Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Documentary Film: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) Review

Documentary film can encompass anything from Robert Flaherty's pioneering ethnography Nanook of the North to Michael Moore's anti-Iraq War polemic Fahrenheit 9/11, from Dziga Vertov's artful Soviet propaganda piece Man with a Movie Camera to Luc Jacquet's heart-tugging wildlife epic March ofthe Penguins. In this concise, crisply written guide, Patricia Aufderheide takes readers along the diverse paths of documentary history and charts the lively, often fierce debates among filmmakers and scholars about the best ways to represent reality and to tell the truths worth telling.

Beginning with an overview of the central issues of documentary filmmaking--its definitions and purposes, its forms and founders--Aufderheide focuses on several of its key subgenres, including public affairs films, government propaganda (particularly the works produced during World War II), historical documentaries, and nature films. Her thematic approach allows readers to enter the subject matter through the kinds of films that first attracted them to documentaries, and it permits her to make connections between eras, as well as revealing the ongoing nature of documentary's core controversies involving objectivity, advocacy, and bias. Interwoven throughout are discussions of the ethical and practical considerations that arise with every aspect of documentary production. A particularly useful feature of the book is an appended list of "100 great documentaries" that anyone with a serious interest in the genre should see.

Drawing on the author's four decades of experience as a film scholar and critic, this book is the perfect introduction not just for teachers and students but also for all thoughtful filmgoers and for those who aspire to make documentaries themselves.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam.

Film Directing: Cinematic Motion, Second Edition

Film Directing: Cinematic Motion, Second Edition Review

The book uses extensive illustrations to explain how to create extended sequence shots, elaborate moving camera choreography, and tracking shots with multiple story points.

The 100 Best Films to Rent You've Never Heard Of: Hidden Treasures, Neglected Classics, and Hits From By-Gone Eras

The 100 Best Films to Rent You've Never Heard Of: Hidden Treasures, Neglected Classics, and Hits From By-Gone Eras Review

A Guide for the Video-confused
Can't decide what film to rend?
Tired of wandering the aisles of your video store?
Sick of searching for that one movie that perfeclty matches your mood?
Then The 100 Best Films to Rent You've Never Heard Of is for you.

Westerns, Comedies, Romance, Sci-Fi, Drama, B&W Classics, Films Noir, Documentaries, and much more...

Featuring the one and only mood guide

Every film review is preceeded by a Mood Guide, which lets you know at a glance whether a film is right for you. Are you in the mood for a Relentless Screwball Comedy? A Smart Love Story? How about a No-Nonsense, Manly Thriller?

In addition to expert and entertaining film reviews, the book also includes:
Additional rental selections listed by director
Toll-free 800 numbers for renting and purchasing hard-to-find movies by mail
Thorough indexing for a quick find of any film by director, actor, or rental category.

The one must-have film guide for the true movie lover!

The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made, Updated & Revised (Film Critics of the New York Times)

The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made, Updated & Revised (Film Critics of the New York Times) Review

From the film critics of The New York Times come these uncut, original reviews of the most popular and influential movies ever made -- from the Talkies to blockbuster megahits like Chicago and The Wizard of Oz; from timeless classics like Casablanca and Notorious, to beloved foreign films by Truffaut and Kurosawa, Fellini and Almodovar.

The reviews, eloquent, incisive, and intuitive, reflect Hollywood history at its best -- must-have reading for movie lovers or Students.

In addition, this essential volume includes:
* Full cast and production credits for every movie
* The ''10 Best" lists for every year from 1931 to the present
* An index of films by genre, and an index of foreign films by country of origin.

This edition is thoroughly updated to include all the important movies of the past several years, as well as a new introduction by A Times film critic, A. O. Scott.

Voice & Vision, Second Edition: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production

Voice & Vision, Second Edition: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production Review

Voice & Vision is a comprehensive manual for the independent filmmakers and film students who want a solid grounding in the tools, techniques, and processes of narrative film in order to achieve their artistic vision. This book includes essential and detailed information on relevant film and digital video tools, a thorough overview of the filmmaking stages, and the aesthetic considerations for telling a visual story. The ultimate goal of this book is to help you develop your creative voice while acquiring the solid practical skills and confidence to use it. Unlike many books that privilege raw technical information or the line-producing aspects of production, Voice & Vision places creativity, visual expression, and cinematic ideas front and center. After all, every practical decision a filmmaker makes, like choosing a location, an actor, a film stock, a focal length, a lighting set-up, an edit point, or a sound effect is also an expressive one and should serve the filmmaker's vision. Every decision, from the largest conceptual choices to the smallest practical solutions, has a profound impact on what appears on the screen and how it moves an audience. "In Practice" sidebars throughout connect conceptual, aesthetic and technical issues to their application in the real world. Some provide a brief analysis of a scene or technique from easily rentable films which illustrate how a specific technology or process is used to support a conceptual, narrative, or aesthetic choice. Others recount common production challenges encountered on real student and professional shoots which will inspire you to be innovative and resourceful when you are solving your own filmmaking challenges.

INSTRUCTORS: Visit the companion website (www.voiceandvisionbook.com) for a link to additional teaching resources.

