Video Production Books

Mr. Shelton's book looks beyond the technical aspects of good media production and provides thoughtful and practical guidance on how to plan, shape and organize media presentations that will surprise, charm, inform and influence audiences. His emphasis is on informational rather than narrative media. At a time when we tend to be bedazzled and distracted by the remarkable technology now within easy reach we need frequent reminding that the idea is everything and that all that follows must be designed to deliver that idea to our intended audience forcefully, memorably and persuasively. This book will show producers of documentary, sponsored and informational films and other motion-media (Mr. Shelton's term) exactly how to proceed. Particularly valuable are the many examples, format samples, check lists and illustrations he includes. The Communication Analysis Plan is the best and most complete I have seen. This book can teach and encourage informational filmmakers who of late tend to be over-shadowed by our Hollywood brothers/sisters. The fact is, however, our productions can be equally creative, well-crafted and moving if we remember that most of the work needs doing long before we pick up a camera as we ponder and analyze exactly what is to be done, for what audiences, in what way, with what result. Shelton's book will certainly help. I recommend it highly for those who want to become better and more efficient information media producers and as a text book.

Whether you're a motion media professional or a student of visual communications, this book is a "must read" for you. The author - drawing on some forty years of experience as a successful information motion-media professional - writes with clarity and authority about both the theory and practice of communicating ideas through film, video, and multi-media. Shelton argues persuasively that the main objective of all information motion media is to influence the thought and behavior of the target audience, and that all the resources - creative and technical - that a motion media specialist has at his or her disposal must be directed toward that end. But he cautions that creativity used for its own sake may result in failed communications and a waste of the client's money. Building on this theme, the author elucidates an array of time-tested principles that he strongly advocates should be applied in the design and production of effective motion media. Not to be missed is an appendix featuring some fascinating "quotable quotes" that the author has collected over the years (though perhaps some individuals might consider having been quoted a dubious honor). In sum, there is no better book available on this topic, and I recommend it without reservations.

I strongly recommend S. Martin Shelton's book to practitioners of any profession seeking to influence the actions or thoughts of others through the power of media, be it through the written word or the transmission of images. As a Foreign Service officer I should have had this book 30 years ago. Though the focus of his book is film and video, his explanation and exploration of the principles of the communication process has application in all facets of interpersonal dealings. To cite but one example, this is especially true in the field of advertising--print, video, or radio. Much too often, media fails to motivate audiences to do what the sponsor has in mind, from the prosaic act of choosing between competing brands of toothpaste to such altruistic goals as inculcating healthful life choices. Such failure, as clearly expounded by Mr. Shelton, is in large part attributable to a growing lack of understanding of the underlying tenants of the art of communications. For one, the seductive explosion of technology's rapidly expanding capabilities has led to a shift in focus from communicating a message to enthralling with pixel glitz. Incorporating Shelton's ideas garnered and developed over years of practical experience and a background rich in theoretical knowledge, will improve significantly what we see and hear in our daily lives-bringing clarity to much of the "noise" surrounding us. Kenneth Albright, US Foreign Service (Retired)

This book is the distillation and compilation of the knowledge Shelton has gained from many years of experience in tehse fields. It is well written and his comprehensive knowledge of the field is evident. He is sometimes acerbic but his advice is heartfelt and should be of great value to beginnners as well as professionals in these areas. His "FUNDAMENTAL VERITIES OF INFORMATION MOTION-MEDIA" will be of particular usefulness as it is pithy and to the point. The book could well be used as a text in a college-level course. I recommend it unreservedly.

Dr. E. V. Ruhnke, Sr., Professor Emeritus, Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Mr. Shelton's book on filmic communication is an important breakthrough in the understanding of how and why films work with audiences. For the first time in the many years I've been in the profession I've found a book that tells me how motion media works and how to make it work. With masterful insight he analyzes the very foundation of my profession-how to use film and video to motivate our audiences, how to get them involved. To anyone in our profession or to any aspiring students, Shelton's book may well be the key to your success.

How can any little book presume to be 'complete' when it comes to Alfred Hitchcock?

He practically invented a cinematic language, used his commercial success to at once deflate pretense in others and experiment most boldly with cinematic form, and, in the process, scared the pants off us.

What is complete in this book? Each film is given its own section, which concludes with a "Final Analysis" section. Here's a quick cut from the final "Final Analysis" [Family Plot]:

"Hitch's last project was the most important one he ever undertook, for trying to get this spy story to the screen allowed him to entertain the fantasy that he was both still working and well enough to work, despite evidence to the contrary."

