very useful book
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I really liked this book. It was very personal and most useful. There are loads of books out there about how to do this and that. What I wanted was some great advice. For starters know your equipment inside out, get a book and write notes about how your settings work, try different combinations. I thought that might be obvious to some but it was inspirational to me. Another great tip was treasure your equipment. Keep it immaculate, really clean especially the lens, otherwise big blobs appear on the big screen! Its got a lot of really good points which I found most useful.
I like the fact that he talks about his work, his passion, his attention to every detail. It's important and very useful. Without passion nothing get done to the highest levels.
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Anyone can make a film
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This is a truly inspiring book for any aspiring film-maker. Though it is by no means a "how to" manual it nonetheless equips the reader with a sense that there really is no barrier to creating a film with next to no budget and minimal equipment. Figgis points out that ideas, ingenuity and vision are the essential tools of the film director rather than expensive equipment and a professional crew. The style of the book is conversational and full of anecdotes (some useful and illuminating others simply reminiscences) from Figgis' own film-making experiences. For me the book is most useful on lighting, on which subject Figgis gives some really practical and surprising tips, and working with actors, where his insights into the motivations and insecurities of that profession could save the novice director a lot of grief! Altogether a useful and highly readable addition to the aspiring film-makers bookshelf.
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Lacking in Detail
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Hmmm. . . This is a good book, I certainly found it inspiring and it's full of illuminating little hints. However, it's also very short and lacking in detail. Not a 'how to', more of an 'I did'.
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Fantastic guide to film making!
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This is a genuinely great read for directors, film students or people who are just thinking about having a go. Figgis encourages you to go out and make a film regardless of your previous experience and his book is truly inspiring. Reading it made me itching to go and film something.
Simply put, encouraging and motivating this book is a must have for anyone interested in film making. And Mike Figgis' break from the traditional industry path is refreshing.
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Essential
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At last! A book that isn't 600 pages long telling you 'how to make a masterpiece' but rather offering simple advice and information from an established director with something to say. This book is absolutely ESSENTIAL for any film student or director with access to even the most basic DV camera. Figgis states the case clearly and effectively with personal examples from his own career. A short, concise, easy to read book that doesn't talk down to it's reader (if you have a camera you ARE a director, regardless - and thank Mike Figgis for saying it in this 'industry' obssessed age). Highly recommended, especially for students of the craft.
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United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada