In writing this textbook, we have attempted to provide you with an overview of the motion picture industry and the work required to make a film. Our belief is that if you approach the script as a basic roadmap, then you should come away with a much better understanding of how the various individual artists and craftspeople work together to create a film. And we wanted to give you enough details to help you understand everyone's role on a film set, with the hope that this information might help you determine which role is best for you.

Everyone’s journey will be different. For many of us, we have been driven by a love of cinema or television and the desire to create our own stories and images, a desire that has never gone away. For Del, Heather, Hank, and Joe, there were few books on the subject when we first started out and not nearly as many schools focused on filmmaking. At that time, people who wanted to make films learned by doing and by watching films. It would have been an enormous benefit to have had a book like this available. Something that connects the dots and gives a glimpse into each of the phases of production, and what is required in order to complete a film and get it out before the public. Most of the time we were fumbling around without guidance, a few of us stumbling upon success and not really sure how that happened.

For us, the point of contributing to this book is to help anyone who wants to learn about the art and craft of this business, who wants to become a filmmaker. Anyone who wants to tell stories and connect with an audience. We have tried to shed some light on the mystery of visual storytelling, to make it a little less mysterious and much more possible to actually do. Our personal hope is that something in this book does just that for you.