Today, I inaugurate a new category on the site titled “Books”, in which I chroniquerais regular books on the cinema. It begins with the book to Make his first film by Frédéric Plas, published by Editions Dixit. The book is step the process of making a film, from the story to the release of the film, without forgetting the essential steps are the preparation, the editing and of course shooting !
His first film, it speaks of what in fact ?
The creation of a movie of course, but not necessarily all angles. Here, it will not be the question of technical achievement. If you want to know more about the Scale of the plans and movements of the camera, it is better to stay on this site or buy a book dedicated to these topics. This book will rather address everything that does not fall within the work of the director, all the “in-side” of the creation of a film in which a producer requires for “its” film sees the light of day. The description of the book made by the editor, summarizes the situation well :
“This book presents itself as a “green guide” and is addressed to the one who has never realized that the “backpacker” in search of specialized information.
It proposes to follow step by step the making of a film (the writing of the script until the exit room) by placing himself from the point of view of a director who, from an idea, was able to convince a producer to engage in his adventure. This guide is intended for those who want to know precisely the process of making a film, and who want to discover the trades of the cinema in their particularity and context.”
In the end, we discover the different stages of the creation of the film, but not necessarily from the point of view of the director. It is especially a great way to understand the craft of the producer and other people involved in the creation of a film as the script supervisor or assistant director. It is also a very good way to get examples of séquencier, contracts, quotes, or service sheets. We see step-by-step as to place the preparation and the filming of a movie. few things are left to the side, and the book is really comprehensive.
Make his first movie, a book for that ?
I want to say to all the world. This is not a book about the achievement, but it will allow the new director to understand the mechanics of the world that it wishes to integrate, and the work of the people that he will have to work with. It is also an interesting book for a person wishing to engage in the production, since a large part of the book is devoted to this profession. Finally, it will allow film students, technicians or other movie fans to discover the behind-the-scenes of a world subject to fantasies.
To summarize, Make his first film is a perfect book for those who don’t want to end up silly when he sets foot for the first time on a film set or, more generally, in the world of cinema. This is a good introduction to a very complex world, before going into the detail
Buy the book Make his first film
As a bonus, here is a small interview with the author of the book :