'Stockman has packed a veritable film school between the pages of this highly informative, yet entertaining book. Very highly recommended.'
Get this from a library! How to shoot video that doesn't suck. [Steve Stockman] -- 'Whether you're filming a child's birthday party, business promo, video for your college or job application, or the next (you can hope) YouTube sensation, here is how to make your video not just. How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck tells the reader every-thing in the chapter titles: “Nobody Watches Bad Video”; “If You Wing It, It Will Suck” (he really likes this word); “Add Music”; and “Great Effects Make Your Video Pop.” Because of this, it is unclear just whom this book is written for. How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck by Steve Stockman Soldering by David Erik Nelson Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon The Scrumban [R]Evolution.
--Videomaker Magazine
'Great tips from a video expert.'
--PC World
'Whip-smart and funny.. teaches readers how to think about film and reveals the why and when behind techniques; there is next to zero tech or tool talk.'
--Library Journal
'His simple-to-follow guide takes readers step-by-step through the film- and video-making process'
--Kirkus Reviews Comodo filesystem filter driver is not loaded.
'Like two years of film school in 248 pages. I've been in the movie biz for twenty-five years and I still learned a ton from Steve Stockman's How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck. I guess that means either I'm pretty dumb or Steve is really smart.'
--Steven Pressfield, Author of The War of Art and The Legend of Bagger Vance
'Stockman has packed a veritable film school between the pages of this highly informative, yet entertaining book. Ch9200 usb ethernet driver download for win7. Very highly recommended.'
--Videomaker Magazine
'Great tips from a video expert.'
--PC World
Kobalt cement mixer parts. 'Whip-smart and funny.. teaches readers how to think about film and reveals the why and when behind techniques; there is next to zero tech or tool talk.'
--Library Journal
'His simple-to-follow guide takes readers step-by-step through the film- and video-making process'
--Kirkus Reviews
'It's all in here--family video, business video. . . even college application videos. What's not in here? A bunch of technical stuff nobody understands. We can all shoot video on our smart phones or digital cameras--the question is, can we shoot video that doesn't suck?'
--Joe McCambley, Co-founder/Creative Director, The Wonderfactory
'The odds are good that some of you suck at video. . . Steve is one of the smartest media minds in the game. This book is the perfect gift for any would-be filmmaker with the need to suck. . . less.'
--Rob Barnett, Founder/CEO, www.MyDamnChannel.com
'Stockman skipped past all the technical crap about how to use a camera and cut right to the chase: how do you shoot a video somebody else will WANT to watch? The only thing missing is a time machine so I could reshoot fifteen years of sucky birthday party and school play videos.'
--David A. Goodman, Executive Producer/Head Writer of Family Guy
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Newly updated and revised, How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck is a quick and easy guide that will make your video better instantly—whether you read it cover to cover or just skim a few chapters. It’s about the language of video and how to think like a director, regardless of equipment (amateurs think about the camera, pros think about communication). It’s about the rules..more
Published June 2nd 2011 by Workman Publishing Company
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Rating details
Dec 04, 2011Steve Stockman rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)
Fairly fond of this. Of course, I'm not that objective.
Funny, smart and useful. This one belongs in all video and filmmaker’s libraries.
I picked this book on a whim from the local library. My initial thought was I will read a chapter here and there. It didn't work that way. I read it cover to cover. There are good tips and insights in every chapter. If videography doesn't happen to be your 'thing' you will still learn a lot from this book. You can translate much of what is in here to other artforms whether they be of a visual nature or a story telling nature. They are probably applicable to musical forms of expression too, but y..more
I like the simple exercises given in the book that I can practice, reinforcing specific instructions you just learned. You'll never shoot a boring thirty minute video from one stationary spot ever again. Great value for the amount of information you get, possibly even better than a college class. I'll be referring back to certain chapters. The only thing missing in this book is how to operate your personal camera. Super advice on how to take better videos.
Great place to start if you haven't worked much with video or film. This covers all the basics of how to make interesting videos, and it delivers it in a fun, easily digestible format. If you already have experience in the business, though, you'll find this is basically just review.
Mar 19, 2019Ahmad rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Amazing guide for videographer w
Just started taking videography as a serious job opportunity and this book helped me alot in noticing and handle different subjects related to videography and montaging
A no-nonsense book on filmmaking. Great Read.
I read this book cover to cover.. it’s excellent. The tips, helps and easy explanations have really helped me in shooting for my YouTube channel. I highly recommend this book. Steve.. I’d love a Part 2!
How To Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck - Steve Stockman.epub
Nov 03, 2017
Danielle DuPuis rated it
really liked it Shelves: nonfiction, filmmaking, video-production, instructional
I read this so that I can consider it for a textbook for a county video production class. While there was some repetition, there's also a lot of extremely valuable information in plain english that beginnings can benefit from immensely. As I was reading, I got a lot of ideas for creating some lesson plans to go along with this title. I found it to be a very practical guide!
Feb 20, 2019Porter Trepanier rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Practical advice and fun to read!
I just read this book straight through and feel like I came away with a lot of good insights into the world of making better videos. Good book for any amateur videographer hoping to learn the basics!
Jul 06, 2011
Jason Lilly rated it
it was amazing Shelves: favorites, nonfiction, first-reads, books-for-teachers
I won this through a Goodreads Giveaway!
