Television Books

If I had this book as a reference when I first started out as a newbie assistant editor I would have made less mistakes along the way.

Recently, I found this book when I started teaching an introduction to digital editing at the college level. Now I literally stand in front of the class with the book in my hands and say: "Learn what Chandler is teaching you in this book and you'll be on your way to getting and keeping a job as an assistant film editor. It is so full of practical advice and solid information on what to do and when and how to do it.

Because of the availability of lower cost editing applications today, many young people become quite technically savvy with the software even before they leave high school. But they have no knowledge of, or experience of working with projects shot on film. Nor are they aware of the aesthetics of the art of editing.

Chandler's book makes the reader aware of how much work has to be done before even one scene should be cut. Then she gives some great advice on what to consider when editing in general, and when dealing with various types of projects. It is a must read for anyone who needs more knowledge before they step into the digital cutting room.

I am never going to make a movie -I just love watching them, talking about them and understanding them. This book gave me enormous insight into how movies are made, not just edited. All the parts of a film come together in the editing process and Ms. Chandler explains how all those parts come into being as well as how they are edited together to make a film.
It is well written and precise, as a technical book should be, but it is also lucid and frequently funny.
Other than a couple pages of detailed film planning material at the end of each chapter everything in this book will be of great interest to any film buff

A comprehensive, updated, description of how to post, edit and finish a film including both creative and mechanical processes. Clearly written, many tables, charts, and illustrations. Covers film, digital, and web preparaton workflows. Fabulous book. High recommenation. But this leans on the technical and workflow side, not the creative. A wonderful review of the ENTIRE process. Necessary text for all film students.

If you buy the book, you have to be prepared to read much useless information.
The interesting part of the book (10 to 15 pages) focuses on practical editing problems.
The rest of the book contains endless lists of unnecessary information on video/film editing.
From 360 pages of the book only 10-20 really count.
Other books like "on editing" by Edward Dmytryk or " the technique of film editing" by Karel Reisz contain full, real, deep, dense information on the subject.
And for the amateur/enthusiast/prosumer film/video maker (like me) there is one book that really arms us for the battle in that difficult field.
A book with myriads of most valuable information.
A book that it's a pity only few knowledgeable people have mentioned it.
The "Five C's of cinematography" by Joseph Mascelli.
That book every day teaches me. And that author is a big teacher, someone who loves and really wants to communicate his knowledge with fond to learning people.

This book is a reminder that there's more to editing than meets the eye.

Chandler methodically details editing practice and thoery in an easy to understand way. There's so much here for the interested hobbyist to the aspiring editor.

An indespensible resource.

Another celebrity book, or so I thought. My wife saw Lisa in person a couple of years ago and of course bought her book and enjoyed it. I didn't touch it even though she highly recommended it simply because it was another celebrity book and written from a woman's perspective. My preconceived ideas were changed one day however, when I was between books and grabbed it up out of shear boredom. Just a couple of pages later I was hooked and could not put it down. Lisa Whelchel can write! I immediately identified with this woman and came to love her. Having an ADHD child and a shared love for God made her real. Her story is as beautiful as Blair, minus the snob. (Yes, I watched Facts of Life and had a crush on Blair too).

Okay, Lisa, you taught me something: I guess you can't judge a book by..., well you know.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It helped put my life into perspective. Sometimes we all run fast and live hard until we realize that there comes a point when we need to rest and come back home-----to God. I want to thank Lisa Whelchel for writing such a fine story. The title caught my eye since so many of us are familiar with the show that started off with so many memories. For me it was the beginning of the end of my elementary school life and the beginnings of my High School days and til It's last year (1987-1988) of my first year in college. I hope that with all of our memories and best times we also find the time to read Lisa's Book. Great book! Go get it! :)

I enjoyed this book and was moved by it. I am a fan of Lisa's since her "Facts" days; I did my research first and I knew that the book did not have a lot of detail about her work on the show, so I didn't have those expectations. The book is religious in nature but in my opinion it was a very accessible, breezy read and I think there is something in it for everyone. In fact, I read it, and then I read it AGAIN as soon as I finished it! It really made me stop and think. I laughed, I cried, I said, "oh yeah, I know *exactly* what she's talking about!" Give it a look, it will be worth your time.

