Books For The Aspiring Film Maker

My son is 11 years old and an aspiring film maker. I feel like I’m making a self help statement with this sentence. And in a way I am. To say he is “aspiring” feels like the biggest understatement of the century. He is so passionate, so obsessed, it is often an overwhelming need he seems to have to create films. He directs, he edits, he scripts, he makes props, he even acts. All in the pursuit of creating art on film. Up until now he has taken a few courses but mostly he is self taught. Finally I decided it was time to get this child a film makers library of resources. Here are the film makers books I’m adding to our shelf.

Inspiring and educating an aspiring film maker

What you will discover in this article!

Build a bookshelf for your aspiring film maker with these picks. Perfect for your younger film makers, to your teens and adults that love to make movies.

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As I mentioned, my son is mostly self taught. Although he has taken some courses in film making, he started at 7 years old and they all teach the same thing, at about the same level. So by 9 years old he had exhausted all the programs created for kids. Yet he is far too young to attend any of the courses designed for adults. So for the last couple of years he has been self teaching with online tutorials and whatever we have been able to teach him. It helps to have a photographer for a mother and a retired director for a grandfather!

Still, he is quickly flying past us and we need more resources for him. So I started researching books to create a resource library on film making. One of the issues I’ve been facing is that none of these books are available in my public library. None. Normally I prefer to “try before I buy” and go to the library, but in this case I’m diving in with both feet. When your child is as passionate about something as this child is about film making, and for this long, I believe it is my responsibility to foster that love and help it flourish.

These books are mostly written with an adult reader in mind, which is perfect for our needs. However if your child is quite young or struggles with reading, this may not be suitable. These books are for your tweens and teens who are passionate about films and are aspiring film makers.

Here is a quick look at our Aspiring Film Makers Bookshelf!

Just click the pictures for more information, or scroll down for more details.

For the Harry Potter Fan & Aspiring Film Maker

The first books on our shelf are all about something we love in this family, the Harry Potter world! There are three books currently available, Harry Potter Film Wizardry, Harry Potter Page to Screen and The Case of Beasts (about Fantastic Beasts). These books are so much fun with lots of goodies included. These books are perfect for your Harry Potter fan and your aspiring film maker. It will help your young director watch the movies with a new, critical eye.

Harry Potter Film Wizardry (Revised and Expanded) Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey The Case of Beasts: Explore the Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

For The Younger Aspiring Film Maker

The next two books on our shelf are great introductory how-to books. Written in a easy to follow format, they can be used easily by children or adults. How to Make a Movie in 10 Easy Lessons and Movie Maker are great for your younger aspiring film maker.

How to Make a Movie in 10 Easy Lessons: Learn how to write, direct, and edit your own film without a Hollywood budget (Super Skills) Movie Maker: The Ultimate Guide to Making Films

For The Aspiring Film Maker Looking For Inspiration

This next book is such an inspiring story of how a Hollywood film maker got his start with a small budget and a lot of passion. Rebel Without A Crew is the story of Robert Rodriguez creator of Spy Kids plus more.

Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player

Technical Books For The Aspiring Film Maker

These next two books really get into the nitty gritty of film making. There is a lot to learn from How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck and The Film Maker’s Handbook. These books are great for really learning how to create films. The Film Maker’s Handbook is used as a reference and text book in a number of courses on film making.

The Filmmaker’s Handbook, 2013 Edition How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro

Classic Books – Learning From The Masters In Film Making

These final four books are considered classics. If your aspiring film maker wants to dig deep and learn from masters, these are the books for them.

Making Movies In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing, 2nd Edition The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film The Five C’s of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques

Whatever level your aspiring film maker is at, there is the perfect book to help inspire and educate them.

Books For The Aspiring Film Maker – Inspire and Educate