{"id":137678,"date":"2020-09-04T10:56:47","date_gmt":"2020-09-04T15:56:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=137678"},"modified":"2020-09-04T10:56:47","modified_gmt":"2020-09-04T15:56:47","slug":"bare-bones-camera-course-for-film-and-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/bare-bones-camera-course-for-film-and-video\/","title":{"rendered":"Photocopy Film School: An Ode to the Bare Bones Camera Course"},"content":{"rendered":"

How a photocopied, loosely stapled, and likely illegal reproduction of The Bare Bones Camera Guide <\/em>inspired my creativity\u00a0and jumpstarted my film and video career.<\/h2>\n

I first became aware of The Bare Bones Camera Course for<\/i> Fil<\/i>m<\/i> and Video (PDF)<\/i><\/a> while attending a for-profit art school in 2006. The book was required reading for an introductory video production class I\u2019d be taking that quarter, and like most of my required reading, I purchased my copy from the school\u2019s own bookstore.<\/p>\n

Much to my surprise, upon requesting a copy of Bare Bones<\/em>, I wasn’t handed a heavy, hardbound behemoth, but rather a short stack of photocopied pages, loosely stapled at the corner and still warm from the Xerox machine. This was my official textbook. It was also the foundation of my understanding of filmmaking.<\/p>\n

Whether or not my school was authorized to reproduce and sell this book in this makeshift manner is up for debate. That said, the book itself has a makeshift feel that just about begs to be photocopied. It\u2019s basically a zine; the first two editions of this book are comprised entirely of double-spaced, twelve-point Courier type and hand-drawn illustrations.<\/p>\n

\"Excerpt<\/a>

Excerpt from<\/em> The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video: Second Edition.<\/em> Image via Georgetown Commons<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

First published in 1982, the eighty-nine-page text is a short, comprehensive guide to understanding the basics of film and video photography. Bare Bones <\/i>tidily explains basic camera functions, such as film speed and depth of field, as well as fundamental concepts like composition and screen direction. For nineteen-year-old me, then knowing much more in my heart than my head, Bare Bones<\/em> was pivotal to my understanding of film and television. It was a catalyst. It was vibe. It was the perfect start to my career as a creative professional.<\/p>\n

By writing this post, I now give a respectful nod to this charmingly accessible text in all its forms, bootleg or other. This is my ode to Bare Bones<\/i> and its unassuming author, the late Tom Schroeppel.<\/p>\n

\n

The Birth of Bare Bones<\/em><\/h3>\n
\"Composing<\/a>

Schroeppel’s original purpose for the manuscript was to help his clients understand his camera setup. Image via alexat25<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

In 2006, Tom Schroeppel gave an interview<\/a> to Self Reliant Film<\/i>, a blog dedicated to championing independent film. In the interview, he tells of first coming up with the idea for the book in the late 1970s.<\/p>\n

At the time, Schroeppel was busy with commercial work in Miami and occasionally traveling to Ecuador to train camerapersons for a small television network in Quito. He described a meeting with a client in Miami:<\/p>\n

One day, as I was drawing on a Little Havana restaurant napkin to explain a setup to a client, I realized that this was the same thing I had explained in Spanish the previous week in Quito. I decided to translate my training notes back into English and print them in a version I could give to clients.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the summer of 1979, he compiled what would become the first version of Bare Bones<\/i>, gathering notes, drawing stick-figure illustrations, and typing everything on his IBM Selectric typewriter. He shared this version with industry friends before moving on to explore self-publishing.<\/p>\n

Hoping to solicit some advice from instructors in the field, he placed a classified ad in the American Film Institute Education Newsletter<\/i>:<\/p>\n

In the ad, I offered a free copy of the final published version of my book in exchange for criticism of my rough draft. One hundred teachers asked for copies and thirty of them wrote back and said they wanted to use the book \u2014 even in its current stick figure form \u2014 as a textbook.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Illustrating<\/a>

Illustration from<\/em> The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video: Second Edition.<\/em> Image via Georgetown Commons<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

As a result, Schroeppel took the leap and began self-publishing, commissioning an improved version of his stick-figure drawings from a local animation house. In the author\u2019s notes found in the book\u2019s third edition<\/a>, he explains that he wanted Bare Bones<\/em> to remain self-published, ensuring that the text would be accessible and affordable. He continued self-publishing until 2015, when he ultimately passed the buck to Allworth Press<\/a>, a relatively small group dedicated to publishing practical and accessible resources for creative professionals.<\/p>\n

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The Robust Insight of Bare Bones<\/em><\/h3>\n
\"Insights<\/a>

Bare Bones’ objective is to specifically teach a person how to use a camera. Image via Everett Collection<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

So, what exactly does Bare Bones<\/em> teach us? The short answer is a lot<\/em>. Here’s a quick tour of just a few of the topics and concepts Schroeppel’s text covers<\/p>\n

How a Camera Even Works<\/h3>\n
\"How<\/a>

Schroeppel goes on to describe exactly how an image is captured. Image via Everett Collection<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

The book begins by describing how light is perceived by the human eye, then goes on to explain that a camera is simply an approximation of this process. Schroeppel covers basic concepts, such as how an image is captured on both film and digital sensors, as well as how color temperature is measured. His explanation of exposure \u2014 as it relates to film speed \u2014 is particularly useful, demystifying the correlation between lens length and aperture width.<\/p>\n

The Language of Film<\/h3>\n
\"Film<\/a>

Not only does he cover the basic concepts, he explains the terminology used in the industry. Image via Everett Collection<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Schroeppel\u2019s adept explanations of common film and video terminology was perhaps my biggest takeaway from his work. He clarifies photography basics, such as camera angle and composition, and covers kinetic principles vital to both filming and editing, such as screen direction and camera movement. By masterfully laying out these concepts, Bare Bones <\/i>became my introduction to the language of film.<\/p>\n

Practical Use of Light<\/h3>\n

If film is essentially the capture of light, then understanding lighting is surely key. Schroeppel provides insight into working with natural light and building effective lighting setups. He goes on to provide advice on lighting hypothetical filming scenarios.<\/p>\n

Those are just a few of the basics illustrated in the book. With so much comprehensive information packed into such a concise text, it\u2019s no wonder that Bare Bones<\/i> remains relevant and useful to this day.<\/p>\n

\n

Tom Schroeppel \u2014 the Author<\/h3>\n
\"Tom<\/a>

Author Tom Schroeppel’s signature from the third edition of <\/em>Bare Bones. Image via Allworth Press<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

In that same interview with Self Reliant Films<\/i>, Schroeppel explains that his notes \u2014 what eventually became Bare Bones<\/i> \u2014 were essentially an interpretation of what he had learned in the Army Motion Picture Photography School. Having been drafted into the Army in 1966, he opted to extend his enlistment to qualify for motion picture training.<\/p>\n

For me, it was the most interesting thing the Army had to offer. I came from a family of avid amateur still and movie photographers, so making a living taking pictures was always in the back of my mind.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Tom Schroeppel went on to enjoy a prolific freelance career, shooting and editing for commercial television clients in Miami and eventually working with Kidsworld<\/i><\/a>, a syndicated children’s television magazine.<\/p>\n

Schroeppel speaks fondly of his Kidsworld<\/i> experience. He tells Self Reliant<\/em> that he had the privilege of writing, directing, and shooting more than 100 episodes of the series, noting that the show lent him a lot of creative freedom. I will add that, upon a cursory search of the internet<\/i><\/a>, I\u2019m quite endeared.<\/p>\n