Digital Filmmaking For Kids For Dummies

Digital Filmmaking For Kids For Dummies

by Nick Willoughby
Released May 2015
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119027409

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Book description

The easy way for kids to get started with filmmaking

If you've been bitten by the filmmaking bug—even if you don't have a background in video or access to fancy equipment—Digital Filmmaking For Kids makes it easy to get up and running with digital filmmaking! This fun and friendly guide walks you through a ton of cool projects that introduce you to all stages of filmmaking. Packed with full-color photos, easy-to-follow instruction, and simple examples, it shows you how to write a script, create a storyboard, pick a set, light a scene, master top-quality sound, frame and shoot, edit, add special effects, and share your finished product with friends or a global audience.

Anyone can take a selfie or upload a silly video to YouTube—but it takes practice and skill to shoot professional-looking frames and make your own short film. Written by a film and video professional who has taught hundreds of students, this kid-accessible guide provides you with hands-on projects that make it fun to learn all aspects of video production, from planning to scripting to filming to editing. Plus, it includes access to videos that highlight and demonstrate skills covered in the book, making learning even easier and less intimidating to grasp.

  • Create a film using the tools at hand
  • Plan, script, light and shoot your video
  • Edit and share your film
  • Plan a video project from start to finish

If you're a student aged 7–16 with an interest in creating and sharing your self-made video, this friendly guide lights the way for your start in digital filmmaking.

Table of contents

    1. Cover
    2. Introduction
      1. About This Book
      2. Foolish Assumptions
      3. Icons Used in This Book
      4. Beyond the Book
      5. Where to Go from Here
    3. Week 1: The Basic Digital Filmmaking Process
      1. Project 0: Getting Started with Digital Filmmaking
        1. The Filmmaking Process
        2. Lights, Camera, What?
        3. A Filmmaker’s Tools
        4. Life as a Filmmaker
      2. Project 1: Getting to Know Your Camera
        1. How Does Your Camera Work?
        2. Deciding on a Camera to Use
        3. How to Record and Import Footage
        4. Try It Out Yourself
      3. Project 2: Framing a Great Shot
        1. Learning the Rule of Thirds
        2. Choosing the Right Shot
        3. Choosing a Fixed-Camera Position or a Moving Camera
        4. Try It Out Yourself
      4. Project 3: Making Your Film Sound Good
        1. Using Your Camera’s Built-In Microphone
        2. Recording with External Microphones
        3. Recording Sound Separately
        4. Try It Out Yourself
      5. Project 4: Getting the Best Lighting
        1. Using Natural Light
        2. Using Extra Lights
        3. Lighting Your Film
        4. Try It Out Yourself
      6. Project 5: Adding Magic by Editing
        1. Choosing an Editing Tool
        2. Create a New Event
        3. Import Your Footage
        4. Create a New Timeline
        5. Add Selected Footage to a Timeline
        6. Add Transitions
        7. Export Your Video
    4. Week 2: Making a 60-Second Film Trailer
      1. Project 6: Planning Your Film Trailer
        1. Come Up with an Idea
        2. Structure Your Trailer
        3. List the Shots You Want to Shoot
        4. Try It Yourself
      2. Project 7: Shooting Your Trailer
        1. Essentials before Shooting
        2. Directing Your Film
        3. Shooting Tips
        4. Checking Your Shots
        5. Try It Out Yourself
      3. Project 8: Setting the Pace and Mood with Editing
        1. Arranging Your Footage on the Timeline
        2. Adding Music
        3. Adjusting Brightness and Contrast
        4. Adding Titles
        5. Sharing Your Film on YouTube
    5. Week 3: Making a Documentary
      1. Project 9: What Makes a Good Documentary?
        1. What Is a Documentary?
        2. Documentary Film Styles
        3. Picking a Topic for Your Documentary
        4. Structuring Your Documentary Film
        5. Try It Out Yourself
      2. Project 10: Shooting Your Documentary
        1. Create a Short Summary to Introduce Your Topic
        2. Interviewing Techniques
        3. Recording Clean Sound
        4. Filming Cutaways
        5. Creating the Perfect Ending
        6. Try It Out Yourself
      3. Project 11: Overlaying and Underlaying in Editing
        1. Preparing Your Documentary in the Timeline
        2. Recording a Voiceover
        3. Adding a Voiceover under Your Footage
        4. Adding Footage over Your Interviews
        5. Adding Credits
    6. Week 4: Creating Your First Short Narrative Film
      1. Project 12: Assembling Your Film Crew
        1. Who Can Help?
        2. Roles in a Team
        3. Your Role
        4. Building a Team
        5. Try It Out Yourself
      2. Project 13: Telling Your Story
        1. What Makes a Good Story?
        2. Creating Your Characters
        3. Your Story on One Page
        4. Scene Selection
        5. Writing the Script
        6. Writing Dialogue
      3. Project 14: Location Hunting and Props
        1. Finding the Right Locations for Your Film
        2. Do You Have Permission?
        3. Choosing Props and Costumes
        4. Try It Out Yourself
      4. Project 15: Choosing Actors for Your Film
        1. Running Auditions
        2. Rehearsing Your Scenes
        3. Getting the Best from Your Actors
        4. Try It Out Yourself
      5. Project 16: Planning Your Shots with a Storyboard
        1. Create a Storyboard
        2. What to Include in Your Storyboard
        3. Try It Out Yourself
      6. Project 17: Enhancing Your Shots
        1. Viewing the Same Scene from Different Angles
        2. Adding Levels to Your Film
        3. Crossing the Line
        4. Try It Out Yourself
      7. Project 18: Making It Sound Even Better
        1. Microphone Techniques for Dialogue
        2. Dealing with Wind
        3. Checking Levels as You Record
        4. Try It Out Yourself
      8. Project 19: Adding Mood with Lighting
        1. Using Shadows and Lighting Effects
        2. Using Colored Gels and Filters
        3. Getting the Best from Daylight
        4. Try It Out Yourself
      9. Project 20: Time to Film
        1. Directing Your Film
        2. Logging Your Shots
        3. Checking Your Shots
        4. Try It Out Yourself
      10. Project 21: Getting the Film Look with Editing
        1. Editing Angles and Shots Together
        2. Editing Dialogue and Inserting Reaction Shots
        3. Creating the Film Look with Color and Effects
        4. Enhancing the Sound
        5. Try It Out Yourself
      11. Project 22: Getting a Film Review
        1. Reviewing Your Work
        2. Getting Reviews from Others
        3. Try It Out Yourself
    7. About the Author
    8. Cheat Sheet
    9. Advertisement Page
    10. Connect with Dummies
    11. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Digital Filmmaking For Kids For Dummies
  • Author(s): Nick Willoughby
  • Release date: May 2015
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119027409