Table of Contents

Crazy Mad Thanx, Preface, Introduction, Preproduction, Location, Location, Location, Image Control and Camera Work, Lighting, Sound Recording, Composition and Coverage, Interview Prep, Conducting Interviews, Post-Production, Anthony's Recommended Reads, Glossary, Index, About the Author, Book and DVD Credits

About the Author

Anthony Q. Artis is a 20-year veteran of the film and TV industry whose features and TV shows have screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, the IFP Market, Slamdance, and Cinequest, as well as on MTV and the Independent Film Channel. He has worked professionally in positions as diverse as producer, gaffer, and cinematographer, and survived more low-budget shoots than he cares to admit. He remains an active filmmaker, Adjunct Professor of film and TV at NYU and is the author of the bestselling Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide (2007), The Shut Up and Shoot Freelance Video Guide (2010) and numerous filmmaking courses on Lynda.com.

Reviews

"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 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

"Anthony Artis has consolidated years of practical, professional experience into the quintessential blueprint for documentary filmmakers...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

"[Shut Up and Shoot] 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..."-Nik Powell (Director of the National Film and Television School in London)

"I would highly recommend this as a handbook to be carried by all students and referred to at every step of the way. Everything the aspiring film maker needs to know about shooting anything at all is contained in these pages." -Wendy Laybourn FBKS, Network Nine News - UK "If you’re interested in making a documentary, you should absolutely check out The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide. It’s an outstanding plain-language primer written by a man with passion, experience, and the ability to make the more technical aspects of production approachable." - David Indish, Bricks of the Dead"I vouch for this book… extremely helpful for the newborn documentary filmmaker."-Albert Maysles, Grey Gardens, Salesman, Gimme Shelter"Anthony Artis' book is the best, most informative and entertaining book about making documentaries that I have come across."-Lloyd Kaufman, President of Troma Entertainment and creator of The Toxic Avenger"As my teacher, Anthony Artis taught me how to cut production down to the bare essentials to get it done... Without this foundation I would never have been able to keep up at the White House."-Arun Chaudhary, First Official White House Videographer and author of First Cameraman"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"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"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 insider’s 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

"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 "The Shut Up and Shoot books are awesome...If you are considering making a documentary at some point, please check out this book before you shoot, as it will spare you many mistakes and setbacks." - Anthony Q. Artis, HorrorTalk