Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro - How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck

In the process covering too much ground, there is some not so useful information depending on the target audience. For example, people who make home videos are not he same as the people who make films

Good ideas here, but Stockman should have taken his own advice. I wavered between 2 and 3 stars.

He tells us to cut our videos down to the essentials. I wish he had he done that with his writing -- it could have been a better book cut to half its length.

Still good ideas and worth the money, but I resent the repetition and extra reading time,

I really enjoyed this book! This book has nothing to do with actual equipment.. it teaches you how to shoot video which is exactly what I was looking for. It teaches you to shoot video in short bursts and the book itself is written in a similar fashion (which I'm sure was intended) so you find yourself not losing focus. Learned a lot!

Simple tips for everyone. And I mean everyone, even pros. Your videos will be better after you read only a few chapters of this book. It is remarkable how the author manages to make this an "evergreen" book. Doesn't matter which video technology or gadgets we have five of ten years from now, the advice in this book will still be useful.

This book is smart, entertaining and informative.

I'm a writer/director and recently have been making my own videos and I wish to hell I'd read this book first.

It's a short cut to excellent videos.

If you're just starting out or are a pro, you can't spend your money better than buying this book.

This book is excellent regardless of the type of video you shoot. The author gives you the "need to knows" without inundating you with a bunch of fluff. You can read any page and come away with something that will make your videos better. I recommend it for anyone that likes to or needs to create videos.

The reviews for this book have been mixed and I think I know why. This author tells us things we already should know, but don't do. That isn't to say that I didn't learn some new stuff, but it pretty much enforces common sense. I believe it was a worthwhile purchase and would recommend it to any newby like myself.

Just got the book a couple of days ago and sat down to read it. I must say that this is a very comprehensive informative book for the beginning video shooter. I love the instant tips it gives you to improve your video shooting. Thanks!!!

A truly great book that clearly and simply explains the basics of shooting video. I used the book for a school project and it helped bring the quality of my video up to the level where I was excited to show my work.

This book was easy to read without a lot of technical jargon that would have only confused me. It focuses on the most important criteria in making good video, and I know it will help a novice like myself.

Although I enjoyed this book for it's no nonsense approach to video production I can't say that I learned anything that I didn't already know. I've been working in video production for over 7 years and was looking for a few new ideas or perspective in order to expand my business and learn a new trick or two. I didn't learn anything to be honest. After reading this book cover to cover in under half a day I can tell you that this book is great for people who know nothing about video production and are interested in cutting their teeth on info. For those of us who have been around the block a few times this book seems like a refresher course I didn't need but I enjoyed reading.

Still reading but I have been learning some valuable information that will assist me with further projects. There were some things that I was aware of but after reviewing that information again it made even more sense.

I'm an award-winning hummingbird photographer (HogbatsPhotography.com) that needed to learn the art of shooting great video, and Steve Stockman is a real genius. This is the best book for anyone that wants to learn the methods of making movies. Even for a film nut like me (I've seen Casablanca 50 times) I noticed things I'd never seen before after reading Steve's excellent book! He covers every conceivable angle of making great videos....upload this book, you will not be sorry. Thanks Steve.

A great book and a must for a beginner. If you are looking for such kind of books, I am sure this happens to you. You show your precious video to your friend on a phone, and after few minutes he returns it to you instead of watching till the end. You may be also are required to insist your friends in between that wait, see what happens next. You get annoyed when your friends start talking about other things while watching your video. You just didn't know till now that, it is only you to be blamed for it. Get this book and read..

Finally! A straightforward explanation of The Basics. I don't want 2 go 2 school 4 2+ years + get (another) degree. I'm not trying 2 produce a Hollywood Blockbuster. Nor do I care if I ever get a Star w my name on it. I JUST want 2 create Videos that quietly & confidently ignite passion 2 help change hearts...& minds...& destinies. Now perhaps that is a real possibility. Stay tuned! :) Linda Thacker, Executive Director/MissionAccess.org

The book is done with humor so it keeps you entertained while trying to learn how to video although I think it will not improve my skills that much. This has nothing to do with the book itself but the operator of the camcorder.

I've spent most of my career in various aspects of film and TV production. There are principles of shooting and structure most of us in the biz take for granted... but it's obvious, now that low-cost cameras are everywhere, that these techniques aren't intuitive. Many people seem to think of the camera as an extension of their eyes: wherever they're looking at the moment, they also point the lens. But it doesn't work that way. Even though these cameras have a lot of automatic functions, shooting that way gives you video that's hard to watch and sometimes downright embarrassing.

