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Researching the film industry is going to be essential, especially as you start at stage 1 of your career plan. If you have a book you would like to recommend and we haven't listed it, get in touch and tell us about it.
The Camera Assistants Manual
David E. Elkins, SOC has over 25 years of professional experience as a Camera Operator and First Assistant Cameraman.
Painting with Light
Painting With Light was the first book on cinematography written by a major Hollywood cameraman.
Masters of Light
The authors explore the working world of the person who controls the visual look and style of a film.
The Camera Assistant
The Camera Assistant: A Complete Professional Handbook explains both the practice and theory.
The Complete Film Production Handbook
This book is for working film/TV professionals and students alike. If you're a line producer, production manager, production supervisor, assistant director or production coordinator--the book has ever
Producing Great Sound for Film and Video
In Producing Great Sound for Film and Video, Fourth Edition audio guru Jay Rose revises his popular text for a new generation of filmmakers.
Location Sound Bible
The topics include audio basics, microphone selection, wireless systems, recording and mixing techniques.
Production Sound Mixing
Written by veteran sound mixer John J. Murphy, the book offers a step by step collaborative journey through the basic physics of sound, latest techniques and equipment.
Film Production Management 101
"the" essential road map to the business and logistics of on-the-job film & television production
The Producer's Business Handbook
Gain a comprehensive understanding of the business of entertainment.
Production Management for TV and Film
Written by highly experienced production manager and specialist tutor, Linda Stradling, this is a complete guide to the profession.
The Makup Artist's Handbook
Get professional techniques usually known only by Hollywood makeup artists in this full-color.
The Complete Makeup Artist
Written for all media make-up students, in particular those studying a VRQ at Levels 2 and 3, this new edition has been updated in accordance with the new NOS.
Special Makeup Effects
Learn how to sculpt and mold your own makeup prosthetics, with a focus on how human anatomy relates to sculpture, to create the most realistic effects.
The Hairstylists Handbook
With input from hairstylist Yvette Rivas, this step-by-step guide makes complex techniques clear, allowing you to achieve the most coveted results.
Shoot On Location
Shoot on Location provides everything you need to know from scouting through the wrap.
Location Management and Scouting Handbook
Discover what makes an excellent location, how to manage the location and how to handle any problems that might come up.
Costume Design 101
Written by an award-winning costume designer, this book offers an in-depth insight into the costume design business, department operations and management.
Film Craft: Costume Design
Sixteen of the worlds greatest costume designers come together to share their inspiration and knowledge with the world.
Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design
A lavish tribute that mingles words and images of equal luster, Dressed is one book no film and fashion lover should be without.
Cinematography: Theory and Practice
You are on your way to learning not only about the equipment and technology, but also about the concepts and thought processes that will enable you to shoot professionally.
Shooting Movies Without Shooting Yourself in the Foot.
"Shooting Movies" is the book for all those film enthusiasts who can't get on a professional set or can't undertake studies at an expensive film school.
Contemporary Cinematographers on their Art.
The twelve interviews in this book cover all aspects of cinematography from pre-production planning to post-production, special effects, aerial photography, and second unit.
The International Film Business
The International Film Business examines the independent film sector as a business, and addresses the specific skills and knowledge it demands.
How Movies Work
How movies work provides a comprehensive consideration of movies from idea to script, casting, financing, shooting and distribution.
The Business of Media Distribution
Learn how an idea moves from concept to profits, how distribution dominates the bottom line of an industry otherwise grounded in high profile elements (production, creative, law, finance, marketing).
Think Outside the Box Office
As the digital revolution has democratised film production, a new hybrid model of distribution is the way independent filmmakers can take control of their own distribution.
Dictionary of Film Finance and Distribution
The terms and phrases discussed in this dictionary are those of film finance and distribution, film production, marketing, accounting, insurance, securities, legal structures and general finance.
High Concept
A classic story of Hollywood excesses, Charles Fleming looks at Producer Don Simpson, whose partnership with Jerry Bruckheimer gave us some of the best known films of the 1980's.
You'll Never Eat Lunch in this Town Again
A memoire from the producer of Close Encounters, Taxi Drive and The Sting.
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls
Based on hundreds of interviews with directors, producers, writers and studio execs, Easy Riders discusses not only filmmaking in the 1970's but the lives filmmakers were living.
The Kid Stays in the Pictures
this is the tell-all autobiography from Robert Evans, the legendary Hollywood producer ("The Godfather", "Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown") who's lived the Hollywood dream.