This book basically told the story of Lisa's life, from her childhood, to acting, and then about her marriage and parenthood. The chapters were well broken down into various aspects of her life, with her telling us what God has taught her at the end of each chapter. I loved the humor in the book, especially the words of wisdom from Lisa's mother.

This book was a great read, and I have learned things from Lisa that are actually helping me get through the days. I didn't want to put it down until I finished it, and I want to get a copy for all my friends. She may have been a star, and she's different from me in plenty of ways. But she's also so much like me as a Christian woman, wife, and mother. When I'm having a rough day, I just remember reading about how she went through something similar and how she got through it, whether it be a major life struggle, or just dealing with my kids when they're having a particularly bad day.
I went to one of her Mom-Time conferences a couple of months ago, and there I learned that Lisa is so down to earth. The book shows that about her even more. It has been such a blessing to me already, and it's a book I plan to read at least once a year.

EXCELLENT!!! I love this book. I've been waching GH for years now but this book gave me the backstory to alot of plots. The pictures are great and seeing all the old charachters from years back is the best. I love it, love it,love it!

A wonderful compilation of memories from a once-great soap opera. It's a necessary memory tool for Classic GH fans to remember the show before it turned into the poorly produced, poorly written mockery it is today, courtesy of current misproducer Jill Farren Phelps (better known as Dull Darren Delps) and hack writer Bob Guza Jr. (a.k.a. Mob Luza Junior Writer).
It's a fine written tribute to the late, great producer Gloria Monty, who guided GH out of the doldrums in the late 1970s. Monty's best are on parade in the scrapbook --
The love triangle of Luke, Laura and Scott.
The love triangle of Alan, Monica and Rick.
The spy adventures of Luke teamed with Robert Scorpio opposite the wicked and domineering Cassadines.
The expansion of the WSB/spy stories through the characters of Sean Donely, Anna Devane and Frisco and Felicia Jones.
The enduring loving couples that put your faith back in human nature -- Drs. Rick and Lesley Webber, Lee and Gail Baldwin, Steve and Audrey Hardy, Edward and Lila Quartermaine -- are well presented.
The great villains -- Helena Cassadine, Cesar Faison, Grant Putnam, and Heather Webber -- are in the house.
There's also a neat section of GH vets who went on to bigger and better - singer Rick Springfield (GH's Dr. Noah Drake) and Demi Moore (the soap's erstwhile newspaper reporter Jackie Templeton).
Only thing that's needed is an update of the book. The current book only goes as far as 1995. Warner should bring it up to 2002, the year GH began its rapid decline.

Sincerely,
J. Mosher.
(a.k.a. doneleywannabe of ABC's GH Internet message board).

This is especially great for old time fans like myself, because it reminds us of some great old scenes. It's too bad a lot of the newer actors are not in this, but it's a few years old. I love seeing this on my book shelf, proclaiming my love for GH. A great gift for the fan.

Okay, this book goes back, way back, to the beginning. LOTS of great photos and it explains the storyline as well! So if you wonder what Jason used to be like or who's related to whom...this will explain it all!

I bought this book as a gift for a friend so I can't comment on the contents but she LOVED it and is a big GH fan so I'm assuming I did well! My experience was exceptional. Got my book within a few days in mint condition as promised!

This book I will cherish for all my life. I love looking back at the old GH to the present. It just shows you how awesome General hospital is. It has such great stories. Love stories like Brenda and Sonny, Robin and Stone, to break through stories like Allen drug addiction to Stone's AIDS Story. God this book will make you scream in glee or shead a few tears. To All- ENJOY!

What a great book! It's a fast read, and a fun read too! As a Cairn Terrier fan this was a must a read and it was well worth it. I'd recommend it to anyone that's a fan of both the movie and Cairn Terriers(any dog actually) everywhere.

As a child, my favorite movie was THE WIZARD OF OZ. For Chirstmas ,I received this wonderful book that is all about the famous "pet-actress" named "Toto". (Yes, Toto was actually a little female dog named Terry,not a male , as most people would think).

Anyhow, this book is all about the tiny Cairn Terrier "Toto" (Terry) and how she came about becoming one of the principal characters in the movie.

