On Film Making

A priceless examination of the filmmaker's craft, from the renowned director of "Sweet Smell of Success" After more than twenty years in the film industry as a screenwriter, storyboard editor, and director of memorable films such as "The Ladykillers," Alexander Mackendrick turned his back on Hollywood and began a new career as the Dean of one of the country's most demanding and influential film schools. His absolute devotion to the craft of filmmaking served as a powerful impetus to students at the California Institute for the Arts for almost twenty five years, with a teaching style that included prodigious notes, neatly crafted storyboards, and handouts containing excerpts of works by Kierkegaard, Aristotle, and others. At the core of Mackendrick's lessons lay a deceptively simple goal: to teach aspiring filmmakers how to structure and write the stories they want to tell, while using the devices particular to the medium of film to tell their stories effectively. In this impressive volume, edited by Paul Cronin, the myriad materials that made Mackendrick's reputation as an instructor are collected for the first time, offering a chance for professionals as well as students to discover a methodology of filmmaking that is challenging yet refreshing in its clarity. Meticulously illustrated and drawing on examples from such classic films as "North by Northwest," " Citizen Kane," and "Touch of Evil, " Mackendrick's elegant lessons are sure to provide inspiration for a new generation of filmmakers.

A fully revised, comprehensive guide offers an in-depth exploration of today's recent technological advances, such as digital age filmmaking, while reviewing a collection of new methods and techniques in relation to various film formats and offering suggestions on the business aspects of financing and producing films. Original.

Anyone can make a short film, right? Just grab some friends and your handheld and you can do it in a weekend or two before being accepted to a slew of film festivals, right? Wrong. Roberta Munroe screened short film submissions at Sundance for five years, and is an award-winning short filmmaker in her own right. So she knows a thing or two about how not to make a short film. From the first draft of your script to casting, production, editing, and distribution, this is your one-stop primer for breaking into the business. Featuring interviews with many of today's most talented writers, producers, and directors, as well as revealing stories (e.g., what to do when the skinhead crack addict next door begins screaming obscenities as soon as you call "action") from the sets of her own short films, Roberta walks you through the minefield of mistakes that an aspiring filmmaker can make--so that you don't have to make them yourself.

Why does a director choose a particular script? What must they do in order to keep actors fresh and truthful through take after take of a single scene? How do you stage a shootout—involving more than one hundred extras and three colliding taxis—in the heart of New York’s diamond district? What does it take to keep the studio honchos happy? From the first rehearsal to the final screening, Making Movies is a master’s take, delivered with clarity, candor, and a wealth of anecdote. For in this book, Sidney Lumet, one of our most consistently acclaimed directors, gives us both a professional memoir and a definitive guide to the art, craft, and business of the motion picture. Drawing on forty years of experience on movies that range from Long Day’s Journey into Night to Network and The Verdict—and with such stars as Katharine Hepburn, Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, and Al Pacino—Lumet explains how painstaking labor and inspired split-second decisions can result in two hours of screen magic.

Filmmaking the definitive resource for filmmakers, blows the doors off the secretive film industry and shows you how to adapt the Hollywood system for your production. Full of thousands of tips, tricks, and techniques from Emmy-winning director Jason Tomaric, Filmmaking systematically takes you through every step of how to produce a successful movie - from developing a marketable idea through selling your completed movie. Whether you're on a budget of $500 or $50 million, Filmmaking reveals some of Hollywood's best-kept secrets. Make your movie and do it right. The companion site includes: Over 30 minutes of high-quality video tutorials featuring over a dozen working Hollywood professionals. Industry-standard forms and contracts you can use for your production Sample scripts, storyboards, schedules, call sheets, contracts, letters from the producer, camera logs, and press kits 45-minute video that takes you inside the movie that launched Jason's career. 3,000 extras, 48 locations, 650 visual effects-all made from his parent's basement for $25,000.

Everything you ever wanted to know about making a movie but were afraid to ask... Lights, camera, action! We all have at least one movie in us, and the amazing and affordable advances in digital technology makes it increasingly easy to make your dream a reality and share it with the world. Filmmaking for Dummies is your definitive guide to bringing a project to life, from the comedy antics of loveable pets to the deepest, most meaningful independent film. Bryan Michael Stoller is your friend and guide, sharing his knowledge gained over 100 productions (directing and working with Dan Aykroyd, James Earl-Jones, Barbra Streisand and Drew Barrymore, among others) to show you how to take your movie from the planning and storyboarding stage, through shooting and editing, to making it available to your adoring audiences through television broadcast, streaming online or in movie theaters. For the do-it-your-selfer, the book includes tips on how to finance your project, a look at the latest software and apps, including advancements in digital technology, and for the passionate director, advice on how to hire and work with your cast and crew and find great scenic locations. Whether you want to become a professional filmmaker or just create great YouTube videos or nostalgic home movies, shooting with your smartphone or with consumer or pro-gear, this practical guide has it all. Learn how to compose your shots and when to move the camera Make the perfect pitch to sell your story Take advantage of helpful contacts and tons of new resources Get up-to-date on the latest and greatest digital technology Find the right distributor, or learn how you can be your own distributor! So, you really have no excuses to make your masterpiece. Get rolling with a copy of Filmmaking for Dummies today and start shooting for the stars!

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

A priceless examination of the filmmaker's craft, from the renowned director of Sweet Smell of Success After more than twenty years in the film industry as a screenwriter, storyboard editor, and director of memorable films such as The Ladykillers, Alexander Mackendrick turned his back on Hollywood and began a new career as the Dean of one of the country's most demanding and influential film schools. His absolute devotion to the craft of filmmaking served as a powerful impetus to students at the California Institute for the Arts for almost twenty five years, with a teaching style that included prodigious notes, neatly crafted storyboards, and handouts containing excerpts of works by Kierkegaard, Aristotle, and others. At the core of Mackendrick's lessons lay a deceptively simple goal: to teach aspiring filmmakers how to structure and write the stories they want to tell, while using the devices particular to the medium of film to tell their stories effectively. In this impressive volume, edited by Paul Cronin, the myriad materials that made Mackendrick's reputation as an instructor are collected for the first time, offering a chance for professionals as well as students to discover a methodology of filmmaking that is challenging yet refreshing in its clarity. Meticulously illustrated and drawing on examples from such classic films as North by Northwest, Citizen Kane, and Touch of Evil, Mackendrick's elegant lessons are sure to provide inspiration for a new generation of filmmakers.