Shooting the Scene: The Art and Craft of Coverage for Directors and Filmmakers

Navigating the necessary skills for shooting fiction film or TV is a challenge for any filmmaker. This book demystifies the art and craft of “coverage”―explaining where to put the camera to shoot any kind of scene.

Author Mark Rosman takes readers step by step through the basics such as scene analysis, blocking actors, composition, shot listing, storyboarding, and screen direction to the more advanced, including how to shoot fights, car chases, and visual effects scenes. Rosman draws on his extensive film career to reveal the tips and tricks professional directors use to shoot creatively, quickly, and effectively on any budget and design the perfect shooting plan to make memorable and impactful film and TV. Through simple descriptions, clearly drawn diagrams, storyboard panels, and frames from famous movies, this book is a comprehensive and in-depth look at the art and craft of mastering coverage.

Ideal for students of directing and film production as well as any filmmaker looking for a guide to shooting any scene.

Includes two bonus online chapters covering on set procedure and how to watch your dailies.

Mark Rosman is a Continuing lecturer of film and TV production at UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film, and Television, where he teaches directing, production, and beginning and advanced coverage. He is an award-winning writer and director of film and television, having directed family classics such as A Cinderella Story and Life-Size, as well as countless other features, TV movies, and TV episodes for Warner Bros., Universal, CBS, Disney, ABC Family, USA, TBS, Hallmark, and Lifetime.