A few recommendations

[Nathan DuMoulin]

First off, this is my first post, so go easy on me =P

Anyway, I recently placed an order for some books related to film making. Out of the bunch, the following books were a great read:


1) The Independent Filmmaker's Law and Business Guide by Jon Garon

This book is a great reference for all the legal issues that you'll encounter while producing and distributing your film. It covers just about everything, and even contains some of the contracts you'll need.


2) The complete DVD Book by Chris Gore & Paul Salamoff

An excellent resource for designing, producing and marketing your movie on DVD.


3) HDV: What you need to know (2nd Edition) by Douglas Spotted Eagle

Im sure you've all read it....but for those of you who havent.....just get it. It covers everything from the cameras, to me technical aspects of the medium.


4) Lighting for Digital Video & Television by John Jackman

This is a complete guide to set lighting. It covers equipment, common lighting set ups, as well as troubleshooting.


5) The Sponsorship Seekers Toolkit (2nd edition) by Anne Marie Grey

This is a horribly boring book...and the first few chapters are aweful. However, this book tells you everything that you need to know about how to contact, negotiate, and arrange sponsorship for your film. It even comes with a CD that contains sample letters and contracts to use when arranging sponsorship.


One book that I don't suggest getting, is Working with HDV by Chuck Golman. Although the book isn't bad, it pales in comparison to the first two books that I listed above.

- Nathan