The tricks we use aren't difficult, just not obvious. Stockman breaks them down into tiny steps, makes them easy to master, and even adds a touch of humor. Take his advice and you'll shoot better videos, whether they're of your kid's birthday party or your boss's sales pitch.

I've worked with hundreds of writers, producers, and directors on various projects, including with Steve Stockman. I can tell you he knows his stuff, runs a happy and productive shoot, and is very good at explaining how he accomplishes it.

This is not a difficult book. You'll get a lot out of reading it. More important, the people who watch your videos will get a lot out of your having read it.

Very good read with most of the book becoming crossed reference. Comical read as well. I have picked up on many areas of production that I will do via the book. Thank you Steve Stockman and the store. Shamus :)

Rules would be:
1. Don't be repetitive
2 Don't say something you just said by phrasing it in a slightly different way.

Yes, I am poking fun at the books style of prose because he makes lots of lists and then repeats, repeats, repeats. I still haven't managed to make it through the whole book but if I did, I probably wouldn't read anything I hadn't read in the first few chapters.

It's probably not for experienced folk, on my side I found myself knowing much of the stuff in the book already. However, for beginners/people who would like a recap of the basics, it does its job pretty well!

Good tips here and there but very repetitive, you can sum up the book with:
-If you are going to shoot do it with good quality.
-Shoot small 5 seconds or less shots.
-Make them quality shots.
-Make them 5 seconds or less

Definitely for the newbie, or maybe my dad who hasn't picked up a camera in his life. Except for a few good tips like the ones above.

If you are seriously thinking about buying a book with tips and tricks on video shooting, move along and keep looking.

I'm sure this is a great cliff-notes version of filmschool, but i can't get over how negative this book feels. Basically every page and chapter you read boils down to this: Make it shorter, use less footage, but it doesnt really matter because no-one will ever watch your videos anyways.

I'm new to the video scene but have much experience with still photography (old 35 mm and digital) This book was not that helpful, gave a couple of good tips but many many not so good tips and kept preaching cut cut cut keep it short etc.. Guess my expectations were way too high, basic theme was keep your clips, short create a story and cut cut cut.......If I'd have known more about the content I would not have bought the book....

A bit unorganized in structure, but holds quantifiable value. Doesn't adequately serve the consumer or professional as a target audience, so has limited appeal as a result. For more a complete guide to film and video, see The Film maker's Handbook. Much more technical info and value for the money.

I thought it was going to focus on video editing and technique rather than general directorial stuff (which I already know a lot about from studying film and animation), but for what it is, the book is very informative in its' field.

I've read several books about shooting video and Videomaker Magazine on the regular basis, my final analysis is that it's difficult to find a decent book that covers the essentials for someone like myself who wants to record a few memories or document places I've visited. The problem with books by professionals is that they treat the subject matter as if everyone wants to make a movie that could be featured at the Cannes Film Festival. This book has a lot of good advice to be sure, but is beyond what most people will want or need. Unlike other books of this genre it doesn't preach about buying expensive video equipment, which is refreshing, but who the hell is going to story board a family members birthday party? Yes I agree that it's important to have some sort of plan of what you want to capture and what the best vantage point for that would be, but I'd have to be extremely anal to try to plan out every shot in advance. Unfortunately with live people, not actors, you can't always count on them to follow your plan. I also resist authors that give absolutism advice--like never zoom, never use in camera effects, etc.. . I think that there is an application for just about everything if you know when certain things will work to your advantage. If you want to shoot a story, a music video, or a commercial this book can be invalueable--for everyone else it depends on just how deep you want to go and what you plan on doing with your movie afterwards. Many videos that go viral on YouTube, would by Mr. Stockman's definition "suck"--but people like them anyhow for some reason--I've learned that it's hard to predict what people will like. If you are looking for a book that explains video camera features and difference between types, don't look here. If you need advice about the movie making process there is a derth of books about making videos for average people and if you need some guidance, then I think you could benefit from much of Mr. Stockman's advice--but be prepared to navigate a sea of knowledge when you may only need a bathtub full.

I'm sure this is a great cliff-notes version of filmschool, but i can't get over how negative this book feels. Basically every page and chapter you read boils down to this: Make it shorter, use less footage, but it doesnt really matter because no-one will ever watch your videos anyways.

