CINEMATOGRAPHY
American Cinematographer, the monthly publication of the ASC, an indispensable archive of interviews with folks who explain their motives and techniques for creating images.
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) was founded in Hollywood in 1919 with the purpose of advancing the art and science of cinematography and bringing cinematographers together to exchange ideas, discuss techniques and promote the motion picture as an art form — a mission that continues today.
Sun Surveyor tracks the position of the sun and moon. Great for planning exterior shoots.
Manual control of exposure and focus (not to mention audio level monitoring) will make your smartphone act more like a quality video camera. The Moment Pro App for iPhone or Android may help.
POST-PRODUCTION
Motion Picture Editors Guild is the guild that represents freelance and staff motion picture film and television editors and other post-production professionals and story analysts throughout the United States. The Motion Picture Editors Guild (Union Local 700) is a part of the 500 affiliated local unions of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), a national labor organization with 104,000-plus members. There are more than 6,000 members of the Editors Guild.
Stock Footage can take the form of video clips, photographic stills, or something like a customizable effects template. It’s wise to remember that you can both buy and sell to these sites, so shoot smart and make those vacation pictures and videos work for you. Surfing these catalogs, blogs, and newsletters (not to mention free promotional downloads) frequently shakes loose creative ideas for my own projects.
Films (especially documentaries) are often polished by still photos, paintings, sculpture, and other artwork. Many institutions make their collections available for amateur and professional media makers. Use these resources circumspectly, honoring the usage rules established by each.
DaVinci Resolve by Blackmagic is a free, feature-rich alternative to Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid. Powerful editing software that is quickly gaining market share among post-production professionals.
Video & Film Frame Calculator. Because base-24 math is hard for humanities majors.
Audition’s Loudness Radar helps you conform your soundtrack to established broadcast standards.
Though your titles and credits must conform to certain institutional standards, I recommend you consult Art of the Title for inspiration.
PRE-PRODUCTION
The PBS Red Book Technical Operating Standards. This document determines the specifications for most student films and coursework. I recommend your projects be reverse-engineered to satisfy these parameters from the very beginning.
Storyboarder is a free (many would say “the best”) film planning app. You’ll soon get addicted to how easy it is to plan your shots using such a powerful tool with such a gentle learning curve. They say they’re working on an iOS version, but I’m not holding my breath.
Juggling a big production day? Organize communication to cast and crew with Simple Callsheet.
Film Funding: The Top Film Grants List for Every Filmmaker in 2019
23 Best Movie Storyboard Examples (with Free Storyboard Templates)
INSPIRING FILMS
One-Minute Time Machine The 180° rule at work.
Cheap Boyfriends Master shot. Close-up. Reverse Angle. Repeat.
Hockey Practice The difference dual-system audio makes even to home movies.
How We Make Pencils Process non-fiction, sweetened with Foley.
Moleskine Custom Editions: Silk Screen Printing Customization Process non-fiction. Smooth camera movement. Short depth-of-field.
OTHER RESOURCES
StudentFilmmakers Magazine: News, Forums, Network, Books, Gear, Reviews..
The Toronto International Film Festival Reference Library is dedicated to preserving Canadian cinema heritage and promoting cinema scholarship by collecting, preserving, and providing access to a comprehensive, non-circulating collection of reference resources, as well as film and archival materials