The photos are just amazing also. My favorite photos are the behind-the-scene photos showing Toto "acting" in the actual movie, just as the trainer was in the background giving Toto her directions. Sooo cute!

If you are a dog fan, or a Cairn Terrier fan, or a Wizard of Oz fan, you'll love this book.

I, Toto is a delightfully well written book by Willard Carroll about the life of Terry, a Cairn Terrier who became famous in movies. The book is based on a scrapbook Willard Carroll found that documented the life and movie career of this well trained dog; and the book is primarily set up to look just like a book typed on an old typewriter--written, of course, by the dog itself.

The book starts with the story of how Terry was born, adopted and eventually given up by her owners because of her troubles with housetraining; and we learn how Carl Spitz professionally trained dogs to perform in movies. Spitz, an excellent trainer who worked with many dogs, wound up training Terry professionally. Spitz used both kindness and discipline to train his dogs, including Terry, very well; his talents are obvious when we consider that Terry (aka Toto) appeared in at least fourteen major motion pictures including The Wizard Of Oz.

Carroll cleverly writes the memoirs of Terry, or Toto, in the first person as if the dog herself had written the book. This provides the reader with an extra slice of humor when Carroll writes about things that happened on the sets of pictures or in Carl Spitz's training camp for dogs. Carroll does an excellent job of getting readers to be charmed out of their trees by Terry who eventually becomes renamed Toto for the sake of her career. A movie star dog has to consider Hollywood politics, after all!

The book is filled with wonderful reproductions of ads for the movies Terry was in; and we see numerous publicity shots from movies including Bright Eyes with Shirley Temple and Terry as Rags the dog. Of course, we get plenty of stills from The Wizard Of Oz and there are very nicely done "hand written" asides to the reader that also appear to be written by Terry. The result is a charming look back at the life of Terry, the dog who became Toto and enjoyed great movie fame--and treats along the way!

Overall, classic movie buffs will enjoy this book; and people who love The Wizard Of Oz will appreciate this book very much since so little was known about Terry before Willard Carroll wrote this book. The book is well written and a real page turner; it grabs your attention and never lets it go.

Great job, Willard Carroll!

Since my all-time favorite dog star is Toto, this book was easy for me to love. However, once I began to read, I found it to be something extra special. I, Toto is a mood lifter as well as an interesting piece of Hollywood history. Beautifully written in the first person, I, Toto will captivate the heart and mind of any dog lover.

A must read for any Oz fan as well as dog lovers of all kinds. I never knew how many movies Toto was in, and the Oz trivia was really fun, too. It was very cleverly written from Toto's point of view. I actually laughed out loud at some parts. Don't pass by picture captions and comments on the sides of the pages. It's all worth reading! Not bad for a dog no one wanted!

Absolutely amazing, excellent for anyone who enjoyed watching the west wing, great to read, surprized it was so big when it arrived, but I'm not complaining there's just more to have in there then. I do love the fact that there are quotes from the actors, about the show and there other cast mates. This is an excellent buy! Worth every penny!

The item showed up just as described and within a reasonable time. I was notified that it had shipped. Excellent transaction. Excellent item. I would order from this seller again.

Being a newly minted "Wingnut", I recently went out and purchased the first 3 seasons of The West Wing of DVD and then set about finding a good companion guide to go along with them. After sifting through the good, the bad, and the ugly, I settled on this excellent 342 page tome. While only covering the first 2 seasons, this 9" X 11" book is chock full of beautiful color pictures and enough extras to rival the DVDs themselves. Accept no substitutes and add this one to your TV library. I can only hope that a volume II (covering seasons 3 & 4) will be published when season 4 is shortly released on DVD. Plenty of time for us all to brush up on our Latin (post hoc, ergo propter hoc). R.I.P. John Spencer.

I thumbed through this book in a bookstore and by the time I got home, I realized I had to own it and I was online ordering my own copy. This book is more than just a rehash of the first two seasons. We are treated to a real behind-the-scenes tour of what goes into filming the show. Talk about your West Wing trivia!