Complete? Even in the last sentence, the authors admit that death cut off what could have been even more from a great twentieth century artist.

As a novice Hitchcock fan, I find this book extremely informative. It gives a good summary of all of Hitchcock's movies as well as a good analysis of the films. It also includes where Hitchcock can be spotted in the movies and little tidbits on the actors and actresses who were casted in his movies as well as behind the scenes information. I would recommend this book for those who are starting to discover Hitchcock.

I bought this book sight-unseen, knowing absolutely nothing about it (which is why I'm now writing this review; maybe you'll be more willing to try it once you know what it has to offer). It's a thorough, well-nigh encyclopedic look at Hitch's work, with a brief chapter (averaging about 4 pages) on each major film. The chapters include complete cast and credits --including "uncredited cast" -- plus a synopsis, and sundry comments on each film under such headings as "cruelty to

animals," "mysogyny," "ice maidens," "roots," and a "final word" with a critical appraisal including a rating on a scale of 1-10. While examination of each film is necessarily brief, it's quite thorough and absolutely chock-full of cool trivia. Every now and then there are sidebars on stars with whom Hitch worked; there's also an amazing appendix listing every single episode from Hitch's TV shows (not just the ones he directed -- but ALL OF EM). Only negatives: could use an INDEX, plus I noticed several careless spelling errors (actors' names and so forth) of the type that tend to make one a bit suspicious. On the whole, however, this is THE place to start for the Hitchcock novice, and a real treasure trove for the seasoned fan like me. Highly recommended.

I see that the other reviewers have pretty much said all there needs to be said about this book and I doubt I will say anything new here. All I want to emphasize it that this is truly THE book to get for a quick, easy, complete understanding of Alfred Hitchcock's movies. I have read other,longer, deeper books on his films which were very good, yet this one is nice when you are new to Hitchcock or just do not have the time to devote to much reading. These authors have a good sense of humor as well, and it always is fun to read a book where you can get a few laughs. They have some good trivia in the book, spotlights on certain Hitchcock actors,a few pages of pictures showing some poster art and movie stills, and they tell you where to find Hitch in the movies where he had cameo appearances. Hitchcock's movies are among my favorites, and this book is among my favorites about them. Get it and read it, you won't be disappointed.

After having read this book from stem to stern I would recommend it to new Hitchcock fans and more experienced fans alike. For the new fan it offers a clear synopsis of each film as well as offering many interesting points to look for. For the more experienced it makes for a convenient "turn to" source so as to better avoid the mountains of heavy, sometimes overly self satisfied observations that many resources tend to become, thereby saving wading through chapter upon chapter in order to reach simple facts.

I must respect the authors for their understanding that an enjoyment of film does not require a degree. I always commend a person for having the ability to transfer complicated observations in the simplest of English without the use of parables and without patronizing tones. Paul Condon and Jim Sangster have managed just that and not without the occasional bit of side splitting humour. Even if you are not watching the films in question it is more than a worthy read. That said, it may help to be familiar with some English terms such as "send up" as the average American does not know what it means to send something up so may be left wondering.

However, with the authors sardonic senses of humour being clear I would have liked to have seen further elaboration of the "goofs" section. There are so many Hitchcock bloopers worthy of a mention. I am certain it was a deliberate omission (perhaps for the next book) but nonetheless I was left wishing that they had made note of the obvious ones if only to give the new viewer that added bit of fun and sport.

Despite taking umbrage at the use of the phrase "just a smathering of dull brunettes" ahum, I would gladly purchase any other offerings from either or both authors and very much look forward to a second volume of "Complete Hitchcock," contradiction that it may be. Hopefully with an eye to the slip ups and perhaps more production details (locations, circumstances, first hand anecdotes, etc.) If that isn't a hint to get writing I don't know what is : )

In short I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would not only recommend it but have already bought several other copies for friends and family. Enjoy.

This is a great way to learn about Woody Allen, his craft, and his films. Organized thematically and chronologically, you see what films Allen really cares about and what he did just to fill the time. Some of his films were clearly throwaways for him. He made them because he's always working, but hardly remembers them and doesn't care to (Scoop, Small Time Crooks, Sleeper). Others are passions, like The Purple Rose of Cairo or Husbands and Wives. Allen is also, not surprisingly, self-depreciating, believing that his career is mostly self-indulgence that only a small audience appreciates. Of course, this underestimates himself and how impressive it is that he can have a regular output of one or two movies a year that, regardless of whether they are one of his best, are always well made, well acted, and interesting. The insights into how Allen works and how quickly, are interesting for fans. It also makes those of us who fancied ourselves writers realize what a true talent is. The best part of this book, there is no diversion into Allen's personal life which may be of interest to some, but not this reader. This is a great way to read about Allen's career, his collaborators, and his methods.

