Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 16-20 of 46
 "The back door to film school is now open!" March 10, 2009
Barry Hampe (Lake Ridge, VA USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Anthony Q. Artis has lovingly placed a complete video production course between the covers of a book. Here are all the things a conscientious film teacher tells his students, plus a DVD that shows, among other things, examples of good and bad sound along with interviews with prominent documentarians.
The book puts the focus on doing. Its tacit assumption is that everyone makes mistakes when they begin production, so you might as well get on with making them. Chapter one is titled Preproduction, and in fifty-two pages it covers everything from determining the goal of your documentary (What story do you want to tell and why?) to care and feeding of crew members (Don't skimp on food!).
By chapter two we're on location, and the book offers a lot of good advice about making a film in someone else's backyard. From then on it's all about getting it shot, getting good information, good images and good sound, planning for and conducting interviews, and the key to every successful documentary: editing and postproduction.
Do I love everything about this book? No. While it talks about guerilla filmmaking, in many ways it embraces a rather formal approach to making a documentary, which is to record interviews and shoot B-roll. While Artis says in chapter 6, "your B-roll is your A-roll," I find a bias here in favor of told evidence over visual evidence.
That said, there is a lot to like about "The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide." This book is so rich in so many ways that it is an excellent starting point for the beginning, wannabe documentary filmmaker as well as a handy resource for the rest of us who learned on the job, or learned our fundamentals so long ago that we can occasionally use a brush-up. Just as I carried the "American Cinematographer Manual" in my hip pocket when I was making documentaries on film, I'd keep this book on the reference shelf near my computer and stick it in my shoulder bag before going on a shoot.
And, if I were still teaching, this would definitely be one of the books I'd use.
[...]
Your Call To Action To Make a Film NOW! February 22, 2009
Bill C (Vancouver, BC Canada)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Anthony Artis has written an excellent guide to documentary filmmaking that will get you out of your brain and behind the camera. His direct approach is inspiring, and his book will carry you through your film all the way from concept to distribution.
The book covers all of the basic aspects of documentary filmmaking, along with advanced techniques to make your films smarter and better looking. Whether you're making your first film, or your twentieth, Shut Up and Shoot will make you want to pick up your camera now!
Shut Up and Read This Book December 29, 2008
Ben Smerglia (Hilton Head, SC USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Up-and-coming documentary filmmaker Anthony Q. Artis has created a delightful primer and reference guide for any filmmaker, whether you want to make documentaries or narratives (though Artis mentioned he is currently working on a similar guide for narrative projects, which I look forward to).
Each step of the filmmaking process (minus screenwriting for you narrative moviemakers out there; but don't worry, throw a rock and you'll probably hit a useful screenwriting book like Screenplay or Story) is covered in just the right amount of detail. From planning to distribution, this guide is designed to cut out the fat we find in other film guides and does so brilliantly.
And if you don't enjoy reading books, well, ironically enough, this book was made for you. The words are printed with a great font and size, making it a fast read and an easy-to-navigate reference guide and almost everything covered in plain text is then illustrated in a full color, easy-to-understand chart, graph, or other visual aide.
For anyone interested in narrative filmmaking, you can check out "The Power Filmmaking Kit" by Jason J. Tomaric, another book I highly recommend. And right here on Amazon.com, Anthony Q. Artis himself wrote up a stellar review of Tomaric's tome, with 5 stars. It'll hold you over until Artis' next great text.
Film School Teacher in My Book Bag!!!!! December 12, 2008
Patrick S. Dougherty (Atlanta, GA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have been playing around with my Hi-8 camera and Final Cut Express for a couple of years and as I get better more and more people ask me to do projects for them. So when I decided I was going to "step-up" and do it right this book was one of the first purchases I made. As my title indicates, it has been like having a film school teacher in my book bag. I keep it with me all the time and I have gone back to certain chapters at different times to help make decesions about a good camera down to getting my light set-up just right. It has been a great resource to me as a beginner and given me a sense of confidence out in the field.
The best thing may be that this book is really complete in it's scope even if you're not aspiring to be a documentary film-maker, but at the same time it is very clear and keeps your attention. Lots of real-life examples from Mr. Artis himself as well as other pros who have contributed to the book. There are suggestions for gear and even other books. Great investment.
Excellent Book December 5, 2008
Eduardo Vertiz Mascarenas (Mexico City, Mexico)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to make a documentary. I agree with the author, in that some books, and some film classes end up messing with your head with so much useless or confusing information. This is a very practical book, filled with great examples and very good tips for the inexperienced documentarian. Next year I will be shooting my first documentary and I couldn't tell you how much the information on this book has helped me to prepare. Congratulations, highly recommeded!
Showing reviews 16-20 of 46
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