Product Description
This brief guide introduces students to reading and writing about fiction, poetry, drama, and film; surveys major critical approaches to these genres; and illustrates the importance of understanding works in the context of time and culture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This was bought as a . . .
. . . resource for my wife, who is a teacher. Cannot comment beyond this.

approaches to rding and wrting about film
book came in a timely manner, condition was as stated.i am fully satisfied. ... Read more

Product Description
More than thirty years ago, filmmaker George Lucas realized a longtime dream, creating a swashbuckling sf saga inspired by vintage Flash Gordon serials, classic American westerns, the epic cinema of Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa, and mythological heroes. Its original title: The Star Wars. The rest is history–and how it was made is a story as entertaining and exciting as the movie that has enthralled millions for the past three decades.

Using his unprecedented access to the Lucasfilm Archives and its trove of never-before-published “lost” interviews, photos, production notes, factoids, and anecdotes, Star Wars scholar J. W. Rinzler hurtles readers back in time for an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at the nearly decade-long quest of George Lucas and his key collaborators to make the “little” movie that became a phenomenon. For the first time, it’s all here:

• the evolution of the now-classic story and characters–including “Annikin Starkiller” and “a huge green-skinned monster with no nose and large gills” named Han Solo
• excerpts from George Lucas’s numerous, ever-morphing script drafts
• the birth of Industrial Light & Magic, the special-effects company that revolutionized Hollywood filmmaking
• the grueling, nearly catastrophic location shoot in Tunisia and the following breakneck dash at Elstree Studios in London
• the intensive auditions that won the cast members their roles–and made them legends
• the who’s who of young 1970s film rebels who pitched in to help–including Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Brian DePalma

But perhaps most exciting, and rarest of all, are the first interviews conducted before and during production and immediately after the release of Star Wars–in which George Lucas, the film’s stars, composer John Williams, effects masters Dennis Muren, Richard Edlund, and John Dykstra, Phil Tippett, Rick Baker, legendary production designer John Barry, and a host of others share their fascinating tales from the trenches and candid opinions of the movie that would ultimately change their lives.

No matter where you stand in the spectrum of this thirty-year phenomenon, The Making of Star Wars stands as a crucial document–rich in fascination and revelation–of a genuine cinematic and cultural touchstone. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (78)

Peas in the same pod.
This and The Secret History of STAR WARS are two great books to own together. They're perfect companion pieces. This book details the making of STAR WARS soley and it's great at doing that. It's not mucked up with befuddled second hand info that contradicts things said and heard before it, it is straight from the source. If there's one word that sums up this book, it would be: legit. (Same could be said for The Secret History of STAR WARS.) Also, besides its 'legit-ness', this book is especially great for the pictures. If anything, this makes a great picture book if you don't want to read all the other stuff in here. If you haven't already, pick it up.

All in one
Like you, I Love Star Wars! This book has all those little facts, pictures and info that you couldn't find anywhere and has never been available till now. This book is so well put together it almost makes the Star Wars experience new again. I already ordered the Next instalment: The Empire Strikes Back. Three of my friends have ordered this book after I talked it up so much and they to are overjoyed. I highly recommend it.

The Making Of Star Wars is a good read on the very 1st star wars film.
The making of star wars book is a great book on the making of the very 1st star wars film. It has lots of photos , storys etc in the book. A great book and J.W. Rinzler again has written another good star wars book here.

Incredible backstory on the original film - must have for Star Wars geeks
Love Star Wars? Want to know everything about how the movie came to be made? Buy this book.

A must-own book for any Star Wars fan, period.

Be careful which edition you get!
The paperback version of this book that I first bought (not from Amazon) turned out to be a version that was practically text-only, and also lacked some sections of text. Illustrations were only in a few photo pages inserted among the low-quality text paper. Quite disappointing, since I expected what can be seen through "look inside" on Amazon. Apparently, this is the British paperback version, and according to Jonathan Rinzler (himself?) in a comment (which was written before I changed this review), the American paperback is nothing like this. Well, I don't really know, I'm just saying: be careful about which edition you choose! I recommend the hardback.

I originally gave this a "1" rating, based on the terrible paperback, but since I realized Amazon does not separate between editions in ratings (and also it might not be the edition actually on sale here) I changed it. ... Read more

Product Description
Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Stills, a series of 69 black-and-white photographs created between 1977 and 1980, is widely seen as one of the most original and influential achievements in recent art. Witty, provocative and searching, this lively catalogue of female roles inspired by the movies crystallizes widespread concerns in our culture, examining the ways we shape our personal identities and the role of the mass media in our lives. ~Sherman began making these pictures in 1977 when she was 23 years old. The first six were an experiment: fan-magazine glimpses into the life (or roles) of an imaginary blond actress, played by Sherman herself. The photographs look like movie stills--or perhaps publicity pix--purporting to catch the blond bombshell in unguarded moments at home. The protagonist is shown preening in the kitchen and lounging in the bedroom. Onto something big, Sherman tried other characters in other roles: the chic starlet at her seaside hideaway, the luscious librarian, the domesticated sex kitten, the hot-blooded woman of the people, the ice-cold sophisticate and a can-can line of other stereotypes. She eventually completed the series in 1980. She stopped, she has explained, when she ran out of clichés.~Other artists had drawn upon popular culture but Sherman's strategy was new. For her the pop-culture image was not a subject (as it had been for Walker Evans) or raw material (as it had been for Andy Warhol) but a whole artistic vocabulary, ready-made. Her film stills look and function just like the real ones--those 8 x 10 glossies designed to lure us into a drama we find all the more compelling because we know it isn't real. In the Untitled Film Stills there are no Cleopatras, no ladies on trains, no women of a certain age. There are, of course, no men. The 69 solitary heroines map a particular constellation of fictional femininity that took hold in postwar America--the period of Sherman's youth and the starting point for our contemporary mythology. In finding a form for her own sensibility, Sherman touched a sensitive nerve in the culture at large. Although most of the characters are invented, we sense right away that we already know them. That twinge of instant recognition is what makes the series tick and it arises from Cindy Sherman's uncanny poise. There is no wink at the viewer, no open irony, no camp.~In 1995, The Museum of Modern Art purchased the series from the artist, preserving the work in its entirety. This book marks the first time that the complete series will be published as a unified work, with Sherman herself arranging the pictures in sequence.She's good enough to be a real actress.--Andy Warhol~The still must tease with the promise of a story the viewer of it itches to be told.--Arthur DantoEssays by Peter Galassi and Cindy Sherman.Hardcover, 9.5 x 11.25 in./164 pgs / 0 color 0 BW69 duotone 0 ~ Item D20150 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Nebulosity presented in black & white
Photography has been a hobby of mine since my college days well over ten years ago.So when I stumbled across Cindy Sherman last year I was really excited.I read her name mentioned in a book that was discussing the idea of post modern art. Without going into a diatribe about post modern art, Cindy Sherman's photography (at least "The Complete Untitled Film Stills) would be considered post modern art.

In this book is a collection of black and white photographs taken between 1977 and 1980.The subject in all of the photos is Cindy Sherman, however these aren't self-portraits.As a matter of fact, Cindy Sherman morphs into different types of women and/or characters in dissimilar locations and/or environments.Which leads one to believe "Who is the real Cindy Sherman"?

These photographs display a level of duplicity towards human emotion, mainly because the images are the expression of minimalism. In contrast, if the photos are studied long enough certain themes can be summoned: aloofness, conservativeness, sexuality, isolation, liberation, ghastliness, claustrophobia, jovialness, and multiple aspects of feminism.I've only listed some themes presented in Cindy Sherman's photos; I know that any art is open to interpretation and depending on one's mood; the images might produce a varied analysis.

