Commercials Books

Joan See, a classically trained actor (Sanford Meisner, Wynn Handman), explodes numerous myths about acting in commercials, such as:

o Commercial acting is easy

o Commercial acting requires no craft or skill

o Commercial acting is selling

On the contrary, says See: the actor's job is not to sell. Actors "must bring little stories to life in a way that makes other people believe them. If you believe that your job is selling, you will feel that something other than acting is required. But don't forget what the advertisers hired you for - your acting skills. They want your ability to communicate ideas and feelings in such a way that their audience believes you." In other words, actors in commercials need to remain grounded in their foundation skills of acting.

The challenge for actors with a background in theater, says See, is that they don't understand the differing requirements of acting in front of a camera, and the challenge for all actors unfamiliar with the commercial genre is the need to turn in masterful performances in mere seconds in the somewhat bewildering formats and styles found in commercials. This book provides detailed help on both fronts.

The author begins by reviewing acting fundamentals that apply to the naturalistic stories actors are most often asked to bring to life in commercials, including the basic skills of relaxation, concentration, listening and responding, and physicalization. She then discusses the mechanics of acting before a camera, both in the audition and on the set, and lays out strategies for overcoming the most common traps in those settings.

Finally, in the meat of the book, See identifies the three most common forms that Madison Avenue tends to use in commercials -- slice-of-life, spokesperson, and MOS -- and the three most common styles in which those forms are expressed -- film-style, sitcom-style, and "Honeymooners" -- and lays out extensive strategies for practicing, auditioning, and performing in these forms and styles.

This is valuable information indeed: "Analyzing commercial scripts by pinpointing their form and style gives an actor the first chance to control the material. With this information, you suddenly have guidelines for your performance. You have something to work with. The directors and casting directors in the commercial advertising field know what results they want. They are not always skilled at helping actors obtain that result. Actors must be able to function as their own director and bring their performance into the audition with them."

This book provides an excellent set of tools for navigating these challenging but lucrative waters. It is full of practical information, example scripts, and helpful guidance, almost all of which is firmly rooted in classic acting. Practicing and using the techniques in this book, an actor should no longer be like a deer in the headlights at an audition or on the set. Highly recommended.

I have had the pleasure of reading several books for actors aspiring to make commercials a part of their livelihood. This is an easily understood exposition of the many facets of commercial work and the transition from stage acting to camera. Many superb examples of eye-opening scenarios give the book life and energy. Anyone aspiring to make commercials should give this book thorough study. Ms. See offers several other sources for self study in the pages toward the end and examples of commercial copy and the mind set to make a performance count.

There's not so much to say. If you're looking for a showcase of good/excellent advertising just try this one.
Great collection, absolutely NO text to read, like all showcase books, but high level of content, like all Graphis books.
Ah... cover design is ugly :-)

It's a fantastic book for people in the ad world

I WANT TO ORDER THIS BOOK,BUT I NOT SURE THIS BOOK IS I WANT. SO I NEED YOU E-MILL FOR ME TO REVIEW THE BOOK.I NEED BUY THIS BOOK FOR BOSS ! THKS FOR YOURS!

From Billboards to Street Furniture, this book covers it all. I got my start building Billboards and ideas gleemed from this book. The information is "pound-for-pound" a great guide to the history, present and future of outdoor advertising. If just one person with vision would read this book, you might find he'll be the next Ted Turner, Wayne Huizenga BOTH took it outdoor to make a fortune. Way to go David!

This is a really good piece of work. I'm a maritime history buff and I enjoyed it a lot. If you're at all interested in the early history of the New England states or especially interested in Nantucket and the way people there made their fortunes, I'd give this book a try. It's a good history that reads like a good novel in places. Highly recommended.

Mawer's splendid "Ahab's Trade" tells the incredible story of South Seas (i.e. Pacific) whaling during the 19th and 20th centuries. The principal character in this book does not have a particular name; the names themselves shift from voyage to voyage - but the constant heroic icon that keeps appearing is the longboat's crewman; the sailor who ventures out onto the high seas in little but a glorified rowboat, harpoon in hand, ready to do battle with a beast that could easily smash the boat to bits. Whatever you think of whaling, you can't deny the bravery of these men.

Mawer does not stop with a strict rendition of whaling, however: he takes the opportunity to share with the reader many a story about the Pacific in general during this fateful period, from the discovery of the Bounty mutineers on Pitcairn island, to the "ExEx" expedition of the 1830s (recently given its own entire history), to the exploits of Confederate raiders during the 1860s. The narrative ends with the (comparatively recent) international ban on whaling - a ban that Mawer does not entirely embrace. Immaculately researched and superbly written.

VERY NICE BOOK IN FACT ONE OF THE BEST IN THE SUBJECT. PICS, INFO, HISTORY, SYSTEMS...AND MORE.

Volume Three in the Specialty Press "Airliner Tech Series", Scot Germain's Airbus A340 includes coverage of flight tests, pilot reports, FMGS details and latest 500/600 versions of this "workhorse of the sky". Profusely illustrated with 160 b/w photos in addition to four pages of color photography, Airbus A340 is a definitive introduction to one of the most technologically advanced commercial aircraft to date. Indeed, the Airbus A340 was the first aircraft to be completely designed on computer. Airbus A340 will be greatly appreciated by aviation enthusiasts and historians.

