with its own language and lifestyle, and many of these tribes still live in isolated villages and serve as stewards of the rainforests they inhabit. Accessible and authoritative, New Guinea provides a comprehensive introduction to the island's environment, animals, plants, and traditional rainforest cultures. Individual chapters cover the island's history of exploration; geology; climate and weather; biogeography; plantlife; insects, spiders, and other invertebrates; freshwater fishes; snakes, lizards, and frogs; birdlife; mammals; paleontology; paleoanthropology; cultural and linguistic diversity; surrounding islands and reefs; the pristine forest of the Foja Mountains; village life; and future sustainability. Complete with informative illustrations and a large, detailed map, New Guinea offers an enchanting account of the island's unequalled natural and cultural treasures.

Visual effects cinematography is the art of creating special effects during a film or video shoot using camerawork, optical illusions, and miniatures to create realistic-looking effects. Filming the Fantastic reveals the secrets of achieving these effects to filmmakers on a modest budget. Many effects are now created in postproduction (after the shoot) and require incredibly expensive workstations and 3D animation software that are beyond the reach of independent filmmakers. With this book, filmmakers are empowered to create professional effects during the shoot for little money. Sawicki teaches filmmakers to invent solutions and use their ingenuity to get it right the first time so they don't have to "fix it in post," a notoriously expensive and time-consuming process that derails many movies. The book has been updated from start to finish, including new technology, even more inside secrets, HD, even more step-by-step illustrations, and more user-friendly advice from inside the trenches. A website features step-by-step features with raw footage and backgrounds, a compilation, and several lectures given by the author. Readers learn how to effectively photograph and create miniatures, matte paintings, green screen setups, crowd replication, digital rear projection, replicate props, models, fire, smoke, floods, and explosions, and so much more -- all to create elements that will composite together flawlessly.