Books and DVDs about Making Movies and Films -

American Cinematographers Manual - this is the bible, the ultimate guide for those who call themselves professional movie makers. Whether you shoot film or video, you need this.  The 9th edition of the "ASC Film Manual." is THE authoritative source of technical information that is a widely used reference around the world.

"Our purpose is to provide a single source of information that current and future cinematographers and other filmmakers can rely on," says ASC President Steven Poster. " ASC published its first film manual in 1930 (then called "The Cinematographic Annual"). This is the first new edition since 1993. It contains updated and new information about the art and craft of cinematography that was written and reviewed by the world's leading experts."

There are 40 chapters and more than 100 tables and charts in the 929-page manual. Each chapter is authored by a renowned expert on the subject. The latest edition features new chapters covering such topics as high-definition telecine mastering and digital film post-production.

Topics include:
-Comparisons of film formats
-Advice on choosing lenses and filters
-Techniques for emulsion testing
-Detailed description of lab procedures
-Information about lighting
-Camera stabilization and movement
-Front projection
-Motion control and other visual effects techniques
-Computer graphics
-Aerial and underwater cinematography
-How to expose film in infrared and ultra-violet light
-Digital film mastering

The book combines real world practical knowledge, case studies and legal guidance as well as a through breakdown of how to prepare your film for distribution before you even start shooting, as well as how to get both domestic and international distribution, as well as how to deal with the various types of distributors and characters you will find in the business.

This is a great book for those new to the business as well as interesting refresher for those who already have a taste of the industry. more

* Complete explanation of the new ATSC digital and HDTV video and audio standards
* New sections on optical media and fiber optics, updated MPEG material
* In-depth coverage of the new Broadband and cell phone standards
* Extensive explanation of new digital test signals and measurements
* A hands-on approach to learning about video recording, transmission, and playback.
* Complete glossary of terms covering both analog and digital video

If you are considering a career in the television industry or want to become a news producer, this textbook is great place to start. The Fifth edition of this venerable book covers all aspects of remote and portable video production, primarily from a broadcast industry perspective.

 Do you want to know the down and dirty details of what it takes to get an indie film made? TALES FROM THE FRONTLINE OF INDIE FILMMAKING & OTHER ASSORTED TIPS FOR THE ASPIRING MOVIEMAKER, that has a bunch of articles and also stories of Peter John Ross's adventures as a filmmaker. From how he met his girlfriend through to how Horrors of War got started. It’s his E! TRUE NOT-HOLLYWOOD STORY “tell–all” book.

self published, 212 page book for only $10 - http://www.lulu.com/content/426325

HORRORS OF WAR, a feature film - www.horrorsofwarmovie.com

SONNYBOO PRODUCTIONS -- www.sonnyboo.com

This friendly, practical, on-the-job manual details the equipment, processes, and tricks of the trade that you will need to know in order to be a successful grip. This new edition contains the latest information on the newest equipment available and has been updated to reflect changes in the industry. This valuable professional reference, known as "the bible" for grips, contains more information than ever on how to become a professional grip and have a successful career, and will be an indispensable learning tool and reference for all experience levels. The Companion DVD includes visual demonstrations of techniques and equipment as well as the popular "grip rap" theme song.

* Completely updated and restructured for ease of use with helpful "tricks of the trade" throughout
* Hundreds of illustrations to help clarify and demonstrate concepts.
* Includes a DVD featuring visual demonstrations and the grip rap theme song

Uva's Guide To Cranes, Dollies, and Remote Heads is a comprehensive guide to all the latest equipment, what it is, how to use it and where to find it. This new book is designed to provide the more experienced professional with a streamlined reference to the equipment without the how-to information beginners require. Like the Grip Book 2E, it lists standards and features of all the different types of equipment covered, and with the recent explosion of new equipment introduced into the film industry this reference is invaluable!

As a reference guide, Uva's Guide To Cranes, Dollies and remote heads provides must-have information for a larger group of film professionals. Producers, directors, and DPs, and others responsible for securing equipment for a project will consider this an indispensable tool that will become an industry standard.
 

Filled with sample application scenarios and algorithms, this book provides an in-depth examination of present and future field technologies including encryption, authentication, copy control, tagging, tracing, conditional access and media identification. The authors present a diversified blend of theory and practice and focus on the constantly changing developments in multimedia applications thus providing an admirably comprehensive book.

* Discusses state-of-the-art multimedia authentication and fingerprinting techniques
* Presents several practical methodologies from industry, including broadcast encryption, digital media forensics and 3D mesh watermarking
* Focuses on the need for security in multimedia applications found on computer networks, cell phones and emerging mobile computing devices

From Library Journal
This fascinating book carries the reader from preproduction to postproduction, explaining through interviews with professionals (e.g., Haskell Wexler on photography, Neil Koenigsberg on publicity) exactly what such people as the sound mixer and story analyst do in the making of a motion picture. Although presented in narrative rather than dictionary form, this work will be useful to reference librarians because of its index and glossary. Updated from the 1987 edition (LJ 11/15/87) to reflect ratings modifications and technical breakthroughs in films like Jurassic Park and Forrest Gump, this is an excellent introduction for anyone interested in film production today. Highly recommended for all film collections.

Video Shooter by Barry Braverman - This engaging guide explains how to create a compelling visual story for any video
project. Industry veteran Barry Braverman draws on over 20 years of experience to
illustrate the complete range of skills required to capture great images. The
author's from-the-trenches insight provides a fresh tutorial for modern video
storytelling. Key topics include equipment selection, set-up, camera operation,
shooting techniques, lighting, and audio.

