Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know

I received this as a Christmas present. Some relatives in Bowling Green got this for, and it's a very interesting read, because they know I love writting and directing movies. The last movie I made was in October, called 'Pumpkin Man' In the book, you will learn about techniques such as Pan, Tilt, Dolly, Zoom, Montage, Open up, Fall down, Fly over, Long shot, Vertigo, and much more. I will definitely use this book when I direct 'Pumpkin Man 2' I highly recommend SETTING UP YOUR SHOTS: GREAT CAMERA MOVES EVERY FILMMAKER SHOULD KNOW!!!

I've seen this book by Jeremy Vineyard tagged as simplistic and cursory. If you're a super-hip film school graduate who's been involved in the industry, this book may not be worth your time. However, if you're an amateur, like myself, this book makes a great reference. I recently shot a short film and used this book extensively while storyboarding. Easy enough for children and a good reference for the amateur filmmaker. I've definitely gotten my money's worth on this one.

...open this book and point to the page.A previous reviewer complained that all this book does is show the shot. Presumably that person wanted a to-do list of which knobs to turn, what equipment to set up, how much the rentals should be, etc etc etc.When I write a shooting script, I use the camera terms here as *verbs*. "Dolly past [character] and Spin Around" Anybody in the crew who does not understand is handed the book. Quickly I get "Oh, THAT's what you mean."In fact I bought more books for that purpose alone.Gee, what a shame it's not in color photographs. Gosh it might even be better in 3D. How about virtual camera moves holographiclly jumping off the page?Get real. This is an idea book. Look. Get the idea. Get to work.Got it?

This book is intended for new filmmakers, film buffs and as reference for experienced filmmakers. It introduces the reader to many types of shots and opens one's eyes to many possibilities. Unfortunately, it seems that the negative reviews about this book are centered around it being too simplistic or basic. I believe those reviewers did not understand the intent behind this book and missed the point entirely. I think all subjects should start with the very basics and describe what the goal is first, then one can address how to achieve it technically (which is not what this book is necessarily about). If I had any complaints, it would only be a couple of minor points. The first is that there are a few technical words used, but are not defined for the reader, who has to then look elsewhere to understand them. Next, although the authors clearly state that they had to invent many terms to describe certain shots, there is no way to distinguish which are the standard terms and which are the made-up ones. Otherwise, this is an excellent first step for any new filmmaker and also a great reference for finding the perfect shot for any scene you need help coming up with. And most certainly, I am not going to complain that is was too simple to read and clearly illustrated! I wish all books were written this straight forward!

Setting Up Your Shots is a great way to get movie viewers (especially teens) to think more about what they're seeing, what the camera is doing in manipulating their focus, and why. Instead of being a passive audience, you'll be watching for the different angles, techniques, etc... and thinking more about why the director chose them. It makes movies much more interesting to watch, and gives you a lot more to talk about when the movie is over! Very interesting reading for teens and up.