I really enjoyed the introduction to this book, by Cindy Sherman herself.She provides a bit of history about herself, how she became an artist, where the idea of this body of work came from and what it means to her.I found this book to be real pleasure and look forward to viewing more of Cindy Sherman's work.

Inventing Situations

Cindy Sherman has been called the most important female photographer of the 20th century.You'd never know it if you should happen to run into her on her bicycle in New York.If you've seen her recently, you might have found her riding around with an avid bicyclist and gray haired fellow who used to be in a band....can't remember "the name of this band".

Both Sherman and her beau, David something or another, have been at the forefront of the post or modern avant garde movement.What's striking about Sherman aside from the fact she looks at least a decade younger than she is, is how she blends in, and looks much like a "regular" handsome thirty or forty something (as opposed to my, at least, definition of a "performance artist").

The series of photos in this book are from her early days.In them, I guees she's portraying all the different characters who live in her mind.The range of personas she embodies is bewildering.If you didn't know it was her, you'd think they were photos of a series of different women, and if you didn't know they were staged, or that she's an artist, you'd think they were actresses from a bunch of different 60s movies.The photos are alternately mysterious, profoundly strange and beautiful, always emotionless, and at times hints at hidden eroticism.

She's been riding bikes and opening a more complete retrospective of her work in Europe this spring and early summer, a 300+ page book of which was published in March.

This book is a great introduction to Cindy Sherman. If you like it, go see her show, and buy the new book.

This book shows what is great about Cindy Sherman
At first glance, you might see ordinary, banal photos that resemble out takes from studio stills.Look deeper and you will see works of genius that expose a new way of seeing and exploring the inner self that have been highly influential in the art world. This book has the images that started it all for Cindy Sherman and for that reason, you should start with this book if you want to learn about this artist.

Who will like this book?I think just about anyone with an interest in art or photography would consider this a "must have" book for their personal library.Nothing in this book would embarrass you if you gave it as a gift; it is edgy, but not to the point of weirdness.I just gave a copy to my 10-year-old daughter for inspiration and she really enjoyed it (though probably not at the level of an adult).If you are willing to look, this book will reward you.

Like any great artist, she makes it look easy.Her singular vision is apparent in the location selection, "set" design, makeup and costuming.If you have ever tried to do this yourself, you will respect what she has accomplished.The end result is that Ms. Sherman reveals what she wants us to believe are her innermost thoughts and emotions.Like great cinema, these photos achieve true suspension of disbelief and challenge the viewer's own framework of emotional identity. In the end, we believe.

Arguably, these are the best work ever done by Ms. Sherman.One complaint about her newer work is that it seems to continue to retread the same themes and variations. Sure, her newest works are bigger and colorful in keeping with the latest trends in photography -- personally, my favorites are the images in this book.There is a freshness I don't find in her later work.But this human story, like her imagery, will always continue to be explored by artists as long as there are humans to explore.

Untitled Film Stills
This book along with the "Centerfolds" hardcover exhibition book provide the essential Cindy Sherman images. The film stills presented here are all in black and white, and her next project "Centerfolds" were all in color. Taken together you get the complete picture on Cindy Sherman.

Great Buy
This is a GREAT book.The pages are large and sturdy and show off her artwork well.A huge plus is the introduction written by Sherman...it gives you an inside look at some of the stories behind and the inspirations to some of the photographs.The book features a variety of her work through time.It is arranged very well. ... Read more

Product Description
Looking at Movies, Third Edition is an accessible and visually dynamic introduction to film studies that offers more media support and a lower price than all of its competitors.The Third Edition of Looking at Movies is as visually engaging and fun to read as previous editions, and now contains new material on film history, film genre, and cultural contexts, and even more help with film analysis.

Supplementary materials, conceived and created by the authors, integrate seamlessly with the text. Two DVDs contain nearly four hours of film clips, frame sequences, short films, and animations to show what the text describes. The Looking at Movies student website provides an abundance of review and ancillary materials, including the Writing About Movies guide.

The Looking at Movies package, including the text, DVDs, website, and writing guide, costs less than competing texts alone, making it an outstanding value for students.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Looking at Movies
Very happy with this purchase.I am using it for an "Intro. to Film" class.A lot for the money with a DVD, book and small manual on how to write about films.A plus for any film student or anyone just interested in film making.

looking at looking at movies
The book is in perfect condition, and has all supplements intact. The shipping was slow, but the class schedule didn't create a stress for not having it the first week.The contents are comprehensive with great end-chapter references and lists.thankyou

Quality basics
This book is a good introduction into film analysis, in terms of giving definitions and following with commonly known examples from popular film culture. It was easy to learn from.

ontime and in good shape
It was in good shape, and I received it ontime.

Easily worth a look
Barsam's is a welcome addition to the field of introductory film texts, superior in many respects to similar entries (Giannatti, Phillips, etc.).The style is reader-friendly but in no way condescending; the examples are generous and representative of classic as well as current developments; the coverage is comprehensive.Indeed, with the accompanying CD-Rom and Website, the text is a virtual encyclopedia of information about the cinema, thereby justifying its slightly higher price.Moreover, this is the first text that begins to realize many of the media-specific qualities of the subject it attempts to illuminate.

This is a first edition, and understandably there are problems, some admittedly attributable to individual preferences.A few things I've noticed:

1.The website can be "buggy," at least to a Macintosh operating system.Numerous "Java Script" messages are appearing along with failures to play visual and audio files.Even with the misfires, the website is the most impressive I've ever used in conjunction with a text.Because of it, an instructor need have no apologies about using a text that includes discussions of numerous films unknown to students and impossible to screen in class.

2.The accompanying VCD contains valuable film examples but unfortunately doesn't include any clips from "Citizen Kane."I would hope that a future edition includes a DVD with Kane and other useful illustrative and instructive materials.Website information and quizzes often have too many technical glitches to make them effective time-savers for a teacher, who now must solve each student's difficulties with the website (the required 8-digit password doesn't help).

3.Barsam uses much personal and arbitrary descriptive language that subsequently becomes "reified" in the quizzes about the components of film.As a result, the quiz becomes as much about remembering the specific language of the author and textbook as about the properties of a filmic element (equally true of the book's competitors).

4.The order of topics will not appeal to every instructor.For example, the most basic element of film--the shot--isn't addressed until the discussion of photography in Chapter 4.Also, the attention to previously marginalized films and filmmakers can be quite uneven.African-American issues receive considerable space in several chapters in the book and on the website whereas feminist issues receive a couple of paragraphs.Moreover, there is very little consideration of "auteurism," the enabling and prevailing approach of academic cinema studies.

5.The author's lack of experience with literary and composition issues is frequently apparent, though to the book's credit ample space is given to student writing.Still, the treatment of point of view in cinema becomes problematic, especially when the author refers to the camera's perspective as "omniscient."Also, the inclusion of an exemplary student essay, while extremely welcome, represents an unfortunate choice, in my opinion, since the essay is somewhat sophomoric, exhibits clumsy writing and omits a thesis(!).

All in all, a promising production by Barsam and Norton.I look forward to giving it a test drive. ... Read more

Product Description
A 2007 Benjamin Franklin Awards Finalist. Using Stories from his 30 years in film production, Robert Latham Brown illuminates the principals of film planning from a unique perspective. From the missing swamp to dealing with polar bears, this book will entertain as well as instruct. He shows you how to break a script down into its basic components, and he takes you through every line of a film budget, explaining how to squeeze the most value out of your funds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

This book is a fat little secret...
I found out about this book quite by accident on Wikipedia, as so many people rely on expensive computer budgeting programs now. I refuse to shell out more big cash on programs and books. The D.I.Y. film information industry has become so bloated, you could spend so much money on materials, you could've made a feature film instead of buying more books on HOW to do it. But this is a really good book from an actual teacher who knows how to communicate. It's a secret self-published book that I'm glad I stumbled upon. As word-of-mouth spreads, I imagine many more people will find out about it.

