On motion picture and television sets today the director spends 90% of his time directing the camera. Professional actors come to set prepared to direct themselves. In spite of this recent change, 90% of all books on directing do not teach specifically how to direct the camera. Gil Bettman's 'Directing the Camera' fills that void by teaching the elements of craft that contemporary directors use to give their films the visually dynamic look preferred by audiences today.
Directing drama for the single camera is like no other form of Filmmaking, or any other medium involving actors. Experience in documentary or theatre may provide useful clues, but the techniques for drama film directors, although not basically complicated, are unique. Experienced directors in other spheres of directing will find this book invaluable if they wish to move into single camera drama, as will students setting out on their careers. Directing Single Camera Drama is a synthesis of the skills required to bring drama to the screen. Directing drama for the single camera is like no other form of Filmmaking, or any other medium involving actors. Experience in documentary or theatre may provide useful clues, but the techniques for drama film directors, although not basically complicated, are unique. Experienced directors in other spheres of directing will find this book invaluable if they wish to move into single camera drama, as will students setting out on their careers. Directing Single Camera Drama is a synthesis of the skills required to bring drama to the screen. A unique feature of the book is the inclusion of ten short film drama scripts which need only half a day's rehearsal and one short day's filming. Each have their various technical demands, and they are arranged in ascending order of dramatic and creative difficulty. They can be photocopied and used for non-broadcast training drama exercises. Mike Crisp worked as Production Manager, and later Director, on many classic BBC TV series, such as Fawlty Towers, Porridge and Steptoe and Son. He was, for 10 years, a senior producer with the BBC's TV Training Department. He is the author of The Practical Director now in its second edition and also published by Focal Press. Reviews: 'Directors in other spheres of directing who wish to move into single camera drama will find this book invaluable, as will students setting out on their careers.' Voice of the Listener
An instant classic since its debut in 1991, Film Directing: Shot By Shot and its famous blue cover is one of the most well-known books on directing in the business, and is a favorite of professional directors as an on-set quick reference guide.
This guide to directing films includes information on project development, screenplay analysis, choosing and working with a production team, auditioning and casting, script preparation, using the language of acting, and much more.
Exploring Movie Construction & Production contains eight chapters of the major areas of film construction and production. The discussion covers theme, genre, narrative structure, character portrayal, story, plot, directing style, cinematography, and editing. Important terminology is defined and types of analysis are discussed and demonstrated. An extended example of how a movie description reflects the setting, narrative structure, or directing style is used throughout the book to illustrate building blocks of each theme. This approach to film instruction and analysis has proved beneficial to increasing students¿ learning, while enhancing the creativity and critical thinking of the student.
This book tells you how to direct a successful video or film. It started as a checklist for people on directing courses in the BBC's production training department. The book offers a manual to make factual programmes for broadcast, cable or corporate television.
Directing the Documentary is the definitive book on the documentary form, that will allow you to master the craft of documentary filmmaking. Focusing on the hands-on work needed to make your concept a reality, it covers the documentary filmmaking process from top to bottom, providing in-depth lessons on every aspect of preproduction, production, and postproduction. The book includes dozens of projects, practical exercises, and thought-provoking questions, and offers best practices for researching and honing your documentary idea, developing a crew, guiding your team, and much more. This fully revised and updated 7th edition also includes brand new content on the rise of the documentary series, the impact of video on-demand and content aggregators, updated information on prosumer and professional video (including 4K+), coverage of new audio & lighting solutions and trends in post-production, coverage of the immersive documentary, and provides practical sets of solutions for low, medium, and high budget documentary film productions throughout. The companion website has also been fully updated to a variety of new projects and forms. By combining expert advice on the storytelling process, the technical aspects of filmmaking and commentary on the philosophical underpinnings of the art, this book provides the practical and holistic understanding you need to become a highly regarded, original, and ethical contributor to the genre. Ideal for both aspiring and established documentary filmmakers, this book has it all.
The Essential TV Director's Handbook is written by an ex-BBC trainer with a great deal of experience in the world of television. It describes step-by-step how to prepare and direct every familiar type of common programme format including interviews, discussions, reportage, music and dramatisations shot either on location or in the multi-camera studio. It is the essential reference handbook for any director confronted by a new programme format or the challenge of an unfamiliar technology. An appendix suggests plans for the most commonly encountered studio situations. Television culture has been changing fast. Whilst technology races on at a frightening pace programme budgets have been slashed, job descriptions widened as more people have to `multi-skill', and traditional routes of entry have become increasingly difficult to find, with diminishing access to professional training. Yet the skills and practical knowledge required to make top quality programmes remain unaltered. `The Essential .... Handbook' series offers a range of no nonsense guides to the craft of TV programme making based on tried and tested tricks of the trade. Each book is written in an entertaining and informative way providing only the essential `need to know' information for beginner broadcasting professionals and students alike. The Essential TV Director's Handbook is written by an ex-BBC trainer with a great deal of experience in the world of television. It describes step-by-step how to prepare and direct every familiar type of common programme format including interviews, discussions, reportage, music and dramatisations shot either on location or in the multi-camera studio. It is the essential reference handbook for any director confronted by a new programme format or the challenge of an unfamiliar technology. An appendix suggests plans for the most commonly encountered studio situations. Peter Jarvis is a freelance producer and director of thirty years practical experience. He is Director of Television Training International and was for eight years Senior Production Instructor with BBC's Television Training Department.
Film Directing Fundamentals gives the novice director an organic methodology for realizing on-screen the full dramatic possibility of a screenplay. Unique among directing books, Nicholas Proferes provides clear-cut ways to translate a script to the screen. Using the script as a blueprint, the reader is led through specific techniques to analyze and translate its components into a visual story. A sample screenplay is included that explicates the techniques discussed. Written for both students and entry-level professionals, the book assumes no knowledge and introduces basic concepts and terminology. Appropriate for screenwriters, aspiring directors and filmmakers, Film Directing Fundamentals helps filmmakers bring their story to life on screen. This fourth edition is updated with a new foreword by Student Academy Award-winner Jimmy Keyrouz, who studied with author Nicholas Proferes, as well as an enhanced companion website by Laura J. Medina, available at www.routledge.com/cw/proferes, which features new supplemental material for both instructors and students, including two new analyses of contemporary films—Wendy and Lucy (2008) and Moonlight (2016)—study questions, suggested assignments and exercises, as well as the instructor’s manual written by Proferes in 2008.
As a director, you must have a concept, a "director's idea", to shape your approach to the actors, the camera, and the script. With this clear idea your film will be deeper and more effective, and you will be able to differentiate--and therefore make the choice--between competent directing and great directing. Using case studies of famous directors as real-world examples of "director's ideas", the author has provided the theory and the practice to help directors immediately improve their work.