The asides from the actors on the characters they play are filled with gems of inside information. For instance, what do Brad Whitford and Janel Moloney think the roles of Josh and Donna are all about; how does Martin Sheen get the cast to treat him like the President and why is this adulation so important; and why is Allison Janney everyone's favorite? We are treated to a tour of the West Wing to fully understand the layout of the staff's offices and the dynamics of the characters in relationship to each other. Then, the decorations in the offices are explained, and nothing is so minor to be included by chance.

Sorkin claims he doesn't have a political agenda. He asks his staff to write a pro-con memo on each episode, and he is most comfortable when two people disagree. If the points are good, he incorporates them into the show's dialogue. You have to be a West Wing fan, and a pretty serious one at that, to fully appreciate this Official Companion, which brings to light the fine points of all that went into creating the first two seasons of this amazingly written and performed show.

I have seen the "West Wing" books that feature scripts from selected episodes. But this book includes every episode from the first two seasons, told in story form. Plus chapters on each of the actors and their characters, the background on the making of the show -- if you're a fan, this is a "must have". I just hope that there will be, at some point, additional volumes to cover the third, fourth and fifth seasons -- and so on.

I bought this book for my boyfriend for Christmas.... and ended up reading the whole thing the night I was supposed wrap it. What a great, comprehensive, informative book! This book is very complete and has a ton of great pictures and information/trivia that fans want to know! Any 24 fan would love to own this !

A great book. Shows stunning photos of the TV show "24" being filmed for seasons 1-3. I highly recommend it for any true "24" fan.

Excellent content for 24 fans, from Season 1 to Season 5, with plenty of professional pictures of very high artistic quality, to get insights into the show cast, crew and into some of the most challenging scenes.
You have a look at off screen actors relaxing and having fun while waiting for the next shot or discussing about it or trying to focus on their lines.
Finally you feel the strength of that "24 family" Kiefer Sutherland writes about in his nice foreword of the book.
Also excellent quality of the editorial format.

Get this book. Especially at the price, you can not go wrong. If you are a fan , get this book. If you've never seen 24 before, watch it , and then get this book.

I have become an avid "24" fan and really loved this book. I highly recommend it to any fan of "24".

I loved Dirk's Second book, and it was so wonderfully written by a honest man, not by a celebrity, and I actually felt for the man what he went through for the birth of his first son, George, by reading the pages, and I love the ending, and I hope that he would actually write more for the happiness, and the being of his fans, because we would want more, who wouldn't agree with me?

From the guy who brought so many cliches to the screen, to a writer with an honest and traditional background, came "And then we went fishing". I cannot describe the underlying sense or feeling one receives when reading this book. Then comes a story from out of the blue that confirms to you inside that there are good people in the world, moreover, there are people who can be honest with those they know not. To me that is the sign of a true writer,more importantly of a good man. Good Luck.

In case you didn't know, Dirk Benedict is that good looking actor who endeared himself to millions by playing the loveable scam artist, "Face" on the A-Team. In addition to this and numerous other acting credits, Mr. Benedict has to rank as one of the finest yet most under-rated writers of non-fiction in America. Believe it! He is THAT good!

In, "And Then We Went Fishing", he delicately intertwines the story of the birth of his son with the tragic murder of his father. And he throws in a little bit of Shakespeare for company. But the English bard is not needed here as Mr. Benedict's smooth and thoughtful prose can easily stand on it's own merits.

The author does not play it safe with this book. It's not just that he chooses to show us his heart and share his intimate thoughts. He risks compromising this by using flash backs. Lesser word smiths can mess up their stories when they use this style by confusing their readers with the "back and forth" technique. Not Dirk Benedict. He has masterful control of his prose and manages to captivate his reading audience. The result is a beautiful tapestry of 2 different stories that occured decades apart.

The only criticism I have of this work is the occasional use of cuss words. Not to be prudish, but most of them were really not necessary. I would recommend that those who teach others how to write prose, put this book on their students required reading list. The tome will not only teach them technique but it will give them a clear example of what putting one's heart into their writing is truly about.

Dirk Benedict, you're not only a talented actor but a great author. Encore.

I was deeply moved by Dirk Benedict's honesty and daring to reveal and share such a personal tale. For me, the Shakespearean references to Hamlet added to the story as he gradually revealed the details. It was a powerful book for me, and gave me more respect for the inner strength of the author.