A clearly-written, logically-organized overview of aircraft jet engine design including thermodynamics, cycle analysis, and component design and evaluation. Includes an overview of how jet engine design fits into the overall process of aircraft design.

This is one of the best books on the market on aircraft engine design for the professional engine designer and aeronautical engineer specialising on this subject. The book is well organized and well written with clear and easy to follow explanations.

The book methodically, step-by-step guides the reader through the engine design process from request for proposals for a new aircraft to the final engine layout.
The author clearly presents the concepts, principles and design issues of modern gas turbine engines. The book has great explanations, diagrams and figures that the reader will find useful and helpful.

The book comes with the AEDsys software on COD-ROM that gives in depth computational support for every design step.

All-in-all, a fantastic book that is well recommended to the target audience.

Living as I do overseas, to get anywhere normally involves air travel, usually long haul. However reading this book ensured the 'long-haul' did not appear to be so long. Although beware of laughing out loud on a 12 hour flight - people start to stare :)

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who has ever suffered the slings & arrows of airline fate, informative ; instructive in parts and overall just a very amusing book that will make the day go a little quicker. It should be part of the on board seat pocket in front of you on EVERY flight. Well worth the read.

If you or someone you know spends an inordinate amount of time in airline purgatory, then this book is certain to tickle your funny bone and also to educate you about the fascinating world of the airline industry.

The authors both spent years in the industry, and more hours than they care to remember wedged into cramped middle seats on long plane trips. They have combed the archives for the funniest airline stories and put together a gem of a book that will keep you chuckling even after the person in front of you puts his seat in the fully-reclined position and dumps the contents of your tray in your lap.

The book is divided into sections by general topic. The book starts out with the titilating topic of the Mile High Club and the lengths to which some bored or overly-sexed passengers will go to in order to join. There are sections that chronicle the rudeness of the rich and famous, who of course deserve better service than the rest of us; on pilots and their quirks and cockpit behavior; on safety and comfort (or lack thereof); a section on luggage horror stories (this section could easily be longer than the New York phone book if everybody who'd had one contributed, so I'm sure it was edited down to the absolute best); and much, much more.

This is the type of book to take on a long airline flight. You can pick it up and put it down at your leisure, as each small anecdote is only a page or so long. Read a section, then pry the rubber-tipped suction arrow off your forehead shot by the five-year-old in 36-E. Read a little more, then take a break to pry the snoring businessman off your shoulder. It's a good book for dipping into or reading in one sitting.

Highly recommended. Five stars all the way!

This book has received an Honorable Mention from the 2001 Southern Books Competition. "A dramatic front cover, a striking half title page and a bright, cheerful title quickly tell the reader that is a special book. Architecture needs to be seen to be appreciated, and this book does that very well. Photographs are most effectively presented, and the images are exceptional. Quite readable captions guide and inform. Chapter openings dazzle and invite the reader to turn the pages." Congratulations to the author and photographer, designer Robin McDonald, and the University of Alabama Press.

Alabama Architecture: Looking At Building And Place by architectural historian and preservationist Alice Meriwether Bowsher is a gorgeous coffee table book filled with expansive, full-color photography by M. Lewis Kennedy Jr. of the most unique, stylized, and flavorful examples of Alabama's unique architectural heritage. A few essays are included, but the majority of Alabama Architecture focuses on the crystal-clear pictures with only brief captions to describe the most notable features of the buildings depicted. A most beautiful and eye-catching book of Alabama's best combinations of art and shelter, Alabama Architecture is a superbly presented and highly recommended addition to any professional or academic Architectural Studies reference collection.

This book represents one of the very few studies of one of the masters of American advertising and graphic design. Brodovitch served as mentor to such photographic luminaries as Irving Penn and Richard Avedon, and his distinctive and very modernistic style of layout and use of the grid are exemplary. He was integral to magazine design in the middle of this century, and yet has fallen into relative unknown. Unreasonably so. Any student of graphic design, its design or current practice, would do well to own this book. In this age of busy, frantic graphic pages, Brodovitch's work reflects a serene, yet knife-edged clarity.

Alexy Brodovitch is one of the best art directors of the 20th Century. This book is worth every penny because it really allows you to see his work in the same scale that he created it at. Thus when you are looking at a magazine spread from the master, you are seeing it full size - and not as a little pretty icon that decorates too many design annuals. In addition there are examples of his raw layouts, which really let you see a genius at work. This book is a must for any fan of graphic design, photography and fashion.

This book give justice to a great work in design and visual effects, more thand the movie did. At the end: AVP2 was a bad movie, with great effects, with great design and here the design and fx production process are very well reported. Great book and art.

This book, much like the original AVP art book, is perfect for anyone who finds the process of monster making fascinating as well as the movies they inhabit.

Very cool behind the scenes art, exposition, and photography illustrates the creative process that brought the creatures to life. A must for any fan of either series, or monster fans in general.