I'm new to the video scene but have much experience with still photography (old 35 mm and digital) This book was not that helpful, gave a couple of good tips but many many not so good tips and kept preaching cut cut cut keep it short etc.. Guess my expectations were way too high, basic theme was keep your clips, short create a story and cut cut cut.......If I'd have known more about the content I would not have bought the book....

A bit unorganized in structure, but holds quantifiable value. Doesn't adequately serve the consumer or professional as a target audience, so has limited appeal as a result. For more a complete guide to film and video, see The Film maker's Handbook. Much more technical info and value for the money.

I thought it was going to focus on video editing and technique rather than general directorial stuff (which I already know a lot about from studying film and animation), but for what it is, the book is very informative in its' field.

I've read several books about shooting video and Videomaker Magazine on the regular basis, my final analysis is that it's difficult to find a decent book that covers the essentials for someone like myself who wants to record a few memories or document places I've visited. The problem with books by professionals is that they treat the subject matter as if everyone wants to make a movie that could be featured at the Cannes Film Festival. This book has a lot of good advice to be sure, but is beyond what most people will want or need. Unlike other books of this genre it doesn't preach about buying expensive video equipment, which is refreshing, but who the hell is going to story board a family members birthday party? Yes I agree that it's important to have some sort of plan of what you want to capture and what the best vantage point for that would be, but I'd have to be extremely anal to try to plan out every shot in advance. Unfortunately with live people, not actors, you can't always count on them to follow your plan. I also resist authors that give absolutism advice--like never zoom, never use in camera effects, etc.. . I think that there is an application for just about everything if you know when certain things will work to your advantage. If you want to shoot a story, a music video, or a commercial this book can be invalueable--for everyone else it depends on just how deep you want to go and what you plan on doing with your movie afterwards. Many videos that go viral on YouTube, would by Mr. Stockman's definition "suck"--but people like them anyhow for some reason--I've learned that it's hard to predict what people will like. If you are looking for a book that explains video camera features and difference between types, don't look here. If you need advice about the movie making process there is a derth of books about making videos for average people and if you need some guidance, then I think you could benefit from much of Mr. Stockman's advice--but be prepared to navigate a sea of knowledge when you may only need a bathtub full.

This author tries way too hard to be funny and doesn't have much to say on his subject. I should have known bettyer than to buy it just from the title. Video's that don't suck? not a very high bar, is it?

This book is very limited in its scope. While much of the information about scenes and shot protocol is very useful, much of the book is useless when shooting Nature where lighting and scenes are controlled by Nature and not the videographer.

I can summarize this book for you and save you time and money. Watch anything on TV or at the movies, and count now many seconds pass before there is an edit/cut to a different angle/camera. It's almost always under 10 seconds for the entire length of whatever you're watching (commercials are even more aggressively edited). Our eyes are constantly moving, so to have the camera in a fixed position for too long is boring to the viewer. Pay attention to what you see on TV and movies. Monkey see, monkey do. Now you don't need to read this book.

s is not a book about video or filmmaking. It is a book about story telling. It is the first half of a first semester film course in story telling at a film school. Something a complete novice with a junior high school education would need. There are so many things wrong with this book, regardless of the intended audience, that I can't even begin. To give one example: most people shooting family videos don't give one rat dung what uncle Albert cares about it. They are shooting to document their immediate family history for viewing decades in the future. Editing family video while you shoot is not only impossible, it is stupid. I want to see every last piece of footage I can of my deceased father, mother, son, wife, husband, or daughter. I can edit it at any time. Stupid advice beyond belief.

Are you ready to take your videos to the next level? "How To Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck", by Steve Stockman, provides valuable information that will help you understand video better and improve your video production skills. This book is written for video amateurs who want to cultivate their skills and produce professional quality products.

This book is not about video equipment and how to use it. The majority of this book teaches the reader how to plan, design, shoot and edit a quality video. There are chapters on how to shoot video at your children's parties, vacations, weddings and graduations. There are also chapters on shooting interviews, testimonials, instructional videos and advertisements for your business.

I have owned a Flip Mino video camera for three years and enjoy making amateur videos. I also enjoy creating video slide shows and music videos. I learned a great deal about the structure of a good video and how to shoot it from this book. The book is fun to read and illustrated with line drawings that complement the text.
I am not crazy about the title of the book because I don't care for the term "suck" in this context. However, the content of the book is excellent and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in refining their techniques in video production.

