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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