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

by Steve Stockman

Newly updated and revised, How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck is a quick and easy guide that will make your video better instantly—whether you read it cover to cover or just skim a few chapters. It’s about the language of video and how to think like a director, regardless of equipment (amateurs think about the camera, pros think about communication). It’s about the rules developed over a century of movie-making—which work just as well when shooting a two-year-old’s birthday party on your phone. Written by Steve Stockman, the director of the award-winning feature Two Weeks , plus TV shows, music videos, and hundreds of commercials, How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck explains in 74 short, pithy, insightful chapters how to tell a story and entertain your audience. In other words, how to shoot video people will want to watch.

Here’s how to think in shots—how to move-point-shoot-stop-repeat, instead of planting yourself in one spot and pressing “Record” for five minutes. Why never to shoot until you see the whites of your subject’s eyes. Why to “zoom” with your feet and not the lens. How to create intrigue on camera. The book covers the basics of video framing, lighting, sound (use an external mic), editing, special effects (turn them off!), and gives advice on shooting a variety of specific sporting events, parties and family gatherings, graduations and performances. Plus, how to make instructional and promotional videos, how to make a music video, how to capture stunts, and much more. At the end of every chapter is a suggestion of how to immediately put what you’ve learned into practice, so the next time you’re shooting you’ll have begun to master the skill. Steve’s website (stevestockman.com) provides video examples to illustrate different production ideas, techniques, and situations, and his latest thoughts on all things video.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Photography, Reference, Business, Art, Media Tie In

248 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2011

About the author

Steve Stockman is a Los Angeles-based producer, writer and director of over 200 commercials, short films, web series, music videos, and TV shows.

Steve executive produced "Gnarnia" for Comedy Central, 3 seasons of "BrewDogs" on the Esquire Network, "Dogs of War" on A&E, 3 seasons of "Devils Ride" on Discovery and "24 in 24" on Food Network.

He wrote, produced and directed the award-winning 2007 MGM feature film "Two Weeks", starring Sally Field, Ben Chaplin, Tom Cavanagh, Julianne Nicholson, Glenn Howerton and Clea DuVall.

His book, "How to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck" is the best-selling video how-to book in the world. It's available from Workman Publishing in Print (9 languages so far!) , Electronic and Audio versions, wherever you buy your books.

He blogs about video at www.stevestockman.com

Reviews

[Steve Stockman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fairly fond of this. Of course, I'm not that objective.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book on a whim from the local library. My initial thought was I will read a chapter here and there. It didn't work that way. I read it cover to cover. There are good tips and insights in every chapter. If videography doesn't happen to be your "thing" you will still learn a lot from this book. You can translate much of what is in here to other artforms whether they be of a visual nature or a story telling nature. They are probably applicable to musical forms of expression too, but you would need to ask a musician to be sure.

Recommended, even if you have no intention of videoing anything at any time.

[Berenice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, smart and useful. This one belongs in all video and filmmaker’s libraries.

[Kelly Pinella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the simple exercises given in the book that I can practice, reinforcing specific instructions you just learned. You'll never shoot a boring thirty minute video from one stationary spot ever again. Great value for the amount of information you get, possibly even better than a college class. I'll be referring back to certain chapters. The only thing missing in this book is how to operate your personal camera. Super advice on how to take better videos.

[Brianna Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great place to start if you haven't worked much with video or film. This covers all the basics of how to make interesting videos, and it delivers it in a fun, easily digestible format. If you already have experience in the business, though, you'll find this is basically just review.

[LadyS · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is short but contains a plethora of tips that will instantly elevate videos. From amateur to pro, there is a helpful tip for everyone.
The recommendations were presented in a light-hearted way which made the book fun and interesting to read.

[William Aicher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super helpful for someone who's just starting to think about how to make more effective, purposeful video (like me).

[Ahmad Alradwan احمد الرضوان · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing guide for videographer w

Just started taking videography as a serious job opportunity and this book helped me alot in noticing and handle different subjects related to videography and montaging

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very first book I've read about film/directing. Thank you Steve Stockman for all the insight to film, this one definitely opened my eyes and I can't wait to start creating!

[Koveanthan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A no-nonsense book on filmmaking. Great Read.

[Rachel Lerch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book cover to cover... it’s excellent. The tips, helps and easy explanations have really helped me in shooting for my YouTube channel. I highly recommend this book. Steve... I’d love a Part 2!

[Danielle DuPuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this so that I can consider it for a textbook for a county video production class. While there was some repetition, there's also a lot of extremely valuable information in plain english that beginnings can benefit from immensely. As I was reading, I got a lot of ideas for creating some lesson plans to go along with this title. I found it to be a very practical guide!

[Kevin Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essentially, it teaches everything an Intro to Production class should teach in an approachable manner. It doesn't go into detail with the technical bits like lenses, shutter speed, and editing software, but it does provide info on the basic idea of how to make a video that draws interest with lighting, angles, and pacing your edits. Even though I went to film school, I still found stuff in here that made buying and reading the book cover-to-cover worth it (Plus it's only, like, $11).

You can check out some examples and pieces from the book on the author's site: https://www.stevestockman.com/

[Porter Trepanier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical advice and fun to read!

