Rating: 
Summary: Compact and comprehensive!
Review: As a beginner in the film industry, I found this book to be extremely valuable in gaining a solid foundation of knowledge in the various areas of film making. There is as much information as possible and the layout is full of refereces and cross references. It is well writen, and has plenty of ilustrations to acompany the comprehensive descriptions. I predict that this book will be a usefull tool long after I have reached a professional level in the industry.
Rating:
Summary: For the beginner and the proffesional, this book has it all!
Review: As an aspiring young filmmaker, the first thing I was told to do was go out and get a copy of the Filmmaker's Handbook. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the book had been updated in March of 1999, and that now it included all kinds of information about the digital age. I have learned so much from this book. The book goes over the entire film process, and does it in a straight-forward manner. It is a great start for beginners, yet it includes a rich amount of information for the professional. Anyone who has ever thought about a career in film really needs to get a copy of this book. Written in a manner that neither patronizes nor confuses the reader, the Filmmaker's Handbook is the best book I have skimmed or read on film, and believe me, I've looked at a lot.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent overview of the business of filmmaking
Review: For those who love films but don't really know what's involved in their getting made, this is an excellent guide. Of course, it's even more indispensible for those who hope one day to make a film but aren't currently involved in the business. I emphasize "business" here because this isn't really a guide to the art of making films; you could imagine a similar book called "The Entrepeneur's Handbook: A comprehensive guide to establishing your own business in the age of the internet" and it would cover the same types of topics. For a guide to the art of filmmaking/directing, my favorite book is "Film Directing Fundamentals" by Nicholas Proferes. But for the practical and day to day and big picture of the business of filmmaking, "The Filmmaker's Handbok is Indispensible": an excellent and thorough introduction and guide to the processes, the people, the arrangements, the contracts, the details that go into making films, especially independent films.
I required this book as one of the textbooks for my film history course on "American Independent Film" because it seemed to me there was no better way to indicate to students how much is involved in getting films made. It's a very helpful piece of the course and gives students a perspective that they wouldn't get from my own emphasis on film theory and criticism.
Rating:
Summary: A book you will use long after you graduate
Review: I have been a cinematographer for over 20 years, I will be using this book in class as assigned reading for my students. I find it has practical information and sound advice for making movies.
Rating:
Summary: Everything you wanted to know about making movies with FILM
Review: I was assigned to read this as a textbook for my film class and wow, this book gets down to every little technical detail you could think of when it comes to making movies. This is definitely an invaluabe resource for anyone who's interested in making narrative, documentary, experimental, or corporate movies with a video or film camera(s).The book explains the differences between the multitude of film systems from super 8 to 35mm, it goes into detail about how the camera works, discusses how to take care of your equipment and why, and goes all the way up to funding and distributing your movie. There are nine appendices which includes charts and calculations on how to adjust certain aspects of the camera/lens/etc. to get the certain look you want. So if you're on a set and need to adjust something on (or inside) the camera but are unsure of the calculations, it's just quick flip of the book to the appendix to find what you need. The book also deals with the scientific features of filmmaking so anyone can get a better idea of how the various aspects of filmmaking work and which way of doing things is best for the filmmakers particular needs. A few problems arise however. The technical jargon can be overwhelming sometimes and may require you to reread a paragraph several times in order to get a clear understanding of what the author is talking about. The fact that there's no glossary doesn't help that problem either. My biggest gripe however is the lack of coverage on digital filmmaking. The book is outdated and lacks the information needed for people wishing to make movies with DV cameras. Despite those problems, I still HIGHLY reccomend this book to anyone wishing to make films.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Filmaking 101
Review: I'm getting into film production but don't have time to attend a real film school. And I'm basically interested in the mechanics of filmmaking - so this book The Filmmkaer's Handbook is perfect. It gets down to all the basics of filmmaking. If you want to know what a line producer does, how light meters work and the ratio of film stock to projection, this is the book for you. It's thick but easy to read with nice B&W illustrations. As a novice and somebody who wants to know how a movie is made this book is perfect. I was really impressed by how simple and to the point this book was on the mechanics and made it an easy read. I will keep in hand at all times for reference as well! Very well done and exactly what I was looking for in a filmmaking book!
Rating:
Summary: 5 star
Review: Simple, good organized, complete... Perfect for beginner and intermediate film students.
Excellent.
Rating: 
Summary: Get up to speed with this book.
Review: The Filmmaker's Handbook is a comprehensive guide to the art & science of filmmaking. Though it is currently falling abit behind with it's coverage of digital technology, as this is moving so fast it's hard for any book to stay current. It has a lot of excellent information though, and goes into detail many other books lack. It's useful as a reference guide, and not so dry that it doesn't make an interesting read. If you are studying film, or want to get into the industry this book is a must have.
Rating:
Summary: Get up to speed with this book.
Review: The Filmmaker's Handbook is a comprehensive guide to the art & science of filmmaking. Though it is currently falling abit behind with it's coverage of digital technology, as this is moving so fast it's hard for any book to stay current. It has a lot of excellent information though, and goes into detail many other books lack. It's useful as a reference guide, and not so dry that it doesn't make an interesting read. If you are studying film, or want to get into the industry this book is a must have.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent A++
Review: The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age is a title that exactly expresses the intentions of this book. If you are inspiring to be a professional in the video industry then this book is for you. This book is a must for any one person who wants to begin their works in the video industry.
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