If you are a die hard Woody Allen fan you will love this book. It's a ringside seat to what goes on in his brain from writing to casting to directing to when the film is released. If you aren't a die hard fan, but simply like some of his movies you will appreciate him as a writer and a filmmaker. It's a really interesting book about Woody and his movies over a 30 year period!!

This is one of those rare books where we actually get a clear insight into the creative process of a great filmmaker. Techniques, style, philosophy and approach are covered in great detail. Gives awesome insight into the man and the movies he made. I really enjoyed it.

For sheer inventiveness and variety of films, the work of writer and director Woody Allen is unmatched. Their number, also, is impressive, almost forty movies since his first one, the hilarious fake documentary (it was made before anyone had coined the word "mockumentary") _Take the Money and Run_ in 1969. Not every one is a classic, but some certainly are, whether comedy (_Annie Hall_), comedy with a dramatic edge (_Manhattan_), fables (_The Purple Rose of Cairo_), comic intimations of the godlessness of our universe (_Crimes and Misdemeanors_), or drama (the recent _Match Point_). So if you are familiar with the movies, you will be fascinated with _Conversations With Woody Allen: His Films, the Movies, and Moviemaking_ (Knopf) by Eric Lax. Lax was a reporter in 1971 when he was assigned to check out the new director. The conversation didn't turn into an article, with Allen replying just "Yes" or "No" too often, but Lax tried again, this time for just a chat, which grew into more formal interviews, and as the years went by, discussions about his projects as Allen was working on them. Allen has participated in recent conversations with Lax just to make this book current, and has clarified and added to the text, so that the work is a unique look into the mind of one of America's great filmmakers. Because the conversations are with Woody Allen, too, they are funny and self-deprecating, but also generous in giving credit to others.

It is fun to learn where he gets his ideas. "When I go to sleep at night, put my head on the pillow, or walk down the street, I like to be thinking of story ideas. I'm always thinking about new plots. I would do anything to avoid that horrible moment of What do I do next?" It is a fruitful method; he knows he will have more story ideas than he can ever get done (he is now almost 72). It is part of his work, and it keeps the existential despair away: "To _practice_ the clarinet, to _get_ on the treadmill, to _get_ in the room and write - all that stuff helps. It helps militate against giving oneself over to the horrid gloom of reality." Allen has much to say about himself as an actor. He knows he has a narrow range: "I can play some versions of what I am, a New York character." He may be modest about his own acting talents, but over and over he praises the actors he has worked with. There have been many great ones, often repeatedly, and they must love working for him, since with his budgets (around $15 million a movie) they cannot expect star wages. "You hire Ian Holm and Gena Rowlands, what does it take to get superb performances out of them? Nothing. You just have to tell them what time to show up and provide the coffee and doughnuts." He praises his audiences, too, and frets about over-explaining: "You think the audience is not going to get it, so you explain it, clarify it, but the truth of the matter is, they're _always_ far ahead of you. [_He smiles._]"

There is so much here about the making of specific films and specific techniques. It is a revelation, for instance, that a climactic scene within _Manhattan_, in a classroom where he chastises a buddy over moral issues and makes references to mortality based on the display skeletons in the room, that the skeletons just happened to be there in the classroom for the filming. "I would not have thought to write them in." Here is his one-word explanation for why he so often uses long master shots: "Laziness". Shooting over and over again from different angles to be combined in the editing room is not (usually) for him: "We'll be here all day today and all day tomorrow doing this scene. I don't have the patience or concentration... I design a shot and will get all the information in and we'll finish it and move on." Long master shots are not from any artistic need, and he doesn't think of himself as any sort of artist. "I see myself as a working filmmaker who chose to go the route of working all the time rather than making my films into some special red carpet event every three years. I'm not cynical and I'm far from an artist. I'm a lucky working stiff." I don't agree, but I do think his audiences are lucky to have such a great body of work to enjoy and to think about, and that they are lucky to have this book as a guide to his own interpretation of a long and successful career.

Ok I don't like Mr. Allen...I simply thrive upon his presence in this universe.

I never just saw a Woody Allen movie, read a Woody Allen short story or listened to a Woody Allen monologue...I was a participant in them. No I don't think I am psycotic, maybe a semi-adjusted bipolar person, who is cynical and overly critical about most things in this life, however swimming in the wake of Mr. Allen I somehow manage to smile at the "awful grace" of this existance. I do feel guilty since he does the heavy lifting and I benefit from it.

