Directors Tell The Story

Move over, movies: the freshest storytelling today is on television, where the multi-episodic format is used for rich character development and innovative story arcs. Directors Tell the Story offers rare insight and advice straight from two A-list television directors whose credits include Monk, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Weeds, and more. They direct dramas and comedies using the same process that Steven Spielberg (or any other movie director uses)-just with less money and time. Learn what it takes to become a director: master the technical aspects, appreciate aesthetic qualities, and practice leadership, all while exuding that "X factor that distinguishes the excellent director from the merely good one. Covering everything from prep, the shoot, and post, the authors emphasize how aspiring directors can develop a creative vision-because without it, they are just technicians. Hands-on and practical, this book lets you not only read about the secrets of directors, it also includes exercises using original scripted material. The companion web site includes scenes from the authors' own TV shows, along with the scripts, shot lists, and other materials that made the scenes possible. Key Features * Highly experienced Hollywood directors share inside information about what it really takes to be a director, giving the advice that readers covet. * Covers everything a director needs to know: the creative vision, how to translate script into a visual story, establishing the look and feel, selecting and leading a crew, coaching actors, keeping a complex operation on time and on budget, overseeing the edit, and troubleshooting through the whole shoot. * "Insider Info sections feature interviews, advice, and tips from film and TV luminaries whose productions include Private Practice, Monk, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, The Informant, American Beauty, and more! * Hands-on exercises help you understand and master the craft of directing.

Move over, movies: the freshest storytelling today is on television, where the multi-episodic format is used for rich character development and innovative story arcs. Directors Tell the Story offers rare insight and advice straight from two A-list television directors whose credits include Monk, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Weeds, and more. They direct dramas and comedies using the same process that Steven Spielberg (or any other movie director uses)-just with less money and time. Learn what it takes to become a director: master the technical aspects, appreciate aesthetic qualities, and practice leadership, all while exuding that "X factor that distinguishes the excellent director from the merely good one. Covering everything from prep, the shoot, and post, the authors emphasize how aspiring directors can develop a creative vision-because without it, they are just technicians. Hands-on and practical, this book lets you not only read about the secrets of directors, it also includes exercises using original scripted material. The companion web site includes scenes from the authors' own TV shows, along with the scripts, shot lists, and other materials that made the scenes possible. Key Features * Highly experienced Hollywood directors share inside information about what it really takes to be a director, giving the advice that readers covet. * Covers everything a director needs to know: the creative vision, how to translate script into a visual story, establishing the look and feel, selecting and leading a crew, coaching actors, keeping a complex operation on time and on budget, overseeing the edit, and troubleshooting through the whole shoot. * "Insider Info sections feature interviews, advice, and tips from film and TV luminaries whose productions include Private Practice, Monk, Brothers & Sisters, Desperate Housewives, The Informant, American Beauty, and more! * Hands-on exercises help you understand and master the craft of directing.

An instant classic since its debut in 1991, Film Directing: Shot By Shot and its famous blue cover is one of the most well-known books on directing in the business, and is a favorite of professional directors as an on-set quick reference guide.

Exploring Movie Construction & Production contains eight chapters of the major areas of film construction and production. The discussion covers theme, genre, narrative structure, character portrayal, story, plot, directing style, cinematography, and editing. Important terminology is defined and types of analysis are discussed and demonstrated. An extended example of how a movie description reflects the setting, narrative structure, or directing style is used throughout the book to illustrate building blocks of each theme. This approach to film instruction and analysis has proved beneficial to increasing students¿ learning, while enhancing the creativity and critical thinking of the student.

A masterclass on the art of directing from the Pulitzer Prize-winning (and Oscar and Tony-nominated) writer of Glengarry Glen Ross, Speed the Plow, The Verdict, and Wag the Dog Calling on his unique perspective as playwright, screenwriter, and director of his own critically acclaimed movies like House of Games, State and Main, and Things Change, David Mamet illuminates how a film comes to be. He looks at every aspect of directing—from script to cutting room—to show the many tasks directors undertake in reaching their prime objective: presenting a story that will be understood by the audience and has the power to be both surprising and inevitable at the same time. Based on a series of classes Mamet taught at Columbia University's film school, On Directing Film will be indispensible not only to students but to anyone interested in an overview of the craft of filmmaking. "Passion, clarity, commitment, intelligence—just what one would expect from Mamet." —Sidney Lumet, Academy Award-nominated director of 12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, and The Verdict