If you ever in your life hold a video camera, READ THIS BOOK FIRST! An excellent and entertaining quick lesson on exactly what the title says, 'How to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck'. Steve Stockman is witty, informative, and harshly dedicated to making great video. He has zero tolerance for those who make bad video, but offers encouragement and easy-to-understand tips for making video better. I not only enjoyed this book, but was inspired and found myself..more
Jan 02, 2015Kathleen Mcdonald rated it it was amazing
Video that Doesn’t Suck is really basic and perfect for its target audience. Most, if not all, of the stuff here was covered in my film classes, but Mum got it for me for Christmas and it was an easy read so I stuck with it. At first, Stockman’s tone felt almost condescending, but once I got used to it, he laid everything out simply and clearly and wrote familiarly. Even as someone who’s gone through a degree in this subject I felt encouraged and inspired by his simple explanations. He throws te..more
I've enjoyed reading this book. Set up like a list of advice, it is skim-able while taking away pertinent information. Ideas I've never thought of, things I've forgotten..it is a refresher course that includes advice good for both adults and kids and those who've never shot video before.
Some of the advice can also be used to take good still shots as well.
But readers should take into account one of the first piece of advice Mr. Stockman gives: make a video that YOU would like to watch. Shooting..more
Jan 23, 2018Jason McCrory rated it it was amazing
To be honest, I was skeptical of this book at first. It was given to me as a Christmas gift. After reading it, though, I have to say that the content was helpful, to say the least.
Some of what's inside are merely opinions, but isn't that true for most artistic endeavors?
If you're new to video production and want some basic direction, then this book is a great place to start! I was very impressed with Steve Stockman's overall delivery. The book is easy to read and the nuggets of insight are inval..more
Jun 22, 2014Karen Brockney rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Loved this book. I have made some terribly boring movies in the past and bought this book to see if I could learn how to stop making snorers. Fantastic! The writing is concise and entertaining with lots of great examples. Very inspiring. If you are looking for technical details, don't buy this book. But if you want to find out what makes a video entertaining and emotion-grabbing, this is the book for you.
This was entertaining for a how-to book and got me interested in shooting personal video after I read it for a work. By following one of the exercises, my family created a few videos this holiday that truly did not suck. Until this Christmas, we have had few video memories. Thanks to tips from this book that actually work, we will be making many more, and I suspect participation will be more enthusiastic as the videos get better.
Knew nothing about film production before picking this up, and now I feel much more confident talking about the subject. I enjoyed how casual the writing style was, and how it still managed to be informative. Really interesting read, even if you're not planning on becoming a director I would still suggest this!
A decent-enough how-to book for those looking to get into video production, shooting, editing, and any other facet of creating video and media, although personally I felt it was a little basic and too straight-forward. If you're looking into more advanced or professional-level insight or tips then this probably is not the best read, but otherwise for beginners it's definitely a good start.
Oct 28, 2013Morgan (Turbo) rated it it was amazing
This book saved me! I volunteered to do a video production workshop and quickly realized I was in over my head. But then I picked up this book from the library and was instantly in good hands. Even from the inside cover there were simple methods to improve your video. I read it from start to finish and it was really easy. I recommend this to anyone at all interested in shooting video.
May 30, 2013Niniane Wang rated it it was amazing
Make shots brief. Focus on interesting characters. Have a purpose to the video. Use cuts, not fancy transitions. Focus on one person with a need, not many people. Start in the middle of the action instead of preamble plot. Keep the camera still. Use establishing shots to indicate location. Focus on people rather than scenery.
This is a fantastic book for beginners, but even with a few years of filming and editing under my belt I gleaned alot of great insights. Steve keeps things in very basic terms but there is alot of valuable information here calling out to all videographers.
'Two years of film school in 250 pages' is a stretch but it is a great read and full of good ideas. Loses a bit in trying to be a book for everything from short films to viral videos and everything in between.
I enjoyed this book. I gained insight and enjoyed his humor and writing style.
One of the better ones I've read for basic video knowledge.
Good practical information that has improved my video taking a lot. I look forward to practicing more of the techniques given in this book.
Fantastic book with practical advice on shooting video, from the basics to more advanced techniques.
Great book for folks new to videography. Doesn't waste time with too much technical stuff, just a refreshing view on the basics on how to avoid shooting stuff people will ignore.
Dec 05, 2018
Sarah Lee rated it
it was amazing Shelves: creativity, non-fic, read-in-2018, popculture, productivity
It was a good read, with the author being just funny enough to keep you entertained but not so much as to make you not take the book seriously. It is all about movie making, more in the sense of getting good shots so if you are looking at how to video edit look elsewhere. I won't ever become the video artist, but I took away a few things that I hope will at least help home movies to not look so drab. Either way an interesting read to me!
Jan 09, 2019Panagiotis rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
On point and perfect duration
A good companion when one starts practicing the art of storytelling through moving picture. I personally read it as part of research for creating educational videos. It has tons of great advice delivered in a simple and humorous way. I am very happy that I took the time to read it.
Jan 16, 2018Kaleb Simpson rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Very useful
This book does an excellent job keeping the terms toward making quality video simple. All of the concepts are easily broken down and able to repeat when you get the chance.
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Steve Stockman is a Los Angeles-based producer, writer and director of over 200 commercials, short films, web series, music videos, and TV shows.
Steve executive produced 3 seasons of 'BrewDogs' on the Esquire Network, 'Dogs of War' on A&E, 3 seasons of 'Devils Ride' on Discovery and '24 in 24' on Food Network.
He wrote, produced and directed the award-winning 2007 MGM feature film 'Two Weeks',..more
“Great video comes from thinking humans, not equipment.” — 0 likes
“Brilliance is encouraged but optional. Competence, however, is mandatory.” — 0 likes
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