All drama takes the form of one of 36 situations. That was Georges Polti's theory about theatre, which he put forward in his book 36 Dramatic Situations, published in French in the mid-19th century. A century and a half later, Mike Figgis was struggling with a film treatment. He couldn't get it right. But when he turned to Polti's book, the sample situations helped clarify his ideas and broaden the landscape of his creativity. He saw just how useful this sort of a framework could be for writers, and decided to rework Polti's theory for a modern, film-focused audience. Combining re-imagined situations with cinematic examples, and chart-based analysis of 150 great films, the resulting book is an invaluable and stimulating tool for any writer.

In this indispensable guide to digital film-making, leading film-maker Mike Figgis offers the reader a step-by-step tutorial in how to use digital technology so as to get the best from it. Mike Figgis, with experience from films such as Miss Julie and Leaving Las Vegas - for which he received two Oscar nominations - is an authoritative and insightful guide through the details of film-making. He outlines the equipment and its uses, and provides an authoritative guide to the shooting process - from working with actors to lighting, framing, and camera movement. He further dispenses wisdom on the editing process and the use of sound and music, all the while establishing a sound aesthetic basis for the digital format. This handbook is essential whether your goal is to make no-budget movies, or simply to put your video camera to more use than just holidays and weddings.

"Now there is no reason to prevent anybody from making a film. The technology exists, the equipment is much cheaper than it was, the post-production facilities are on a laptop computer, the entire equipment to make a film can go in a couple of cases and be carried as hand luggage on a plane. "--Mike Figgis
In this indispensable guide, Academy Award nominee Mike Figgis offers the reader a step-by-step tutorial in how to use digital filmmaking technology so as to get the very best from it. He outlines the equipment and its uses, and provides an authoritative guide to the shooting process--from working with actors to lighting, framing, and camera movement. He dispenses further wisdom on the editing process and the use of sound and music, all while establishing a sound aesthetic basis for the digital format.
Offering everything that you could wish to know on the subject, this is a handbook that will become an essential backpocket eference for the digital film enthusiast--whether your goal is to make no-budget movies or simply to put your video camera to more use than just holidays and weddings.