This book is tedious and bland. The style is chatty without being engaging and the writer appears to have no respect for the intelligence or creativity of the reader. There is nothing here for anyone with any common sense.

This was recommended to me by a professional photographer. She said I'd enjoy it because it is laid out simply, in easily digestible and understandable chunks and would guide me from one step to another in learning how to take video....that doesn't suck. She was right on.

I just got my first ever camcorder.....CANON VIXIS HF R40...and of course, I went ahead and started videoing everything....before I read this book.

Yes. my first attempts with my brand new HD camcorder really did......suck. They were boring, jiggly, jarring, blurred, dizzying. Eye torture.

So I read this book. I think the most valuable rule is the "3 second" rule. Press start...run for no more than three seconds....stop. Start again....run a max 3 seconds....stop. Repeat.

Why the "3 second rule"? Because....People nowadays have an attention span of.....3 seconds before they start fidgeting and wanting to see something else.

There are a lot more rules, of course. However....if there is only one thing you can remember....always use the "3 second" rule. And maybe your videos won't suck. And you won't create video torture...for yourself or others.

And when you finally start taking videos that don't suck, take your camcorder to your local animal shelter and make videos of adoptable animals to post on youtube so these animals won't be killed because there's no space left in the animal shelter. Do something good with your new knowledge....you'll be a hero...to the animals and to animal lovers everywhere.

I read this book in high school, when I was preparing to apply for film school. Because I was such a beginner, I found this book pretty helpful. It definitely helped me avoid a few mistakes. That said, it doesn't compare to instruction. If you want to go further with your cinematography, consider a different method of learning.

I happened across this book right before my daughter needed a video for a school project. The resulting video noticeably sucked less than either of our previous efforts, even though I hadn't finished the book and wasn't the director.

In this day and age when most of us have video cameras in our pockets and first graders can shoot video book reports, advice like this is practically a must read. Also it is highly entertaining and an easy read...clearly the author also knows how to write in a way that doesn't suck.

I'm definitely going to make this required reading for her before I let her have that YouTube account she's already begging for. Especially since I'll probably be the one watching those videos!

Although the title should be HOW TO SHOOT VIDEO THAT IS AWESOME this is one of the best books to get the beginner motivated and immediately filming. I initially found this book in the library and liked it so much that I decided to buy it.
Back story: I previously was paying others to shoot videos for me but it was getting to be quite costly. I decided to start doing it myself but after going through hours of random footage I just couldn't hang. Went to the library to try to find tips and tricks for filming and editing and, thank the ALL, I came across this book.
It is a quick read and gets you shooting easily editable footage. The author really helped me to focus in on how the audience perceives every shot. It has given my videos a new life.

This is such a great book! Steve uses a very simple language and with tons os practical day-to-day examples to illustrate the concepts.
There's no YADA YADA, only useful things and the best: things I can do today, right away.
If you're not sure about this book, take a little time to visit the website, and take a look at the sample videos and the tips.
I feel like I'm doing this great video course.
I totally agree with the front cover: "Like two years of film school in 248 pages"

I recently purchased the book and it came in handy in nurturing my video career. My day job has me creating corporate business videos and I needed a creative outlet once I discovered what all my equipment could do. The straight forward advice in "Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck" had me flipping every page.

The advice is no-nonsense and eye opening but told with humor that anyone who constantly watches movies can appreciate. Overall, it is not difficult to grasp how to make great video and for the most part it just confirms what you think great video should look like. I have just made the investment in my own camera and editing equipment. I intend on now filming projects I am passionate about.

If I was to have one book on video shooting it would be this one. It's clear, cut-to-the-chase and very inspirational. It's a great read, as happens when author knows and loves their subject. Yet after each chapter I had an itch to put the book down, grab my camera (or fire up my editing software) and do something I've just learnt. Thank you, Steve!

Side note: this is not a technical manual. It is rather about what you should do to make a good video than how you do it. If you want to learn about exposure, depth of field or color grading, look elsewhere (there's plenty). Interestingly, author himself does not consider such knowledge as crucial. The book is about learning to make meaningful videos, and it is great at that.

