Mike Figgis is the director of one of my favourite films, Liebestraum, as well as the much better known Leaving Las Vegas. He's multi-talented as a director, a musician, and a writer; but like most film directors (most recently David Lynch) he's now embracing the new possibilities of digital recording. Suddenly, all the laborious paraphernalia of the Hollywood film-making process can be concentrated into a cheap hand-held digital camera that we could buy from Amazon. Figgis has taken on the new possibilities that these technological developments have made available. And in this book he's sharing his reflections on the art of film-making in a way which is addressing both an amateur YouTube enthusiast or a serious film school would-be at the same time. And none of his advice is theoretical: he's actually using the new technology in making his own films... Read more >>
02 May 2007
Digital Filmmaking - Mike Figgis
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I bought this book and it's great. I carry it with me everywhere and it was the kick in the behind I needed to get my act in gear. He is pragmatic in his approach and advice which basically boils down to (talent aside, my addition, not Mr. Figgis'): a person who really wants to make films has absolutely no reason to not make a film. This is a guy who thinks imovie is great and is definitely of the use what you have to make your digital film. Don't have an hd camera? Use mini-dv. Just make the film. Other books may be far more technically minded but they don't carry the pedigree that Digital Filmmaking does. And to prove my point, Mr. Figgis filmed the 1995 Acadamy award winning film (Best Actor, Nicholas Cage) "Leaving Las Vegas" in Super 16mm, not 35mm, not 70mm. I bet today he'd have used mini-dv or hd. He walks the walk and talks the talk.
So buy this book, forget the fact that you may or may not have high end equiptment and just make a film. That's the gift that Mr. Figgis gives us.
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