- ISBN13: 9780240809151
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Don’t waste valuable time and budget fixing your footage in post! Shoot the effects you want effectively and creatively the first time.
This full-color step-by step guide to visual effects cinematography empowers you to plan out and execute visual effects shots on a budget, without falling into the common pitfall of using high-end computer graphics to “fix it in post.” Learn how to effectively photograph foreground miniatures, matte paintings, green screen s… More >>
Filming the Fantastic: A Guide to Visual Effects Cinematography
Tags: budget, Cinematography, computer graphics, Effects, Fantastic, Filming, foreground, Guide, matte paintings, miniatures, pitfall, remainder mark, Visual, visual effects cinematography, visual effects shots
#1 by J. Phillips on April 18, 2010 - 7:19 pm
Many have made favorable comments on this, and I agree with the favorable ones. This is a good reference. Inspiring on another level to expand creativity. Recommend this.
Rating: 4 / 5
#2 by Lars-Petter Steen on April 18, 2010 - 9:33 pm
It’s difficult to review a book that wasn’t for me in the first place, but if it keeps someone else from getting dissappointed, I still think it could be useful.
“Filming the Fantastic” is written by a talented and experienced cinematagropher, and if anything, this book is a historical lesson about how film makers used to (and to some extent still) shoot scenes. Every chapter dedicates 80% to explain in detail of how and who things work they do, and also one or two examples from his own experience. The last 20% is left for “how to do it digitally”.
The back side of the book describes it a “step-by-step” guide, which it really isn’t. While it includes alot of examples, they are far too shallow to help you through the more demandings setups.
My point is that this book is old school and sometimes contradictory – on one hand the author talks about “shooting on a budget” and how easy and cheap it is to do it yourself, on the other he lists everything that needs to be included – and we talk about extremely expensive equipment – but he also counts on that you have a small film crew (with artists, for example). I’m dissappointed because as a young film maker with extremely limited budgets and cheap prosumer cameras, I feel like we live in two different worlds.
Rating: 2 / 5
#3 by Jason J. Tomaric on April 18, 2010 - 11:12 pm
As a working Hollywood director and published author (The Power Filmmaking Kit), I usually take many filmmaking books with a grain of salt. They are either overly simplistic, revealing the inexperience of the author or serving as blatant self-promotion. “Filming the Fantastic” is neither. Mark Sawicki’s take on visual effects cinematography whipped me back to my childhood when I dreamed of creating the same in-camera special effects I grew up with in movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. The one book I wish existed years ago, “Filming the Fantastic” is chock full of techniques, tips and advice to both novice and experienced filmmakers alike, focusing on the art of using lenses, practical set pieces, miniatures, forced perspective, and a variety of non-CGI approaches to making incredible effects. If you are interested in making movies or the filmmaking process, I highly recommend “Filming the Fantastic.” It is a fascinating read, and a fresh look at an extraordinary art form.
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by David Basulto on April 18, 2010 - 11:37 pm
If you are a filmmaker Mark Sawicki’s book is a must for your arsenal. The book will give you much needed fundamentals of how visual effects shots are done. Dont try to “fix it in post”. Do it right the first time in your camera.
Rating: 5 / 5
#5 by Tridello Cris on April 19, 2010 - 12:23 am
Finally a book which analyzes FX effects non only in CG but in old fantastic and “Handy” method!!!
Rating: 4 / 5