I just read this book straight through and feel like I came away with a lot of good insights into the world of making better videos. Good book for any amateur videographer hoping to learn the basics!

[Kevin Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stockman’s book is snappy, informative and full of great (actionable) advice. He doesn’t get bogged down with the technicalities of filmmaking- you won’t find diatribes on resolution, aspect ratio or bit rate which is great because today’s cutting edge is tomorrow’s redundancy.

[Jason Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this through a Goodreads Giveaway!

If you ever in your life hold a video camera, READ THIS BOOK FIRST! An excellent and entertaining quick lesson on exactly what the title says, "How to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck". Steve Stockman is witty, informative, and harshly dedicated to making great video. He has zero tolerance for those who make bad video, but offers encouragement and easy-to-understand tips for making video better. I not only enjoyed this book, but was inspired and found myself practicing each tip enthusiastically. I was also happy to see several of my favorite movies listed in the appendix as movies to watch for examples of great video. Whether you are an aspiring filmmaker or the member of your family usually holding the camera, this book is for you.

[A. Sines · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed reading this book. Set up like a list of advice, it is skim-able while taking away pertinent information. Ideas I've never thought of, things I've forgotten...it is a refresher course that includes advice good for both adults and kids and those who've never shot video before.

Some of the advice can also be used to take good still shots as well.

But readers should take into account one of the first piece of advice Mr. Stockman gives: make a video that YOU would like to watch. Shooting video is an art like writing and painting. Read the advice with an open mind...experiment, but in the end, do what you like, what keeps you watching and there are others who will do the same.

[Kathleen McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Video that Doesn’t Suck is really basic and perfect for its target audience. Most, if not all, of the stuff here was covered in my film classes, but Mum got it for me for Christmas and it was an easy read so I stuck with it. At first, Stockman’s tone felt almost condescending, but once I got used to it, he laid everything out simply and clearly and wrote familiarly. Even as someone who’s gone through a degree in this subject I felt encouraged and inspired by his simple explanations. He throws technical jargon by the wayside and makes good video sound like something anyone can do! Which it is. So get shooting.

[Jason McCrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I was skeptical of this book at first. It was given to me as a Christmas gift. After reading it, though, I have to say that the content was helpful, to say the least.

Some of what's inside are merely opinions, but isn't that true for most artistic endeavors?

If you're new to video production and want some basic direction, then this book is a great place to start! I was very impressed with Steve Stockman's overall delivery. The book is easy to read and the nuggets of insight are invaluable for the minimal time investment.

[Mateen Manek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this is a book I will end up actually buying in the future. It’s packed with so much information that it’s something you want to have with you on your filmmaking journey.

I’ll admit that this book is geared for amateurs, and I found myself skipping to parts I found relevant, but it’s filled with some amazing golden nuggets that will change how professionals approach film.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who is considering making videos - whether it’s for fun, to promote your business or as a professional. You’ll find value in this book.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was entertaining for a how-to book and got me interested in shooting personal video after I read it for a work. By following one of the exercises, my family created a few videos this holiday that truly did not suck. Until this Christmas, we have had few video memories. Thanks to tips from this book that actually work, we will be making many more, and I suspect participation will be more enthusiastic as the videos get better.

[Karen Brockney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I have made some terribly boring movies in the past and bought this book to see if I could learn how to stop making snorers. Fantastic! The writing is concise and entertaining with lots of great examples. Very inspiring. If you are looking for technical details, don't buy this book. But if you want to find out what makes a video entertaining and emotion-grabbing, this is the book for you.

[Niniane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make shots brief. Focus on interesting characters. Have a purpose to the video. Use cuts, not fancy transitions. Focus on one person with a need, not many people. Start in the middle of the action instead of preamble plot. Keep the camera still. Use establishing shots to indicate location. Focus on people rather than scenery.

[Ryan Meitzler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent-enough how-to book for those looking to get into video production, shooting, editing, and any other facet of creating video and media, although personally I felt it was a little basic and too straight-forward. If you're looking into more advanced or professional-level insight or tips then this probably is not the best read, but otherwise for beginners it's definitely a good start.

[Morgan (Turbo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book saved me! I volunteered to do a video production workshop and quickly realized I was in over my head. But then I picked up this book from the library and was instantly in good hands. Even from the inside cover there were simple methods to improve your video. I read it from start to finish and it was really easy. I recommend this to anyone at all interested in shooting video.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knew nothing about film production before picking this up, and now I feel much more confident talking about the subject. I enjoyed how casual the writing style was, and how it still managed to be informative. Really interesting read, even if you're not planning on becoming a director I would still suggest this!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book for beginners, but even with a few years of filming and editing under my belt I gleaned alot of great insights. Steve keeps things in very basic terms but there is alot of valuable information here calling out to all videographers.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Two years of film school in 250 pages" is a stretch but it is a great read and full of good ideas. Loses a bit in trying to be a book for everything from short films to viral videos and everything in between.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good practical information that has improved my video taking a lot. I look forward to practicing more of the techniques given in this book.

[Tiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I gained insight and enjoyed his humor and writing style.