Arts Publications

Michael Wiese Productions

Library Bookwatch, March, 2005

11288 Ventura Blvd. #621, Studio City, CA 91604

For exciting titles from Michael Wiese Productions demonstrate the fact that if it's professional-level film guides and industry how-to references which are needed for a collection, this publisher's holdings is the place to go. That's not to say that Michael Wiese produces just for the film pro, but that the titles are top-notch, professional-level coverages. Take Catherine Lorenze's Dream Gear: Cool & Innovative Tools for Film, Video & TV Professionals (094118885X, $29.95): many a consumer will relish an in-depth approach to innovative tools for film, video and TV, even though professional audiences are the target. Chapters assess the pros and cons of camcorders, film systems, dolly kits and more. While many of the items are intended for professional use, consumers will find much to consider in the model-specific insights and assessments, and will learn a great deal about film industry production in the process. Black and white photos on every page feature equipment, usage and stage examples, and more. Christina Hamlett's Could It Be A Movie?: How To Get Your Ideas From Out Of Your Head And Up On The Screen (0941188949, $26.95) is for the aspiring screenwriter who faces a stumbling block in translating ideas into film. From identifying the strength of a plot idea and whether it could translate to a hit movie to locating hot markets for particular styles of film and adapting pre-existing material for feature-length screenplay, Could It Be A Movie? comes packed with ideas. Phil Hall's The Encyclopedia Of Underground Movies: Films From The Fringes Of Cinema (0941188957, $26.95) discusses the little-known world of' underground cinema'--films which rarely find their way to audiences or media attention. Chapters select underground movies to feature, from Rod Serling's 'Children' to underground documentaries, and survey such topics as what makes a film enter the 'digital underground', and what makes for a 'collector film'. Filmmakers who edit films won't want to miss the professional tips of Bruce Mamer with Jason Wllace in Digital Editing With Final Cut Pro 4 (0941188914, $31.95). Final Cut Pro first saw light in 1988 and was immediately applauded as a software that would allow independent filmmakers to produce professional results on slim budgets, and the latest version can handle either film or 24-frame video. Use Bruce Mamer and Jason Wallace's Digital Editing to understand all integrated features of the program, apply it with professional technique, and understand particular segments of its more complex features.