* A dedicated web resource with high-resolution lighting and exposure illustrations, interactive Flash figures, and award-winning short film examples

* Comprehensive technical information on both film and digital video production-express yourself with any camera and in any format

* A focus on learning to work successfully with available resources (time, equipment, budget, personnel)-turn limitations into opportunities

* Substantial coverage of the sound tools and techniques used in film production and the creative impact of post-production sound design

* Updated workflow breakdowns including HD, film-out, and D-Cinema workflows

* Extensive information on production safety, etiquette and set procedures

The Film Book

The Film Book Review

A comprehensive, fun-to-browse, and easy-to-use source of everything you want to know about the movies and the people behind them, The Film Book is a unique treasure trove of a guide that will appeal to anyone who loves movies.

From the history of the art form to techniques, and then the films themselves, The Film Book provides an overview of cinematic styles and genres; the industry's greatest and most influential directors, and their key works; as well as looking at filmmaking around the world, from Hollywood to Bollywood.

Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player

Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With ,000 Became a Hollywood Player Review

Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With ,000 Became a Hollywood Player Feature

• ISBN13: 9780452271876
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

In Rebel Without a Crew, screenwriter and director Robert Rodriguez discloses all the unique strategies and original techniques he used to make his remarkable debut film, El Mariachi, on a shoestring budget. This is both one man's remarkable story and an essential guide for anyone who has a celluloid story to tell and the dreams and determination to see it through.

Ray Harryhausen's Fantasy Scrapbook: Models, Artwork and Memories from 65 Years of Filmmaking

Ray Harryhausen's Fantasy Scrapbook: Models, Artwork and Memories from 65 Years of Filmmaking Review

One of the most innovative and influential film animators in the history of the medium reveals a wealth of fascinating never-before-seen film artifacts, many of them recently discovered in a garage in Los Angeles

 

Designed in the form of a scrapbook, this visual feast for Harryhausen fans reveals models from unrealized projects, such as dinosaurs from the unfinished film Evolution; prints of outtakes from various films; early concept drawings and storyboards; color transparencies of Ray at work; written artifacts such as letters, production budgets, and a diary that details Ray's first meeting with his mentor Willis O'Brien; early film treatments and script extracts; publicity posters and brochures; and more. Some items show Ray's earliest artistic endeavors such as watercolors painted when he was 15 years old and marionettes of creatures from King Kong that he made when he saw the film in 1933. The result is a treasure trove of rare artifacts and material which not only offer new insights into how Ray created particular effects, but bring the worlds of his films to life in a new way and paint a fascinating visual portrait of the man himself and his creative imagination.

Setting Up Your Scenes: The Inner Workings of Great Films

Setting Up Your Scenes: The Inner Workings of Great Films Review

Setting Up Your Scenes: The Inner Workings of Great Films Feature

• ISBN13: 9781932907087
• Condition: New
• Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Every great filmmaker has role models and films which inspired him or her to greater and greater heights. Here, for the first time, is an awe-inspiring guide that takes you into the inner workings of classic scenes, revealing the aspects that make them great and the reasons they have served as inspirations.

Harry Potter Film Wizardry

Harry Potter Film Wizardry Review

Immerse yourself in the world of the spectacular "Harry Potter" film series, and learn why Yule Ball ice sculptures never melt, where Galleons, Sickles and Knuts are really "minted", how to get a Hippogriff to work with actors, about the inspiration behind Hogwarts castle, and why Dementors move the way they do. Written and designed in collaboration with the cast and crew that brought J.K Rowling's celebrated novels to the silver screen, "Harry Potter: Film Wizardry" delivers an enchanting interactive experience, transporting readers to the wizarding world by sharing filmmaking secrets, unpublished photography and artwork, and exclusive stories from the stars. Full of removable, facsimile reproductions of props and paper ephemera from the movies, this collectible volume offers a privileged look at the "Harry Potter" films and the talented group of Muggles that has made true movie magic.

Complete Guide to Film Scoring (Berklee Guide)

Complete Guide to Film Scoring (Berklee Guide) Review

Essential for anyone interested in the business, process and procedures of writing music for film or television, this book teaches the Berklee approach to the art, covering topics such as: preparing and recording a score, contracts and fees, publishing, royalties, copyrights and much more. Features interviews with 21 top film-scoring professionals, including Michael Kamen, Alf Clausen, Alan Silvestri, Marc Shaiman, Mark Snow, Harry Gregson-Williams and Elmer Bernstein. Now updated with info on today's latest technology, and invaluable insights into finding work in the industry.

How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond

How to Read a Film: Movies, Media, and Beyond Review

Richard Gilman referred to How to Read a Film as simply "the best single work of its kind." And Janet Maslin in The New York Times Book Review marveled at James Monaco's ability to collect "an enormous amount of useful information and assemble it in an exhilaratingly simple and systematic way." Indeed, since its original publication in 1977, this hugely popular book has become the definitive source on film and media.
Now, James Monaco offers a special anniversary edition of his classic work, featuring a new preface and several new sections, including an "Essential Library: One Hundred Books About Film and Media You Should Read" and "One Hundred Films You Should See." As in previous editions, Monaco once again looks at film from many vantage points, as both art and craft, sensibility and science, tradition and technology. After examining film's close relation to other narrative media such as the novel, painting, photography, television, and even music, the book discusses the elements necessary to understand how films convey meaning, and, more importantly, how we can best discern all that a film is attempting to communicate. In addition, Monaco stresses the still-evolving digital context of film throughout--one of the new sections looks at the untrustworthy nature of digital images and sound--and his chapter on multimedia brings media criticism into the twenty-first century with a thorough discussion of topics like virtual reality, cyberspace, and the proximity of both to film.
With hundreds of illustrative black-and-white film stills and diagrams, How to Read a Film is an indispensable addition to the library of everyone who loves the cinema and wants to understand it better.