Anyway, now that the script is done five years later, I've been avoiding the idea of all this real work, hoping I could run a cute photo and a personal ad for a knight to ride in and save me. I didn't care if the knight was white or black or even abusive. But no dice. And since I have to do this anyway, I wanted to really learn the logic of how and why to break down and budget a script. It's a surprisingly easy read for such a dry subject and I'm carrying my copy around like a newly dog-eared pet, reading a little bit more each time.Good luck to both you and me!

Update: I broke down and not only had to buy a program (which I still can't figure out six months later--if only Scott Billups would write every manual!)--but I also took a pre-production class with Debbie Brubaker, the line producer. Man, she is rock n' roll.

Be your film's hero and read this book!
If you are making your first legitimate movie where people besides your friends and family are depending on you not to screw up big time and you just searched Amazon for books on filmmaking and you need a no-nonsense step by step guide to help you through the behind the scenes process, this is the book for you!

I work with a comedy group in California, and we recently shot our first budgeted short film. As I am the most organized member of the group I was appointed the "Line Producer" and put in charge of making the whole thing come together on the back end. Coming from a theatre background, I knew what went into putting a stage performance together, but I was in the dark when it came to preparing for a film. After scouring Amazon (and a few other sites) this book seemed the most adequate to help me prepare for my job.

I've worked in film before, so a lot of the books I looked at about making a movie spend 2/3 of their volume explaining the difference between DV and Film and what a DP does, but I needed something that cut through that introductory fat, and would help prepare me for pre-production and detail exactly what went into pulling a film together.

This book is that book. It was my bible. It was glued to my side like Biff's Sports Almanac in Back to the Future 2.

Mr. Brown walks you through everything that goes into "making it happen." From breaking down the script into a functional shooting schedule to preparing an accurate budget to determing how far behind schedule you are to making sure there is a place for people to go to the bathroom, it's all in there. Additionally, the book even helped me to prepare for a lot of the basic legal and propreitary issues that we would encounter.

Brown also peppers the book with great anecdotes that help you avoid the pitfalls and roadblocks that he himself has encountered on large feature films like The Goonies. Yeah, The Goonies, you can't mess with someone who worked on The Goonies.

This book is essential. Bottom line. Read it. Love it. Use it.
Make well prepared movies.
Be a hero for your production.

Recommended for aspiring and professional film producers of all experience levels
Planning The Low Budget Film by producer and production manager Robert Latham Brown draws upon the author's 30 years of experience to lay out the principles of solid film planning with strictly limited resources. Chapters discuss how to get into the low-budget film business, how to apply and adhere to a schedule, methods of calculating and keeping track of the budget. Of especial value is the meticulous step-by-step instructions for anyone who is brand new to the confusing world of financial recordkeeping. Written in down-to-earth, no-nonsense format, Planning The Low Budget Film is enthusiastically recommended for aspiring and professional film producers of all experience levels.

Well written, with great information
This book is very readable - the author uses several anecdotes to engage the reader, and also provides lots of hard facts, and excellent suggestions. If you are planning a film - buy this book.

An Excellent Production Resource
This book is mis-named. It is a thorough and comprehensive production guide for ALL types of films, high and low budgets. it should be required reading for film students and studio producers. It entertaining and full of insights and techniques for film production. In a way, Mr. Brown missed his calling. He is a gifted and extraordinary writer and teacher. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A Production Manager's personal "bible"
An essential reference for anyone working (or hoping to work as) a production manager. Patz developed much of the book for her own use while working in the industry. She wrote down what actually happens, and she created checklists for everything.

Systematic, useful and well written. The second edition is comprehensively updated for the new technologies resulting from the digital revolution.

The book is becoming a standard in the production management world. Practical, useful, and comprehensive, it demystifies production management.

Comprehensive, Easy to Read, Highly Professional
Film Production Management 101, 2nd Edition, by Deborah Patz
Okay, Production Manager is one of the hardest jobs in the industry, followed closely by Production Coordinator.But PPP,PPP - Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.And Deborah Patz's book is the best prior planning I've ever seen for both jobs.
Ms. Patz asks all the right questions and gives all the right answers.She thinks of everything, and I do mean everything, from how to interview to get the job, what to ask in the interview, how to answer questions, how to start up a production office, how to keep one going, and how to close one down.She has forms for reports and scheduling, budgets and even envelope distribution in the book and via links to the net, so you have practical tools and can get down to business the moment you start work.
The subtext of this book is how to save money on every kind of budget from a studio mega-pic to an ultra-micro budget student film.She even includes hints on how to tailor your script to suit the budget available.One of the great features is how she examines hidden costs, especially in post production, that can be avoided with a little pre-planning.
This book is very specific and very complete.I've produced everything from movies for television to reality shows to Travel Channel specials, and I wish all my production managers had followed the tenets in this book and used her forms.It would have made my life easier - and theirs, too.Highest recommendation.
Paul Chitlik, author of "Rewrite:A Step-by-Step Guide to Strengthen Structure, Characters, and Drama in Your Screenplay."
... Read more

Product Description

Film: A Critical Introduction, 2e, provides a comprehensive framework for studying films, with an emphasis on writing as a means of exploring film’s aesthetic and cultural significance.

This book’s consistent and comprehensive focus on writing allows the reader to master film vocabulary and concepts while learning to formulate rich interpretations. Part I introduces the reader to the importance of film analysis, offering helpful strategies for discerning the way films produce meaning. Part II examines the fundamental elements of film, including narrative form, mise en scène, cinematography, editing, and sound, and shows how these concepts can be used to interpret films. Part III moves beyond textual analysis to explore film as a cultural institution and introduce the reader to essential areas of film studies research.

Customer Reviews (11)

Film
The book was shipped in a timely manner and in good condition for a much better price than offered at any bookstore I found.Well packaged and with a reciept.Very Satisfactory and recommended.

good
The book was is great condition when I got it.It's a great book.

Has Everything... Substance and Style.. A Wonderful Book
I was excited about this book and I was not let down when it arrived. It is full of excellent material, well organized, rich with illustrations, pictures, sidebars, and more. It scores high with me on content, style, and substance. It was a bit expensive, but worth it.You know how sometimes a book is reviewed well and looks great and then you get it and you're disappointed? Well, this was the opposite. I was delighted with this book and would recommend it highly to anyone with more than a casual interest in film. It's a textbook, but a very friendly and accessible textbook. I would love to take a class with this as the primary reading material.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in film technique, history, criticism, analysis, etc. It's not just for students, but quite appropriate for "movie buffs" and others interested in film.

This would make a great gift for anyone who loves analyzing movies or has more than a casual interest in movies.

Rick B.

Great Book!
This was the required textbook for my Intro to Film class, and I actually ENJOYED reading the book. I found myself immersed in the book! It's easy to read, and filled with interesting information! They have a range of examples they use covering all genres and movies from all different times, so anyone can relate to them! I highly recommend this book!!

an excellent film text
This text is an easy read. Imparts the necessary knowledge one needs to glean for an art of film class. The numerous examples make it simple for a student to apply the concepts described. ... Read more

Product Description

Enhanced version of the seminal text on editing includes a new foreword, a new afterword, a revamped cover and layout, as well as a lower price!

