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Now the entire online course KINOCAMP about theoretical basics of filmmaking is available to watch for free!
KINOSHELF

A book is your best teacher and a book of scripts is not an exception...

A book has always been the most affordable source of knowledge. Filmmaking is not an exception. Fortunately, nowadays we have a great choice of books about filmmaking, but unfortunately, we have to choose among this great amount. Aspiring filmmakers tend to ask one and the same question: "What books should I read to become a filmmaker?"

To begin with, what kind of a filmmaker do you want to be? Please, don't say "a good one", since there are no books on how to become a bad one. If you already decided to become a filmmaker, you would already have a list of your favourite film directors, films, genres and styles, and it's already a good place to start.
Another point of reference to consider is that film is a collaboration of arts such as narrative, photographic, performing and music. So it would be great if you had a good knowledge of at least literature, paintings and music, which roughly represent words, images and sounds.

As practice shows, to grasp the technical aspect of filmmaking then becomes easier. The challenge is what kind of story to tell and how. These questions a filmmaker will have to answer on his or her own. And it will depend on his or her life and educational background, the skills he or she has to observe and sense the world around or imagine the unreal one.

As you can see there cannot be one universal book or even a few; there will always be different books approaching this multi-layered profession from different angles. But its core will always be you and your personality. Although there is no book about it yet, you can always write one and tell about your unique path and how once upon a time you became a filmmaker.
A book is your best teacher and a book of scripts is not an exception...
A book has always been the most affordable source of knowledge. Filmmaking is not an exception. Fortunately, nowadays we have a great choice of books about filmmaking, but unfortunately, we have to choose among this great amount. Aspiring filmmakers tend to ask one and the same question: "What books should I read to become a filmmaker?"

To begin with, what kind of a filmmaker do you want to be? Please, don't say "a good one", since there are no books on how to become a bad one. If you already decided to become a filmmaker, you would already have a list of your favourite film directors, films, genres and styles, and it's already a good place to start.

Another point of reference to consider is that film is a collaboration of arts such as narrative, photographic, performing and music. So it would be great if you had a good knowledge of at least literature, paintings and music, which roughly represent words, images and sounds.

As practice shows, to grasp the technical aspect of filmmaking then becomes easier. The challenge is what kind of story to tell and how. These questions a filmmaker will have to answer on his or her own. And it will depend on his or her life and educational background, the skills he or she has to observe and sense the world around or imagine the unreal one.

As you can see there cannot be one universal book or even a few; there will always be different books approaching this multi-layered profession from different angles. But its core will always be you and your personality. Although there is no book about it yet, you can always write one and tell about your unique path and how once upon a time you became a filmmaker.


KINOSHELF

FILM HISTORY

As one famous science popularizer and communicator Carl Sagan once said "You have to know the past to understand the present". We cannot skip the history and why should we? It's always interesting to know how everything started…

Ironically, at this very moment it has to be mentioned that almost all books written on film history and proclaiming that the Lumière brothers invented moving pictures have very little to do with the true film history. There were other great names, the true inventors who in fact succeeded to imprint moving pictures long before 1895! How could it happen that they were erased from the history books? Who was the filmmaking pioneer then? Well, buckle-up, it's going to be a bumpy ride through film history, the one you've probably never heard of!
Film History The One You've Probably Never Heard Of...

by Oksana Belousova

A quick digest in the form of Instagram stories of true film history, the one that started earlier than 1895, to be precise, 7 years before the Lumière brothers made their first screening and got the whole fame of "fathers of motion pictures". Well, there were number of other great film inventors who were unfairly erased from film history pages...