This second book by Dirk Benedict touches on some deeply personal experiences of his life that he shares with the reader. It interchanges between the tale of his father's death and his first child's birth, each unique experiences.
He and his wife had elected to have a homebirth way before they became fashoinable, and the endless parade of misfit Midwives makes for humorous reading.
the personal tradgedy of his father's murder, and the state of the family during that time give depth to the pages.
As well as he touches on subtle aspects of his life that may haunt him later, such as his head injuries that kept him out of the Army and his suggestion Natural birth should be required by law for at least two children per family. (Do we really want the government making this personal decision for us? How could anyone make such a suggestion!)
One point of note is chapter 9. A rant against birth-control and a disticntly male-sided view of free love and yuppies, (These views only are valid with one generation and don't seem to apply to us younger then baby boomers) which is typical of his style but totally seems out of place with the rest of the book.
A deeply moving recounting of past experiences with an ironic climax.
But a suggestion to a would-be-buyer: Get it off of Amazon. It's much cheaper. [...]

Great book! I thought it would be mainly pictures, but it's very well written with lots of great trivia.

Yes you have heard the stories before, and you have even seen most of the picutres, but the way they have been put together still makes it worth while. It's like having all MOJO articles on the fabs in one book, and hey! maybe it's exactly what it is? They should have called it Chronology!

once youve read one story you have got to read them all, they go into detail about john and paul and its just great. theres stories for just about everything.

the pictures are clear and amazing, most, if not all of them you cannot find on the internet, this book is gigantic, almost the size of text books, which makes the pictures even more amazing.

you are not a beatles fan unless you have this book.

This book is simply a delight that will hopefully introduce the nowadays young generation to the Beatles' unparalleled social and musical impact they have had on the world. I have always believed that the Beatles have set new standards in music as they imposed themselves as cultural icons in the sixties. I bet any Beatles fan would be joyful over the arrival of this book. I spent hours reading it, watching its photos, lovingly turning each page, smiling, laughing or weeping over so many previously unseen fantastic photos and background information to some of their songs and albums. I have many Beatle books at home but this one beats all of them in the detailed information provided, style and text. Some of the photos have never been released before. Besides, the material is extensive and professionally ellaborated. This book is a great work and I recommend it especially for the Beatle fans and connaisseurs. I'm sure everyone will love this book. The minute this book has been published, the timeless and greatest band of all times - The Beatles - are shocking the world, again!

This book is gorgeous in it's lay out and presentation. The articles are arranged in a magazine style format with a very imaginative what?,where?.when?, tag at the top of each article. I must say that some of these articles were written by some of the best Beatles writers and authorities in the world like,Hunter Davies,Barry Miles, Mark Lewisohn, and Ian Macdonald, to name but a few. However, some seem to be written by MOJO staff writers who's knowledge of the Beatles would fit in a thimble. These particular authors had to relie on previously written books to assimilate their info.,so for the M.B.E. ceremony you get that stupid story about the boys smoking a joint in the palace bathroom before meeting the queen. (probably taken from Lennon Remembers which should have been retitled,Lennon is Angry this Week and Wants to Make Up a Bunch of Shock Stories.) A few of these ridiculous Beatles folk lore tales are retold in this book because the young staff writers at MOJO simply didn't know better. Seriously,with the drug penalties of 1965, would the boys have risked their entire career and reputation for a spliff in the QUEEN'S bathroom?
I did love the record reviews of each album, complete with vintage music reviews and commentary from Beatle fans in the music biz. Unfortunately the reviews of the earlier albums were given to those young staff writters again,(and they wouldn't know a Beatles album from a Cowsills album apparently.) It would have been nice if the reviewer for Beatles for Sale had taken the time to find out who is singing on Kansas City,instead of saying, "And WHOEVER is singing on Kansas City sounds great." Why were people like this allowed to write in the first place?
Also some of the picture captions are wrong. One of John and Paul is off by 3 years! (ouch) If I sound annoyingly anal,it's because I am anal when it comes to the Beatles. I've studied and read everything about them and because of this,I'm finding that I seem to know more than a lot of people who are making money writing about them. I always want to fix the many mistakes I find, and they are in every book except the ones by real experts like the fine writers I mentioned before.
Don't misunderstand, the wonderful things in this book far outweigh the anoying mistakes. In fact Ten Years... reminds me of the Beatles Anthology so it is definetly one of those must haves for the library. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and almost all of them rare. The articles are facinating because they don't just retell the same story but they dig deeper,revealing unknown facts. They are written in a way that makes them seem fresh.
Also I really enjoyed the contributions from famous Beatles photographers with some of their most beautiful photos of the boys, and interesting anecdotes about working with them. You'll find everything here; the music,the mania,the private lives,and the personalities of the four who did indeed shake the world and changed our culture forever.