Customer Reviews (22)

Good book on film editing but dated approach
Having taken courses on film making back in the day I know how important editing is to the filmaker's vision and final product.My instructor used clips of Bullit and a few Alfred Hitchcock films to make his points and illustrate great film editing.This book takes me back to that time and that is good and bad.It presents all of the elements of editing but is not updated for today's students.When I took my film making course in high school those were films of the day.This book should have been updated with examples of contemporary films (with pictures in color).Also, it would have been great to include a cd with the book, especially at this price.It should also have been updated to include computer editing tools that are so prevelant today.

FILM EDITING
Even though I reminisced the days of editing my Super 8mm home movies, this guide will easily extrapolate to the era of video editing since the techniques are very similar. A useful basic guide for the rookie and slightly experienced film editor.

Just Borrow it from Your Local Library ...
First printed in the 1950s, this text has been recently "enhanced" (the publisher's word) and reissued. Though slightly updated, it positively reeks of musty ideas and dusty approaches. Once upon a time, this was THE text on editing ... now, it's simply a dinosaur.

Why this text "pales" in comparison to others:
-The microscopic font makes it a nightmare to plow through this dense work. 346 pages of small-print block-text? Erg. Note to Focal Press: remember that your reader is both an intellectual AND a VISUAL ARTIST. There's nothing like a bland text to alienate a film-maker.
-It is unnecessarily verbose. Again, the editors for the newest edition should have demanded more visual demonstrations. "A picture is worth a thousand ..." well, you know. Take a cue from the recent, successful works on editing ... less text, more actual examples.
-They needed to update at least SOME of the examples (El Cid, Battleship Potemkin, Tirez sur le Pianiste ... why not just shoot my students with a tranquilizer dart?). My students learn best from films they know and love (I know it's disappointing to hear/read, but that's the reality). It is LITERALLY a fight to get my students to read and apply this material. With engaging, current texts available I cannot dream of assigning anything from this antique. Ever.

This piece was painfully dated when I initially read it in the mid-90s. (And, I recall being irked about the price even then.) Heavier editing, extensive updating, and color plates (of contemporary films) could have breathed new life into this relic. As it stands, I would simply suggest picking up ANY other editing text ... or find this for fifty-cents at a garage sale. It still has value ... when regarded as an artifact of bygone years.

Well-rounded, thorough, enjoyable
My advice: get this book. Read it as you're able to absorb it, because all of it is important, and the book is reasonably thick with small print. That's a good thing, too. The book is logically organized, and thorough. (By thorough I don't mean an attempt was made to cover every single editing development, major or minor, but rather the historical problems, solutions, most prominent pioneers, and various angles of creative resolution are covered.) So, if you're looking for a quick-grab for fresh technique ideas as you're on the fly, writing or supervising a shooting script, don't go here: this is a preparatory textbook. It's more to be savored carefully over time with a cup of coffee. If you try to glean, you will miss something important.

The chapters are organized by genre, and covers everything from comedy to documentary.

Stylistically, the book pays careful attention historical development of modern techniques, and covers contributions and styles from various areas of the world. The result: a very well-rounded and informed view. The only problem I have is in regards to stages of production: stylistic and organizational ideas and opinions are often presented as fact. Each writer/director/producer/editor must decide for him/herself what is best for a particular production, a particular story line, and considering the personalities and traditions involved. Note: this book isn't about production, but of course editing is an important part of the process, and roles often blend and vary amongst various companies, individuals, and productions.

Bottom line: a fantastic, informative text for anyone involved in the production process. Recommended.

The Language of Film
This is a book that every aspiring serious film maker should own and read. The Technique of Film Editing speaks not to the step by step instructions or DIY of film editing, but the reasons behind editing a particular montage and the message the director is trying to deliver. This is the bible of film editing. This book teaches the lexicon of film editing. It assumes you already know how to splice film, synchronize a soundtrack, or use your non-linear digital editor.

This first three quarters of this book were originally published in 1953, the final quarter was published in 1968, and a small number of essays were added in 2010. The editors were very careful to treat this book with reverence and historical significance, being very British, and not disturbing the original chapters. Each chapter was written by a different person. Reading this book, there is a sense of awe looking at the past.

For a modern film editor working with digital editing, this book may seem like a waste of time. It doesn't ever mention how to apply a particular digital effect, or what to apply where. It doesn't come packed with a DVD full of sample footage demonstrating the key points from each chapter. No, the book relies on shooting scripts and still images to illustrate editing techniques. This is decidedly old school, long before anybody could easily replay those clips. Oddly, the book is much like shooting and editing a film in real life. There are no example film clips in the film you are trying to edit. There is only the shooting script and the director trying to explain what they mean.

On the one hand, the book is very successful at describing masterpiece film sequences. On the other hand, it requires an incredible amount of imagination and concentration from the reader to understand when or when not to use a particular technique. And there is the problem with the book; it is a lot of work to understand.

The other problem with the book is the reverence and unwillingness to change a word of the 1953 edition. That reverence becomes almost ridiculous with two pages in the preface to the 1968 addition where the author calls out pages and paragraphs that should be changed. Footnotes would have worked infinitely better.

The early works are the foundation on which film was built. They are the language that every current film maker uses today, and are as relevant now as they were back in the fifties. The later works are how film makers took those rules and turned film upside down. How they used what the viewer expected from years of watching films, and delivered something completely different.

This book reminded me of the film history and film semiotics classes I took long ago. It was a good feeling to see detailed descriptions of films that I love and know well. From D.W. Griffith, through Eisenstein and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, through Hitchcock and Orson Welles, through non-descript newsreels, documentaries, and educational films, to Truffaut and Antonioni. The amazing historically significant piece, every detailed discussion of a film is marked by the film reel (when film was delivered in cans on individual reels spliced together at the theater).

In the day of digital editing, when anything is possible, '...the most important discovery in film editing was not computer editing systems after all but the simple Italian tape splicer...giving editors the freedom to make changes with out having to lose two frames every time they made a cut." Imagine losing two frames, how insignificant that sounds today.
... Read more

Product Description

Video-capable DSLR cameras give filmmakers a quality previously impossible without high-end cinema cameras. Exploring the cinematic quality and features offered by hybrid DSLRs, this book empowers the filmmaker to craft visually stunning images inexpensively.

Product Description
This kaleidoscopic collection of essays, interviews, photographs, and artist-designed pages chronicles the vibrant and influential history of experimental cinema in the San Francisco Bay Area. Encompassing historical, cultural, and aesthetic realms, Radical Light features critical analyses of films and videos, reminiscences from artists, and interviews with pioneering filmmakers, curators, and archivists. It explores artistic movements, film and video exhibition and distribution, artists' groups, and Bay Area film schools. Special sections of ephemera--posters, correspondence, photographs, newsletters, program notes, and more--punctuate the pages of Radical Light, giving a first-hand visual sense of the period. This groundbreaking, hybrid assemblage reveals a complex picture of how and why the San Francisco Bay Region, a laboratory for artistic and technical innovation for more than half a century, has become a global center of vanguard film, video, and new media.
Among the contributors are Rebecca Solnit and Ernie Gehr on Bay Area cinema's roots in the work of Eadweard Muybridge and others; Scott MacDonald on Art in Cinema; P. Adams Sitney on films by James Broughton and Sidney Peterson; Stan Brakhage, Bruce Conner, Lawrence Jordan, and Yvonne Rainer on the Bay Area film scene in the 1950s; J. Hobeman on films by Christopher Maclaine, Bruce Conner, and Robert Nelson; Craig Baldwin on found footage film; George Kuchar on student-produced melodramas; Michael Wallin on queer film in the 1970s; V. Vale on punk cinema; Dale Hoyt and Cecilia Dougherty on video in the 1980s and 1990s; and Maggie Morse on new media as sculpture.
Copub: Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive ... Read more

Product Description

Right now, you're wondering, "Gee, what kind of information is in this cute yet stylish guide?" Sure, there are a bunch of other books that will take you through the filmmaking process, and if your name is Beaver Cleaver, you might be interested in them.