In this book author Steve Stockman does a phenomenal job of cutting through all of the technical jargon and complicated specifications associated with video production. He provides a concise and simple framework that anyone can understand and implement to make interesting and compelling videos. Steve has an enjoyable writing style peppered with wisdom accumulated from years of experience doing commercials, music videos, television shows and films. I have been producing commercial videos for some time and I am changing the way I film and edit because of the insights Steve has shared in this book. Whether you are producing video for family events and holidays or the next epic production BUY THIS BOOK AND READ IT. I have twice. You will make better videos.

I'm guessing that Steve's friends have given him the nickname of "FedEx" because he DELIVERED with this book. It is practical, practical, practical: with every page swipe. I took the Kindle edition with me on a much-needed vacation last week with my wife and found myself reading sections of the book to her while we watched the waves break in front of us. I got so inspired that I'm working on an infographic of the main themes so I don't fall back into bad habits anytime I shoot anything for work or leisure. Thank you for taking the time Steve to give value page after page and share your experience.

A real treat. Steve Stockmen clearly knows what he talks about and knows how to teach it. The information age has ushered in huge quantities of...low quality...information. However, "How to Shoot Video That doesn't Suck" is a gem in this new cesspool of books.

It feeds you the valuable stuff first. The inside cover has valuable tips and by page 17 you feel like you've risen above 95% of the soccer moms and YouTube jocks. Buy the book if you want to shoot better videos. Somebody tell the author to send me an email when he writes another book because I'll buy it without knowing the title.

This book was so good. I read the whole thing in the book store the 1st time I saw it. I went to film school and have done short films, commercials and music videos and already had a solid knowledge of video production when I read the book but it gave me an even wider understanding of the logistics of higher quality videos and the exercises suggested in the book are very useful for film production classes being taught. Fun and easy to read! BRAVO MR. STOCKMAN!!

I have read this book at least 10 times. It has really helped me and my partner make much better videos. Just pay attention to what you are reading and apply it to your video and amazingly it works. Steve is also very helpful and actually responds to his email, refreshing to say the least. Buy it, try it and live by it. PS it will also help you write better scripts.

Coming off of a year of film school I was shocked to see such a vast amount of useful information in this book. It was some of the exact same things I was taught in film school and then some. The writer Steve Stockman also does a great job of putting the information in a "short and sweet" fashion. I was actually learning to many good ideas in this book that I had to get out Post-It Notes to mark all the pages to go back. You'll defiantly have to read through this 2 to 3 times to get all the information burned into your brains. Only chapter I think you can skip is the last one, it was pointless. To sum up buy this book if you own a video camera, for your own good.

Make Your Movie, How to Create Cinematic Quality Video with almost No Cost: Cinematography Books, Making Movies, Filmmaking, Videography, DSLR Video, Video EditingFirst, great Headline!
This book obviously helped thousands of people in creating their individual videos and for that alone it deserves already 5 Stars. Especially the summed up of every chapter makes it simple and incredibly easy to find the information you need. Well written from a professional. Thumbs up, big time!

My name is Simon Levi and I'm a cinematographer, traveller and writer. If you search additional information concerning the best bang for your budged video making equipment, or how someone can shoot a feature on a iPhone, or how to edit even 4K simple and easy in Post-Production then check out my eBook: Make Your Movie, How to Create Cinematic Quality Video with almost No Cost!

You can get your copy here, for free!

I received the book for Christmas. I asked for it to touch up on skills. To be honest I thought I was way beyond a beginner but this book introduced several new concepts and inspired me to think outside the box. His ideas are solid, they just make sense. If you're in a rut with your videography routine or if you're just starting out this is a great book, highly recommend.

Incredibly easy to read yet so rich in content. Plus lots of tools beyond just the book, like the list of recommended movies to watch after you finish, as well as all of the references throughout the book.

I read this all while on vacation, it has really got me thinking in new ways, thank you so much for such a great experience, I would recommend this to anyone, experienced or not.

A real treat. Steve Stockmen clearly knows what he talks about and knows how to teach it. The information age has ushered in huge quantities of...low quality...information. However, "How to Shoot Video That doesn't Suck" is a gem in this new cesspool of books.

It feeds you the valuable stuff first. The inside cover has valuable tips and by page 17 you feel like you've risen above 95% of the soccer moms and YouTube jocks. Buy the book if you want to shoot better videos. Somebody tell the author to send me an email when he writes another book because I'll buy it without knowing the title.

