HomeFilmSchool.com presents


THE DIRECTOR'S
FIELD GUIDE
TO PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY

A free advertisement-supported film school.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction to The Director's Field Guide
Start Here

Elements of The Great Script
Plot / Drama & Conflict / Creating Characters / Writing Effective Dialog / Composing Scenes

Performance Direction: Actors Become Characters
Filmmaking as a Collaborative Art Form / Casting Actors / Rehearsals / Blocking Actors & Camera / Communicating With Actors on the Set / Improvisation Exercises

The Production Process
Essential Crew Members / Shooting a Scene

The Shooting Schedule
Organizing the Production / Storyboards / Breaking Down the Script / The Production Strip Board

Understanding Cinematography
Simplifying the Science / Measuring Light in Stops

Film Stocks & Light
Color Temperature / Tungsten Film & Daylight Film / Film Speed / 35mm vs. 16mm & Super16mm / Aspect Ratios

The Film Camera
Essential Equipment / Renting a Package / Loading the Film Magazine / Operating the Camera / The Sound Package

Video in the Age of High Definition
Coming Soon

Properties of Lenses
Focal Lengths (Wide, Medium, Narrow) / Prime Lenses vs. Zoom Lenses / Focal Point / Depth of Field / F-stops & T-stops / Lens Speed

Composition (Framing the Shot)
What to Include in the Frame / Selecting the Best Angle / Moving the Camera / The 180 Degree Axis Rule (Crossing the Eye-Line)

Standard Shots & Angles
Wide Shot / Full Shot / Master Shot / Medium Shot / Close-Up / Extreme Close-Up / Two-Shot / Reversal Shots / Over-The-Shoulder Shot / Reaction Shot / 50/50 Angle / High Angle / God Shot / Low Angle / Waist Angle / Dutch Angle / POV Shot / Sequence Shot

Camera Moves & Effects
Deep Focus / Shallow Focus / Split Focus / Focus Pull / Racking Focus / T-Stop Pull / Tilt / Pan / Swish Pan / Tracking (Dolly) Shot / Handheld / Steadicam / Countering / Hand-Off / Zooming / Slide Zoom / Crane Shot / Slow Motion / Fast Motion / Ramping

Lighting The Set
Essential Equipment / Hard Light vs. Soft Light / Key Lighting / Fill Lighting / Back Lighting / Contrasting / Incident Light Meters & Reflected Light Meters / Normal Exposure & Middletone / The 18% Gray Card

Filters & Gels
"Painting" with Light / Diffusion / Polarizing / Neutral Density / Color Correction / Shooting Night Scenes During the Day

Post Production
The Film Lab / Getting a Video Answer Print & Editing on Your Home Computer / The Sound Edit / Film Festivals

Bibliography

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