But you should know that filmmaking is a war, and this book will lead you through it like no other. These pages contain information learned from years spent in the filmmaking trenches.

Anyone with a credit card can rent a camera and buy film stock -- but who can:

• Rent a camera for two weeks and pay for only two days?
• Set the exposure on the camera without a light meter?
• Feed a crew of twenty with yesterday's chicken soup?

Not many.

You want more? Then turn the book over and crack her open.

Still here?

Fine -- we'll do it the hard way: This book will tell you how to shoot a sex scene, tell you what a stinger is. And if you need help writing your script, we'll give you some scenes to copy right into your screen-play -- and yes, we even provide the characters.

In short, everything you need to know about filmmaking in the real world is in this book. Everything. We'll even help you select the proper baseball cap so you can look like a big-time director.

Now start reading. Let's make film history.

Customer Reviews (21)

Title Says It All
This is a tongue-in-cheek approach to an age old topic. The writing is light and fun and sprinkled with just enough real information to make it almost useful. The truth is, all of these type of books can help you make your movie if you have money. Making movies takes money. Period. (The reason many of these books are written is to make money in order to help with credibility which will help the author raise money, or the money goes directly towards funding the author's film making addiction.) No one can tell you how to get money for your film. If there were easy answers to that question, well then no one would need to read a book like this. Actually, no one wants to tell you how to get money for your film. And why should they? You're competing for money from the same pool. So, the hints and winks at how to beg, borrow, steal, cheat, use your credit cards (or someone else's), use up your trust fund, and generally just scrape by are not earth shatteringly new ideas here. They are, however, told in a humorous way and the author doesn't ever take himself too seriously. It's a quick, fun read that lives up to its title. Just don't expect to read it and then magically be able to make a movie. Now, if someone writes a book about HOW and WHERE to get that $10,000, that's the book you should buy.

Nonsense!
The author is a racist and a nut.You wont learn anything here.Spend your money elsewhere.
Use common sense over this book.Anyone can figure out how to get in trouble and burn bridges.
Total waist of time.Didn't finish.Buy "Rebel Without a Crew" by Robert Rodriguez
He doesn't insult you or blow marijuana in you face.
To bad I can't give it a zero.I give it a ZERO, here.....

Worthless
This is one of the worst books I've ever read, about anything, ever. If you follow some of the advice in this book, you will actually be a worse filmmaker than if you just started bumbling your way through it on your own. (And, some of his advice will land you in jail, if you get caught.)

The book is poorly written, incoherent at times, and each short section only conveys the vaguest information possible about the subject it purports to be about.The tone is sarcastic and vaguely insulting.Some of the advice was so stupid I was offended by it.I've read at least fifty books about filmmaking, and this is hands-down the worst.Period.It's hard to comment on the information in much detail, because there is so little depth to the information in this book that it's like reading a ream of blank paper.

If you read this book, you'll need to read at least one good one to understand all the vague things, and un-lear all the incorrect things, that you'll hear about filmmaking from this piece of junk.

Entertaining and yet informative
This book is a little dated but is compelling enough for multiple reads.The sarcastic hyperbole is definitely it's selling point; the information it contains is found in other sources.The "recipes" section made me laugh so hard I cried (maybe it was just late at night and I needed a pick-me-up).
Entertaining way to learn about filmmaking; not serious enough to be a standalone source of information.Funny enough I purchased it to read again after initially checking book out from the library.

Funny
This book is more funny than informative.Good for some leisure reading but not for anyone that is trying to find some serious insight on the subject. ... Read more

Product Description
Now brought completely up to date, the new edition of this classic work on documentary films and filmmaking surveys the history of the genre from 1895 to the present day.With the myriad social upheavals over the past decade, documentaries have enjoyed an international renaissance; here Barnouw considers the medium in the light of an entirely new political and social climate.He examines as well the latest filmmaking technology, and the effects that video cassettes and cable television are having on the production of documentaries.And like the previous editions, Documentary is filled with photographs, many of them rare, collected during the author's travels around the world. Covering the full course of the documentary from Louis Lumiere's first effort to recent landmark productions such as Shoah, this book makes the growing importance of a unique blend of art and reality accessible and understandable to all film lovers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

ESSENTIAL READING
As far as cinema studies goes,
this is one of the classics; full of valuable information, reliable interpretations and insightfull comments.
If you're nterested in the numerous facets of documentaries, you could do much worse than start with Barnouw's seminal book.

Also, this is a very good example of great academic writing: clever but intriguing (granted, it's easier to write like that in writing history than theory, but nevertheless, you'll probably read this book with great pleasure).

Highly recommended!

A book about reality
I own a splanish version of this book that I used on some of my school's courses. I belive this is a great book for people interested in the other face of the film industry. It is a must buy for the people that want to go into the reality film industry

An Excellent Learning Guide
If you are interested in Documentary Film, this is a great introduction tothe genre.Barnouw brings you through history with ease and enjoyment.Ifound it extremely satisfactory; definitely not a disappointment.

Definitive Introduction to the World of Non-Fiction Films
I know that when you see a book receive the five star rating you think that the person reviewing is either tender-hearted or an ignoramus as it is inconceivable to think of a perfect book.However, since I am neithertender-hearted nor an ignoramus I give you my word that Barnouw's book isan amazing reference guide to the world of non-fiction films.Its anincredibly quick read, it took me a matter of days despite a hecticschedule, and though a lot of names and movies come flying at you they areeasy to access and remember.So if you know nothing about documentariesyou can quickly become knowledgeable by reading this book and then knowwhat films you should seek after.The book traces non-fiction films allthe way from the early experiments of Muybridge and the actualities ofLumiere all the way up to the 1990s.It divides the films not by regionbut by their respective genre and in the order they emerged.Then in thefinal chapter, "Movement," it carries documentaries up into ourdays and explains what's going on and where it's headed.Again, though youwished Barnouw could have delved even deeper into certain aspects, orbecome more localized as this is mostly a globalized look, you realize thatthis book is only the stepping stone into a whole new world.Barnouw ismerely opening the door and inviting us to enter.

This is it!
Barnbouw has taken a wealth of creativity and almost a century of filmmaking and not only made it manageable but intensely relevant and interesting,His breakdown of the various movements throughout the historyof the documentary film is right on and remarkable.The research includedin this masterpiece is unmatchable in other writings on the documentary.Filmmakers and non-filmakers alike need to read this book.It is a historylesson on a all too often over looked art. ... Read more

Product Description
Siegfried Kracauer's classic study, originally published in 1960, explores the distinctive qualities of the cinematic medium. The book takes its place alongside works in classical film theory by such figures as Béla Balázs, Rudolf Arnheim, and André Bazin, among others, and has met with much critical dispute. In this new edition, Miriam Bratu Hansen, examining the book in the context of Kracauer's extensive film criticism from the 1920s, provides a framework for appreciating the significance of Theory of Film for contemporary film theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Book
Really interesting. A great read.Kracauer is one of the best.Used it as a text book for an anthropology of film class.