This book was so good. I read the whole thing in the book store the 1st time I saw it. I went to film school and have done short films, commercials and music videos and already had a solid knowledge of video production when I read the book but it gave me an even wider understanding of the logistics of higher quality videos and the exercises suggested in the book are very useful for film production classes being taught. Fun and easy to read! BRAVO MR. STOCKMAN!!

I have read this book at least 10 times. It has really helped me and my partner make much better videos. Just pay attention to what you are reading and apply it to your video and amazingly it works. Steve is also very helpful and actually responds to his email, refreshing to say the least. Buy it, try it and live by it. PS it will also help you write better scripts.

Coming off of a year of film school I was shocked to see such a vast amount of useful information in this book. It was some of the exact same things I was taught in film school and then some. The writer Steve Stockman also does a great job of putting the information in a "short and sweet" fashion. I was actually learning to many good ideas in this book that I had to get out Post-It Notes to mark all the pages to go back. You'll defiantly have to read through this 2 to 3 times to get all the information burned into your brains. Only chapter I think you can skip is the last one, it was pointless. To sum up buy this book if you own a video camera, for your own good.

Make Your Movie, How to Create Cinematic Quality Video with almost No Cost: Cinematography Books, Making Movies, Filmmaking, Videography, DSLR Video, Video EditingFirst, great Headline!
This book obviously helped thousands of people in creating their individual videos and for that alone it deserves already 5 Stars. Especially the summed up of every chapter makes it simple and incredibly easy to find the information you need. Well written from a professional. Thumbs up, big time!

My name is Simon Levi and I'm a cinematographer, traveller and writer. If you search additional information concerning the best bang for your budged video making equipment, or how someone can shoot a feature on a iPhone, or how to edit even 4K simple and easy in Post-Production then check out my eBook: Make Your Movie, How to Create Cinematic Quality Video with almost No Cost!

You can get your copy here, for free!

I received the book for Christmas. I asked for it to touch up on skills. To be honest I thought I was way beyond a beginner but this book introduced several new concepts and inspired me to think outside the box. His ideas are solid, they just make sense. If you're in a rut with your videography routine or if you're just starting out this is a great book, highly recommend.

Incredibly easy to read yet so rich in content. Plus lots of tools beyond just the book, like the list of recommended movies to watch after you finish, as well as all of the references throughout the book.

I read this all while on vacation, it has really got me thinking in new ways, thank you so much for such a great experience, I would recommend this to anyone, experienced or not.

So many people need to read this book. It teaches you why many videos & bore you and you quickly click on to something else. Provides good insights into how to make stories interesting with video. You'll find yourself deconstructing the television programs you watch, identifying each of the concepts presented.

Bought it at a book store, remember this place, Barnes&Noble? It was $5 more and i was impatient. Anyway. If you just bought a new video camera buy this book with it. Its well worth the retail price for a novice. I'm no pro but not a beginner either. Its a nice reference book to have to get some ideas for a shoot but more importantly for editing your clips after you got your shots. For me, there were a couple of neat ideas but it generally reinforced what i had already learned on my own through trial and error (and a lot of error at that). Its worth the purchase and worth keeping.

If, like me, you didn't go to film school, and you are thinking about or are producing videos for your business, I highly recommend reading Stockman's book - even if you've hired a professional to produce the video! He's made the complex simple and gives small business people a step-by-step approach to shooting video that will engage and entertain your potential customers. Buy the book - do the exercise (set a clear intention) and THEN start working on your video.

After reading this book I found that I had been shooting junk videos and, even worse, inflicting these on my long-suffering friends and family.
The principle of KISS (Keep It Short Stupid) has definitely stuck in my mind.

It's interesting to read and easy to understand. Also, that's what I expected for the book. Moreover, there are many things to learn about making videos. I totally recommend it if you are interested in the term.

This book is not without useful information; I could really see it helping some people. However, the information is VERY basic. It covers a lot of things that are common sense and the rest of the information consists of things that would be discovered very early in the film making process. This is great for someone who has ABSOLUTELY no composition experience, but those with even marginal experience will get little use out of this book.

Dear Steve, I just shot and edited my first two videos after having read your book. They are great and I love them. I used my flip and flipshare along with what I learned from your book. Thanks and continued success. Phil

A decent book if you know absolutely nothing about shooting video and haven't bothered to think much about it. There are a number of common-sense tips, but very little in the way of technical advice. I guess I would say the book doesn't suck.