“Being directed by the Jimmy Burrows, while on Friends, was like hitting the jackpot. I’m delighted that everyone can now share in his incredible insight with this book.”—JENNIFER ANISTON From the director of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, and Will & Grace comes an insightful and nostalgic behind-the-scenes memoir that’s “as difficult to put down as a Friends marathon is to turn off” (The Washington Post). Legendary sitcom director James Burrows has spent five decades making America laugh. Here readers will find never-revealed stories behind the casting of the dozens of great sitcoms he directed, as well as details as to how these memorable shows were created, how they got on the air, and how the cast and crew continued to develop and grow. Burrows also examines his own challenges, career victories, and defeats, and provides advice for aspiring directors, writers, and actors. All this from the man who helped launch the careers of Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Aniston, Debra Messing, and Melissa McCarthy, to name a few. Burrows talks fondly about the inspiration he found during his childhood and young adult years, including his father, legendary playwright and Broadway director Abe Burrows. From there he goes on to explain his rigorous work ethic, forged in his early years in theater, where he did everything from stage managing to building sets to, finally, directing. Transitioning to television, Burrows locked into a coveted job with The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where he first observed and then started to apply his craft. Directing most of the episodes of Taxi came next, where he worked closely with writers/producers Glen and Les Charles. The three formed a remarkable creative partnership that helped Burrows achieve his much sought-after goal of ownership and agency over a project, which came with the creating and directing of the seminal and beloved hit Cheers. Burrows has directed more than seventy-five pilots that have gone to series and over a thousand episodes, more than any other director in history. Directed by James Burrows is a heart-and-soul master class in sitcom, revealing what it truly takes to get a laugh.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Now in paperback and featuring new material, the definitive guide to telling an unforgettable story in any setting, from the storytelling experts at The Moth “From toasts to eulogies, from job interviews to social events, this book will help you with ideas, structure, delivery and more.”—CNN LONGLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD Over the past twenty-five years, the directors of The Moth have worked with people from all walks of life—including astronauts, hairdressers, rock stars, a retired pickpocket, high school students, and Nobel Prize winners—to develop true personal stories that have moved and delighted live audiences and listeners of The Moth’s Peabody Award–winning radio hour and podcast. A leader in the modern storytelling movement, The Moth inspires thousands of people around the globe to share their stories each year. Now, with How to Tell a Story, The Moth will help you learn how to uncover and craft your own unique stories, like Moth storytellers Mike Birbiglia, Rosanne Cash, Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Gilbert, Padma Lakshmi, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Tig Notaro, Boots Riley, Betty Reid Soskin, John Turturro, and more. Whether your goal is to make it to the Moth stage, deliver the perfect wedding toast, wow clients at a business dinner, give a moving eulogy, ace a job interview, be a hit at parties, change the world, or simply connect more deeply to those around you, stories are essential. Sharing secrets of The Moth’s time-honed process and using examples from beloved storytellers, a team of Moth directors will show you how to • mine your memories for your best stories • explore structures that will boost the impact of your story • deliver your stories with confidence • tailor your stories for any occasion Now featuring new prompts for engaging storytelling and filled with empowering, easy-to-follow tips for crafting stories that forge lasting bonds with friends, family, and colleagues alike, this book will help you connect authentically with the world around you and unleash the power of story in your life.

The movie that inspired filmmakers to direct is like the atomic bomb that went off before their eyes. The Film That Changed My Life captures that epiphany. It explores 30 directors' love of a film they saw at a particularly formative moment, how it influenced their own works, and how it made them think differently. Rebel Without a Cause inspired John Woo to comb his hair and talk like James Dean. For Richard Linklater, “something was simmering in me, but Raging Bull brought it to a boil.” Apocalypse Now inspired Danny Boyle to make larger-than-life films. A single line from The Wizard of Oz--“Who could ever have thought a good little girl like you could destroy all my beautiful wickedness?”--had a direct impact on John Waters. “That line inspired my life,” Waters says. “I sometimes say it to myself before I go to sleep, like a prayer.” In this volume, directors as diverse as John Woo, Peter Bogdanovich, Michel Gondry, and Kevin Smith examine classic movies that inspired them to tell stories. Here are 30 inspired and inspiring discussions of classic films that shaped the careers of today's directors and, in turn, cinema history.