One of the indispensible classics of film theory -- but not only of historical interest
In this exciting classic, Kracauer not only developed a rich and detailed analysis of the nature of film and its relation to photography and other art forms, but he also develops an original and still relevant view of film's potential and relevance to our age.Kracauer is often recognized as one of the most articulate and influential (along with Andre Bazin) of realist film theorists.Realism in film theory argues that what is special and distinctive to film as an art medium is its capacity for capturing and presenting reality, even realities that can never be directly experienced in other ways.To the extent that realism is presented as a thesis about the sole feature of film that gives it artistic merit, it is a problematic view -- since one of the other distinctive capacities of film is to frame and interpret and shape the reality it depicts.What is most original and still worthwhile, though, in Kracauer's thought is his recognition that realism is a tendency of film and a latent possibility -- not all films are realistic and strict realism (e.g. a camera that follows someone around 24 hours a day) would be neither interesting nor artistic.Kracauer recognizes that the very best films are those that use all of the devices at the disposal of the cinematic art, but, he insists, when they do so in the service of the presentation of reality.

Kracauer's view -- which seems more relevant today than ever -- is that we are living in an increasingly technologized age, where everything we experience is mediated and our experience is shaped by ideologies so that the real illusion (what Baudrillard calls the "Simulacrum"; and what the Wachowski brothers called the "Matrix") is the world around us as we experience it.(He doesn't put it that way, but emphasizes the mechanization and compartmentalization of the modern world -- resulting in an increasing alienation of each of us from each other and from the places we inhabit, rendering interactions increasingly sterile and lifeless and communication increasingly utilitarian: mere means to transmit information rather than intimate acts of communion.)Film has the power, at its best, to summon us back to reality, to remind us of what other media conspire to render invisible.Film, in Kracauer's words, has the power to effect a "redemption of physical reality."The Italian neo-realist tradition of films, for example, told stories informed by everyday life, about everyday people, and using non-actors on location -- they serve thereby to document their time and place, and to connect the dots between aspects of experience that are often not thought together.A similar movement happened to American films in the '70s -- films that held up a mirror to society rather than an image for the audience to imitate and aspire to; some independent films still achieve that condition.The very best foreign films give the experience of peering into a living world, more than that of listening to someone telling a fanciful story.Kracauer's book, then, is not only an important document from the history of thought about film but remains a living legacy and an indispensible read for anyone interested either in the history and nature of film or in its liberatory potential for the future.

A Classic of Realism
Kracauer's book is an astonishingly detailed look into the cinema.What also makes this work interesting is the novelty that is expressed in the author's writing.Like Eisenstein, there is an excitement about thepossibilities of this revolutionary new art (an excitement that seemssomewhat scarce in the present).Kracauer explores how film is similar toand yet wholly different from other classical arts including photography,theatre, and literature.Also of interest are his thoughts regardingfilm's effects upon the spectator in relationship to the characteristicsand difficulties of modernity. ... Read more

Product Description
Critics hailed previous editions of Visionary Film as the most complete work written on the exciting, often puzzling, and always controversial genre of American avant-garde film. This book has remained the standard text on American avant-garde film since the publication of its first edition in 1974. Now P. Adams Sitney has once again revised and updated this classic work, restoring a chapter on the films of Gregory J. Markopoulos and bringing his discussion of the principal genres and major filmmakers up to the year 2000. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Visionary Film
book is great... if your at all interested in alternative cinema, i highly suggest that you check this out. it boils down some very pretentious and overbearing works so they are at the least understandable.

Essential reading for those interested in avant-garde/experimental film
Quite simply, anyone interested in the history of avant-garde film and its major filmmakers needs to pick "Visionary Film" up.It's one of the first, and still one of the finest, major texts to be published on the subject.Sitney has dedicated the majority of his life to the study of American avant-garde filmmaking, and it shows; he brings to his work both a breadth of knowledge and a depth of insight that are pretty much unparalleled.

It's quite a dense text, and some of the films discussed in the book can be very difficult to see, due to any number of distribution issues and the fact that many of the filmmakers discussed here have only exhibited their works on film.Still, you shouldn't let either of these things dissuade you from reading it; it's incredibly rewarding regardless.

One Note: The subtitle to the third edition here is somewhat misleading, since the book, originally published in 1974 (with a 2nd Ed. in 1979), focuses primarily on filmmakers and films from the early 1940s to the late 1970s.The final chapter of the third edition essentially acts as a brief summation of trends in the avant-garde from the end of the 1970s up to the end of the 20th century.It's certainly informative, but cursory compared to the rest of the book.Those disappointed by this, or anyone looking for a more detailed study of major avant-garde filmmakers and works during this time period should also take a look at Sitney's latest book, "Eyes Upside Down," which I am currently working my way through; so far, it too is exceptional.

Visionary Film
Proffesor Stiney has a unique vision and perception of experimental film. This text has some interesting ideas and good points but I believe somewhat limited in scope. I would recomend this text as a good primer for many interested in avante garde and experimental film and video. ... Read more

Product Description
If you can't make it to one of Bruce Block's legendary visual storytelling seminars, then you need his book! Now in full color for the first time, this best-seller offers a clear view of the relationship between the story/script structure and the visual structure of a film, video, animated piece, or video game. You'll learn how to structure your visuals as carefully as a writer structures a story or a composer structures music. Understanding visual structure allows you to communicate moods and emotions, and most importantly, reveals the critical relationship between story structure and visual structure.

The Visual Story offers a clear view of the relationship between the story/script structure and the visual structure of a film, video, or multimedia work. An understanding of the visual components will serve as the guide to strengthening the overall story.

The Visual Story divides what is seen on screen into tangible sections: contrast and affinity, space, line and shape, tone, color, movement, and rhythm. The vocabulary as well as the insight is provided to purposefully control the given components to create the ultimate visual story. For example: know that a saturated yellow will always attract a viewer's eye first; decide to avoid abrupt editing by mastering continuum of movement; and benefit from the suggested list of films to study rhythmic control. The Visual Story shatters the wall between theory and practice, bringing these two aspects of the craft together in an essential connection for all those creating visual stories.

Bruce Block has the production credentials to write this definitive guide. His expertise is in demand, and he gives seminars at the American Film Institute, PIXAR Studios, Walt Disney Feature and Television Animation, Dreamworks Animation, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Industrial Light & Magic and a variety of film schools in Europe.

The concepts in this book will benefit writers, directors, photographers, production designers, art directors, and editors who are always confronted by the same visual problems that have faced every picture maker in the past, present, and future.

* Now in full color!
* Written by a renowned producer, visual consultant, and teacher
* The material in this books applies to any kind of visual story, including films, animated pieces, video games, and television ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

That's It !!
Sou professor de Fotografia e ministro oficinas no Brasil. O método claro e intuitivo que o autor consegue desenvolver neste livro é extremamente didático e prático. Complementou muito minhas aulas. Perfeito.

A must have if you want to be a director !
I have absolutely nothing to add to all the reviews about this book. I just wanted to extend my gratitude by giving it the 5 stars it deserves.

a very good and inspiring book
It is a very useful and inspiring book for everyone who looks for some lead about visual decisions in making films. I fully recommend.

OUTSTANDING
I have a great experience directing and editing comercials for tv and short movies. I thought this book outstanding. It answered a lot of questions I had and it explained a lot of things I have never imagined could influence the visual experience. One of the best books about how to make movies I have ever read and I read more than one hundred.

Awesome Book
This is a great book for the business of filmmakers a must in the collect. Peace care TMU ... Read more

Product Description
Generously includes film stills and essays on crime films, The Postman Always Rings Twice, "Hitchcock's Noir Landscape," "Samuel Fuller's Tabloid Cinema," "Son of Noir," "Noir Science," "Girl Power: Female Centered Neo-Noir," and "Abstract Expressionism and Film Noir." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Film Noir Reader 2
This book was in great condition there was a few lines underlined, but still was like new.