Film Marketing into the Twenty-First Century
Straddling practical and theoretical considerations, the book explores modern film marketing, its evolution, and the key issues at stake in a global era.
The New Rules of Marketing and PR
Learn how companies, nonprofits, and organisations of all sizes can leverage web–based content to get timely, relevant information to eager, responsive buyers for a fraction of the cost.
The VES Handbook of Visual Effects
This new edition has been updated to include the latest, industry-standard techniques, technologies, and workflows that are ever-evolving in the fast paced world of visual effects.
The Animators Survival Kit
Williams distills the secrets of the masters into a working system in order to create a book that has become the standard work on all forms of animation for professionals, students and fans.
Masters of FX
Through interviews with 16 of the leading FX pioneers from around the world, author Ian Failes explores the making of some of the most memorable film sequences ever produced.
Inside the VFX Business
So you think you understand the film and VFX world? Think again! This book will turn everything you know on its head.
Drawing Light and Shade
Giovanni Civardi shares his great expertise in drawing light and shade, beginning with the basics of drawing simple 3D shapes.
The Ultimate Production Assistants Guide
This manual was created by a working PA as a tutorial for those starting out, or a reference guide for seasoned filmmakers.
Runner: How to Break into Film...
Written by industry professional Will Judge, 'Runner' is a career guide that aims to put what's normally considered to be a grunt's job into a positive light.
Movie Speak
"Movie Speak" is a book about language, but through language also a book about what it's really like to be a director or a producer or an actor or a crew member.
The Screenplay Business
The Screenplay Business is a new key text for academics and students researching film and media, and indispensable reading for anyone working in film screenplay development today.
The Insiders Guide to Independent Film Distribution
This comprehensive manual for filmmakers and producers dedicated to film distribution and the marketplace could mean the difference between getting your film to the public and keeping it "in the can."
Film Distribution in the Digital Age.
Film Distribution in the Digital Age critically examines the evolution of the landscape of film distribution in recent years.
Connected Viewing
Connected Viewing contextualises the dramatic transformations taking place across both media industries and national contexts,
Where do good ideas come from
Steven Johnson's Where Good Ideas Come From: The Seven Patterns of Innovation identifies key principles that are the driving force of creativity.
The 30 Second Storyteller
The 30-Second Storyteller teaches any filmmaker how to get work as a commercial director, how to navigate the pitfalls of production, and how to get clients to keep coming back to you for more.
Guide to post production for TV and Film
This guide will show you how to navigate each step in taking a TV or film project from production to final delivery. Start by getting a handle on the critical issues of budgets and schedules.
Designing Sound
Designing Sound teaches students and professional sound designers to understand and create sound effects starting from nothing.
The Foley Grail.
Master classic and cutting-edge Foley techniques that will allow you to create rich, convincing sound for any medium, be it film, television, radio, podcasts, animation, or games.
Dialogue Editing for Motion Pictures
Gain innovative solutions to common dialogue editing challenges such as room tone balancing, noise removal, perspective control, finding and using alternative takes.
Concrete Wedding Cake
In "Concrete Wedding Cake", John Heath has written a concise, practical and clear approach to motion picture editing based on his over thirty years of editing, directing and producing.
The Art of the Cut
The book is written primarily for those who wish to learn the basic principles of editing but who may also be filmmakers or close to the filmmaking process.
Cutting Rhythms
While respecting the importance of intuitive flow in the cutting room, this book offers processes for understanding what editing intuition is and how to develop it.
Do you have what it takes to survive film production: Art Department.
The job descriptions and helpful links to websites, publications and suggested books are there to help you to make a more informed decision about your career choice.
The art direction handbook for film and TV.
This comprehensive, professional manual details the set-up of the Art Department and the day-to-day job duties.
Furniture: World styles from classical to contemporary
This definitive guide illustrates every style and form. Packed with tips on how to recognise the key elements of each period.
Digital Compositing for Film & Video
This practical, hands-on guide addresses the problems and difficult choices that professional compositors face on a daily basis.
Rotoscoping: Techniques and Tools for the Aspiring Artist
Master what it takes to make your rotoscoping and digital painting blend seamlessly into each shot.
Colour and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter
A researched study on two of art's most fundamental themes, Color and Light bridges the gap between abstract theory and practical knowledge.
The Filmmakers Handbook
Widely acknowledged as the bible of video and film production, and used in courses around the world, The Filmmaker's Handbook is now completely updated with the latest advances.
Producer to Producer
This is a comprehensive bible to low-budget film producing for emerging and professional producers.