Technical Film and TV for Nontechnical People

by Drew Campbell

Overview

Technical Film and TV for Nontechnical People introduces film students, actors, producers and other nontechnical film people to the technical aspects that everyone working on a film set should know. Author Drew Campbell is a lighting and sound designer for Universal Studios who started out in theater and who was struck by the complex technical procedures and idiosyncratic expressions that he encountered on his first weeks on the set. Topics explained:

Who does what on a film set: the roles of technical and non-technical team members

Seeing a script: turning a story into a storyboard and then into a production

Shooting on film or video: when each format is best used

The parts of a camera: how it functions and how actors can best cooperate with it

Sound: the process of recording and editing

Shooting: the geography and schedule of a set and "getting the shot"

Postproduction: editing, continuity, and the dailies

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781581159981
Publisher:	Allworth
Publication date:	06/01/2002
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Drew Campbell has been in the entertainment business as a stage technician, designer, film lighting technician, director, and teacher for more than thirty years. He has run his own business as an industrial videographer and editor, has worked backstage on hundreds of productions, including drama, opera, dance, fashion shows, conventions, horse shows, and athletic events and has taught at San Francisco State University for seven years. He is the author of Technical Films and Television for Nontechnical People (Allworth) and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	vii
	Introduction: Fly That Stinger to the Midget on the Platypus: Why This Book	viii
Chapter 1	Who Does What: The Population of a Set	1
Chapter 2	The Language of Film: Shots, Camera Moves, and Transitions	20
Chapter 3	The First Big Choice: Film and Video Formats	30
Chapter 4	Painting the Frame: Lighting and Cinematography	53
Chapter 5	The Film Camera: The Eight-Hundred-Pound Gorilla	75
Chapter 6	The Celluloid Canvas: The Film	87
Chapter 7	Video Cameras: The Fastest Change in the Industry	91
Chapter 8	Supporting the Camera: Tripods, Dollies, and Camera Mounts	98
Chapter 9	Stingers and Doubles and Heads, Oh My!--Lighting Equipment	109
Chapter 10	Apples and Cup Blocks and Show Cards, Oh My!--Grip Equipment	136
Chapter 11	Production Sound: Capturing Dialogue	143
Chapter 12	Continuity, Coverage, and Chaos: Life on the Set	157
Chapter 13	Telecine and "The Dailies"	171
Chapter 14	Editing: How to Create a Reality	180
Chapter 15	Sculpting the Sound: Postproduction Audio	196
	Afterword	215
Appendix A	Basic Things: Ten to Know and Seven to Own	216
Appendix B	Glossary	219
Appendix C	Bibliography	238
	Index	241
	Books from Allworth Press	246

What People are Saying About This

Irving

Knowledge is power. Drew Campbell has made the film process so clear, one need never fear technical terminology, site specific colloquialisms, or film jargon. With this knowledge, anyone can easily make it to the martini shot. An excellent introduction and immersion into the A, B, C's of movie set procedures and basic film grammar.
— Undergraduate Film and Television, New York University, Tisch School of the Arts

Moloney

Campbell not only gives you the buzzwords but also the buzz, and he does it with wit and a practitioner's understanding of the medium. No more mumbling under your breath or burying your ignorance in a well placed cough; you'll actually know your ASA from your ENG when you're done with this nontechnical technical handbook. I highly recommend it, whether you want to communicate with a TV audience, a film gaffer or just friends at a post-movie coffee shop.
— Vice-President, Production and Show Development, Universal Studios

Hubbard

Campbell's insight into the world of film production is both broadly informative and easily understood, encompassing the professional world of filmmaking with a broad understanding and a deft, friendly way of "on the spot" writing. As a longtime filmmaker and teacher, I want my students to have this book.
— Film Professor, New York University

Editorial Reviews

Campbell has 20 years of experience in live theater as a technician, designer, director, and actor, and currently works as a lighting and sound supervisor for Universal Studios. His guide for film students, actors, producers, and other non-technical people in the film and TV industries covers the equipment, mechanics, and processes involved in film and television production. The text emphasizes learning to distinguish between the technical knowledge one does and does not need to know, on such topics as the roles of team members on a film set, scripts, shooting on film or video, parts of a camera, sound, shooting, and post-production. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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