Excellent for film students, but less so for general viewers
Silver and Ursini's 1996 anthology has quickly become an essential tome for students of film noir everywhere, and with very good reason. Divided into three parts - "Seminal Essays", "Case Studies" and "Noir Then and Now" - it offers a comprehensive selection of essays defining the genre in general and exploring specific instances and variations over the last 70-odd years. Even without the other volumes, this is pretty much all a college-level film student could need or desire for building a solid understanding of the genre and appreciating the central debates it's aroused. General viewers/readers, however, can probably do without the specialist jargon, arcane hair-splitting, and density of argumentation that ultimately consume any academic discipline, and the personal attacks: a large part of Silver's introduction is, astonishingly, dedicated to poleaxing other writers - quite pointedly, Marc Vernet, in whose misspelling of Silver's name Silver reads a dark tendency towards pre-judgment and other fatal flaws in Vernet's critical apparatus, such as a solipsistic arrogance that can presume to correct anomalies it does not understand. Whatever, Alan. Sorry - Alain. If you're writing your own academic essays, or enjoy probing the neuroses of disgruntled academics, then that kind of thing might be useful to you. But general readers will be much better served by one of the dozens of non-academic survey volumes, such as those by Barry Gifford (God forgive me, Alain, I know you hate him so), or, if they're feeling more adventurous, Nicholas Christopher's "Somewhere in the Night" which gives a fluent and accessible exploration of film noir by using the American city as a way into it.

Dull as gravel book.
How to take a facinating subject and make it seem deadly dull. I suggest that you movies online, get 'em and watch 'em. If you like faux academia, then this is the text book you will want.

Film Noir Reader
I give this book two stars instead of one because it fills a gap in my film noir book collection, but I have to say it has dated badly.I bought because I loved Alain Silver's book Noir Style, which is a collection of black-and-white stills from film noir classics, with marvelous commentary. But the Film Noir Reader opens with a collection of essays from the 1970s that display everything bad about the 70s, academic, pretentious, pompous, over-anxious to establish a high-brow status for a low-brow art form (at least it was then).In the 2nd and 3rd sections, the "up-to-date" essays, we get, for instance, an analysis of the TV show Miami Vice in terms of its film noir elements...Miami Vice???

Collection of Film Noir Essays, Including Some Essentials
I'm including reviews of both "Film Noir Reader" and "Film Noir Reader 2" in the same review until Amazon gets the two books unlinked.

FILM NOIR READER (1)

"Film Noir Reader" is a collection of 22 essays about film noir, written between the mid-1950s and mid-1990s by a diverse group of film theorists, including a few essays by the editors themselves, Alain Silver and James Ursini. Some of the essays are illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Mr. Silver takes the opportunity of the book's Introduction to deliver a scathing rebuttal of French critic Marc Vernet's views before commenting on the book's content.

"Film Noir Reader" has three parts: Part I is "Seminal Essays", which include 8 essays written 1955-1979. An excerpt from Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton's seminal 1955 book "A Panorama of American Film Noir" is included, as well as Paul Schrader's essential 1972 essay "Notes on Film Noir". Other essays discuss film noir's visual style, existential motifs, and there is a very interesting essay by Paul Kerr on the circumstances that caused B movies, including B-noirs, to flourish in the 1940s. Part II, "Case Studies", includes 8 essays about specific films and directors, all but one addressing films of the classic noir period. Essays are dedicated to directors John Farrow and Anthony Mann, while others discuss the films "Phantom Lady", "Angel Face", "The Killers", "Night and the City", "Kiss Me Deadly", "Hickey and Boggs", and "The Long Goodbye". Part III, "Noir Then and Now", includes 6 articles that seemed not to fit into Part I or Part II, including a few about neo-noir films. Karen Hollinger discusses the effects of first-person male voiceovers on the images of female characters in classic film noir. Others essays explore films that feature fugitive couples, noir television series, neo-B noirs, and Jeremy G. Butler writes about "Miami Vice".

The date of first publication is clearly stated for all essays in Part I, but I found myself wondering when some of the other essays had been written. Publication information, including dates, are provided for each essay at the end of the book's Acknowledgments. There are some interesting and essential essays in "Film Noir Reader", and some less so, but the book provides a nice collection of opinions and observations on the style that are great food for thought for noir fans and scholars.

FILM NOIR READER 2

"Film Noir Reader 2" is a collection of 24 essays, written 1945-1999, that attempt to define the film noir sensibility and explore particular films and facets of the style in depth. This book shares the same format with the first "Film Noir Reader": Essays are arranged in 3 parts. Part I contains "More Seminal Essays" that augment the defining material in "Film Noir Reader". There are 8 essays, written 1945-1988, including a surprising article written by Lloyd Shearer for "The New York Times" in 1945. A year before French film critics identified and began to discuss the film noir style, Shearer plainly recognized a distinct trend in Hollywood toward "lusty, hard-boiled, gut-and-gore crime stories, all fashioned on a theme with a combination of plausibly motivated murder and studded with high-powered Freudian implication." Pretty neat definition only 4 years into the noir movement. And Shearer goes on to ask "why at this time are so many pictures of the same type being made?" Funny that his article should be reproduced in a book that is still trying to answer that question 60 years later. Shearer's article is followed by French critic Nino Frank's 1946 essay in which the term "noir" was first applied to film. For all the talk of film noir having been created in the minds of critics after the fact, it's apparent that these writers comprehended the existence of film noir style as it was being created.

Part II is dedicated to "Case Studies". It includes 8 essays that discuss "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1946 & 1981 versions), "Kiss Me Deadly", "The Big Heat", "The File on Thelma Jordan", "Pushover", the neo-noirs "Mississippi Mermaid" and "Badlands", as well as the films of directors Alfred Hitchcock and Samuel Fuller. There is also an essay by Francis M. Nevins on films adapted from the works of Cornell Woolrich and an essay by Robert G. Porfino on jazz music in film noir. Part III, "The Evolution of Noir", is an eclectic assortment of 8 essays. Topics include: noir science fiction, British film noir, abstract expressionism in film noir, female protagonists in neo-noir, and tabloid/crime photographer WeeGee's (Arthur Fellig) relationship to film noir, including discussion of the 1992 film "Public Eye" that was inspired by his career. Film professor Philip Gaines provides an outline of his film noir course, with recommended films and suggested reading. I'd like to mention, in response to Linda Brookover's essay on WeeGee, that although WeeGee's talent for self-promotion was equal to his gift for photojournalism, his photographs were not unique. The work of many excellent and tireless crime photographers adorned the pages of daily newspapers in the 1920s-1950s. Some of them can be seen in the "New York Noir" gallery of the "New York Daily News" archive at www.dailynewspix.com . Tabloid photography is usually overlooked as an influence on film noir, so I'm glad that Ms. Brookoverhas addressed that oversight, even if I don't entirely agree with her assessment. ... Read more

Product Description
Today's film industry is a legal and financial obstacle course that all independent filmmakers must learn to master. In view of this, "The Biz" - a highly accessible overview of the industry's important business, legal and financial aspect - is a must-read for all filmmakers. It includes thorough explanations and discussions of: film-industry business jargon; raising financing; business structuring; securities laws; budgeting essentials; dealing with the guilds; loans; completion guarantees; the legal and financial ramifications of distribution deals; calculating net profits; film-industry accounting practices and contingent payments; copyright, publicity, and trademark laws; screen credits; talent demands; litigation problems; bankruptcy; taxation of film companies; and, the Internet distribution of film ...and much more. It also includes a dozen useful sample forms and agreements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great book!
This was a great book and is very useful for anyone wanting to learn the business aspects of the film industry.

