This is by far one of the greatest resources and inspirational books a DV rebel can have in his or her arsenal. Heck, this site is borrowing from the name because, it is so cool in my eyes. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, they say…
Stu Maschwitz gives you ‘an ALL-DIGITAL Approach to making KILLER ACTION MOVIES on the CHEAP’ don’t let the name or description fool you though every DV pro, wannabe, and anyone wanting to just have fun with their camera needs this book.
Starting out with the first Chapter ‘Approach’ it defines what good production value really means, “There is no difference between real production value and the illusion of production value. In other words, production value is one of those ‘perception is reality’ things-if the movie feels big to the audience, then it is big.” I absolutely love this line it is very true, my studio does not have pro lights or c-stands or any other pro looking gear.
I was told once that, “No one will take you seriously if they see your gear”. But once the same person saw some of my final work I got, “It is really amazing what you have put together yourself. So congratulations, you really deserve a big pat on the back for what you have done.” What that boils down to for me is that you don’t need to look ‘Pro’ to get ‘Pro’ results. (however, we will be covering how to make your gear look pro in a future post) FYI, the podcast is http://MechanicalMashup.tv and 90% is done in a studio that cost only $300.00!
“There is no difference between real production value and the illusion of production value. In other words, production value is one of those ‘perception is reality’ things-if the movie feels big to the audience, then it is big.”
As the book progresses Stu teaches you about his DV mojo, very much like the slightly older cool kid in school taught you how to be cool like him and how to appeal to the babes. Chapters that are in the book are: The Approach, Planning, The Camera, Shooting, Effects (the best chapter), Editing, and Onlining. Don’t kid yourself though, even though book is geared to the action flick rebel ALL DV geeks need to read this book. After reading this you will no doubt be one of the ‘cool’ DV kids.
Also, included is a CD with some of his digital mojo in it with examples and goodies to help you to get the great results he does in editing. Seriously, if you don’t have the book, GET IT! Even better yet, buy one from my affiliate link above by clicking the book cover or link below it to help me, help you get your DV Rebel Gear mojo on… Don’t feel you have to buy from me though just get the book you owe it to yourself.
~Ben
Links:
The Orphange
The DV Rebels Guide Online
The DV Rebel’s Guide forum
Dont just take my word for it though. Check out excerpts from the reviews HERE:
“Ultimately, I have found this book to be one of my “core” go-to books for making movies. It’s goal is not to teach you tricks per say, but rather to empower you to make a great film using easily-accessible tools and modest budgets. It isn’t just theory… it’s practical guidelines that you can apply to your next DV or HD movie.” Jason Denzel
“This books is a true guide to digital film making. Stu guide us through the most important aspects and techniques without reading thousands pages. Excellent, this is a must.” ChrisSur
“I’ve been in the business of producing corporate film and video projects for over 30 years. With over 400 projects completed I felt like I knew my way around. But this book has taken me to a new level of excitement to create my own film project using DV technology.” Adriel Brunson