Since I named my son Graham after Bill, I thought perhaps I should know a little bit more about his life. I now now know alot more!

It is written in a narative style which makes it very easy to read. The stories are told by the people who were there, some happy, some sad ,some very funny.

If you are interested in the life of this man or even the history of modern day Rock and Roll Concert Production, how it started and evolved, I highly recomend this book.

This book is a little weird (to me) in concept but it works out really well in the end. The book goes from Bill's early days in Nazi Germany all the way to his death with no major stone left unturned. Lots of great stories with very little in the way of punches being pulled. I mean Bill really tells you what he is thinking. Very uncensored. Covers the drugs and the behind scenes stuff with no BS involved. Shows the guy for who he was, warts and all and lets him and the people he is talking about retort one another which I thought was weird in a good way. This book is of great interest to anyone who has probably gotten to this point in reading reviews. If you are interested in this type of subject then this book is a must.

It's a good insight into the rock scene back in the 60's and 70's. A must read for anyone who likes classic rock.

i didn't realize how much bill graham did behind the scenes.
montery pop ,woodstock, altamont,ect............

This book is structured so that as Bill Graham comments on different times of his life, he allows the persons hes speaking of to comment in the next paragraph. This makes for some very interesting reading. Grham discusses his time in Korea and killing the enemy. This experience allows him to have an abundant amount of courage when it comes to dealing with band managers in the future. Bill discusses Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Zeppelin, the Stones, J Geils Band, Santana, the Who and all the tense dealings with each of these personalities. This book could have benefitted from better pictures of the bands. Thats my only critical comment.

If you grew up watching and listening to Bobby Sherman, you will love this book. It chronicles his life in a very simple and enjoyable way. Love the pictures as well as the narrative. Nice size, just fun to flip through it and remember Bobby in his youth ... and our own younger years.

Sweet sweet Bobby! This was such a pleasure to read. This book lets you see Bobby not just as the pop star that we all loved at age 12 but,human. It also tells me that he remained grounded and still is my sweet sweet Bobby. No wonder I loved him at 12 and years later I'm still in like with him.

I recently purchased this wonderful book and am so delighted with it!!! It really does take you back in time to Bobby Sherman's early days - from babyhood on - in his own words - to his present life as an EMT instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department. It is filled with fabulous pictures, as well. He is as wonderful a man as I had always thought he was -kind, compassionate and GENUINE! Back in my teeny-bopper days, I, like so many young females, had a crush on him. I enjoyed listening to his songs, beginning with "Little Woman," and reading articles on him in the fan magazines. He was also a very good actor, as those of you who enjoyed viewing him on his TV classic, "Here Come the Brides", can testify. He is a man of many talents and, yet, has maintained a sweet, almost humble, personality through the years. That is amazing to me. Yet, he is very aware of the loyalty and love which his fans have kept for him through the years, and he admits he dearly cherishes those gifts. Bobby, we dearly cherish your gifts to us through the years, as well. You deserve to be recognized - and loved - for the very special person whom you have always been!!! For those of you who have had any kind of affection or admiration for Bobby Sherman - past or present - this book is guaranteed to warm your heart and soul!!! It is absolutely wonderful - just like him!! God bless you, Bobby!! I love you!

I purchased the book. I cannot wait to read it. It took me by surprise, he has a book. I know I will enjoy reading his book. The reviews were great by other readers. After reading it, I will write another review. Thanks for this opportunity to read about your favorite idol.

Nice, pleasant. Could have been longer but Bobby strikes me as a nice guy who may not be over-reflective or of the mind that there are limits to what anyone needs to know about his private life.