Excelente introducción a la industria
Es un muy buen libro introductorio a la industria.
Los análisis del autor son rigurosos. Hace mucho incapié en los aspectos legales de la producción cinematográfica

Complete, informative, funny-- what more can you ask for?
I was afraid when I picked up _The Biz_ that it was going to be a dry read-- legal aspects of any business are not known for being a scintillating read. However, I am happy to report that it was not only a quick and interesting read, it was a genuinely funny one. Moore had me laughing out loud on several occasions.

Even granted that this is not a book you read for the humor, it is refreshing to see a reference book so well written. My only quarrel was that I would have liked to see a bibliography included with the book in case I wanted to go in depth into any of the areas covered.

How hot is "the Biz?"
One thing about Professor Moore: the man rides motorcycles and has more energy than a 6-year old.He's not the average UCLA professor.

Thus, you should be aware that the book reflects it's writer's personality.The book is not only informative, but a pretty fun read as well.Friends from other law schools tell me how dry and dull their entertainment law texts are - a fact which absolutely boggles my mind.The Biz is concisely written, and filled with lively examples

Handbook for Entertainment Lawyers
Mr. Moore teaches at UCLA, and his course is extraordinarily well attended.His book is considered a must-have for lawyers working in Entertainment, and although the focus is law, I think it would be a handy reference for anyone new to the creative side of Entertainment, especiallythose seeking to protect themselves and their interests when making dealsand such. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Unintelligible.
It doesn't matter if you're a genius or not if you can't communicate with everyone else. Rick Altman needs to go back to school and learn how to write. To be be fair though the man does raise interesting and important points on Genre Theory, but again such knowledge is useless if it cannot be discerned from the large amounts of fluff he has in this book as filler. He never gets to the point and the points he does have can be summarized very easily.

Dry and pompous
One man's opinions blown up to textbook proportions is what this book is centered on.Altman assumes an ignorant reader in his spotty descriptions of genre and its development and subsequently deluges the reader with bizarre references and highly conservative opinions presented as well-understood fact.Genre history is touched upon but never developed, and chapter divisions are somewhat random.What Altman chooses to develop is never fully realized and his reasoning is less than understood.

GREAT BOOK!!!
Too be as short as possilbe: Anybody who is even slightly interested in the field of genre theory should read this book.

groundbreaking
This is a groundbreaking study, sure to change thinking about the notion of genre, within film studies and beyond.The book is also written with a wonderful sense of humor, even though this is a serious study.Don't pick this up if you just have a light interest in genre films, but if you want to think long and hard about the very category of genre itself.I'd say the book was worth owing for the massive bibliography alone.

ok but....
i found it to be empty. liked information, but had difficulty in furthering ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (18)

Are you a filmmaker?
If you are a filmmaker and have a finished product, you must read this book.
You need to read many, many books of course, but put this one on your reading list.
Enjoy!

An important book for any independent filmmaker
Independent Film Distribution - How to Make a Successful End Run Around the Big Guys is a practical guide that would be useful to any independent film maker.

The book is less a "Dummies Guide to Distribution", and more a survey based on interviews with successful independent producers and distributors.While that perhaps leaves the reader with more thinking to do, that's probably a good thing.The fact is that there is no "right way" to make money from an independent movie (if there was, everyone would do it), and the strength of this book is that it recognizes that.While it does talk about the traditional approach to independent distribution -- film festivals, rights sales to specialty/independent distributors etc. -- it also spends useful time on non-traditional distribution methods, including self-distribution, direct sales online, and even how to make a living from niche markets such as health videos.

For every different market, Phil Hall interviews people who have had success in that area, and their insights can be invaluable.In truth, there are a few interviews that could be skipped, but since none take up more than a page or two, the book never gets bogged down in irrelevant details.I also appreciated the background stories on film festivals, self distribution and so on... while film history of the 1910s-1960s might not seem of direct use to today's go-getter independent producer, I think these sections help to put the current industry in context, which is important for anyone hoping to have a career in film.

To make best use of the book, it's worth making some notes, and using some post-its to mark useful sections.Personally, I would recommend reading it through once quickly, and then going back to use specific sections to help plan a strategy for your individual circumstances.As "Independent Film Distribution" makes clear, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for the independent producer, but the book gives you some useful tools to put together the approach that will work for you.

Guidebook for a Difficult Journey
Anybody can put their video up on YouTube, but how do you get your feature or doc out there where it counts in dollars and reviews? In my career as a director and producer I've usually been hired on by others and did not have to worry about distribution, but now our own company is producing a feature-length documentary, so I picked up Phil Hall's book to become familiar with the labyrinthine world of film distribution.

I suggest you do as I did and read the Table of Contents then go directly to each chapter's section on "LISTEN TO WHAT THE MAN SAYS". That will give you a quick dive into the concepts so you can be more tuned in to the information as you go back and read through the book's chapters.

The information is hard-nosed and clear-eyed with lots of flashing neon signs saying, "Watch out for this!" and "Don't you dare do that!".The insights are encouraging in that Hall obviously respects those with talent, vision, and persistence.

I know we'll be wearing out the pages of this book during production and post-production in hopes of following Hall's advice to be prepared for the challenges of distribution - and hopefully reap those rewards.

Pamela Jaye Smith, Producer
RGO MEDIA ASSOCIATES
[...]

Awesome!!
This has got to be one of the best books regarding the business side of movie/film production that I've read in a long time. It is very candid, no punches being pulled. It is just straight up! This book really opened my eyes to the distribution side of the business, and I really appreciate the distributors list at the end. If you are serious about getting your movie out there, read this book! Then read it again!

One book indie filmmakers should not miss
After years of watching movies and perhaps having friends, family, and acquaintances tell you that you should write a screenplay or make a movie, you've decided that that's what you want to do with some of the months or years ahead. First, don't panic. Lots of people have had this epiphany before. It's a long journey, but the rewards can be rich if you remember that it's step by step, and not javelin leap by javelin leap. It takes time and much effort, and even more patience.

You'll need a few things before you even begin to direct. Obviously, you need a camera, a screenplay, some actors if necessary, and locations where you'll be allowed to shoot. But besides all that, you'll need some books too, some guides to show you how indie filmmaking is, and what you can do to make your experience an enlightening one, perhaps even more exciting than you might have imagined. That's where Phil Hall comes in.

You pick up a copy of his book, Independent Film Distribution, and prepare to read Phil's educated, calm prose that I'm confident will get you through any worries you might have. It might not solve them all, because an indie film production still has lots to be concerned about during it, but you'll look at how Phil sees independent film and not only perhaps see even more names you might have not recognized at first, but see how to market your dream film, see what it takes to shout at the world, "See my movie!"

Phil's greatest quality in his writing is that he's aware of the filmmakers like you who might read this book. To make an indie film is hard work, but to get people to see it is even more difficult, and he makes sure you know. He does not discourage, but rather guides you through what's out there, also covering what film festivals are all about, and the pros and cons of it.

But it's not only him! No, no. You'll be fortunate enough to read interviews with various, esteemed indie filmmakers, and quotes throughout the chapters from countless others who have been entrenched in indie filmmaking and other aspects of filmmaking and film distribution for years and can speak from where you might want to be one day.

This is where you go for all you'd want to learn. And Phil, being the understanding, considerate writer that he is, he includes a list of distributors in the back, for you to see who is in the business of getting indie films out there. Believe me, there are many books you could possibly have on your shelves about indie filmmaking, lots of authors talking up the history and perhaps also the distribution, but Independent Film Distribution needs to be one you keep close at hand and heart. You'll learn more than you ever thought possible, even if you know a whole lot already. ... Read more