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This book is being updated for its second edition. To be notified when it is available for purchase, please email: dean@storyfarm.com  

A Digital Storyteller's Handbook came about from classes I've taught at the Digital Media Academy at Stanford and other bay area schools. It's the book I wish I had when I was starting out as a digital filmmaker. It's not the "everything you've always wanted to know about digital video" kind of book, because those books can be so overwhelming that they actually discourage you from doing anything. But it's also not the "digital video book for the complete idiot" because assuming you're an idiot is insulting and impractical. It's the digital video book for the intelligent beginner.

Click here to read the Table of Contents

This book is about how to make your idea into a movie. Unlike the "everything..." books, it's not filled with technical explanations about the gear you should buy and how it's supposed to work. It's about creating meaningful content that can be shared in this modern world. A Digital Storyteller's Handbook provides practical techniques to build your story from the idea stage into a produce-able script, and then shoot it with modern, inexpensive equipment in a way that will actually enhance your story and keep it interesting. The techniques in the book were distilled from both traditional and modern filmmaking methods. With this book, practically anyone with a story to tell can make a compelling film.

A Digital Storyteller's Handbook is about writing your story, pre-production, and production using inexpensive cameras, sound equipment, and related tools. It's NOT about digital editing, but it contains valuable information about how to get ready for editing, working with an editor, and what to expect in post-production. You'll also learn about how to work with a cast and crew, film festivals, and delivery formats. And there's an addendum containing a small chapter on the persistent question of how to buy a video camera.

This book was also written to function as a textbook. Educators will be pleased by its straightforward, plain-spoken approach that demystifies the digital storytelling and filmmaking process. And it comes in a durable, spiral bound cover that lays flat on any page and fits perfectly in a book bag or camera case. A Digital Storyteller's Handbook..it's cool!