Books I Recommend

ICED OUT!

ICED OUT!

Well-known member
In case anyone is interested, I just finished up these books and recommend them to all filmmakers:

Behind The Seen : How Walter Murch Edited Cold Mountain Using Final Cut Pro
First Time Director: How To Make Your Breakthrough Movie
The Ultimate Filmmaker's Guide To Short Films: Make It Big In Shorts
Rebel Without A Crew: Robert Rodriguez

FCP Books:

Final Cut Pro HD - Hands On Training - Larry Jordan
Final Cut Pro HD - Apple Pro Training Series

If you live in Austin, Texas I'd be more than happy to lend any and all of these books to you-

Adam
 
In the blink of an eye is simply brilliant. Walter conveys editing in a manner that is easy to understand yet really opens your eyes to the possibilities that exist. He also explains, perhaps better than Barry's infamous comment, why to cut and the meaning behind it.

Another good recommendation is Film Directing: Shot by Shot. While most of the book focuses on storyboards and the reasons for choosing different shots, this is, in my opinion, the comprehensive guide to why a scene is constructed the way it is, and opens up a great number of ways to film any sequence. The technical advice in dealing with dollies and camera motion are also priceless.

Another great book, and this one I think should be required reading is The Making of Psycho by Robert Bloch. This book gives meticulous detail about the entire process of Hitchcock's masterpiece. I think that by reading about the story behind the movie you gain a better understanding of the movie, and also get a much deeper level of respect for what it took to make this 'indie' film (read the book and you will understand why I call it an Indie).

A final good read, is Bruce Campbell's autobiography: If Chins Could Kills: Confessions of a B Move Actor. The beginning of this book is borderline as boring as a book about an actor could be. Why do I need to know about your early life? From this point, once he teams up with Raimi the story is on fire and incredible. The level of detail that he shares about making one of the best indie films (Evil Dead for those who don't know) is extremely educational in an entertaining manner. Furthermore, the creative solutions implemented in this film are exposed more than any directors commentary could hope to achieve. From reading about this groups experience making Evil Dead you feel just as empowered to make a feature as Rebel without a Crew leaves you feeling.

Rebel Without A Crew is a good read, entertaining, but I didn't find it all that educational.

I also just read: Silent Bob Speaks, which is a series of essays from Kevin Smith pre and post Jersey Girl. His feelings about that film come through very fluently, and his writing style is entertaining. I enjoyed reading the book, but wouldn't really recommend it if you are looking to shed light on the filmmaking process. This is a film that is strictly for fans of Kevin Smith and just want to know more about the man (if you liked An Evening with Kevin Smith, read this book).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top