KINOSHELF

FILMMAKING

As they say "To become wise in some sphere you need to read ten books, to find these ten books you need to read thousands". This part of the kinoshelf contains some books that could make your list of "ten". These books are on filmmaking in general and on its particular aspects (scriptwriting, film direction, production design). Some books are quite popular among filmmakers, whereas, others are barely known but they became true hidden gems for some filmmakers, hopefully, they will become such for you as well.
Sculpting in Time

by Andrey Tarkovsky

One of the most important books ever written about filmmaking by one of the greatest film directors of all time Andrey Tarkovsky. This book is a core text book at most international film schools. Ironically, this very book has never been officially published in Russia though it, of course, was written in Russian. There were electronic pirate copies distributed which again ironically gave at least some access for Russian readers, but it's one of the biggest film absurds to have this book available in many countries, but Russia, though, Andrey Tarkovsky is Russian film director.

KINOSHELF

FILMOSOPHY

This part of the kinoshelf is pretty hardcore, but if you crack it, you'll get to another level of understanding the film phenomenon. Moreover, knowing the basics of philosophy will tremendously contribute to your scriptwriting and storytelling skills. Philosophy will teach you to raise questions and build arguments which in fact any good film does. Films made by Jean Renoir, Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, Ingmar Bergman, Andrei Tarkovsky, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Béla Tarr, Terrence Malick, Wes Anderson, the Coen brothers, etc., were made not only by great film directors but also by great philosophers who either indeed studied philosophy in academic institutions or were otherwise very well-red into it.
WARNING!
Once you dive into this philosophical pool, majority of films will become very dull for you, but those few which won't, will stay with you forever and you will understand why.

Cinema I: The Movement-Image

by Gilles Deleuze

The fundamental work by one of the most prominant philosophers of 20th century who explored philosophy of art and questioned cinema to be an art form. In the first volume Deleuze researches the meaning of "movement-image" as one of the core characteristics of cinema.

KINOSHELF

ART BOOKS

Books of this part of the kinoshelf are dedicated to the artistic component of a film and mainly to cinematography. Since cinematography is based on pictorial and photographic arts, a good knowledge of both will be a great benefit to you. The best way to learn about composition, light and color is through understanding painting artworks which have always been the main source of references for cinematographers. As soon as you find your way around the pictorial art, you will easily spot true artists among film directors and cinematographers.
Filmmaker's tip: learn one painting artwork a day, and you will always have something to talk about with your cinematographer!
Symbols and Allegories in Art

by Mathilde Battistini

From antiquity, when the gods and goddesses were commonly featured in works of art, through to the twentieth century, when Surrealists drew on archetypes from the unconscious, artists have embedded symbols in their works. The goal of this book is to provide contemporary readers and museum visitors with the tools to read the hidden meanings in works of art.

KINOSHELF

HIDDEN GEMS

Check also the following YouTube channels:
the official channel of American top-rated film school with lots of educational videos, seminars, interviews, movie club, etc.
the official channel of Cannes Film Festival where you'll find live coverage of all key moments of the festival: Press Conferences, Photocalls, Red Carpets, Interviews, etc.
an impressive filmmaking resource that covers everything from video essays on David Fincher to free masterclasses on production design...
is the largest black hole of film knowledge in the universe, its video lectures are hailed educators, non-educators as well as people who are against the concept of education on moral grounds.
analyses movie scripts to examine exactly how and why they are so good at telling their stories and aim to be a fun way to learn more about your favorite films and help us all become better storytellers.
analyses psychological layers of characters and films: Joker, Deadpool, Fight Club, Lord of the Rings and many others...
consists of behind-the-scenes content, including the popular series "VFX Artists React", and has 4.76 million subscribers as of April 2021.
is a labor organization that represents the creative and economic rights of directors and members of the directorial team; the channel contains lots of interview with famous film directors.
Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is an American labor union representing approximately 160,000 film and television actors, journalists and other media professionals worldwide.
channel is about Cinematography All Of The Things!
channel is dedicated to providing tips, tricks, and tutorials for all types of creatives. From filmmaking and lighting to photography and graphic design - our goal is to learn together while helping you meet your deadlines.
Cinematography Gear and Content,
By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers

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