The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide: A Down and Dirty DV Production [Paperback]

"The key to Artis' style is his instant accessibility. He strives to give daunting, complicated technical and aesthetic concepts total and immediate clarity...he's as attentive to the subjective, intangible aspects of filmmaking (such as working with crews and interview subjects) as he is to the objective, technical ones...Most of this information is as applicable to fiction filmmakers as documentarians, making Artis' book a handy guide for a wide range of beginning independent directors and cameramen." - American Cinematographer "Anthony Artis' "The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide" is a good primer for the entry-level documentary filmmaker, presented in a breezy, down-to-earth vernacular style." -Thomas White, Editor of Documentary Magazine, a publication of the International Documentary Association. "I vouch for this book...extremely helpful for the newborn documentary filmmaker." -Albert Maysles, Grey Gardens "A superb addition to the 'how to' subsection of your library, Artis' tome is concise, while containing useful, accessible information on every aspect of documentary filmmaking, all with a doggedly hands-on attitude. Five stars." - Empire Magazine "The book is a very easy, straightforward read with plenty of graphics to demonstrate proper and improper techniques.It is also extremely user friendly in its layout. [It] will be helpful to you for many, many years to come." - Microfilmmaker Magazine "The book has a luxury presentation that makes you feel like a successful filmmaker - or that you soon will be - from the word go...Carried out in full colour, which makes a relief from too many academic tomes, its 296 pages are chock-a-block with very useful illustrations. But the clincher seem to be the DVD which is all part of the package. You're a filmlmaker, after all. A visual artist. Why would you want to spend all your time reading when you can be watching and learning." - British Film Magazine "Anthony Artis has consolidated years of practical, professional experience into the quintessential blueprint for documentary filmmakers. I have used the techniques in this book on my documentary and narrative film projects, knowing that budget should never stop a filmmaker from seeing his or her vision through. I highly recommend this book if you want to turn your limitations into assets. Now shut up and shoot!" -Pete Chatmon, Writer/Producer/Director PREMIUM and 761st "Plain and simple, nuts and bolts on making documentary films. It's told in a conversational manner with no wasted or minced words and most importantly no BS! Few books of this type would mention how important it is to take care of your crew and how that can dramatically improve the outcome of your film. Definitely told from an insiders point of view with useful and practical info that won't go over your head." -Cliff Charles, DP, When the Levees Broke, ThePeoplesDP.com "The practical approach promised in the title is delivered fully by the text. Artis exposes the pitfalls that can swallow a beginning filmmaker and offers straightforward advice to avoid them." -Jonathan Luskin, Flying Moose Pictures, San Francisco. "The book is comprehensive and detailed. Indeed the most comprehensive practical (I do hate the word 'guerrilla', a filmmaker is surely at the end of the day just a filmmaker!) guide to documentary filmmaking I have ever come across! ... It has three principle outstanding qualities that you seldom find individually let alone together in the same book. The first is how comprehensive it is; the second is how intensely practical it is; and the third is how clear it is... But remember that this book will not tell you how to make a great film or indeed a good film. Or indeed even pretend to. But it will give you clear and practical guidance on how to make your film. And without such guidance it is hard to even get started. This book will help you do so much more than that! -Nik Powell (Director of the National Film and Television School in London) "...jam packed with useful information spelled out in a useful way. You can't ask for much more. This book gets a big recommend for aspiring documentarians and a solid recommend for other filmmakers, including aspiring narrative filmmakers, who will find plenty of the advice applies beyond documentaries." - Making the Movie "While focused first and foremost on documentaries, this is an utterly indispensable resource for anyone who wants to get their films made, on any budget... Smart, fun, and on your side, Shut Up and Shoot is packed with good stuff you'll otherwise have to learn the hard way." -Bill Camarda, from the December 2007 Barnes and Noble Newsletter Mr. Artis sets us straight from the start: "this ain't your mamma's film book; this is a book for people who want to make documentary films". He makes it emphatically clear when he adds: "This book is for people who are done talking about the films they want to make and who are ready to shut up and shoot". --Rob Goald, Film Festival Today, Online

I vouch for this book...extremely helpful for the newborn documentary filmmaker."