Everyone who’s interested in becoming a filmmaker or videographer has to start somewhere. And sometimes that somewhere is from the very beginning. But with all the various aspects out there to filmmaking, it can be extraordinarily overwhelming to get started. With countless blogs, YouTube channels, and books even figuring out how to get started can be overwhelming. And that’s why we love The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video. If there’s one place to start your journey as a filmmaker, this book is it.
First written by Tom Schroeppel way back in 1982, it’s gone through several iterations – the most recent of which is the third edition. But what’s important to know here is that even though the core of this is over 40 years old, the information inside is absolutely timeless.
Covering everything from the basics of a camera, including exposure, color temperature, and depth of field, all the way to screen direction, sound design, lighting, and editing, Schroeppel covers it all. More impressive, is that he covers it all in less than 200 pages while managing to keep things simple enough for newcomers to understand, but detailed and actionable enough to give you a big kickstart.
Think of it as a crash course in filmmaking. Once you’ve read through the book and explored the simple diagrams and illustrations he’s included, you’ll have enough knowledge and understanding to actually go out and record better video. You’ll have purpose and intent behind your shots, including how you want to frame them, what kind of exposure you might want, how angles and movement can add or detract from the story you’re trying to tell, and much more.
Simple concepts like the rule of thirds and the “crossing the line” are covered with illustrations to help explain them. But you’ll also go more in-depth in topics like lighting and learn all about fill lights, side lights, bounces, barn doors, three-point-setups and more.
With over 165,000 copies sold, anyone who’s ever wanted to seriously explore filmmaking and videography has read The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video and likely keeps it in their library. I know it’s a classic that, even as I continue to advance in my skills, I still come back to from time to time to not lose track of the basics that make up our craft.
As the book doesn’t focus on technology, but rather on the fundamentals, it’s a timeless work that’s a must-read whether you’re capturing footage on your cell phone, shooting documentaries and interviews, or going all-out and making a full-length length movie.
And for those of you who think things like “Hey, I just want to shoot video. I’ll leave the sound to the sound guy,” or “Why do I need to know anything about editing? That’s the editor’s job,” I’ll leave you with one last piece of advice.
If you want to truly excel as a filmmaker, you need to understand the basics of every part of filmmaking. This book will give you a huge boost in getting there.