Today on the domestic market the camcorder has become as familiar as the still camera, editing facilities can be easily accessed, and domestic editing equipment is fast becoming available. There is therefore the possibility for a much greater diversity of uses for video, and for a greater plurality of audio-visual expression. The potential is there for an independent video culture to develop, as successfully as the existing independent music culture. The book offers theory, both as a tool for overcoming the resource limitations of low-budget/grassroots audio-visual production, and as a way of thinking more creatively about video culture. This volume examines the contexts in which audio-visual production takes place: the language of video production; the relationships between production consumption and texts; institutional and industrial structures; historical contexts; the different levels at which meaning is constructed; and an in-depth look at the documentary. The book draws on film theory, and cultural and political theories. It also examines student film and "third" cinemas as examples of radical grass roots video. By broadening the repertoire of textual strategies and encouraging experimentation, it exposes the false division between theory and practice, and challenges the conservatism of mainsteam audio-visual productions.