The companion DVD contains tutorials and demo footage of storytelling techniques and
technical matter including a comparative filter study.

Barry Braverman is a veteran director of photography with over twenty years of
experience including work on National Geographic specials, network television
programs, national commercials, and music videos. The director of DVD training at
Video Symphony in Burbank and a contributing editor to Video Systems magazine, he
lives in Hollywood, CA.

In addition to emphasizing the  nuts & bolts of establishing and running a video business, it also covers how to promote your services and get clients, selecting the proper equipment, and tips on capturing special wedding moments despite difficult filming conditions. The book includes handy primers on marketing and advertising, handling phone calls and appointments, pre-production preparations, what to shoot on the wedding day, interacting with other vendors, editing the video and packaging the DVD or video, and generating referrals.

The included CD includes valuable forms as well as lots of great examples of how to make a good wedding video work.

The book is written for filmmakers at varying experience levels--taking an integrated approach to media production, and emphasizing the ways different aspects of the process work together to create a vital work of digital art

read the article

Conventional filmmakers are quickly adopting this medium as a much easier and economical way to produce animation films. This book contains a wealth of tips, tricks, and solid techniques to creating your own Machinima films from some of the best creative minds in the industry. Numerous hands-on projects are provided to show readers how to expertly create, edit, and view their own films. Some of the hot topics covered include developing actors, preparing sets, incorporating audio, adding special audio and visual effects, using the best post production techniques, using the best game engines, and much more.

You'll learn how to pick equipment to match your needs and how to identify projects for fun or profit. You'll learn to plan, prepare, budget and avoid common and costly mistakes. You'll learn to visualize and script better stories. The Essential Digital Video Handbook will take you on location, offering tips and tricks for improving your lighting, sound recording and camera work. You'll learn to frame more compelling shots, to shoot logical sequences, to set up special effects, to shoot fights and even mouth-watering food shots. Finally The Essential Digital Video Handbook will walk you through the edit; sharing tips on achieving professional quality results by understanding and exploiting our visual language both by following the rules and breaking them with style and confidence. You'll even learn to sound like a professional, understanding and speaking the language of the business!

If you are thinking of making movies, or are already 
in the biz, you got to read this book "The Art of the 
Documentary: Ten Conversations with Leading 
Directors, Cinematographers, Editors, and 
Producers" by Megan Cunningham. The book 
contains some incredible interviews with leading 
documentary directors, cinematographers, and
editors.
 
Directors:
Ken Burns on "Inhabiting History" 
Errol Morris on "Revealing Unexpected 
Realities" 
D A Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus on 
"Capturing Character" 
Lauren Lazin on "Making Television 
with a Conscience" 
Cinematographers:
Kirsten Johnson on "Searching the Frame, 
Exposing a Vision" 
Buddy Squires on "Seeing Intelligently" 
Albert Maysles on "Being Present and 
Experiencing"  
Editors:
Geof Bartz on "Crafting Cinematic Television" 
Paula Heredia on "Finding Structure, 
Inventing Form" 
Larry Silk on "Using the Mystery of 
What Comes Next" 

You can now access Your PC from Anywhere - Free Download
PC Magazine calls GoToMyPC "Revolutionary."

DV 101: A Hands-On Guide for Business, Government and Educators - By Jan Ozer - Corporations, government offices, and academic institutions have long used video to educate and inform. The only thing that's changed is the people who are producing them: With low-priced equipment and easy-to-use software flooding the market, now you're the person behind the camera, not some high-priced video specialist!

This is the guide for you, then-and all of the other nonprofessionals who've been called upon to produce top-quality videos. Long on essentials-like where to place the camera, how to connect microphones, and which font to use in titles-and short on theory, this guide focuses instead on the simple steps and best practices needed to produce great videos. Veteran author Jan Ozer gives you the lowdown on shooting, audio, and lighting before describing the workflow and procedures involved in converting raw DV footage to streaming video and DVDs, and distributing the final product. For software-specific guidance, you can purchase downloadable PDF workbooks that use the book's projects to walk you through the production process. 

This is a must-have reference for every film and video professional moving to computer based production and distribution.  It is the only book that gives a complete scrutiny and breakdown of all file formats for the transfer of images, sound and metadata. Rapidly developing file format technology is the ticket to ride in today's film and video industry. more

Chapter One, "What is it?" provides a thorough introduction to the ins and outs of DV camcorders. This section will help readers understand the camera they own now and will prove invaluable when shopping for a new camcorder. The next chapter, "How Does it Work?" is a step-by-step, sure-fire approach to successful movie making. Chapter Three, "How Do I?" offers tips and tricks from the pros, including how to shoot action shots, arrange lighting for an interview, or capture clean audio. Finally, the Appendix is filled with well-organized tables and charts including a color temperature chart, a guide to color correction gels, a table of everyday lux ratings, a cable connector guide, a reference for microphone patterns and more.

The Five Essential Steps in Digital Video covers developing, planning, producing, posting, and selling a DV movie. Five Essential Steps in Digital Video enables moviemakers to exploit the flexibility and creative potential of the DV format.  800 pages. Includes a DVD with video, demo software, and a bunch of templates. Author is Denise Ohio.   Perry Mitchell, Jay Rose, and Tony Marsh were the technical editors. Click HERE to buy it.