Gustavo Mercado (Mercado is an independent filmmaker with over 10 years of experience producing, writing, editing, directing, and shooting films on film and high-definition video. His films have been featured in national and international film festivals.

This book shows aspiring filmmakers the rules of image composition--and how to break them--with beautiful, full-color examples and a sleek, elegant design.

acknowledgments xi
introdution xiii
finding the frame 1
principles of composition and technique concepts 6
image system 21
extreme close up 29
close up 35
medium close up 41
medium shot 47
medium long shot 53
long shot 59
extreme long shot 65
over the shoulder shot 71
establshing shot 77
subjective shot 83
two shot 89
group shot 95
canted shot 101
emblematic shot 107
abstract shot 113
macro shot 119
zoom shot 125
pan shot 131
tilt shot 137
dolly shot 143
dolly zoom shot 149
tracking shot 155
Steadicam shot 161
crane shot 167
sequence shot 173
filmography 179
index 183

This is the only book that combines conceptual and practical instruction on creating polished and eloquent images for film and video with the technical know-how to achieve them.

Loaded with hundreds of full-color examples, The Filmmaker's Eye is a focused, easy-to-reference guide that shows you how to become a strong visual storyteller through smart, effective choices for your shots. This book has struck a chord worldwide and is being translated into several languages

After a short introduction to basic principles, a variety of shots are deconstructed in the following format:

- Why It Works: an introduction to a particular type of shot
- How It Works: callouts point out exactly how the shot works the way it does--the visual rules and technical aspects in action
- Technical Considerations: the equipment and techniques needed to get the shot.
- Breaking the Rules: examples where the "rules" are brilliant subverted