if joy is the engine…

…then hope is the fuel. If I got nothing more from Hillman Curtis’s book, then perhaps that message is sufficient – although perhaps insufficient for the price. Creating short films for the web is less of a text on how to make film, or more precisely, video for the web; and more of a reflection of Curtis’s technique and processes, and what he thinks about it. In this respect, the book is good for the rank newbie – here’s someone who’s been there and done that – get the following gear and get on with it. The book is also good for the seasoned video maker – they no longer have to wrestle with the hardware etc, they might find the reflection on what works and what doesn’t more useful than a paint-by-numbers approach. For the person in between newbie and guru – I think the book isn’t intended for you – you need to grab your camera, sticks, mic, and go. Go make some video, get it up, get it on. Once you’ve got some practical experience (i.e. figured out what works, what doesn’t, and what difference makes a difference) then settling back and comparing notes would likely to prove useful. I liked some of Curtis’s reflections, agreed with some of his technical advice, and learned some valuable new ideas. Not bad for a nicely produced and very readable book.