Recalling his movies is like recalling my first kiss, scoring my first touchdown, pineing my first broken heart or noticing death for the first time.

I recall each flick; when, where, who I saw it with, and the state of mind I left the theater to pursue the endless nuances of the adventure.

To the book. I hesitated picking it up as it is four hundred pages and did I really want to be mesmerized by Mr. Alllen and Mr. Lax during this very busy time. I resisted for almost four days then I was seduced, trapped and on my way to an intellectual orgasm that seems to continue when I turn each page.

These two guys are like friends you wish you had who made you totally comfortable hearing them talk and thilled that you are allowed to just be in the room and honored to be listening.

If you are an educator you must study it, if you are a doctor you must examine it, if you are performing artist you must value it, if you are a writer you must consume it and if you are, like myself an everyday person you gotta love it.

Bravo guys you gave me a great holiday gift.

This book is great, if you want to be a costume designer or just interested in it this book is for you. It has a lot of good pictures and just really awesome!

The most recent book in Focal Press' Screencraft series, this book is a revealing look at the job of a film costume designer, told from the point of view of the practitioners. The names, faces and stories behind the most famous costumes from cinema are represented. From period films to contemporary, from mainstream to art films, from stylized costumes to naturalistic, the designers interviewed reveal their design process and the purpose of costume design, as well as what it's like working with stars and directors. The Academy Award nominated (if not winning) designers interviewed include: Theodora Van Runkle ("Bonnie and Clyde"), Italian designer Piero Tosi ("The Leopard"), Jeffrey Kurland ("Erin Brokovich"), the books author Deborah Nadoolman ("Raiders of the Lost Ark"), Ann Roth ("The Hours"), Japanese designer Eiko Ishioka ("Bram Stoker's Dracula"), Anthony Powell ("Tess"), Albert Wolsky ("All That Jazz"), Sandy Powell ("The Crying Game"), Gabriella Pescucci ("The Age of Innocence"), Ruth Carter ("Malcolm X"), Milena Canonero ("A Clockwork Orange"), James Acheson ("Dangerous Liaisons"), and Bob Ringwood ("Batman"). A fascinating behind the scenes look at a craft typically invisible to the audience. All of the designers deserve this long overdue recognition, and this book celebrates their work with interviews, color photos, and costume illustrations. Perhaps a future second volume might include interviews with designers Colleen Atwood, Patricia Norris and the design team of Jenny Beavan and John Bright?

This book is ideal for anyone interested in fashion or costume, and the creative process that goes into the creation of design. Landis, a costume designer herself, interviews most of the best costume designers working in film today. So unlike other books on costume design, where you get one person's opinion on the craft--and that person is usually a critic or academic who doesn't really have experience working in the field--here you get straight information direct from the creative people themselves.

The pictures are fabulous, so I think this book has appeal for anybody interested in clothes, movies, or design. Obviously, it will be a necessity for anyone interested in costume design or interested in being a costume designer.

Although there is a section on Landis' work on such movies as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Coming to America, she has obviously expertly edited the interviews that make up the text of the book. It seems as if the reader is sitting in the living room of these famous costume designers, chatting casually about how they got started, what inspires them, and some of their most interesting professional experiences.

Besides Edith Head, how many costume designers can you actually name? This book is a phenomenal collection of interviews with some of the best working film costume designers. You get a rare insight into what it's like to design for the stars, collaborate with the director and other craftsmen/women on a film set. Hollywood is well represented, but international designers get their due here as well. Designers describe what it's like to design for the much-lauded period films and the often-overlooked costumes of contemporary films (the author is herself an Oscar-nominated costume designer for "Coming to America"). The book includes lots of color photos and illustrations. You don't have to be a film historian to appreciate it.

This book is invaluable for anyone interested in learning about costume design--from the designers themselves. Fourteen highly accomplished designers discuss their craft in highly engaging and informative interviews, conducted by the author, Deborah Nadoolman Landis, herself an Academy Award-nominated costume designer. This is the kind of stuff that is usually neglected in "Making Of" film books and Hollywood history tomes. The interviews are augmented by hundreds of color and black-and-white photographs and costume sketches, which in themselves are more than worth the price of the book. Highly recommended!

From the very first chapter, the author made it seem like he was speaking directly to me. This book is definitely for someone who is interested in Costume Design and wants to know absolutely everything about it, in detail (not for someone already in the field and familiar with how it works). It's not just a book that I'll read and then retire to my bookshelf. As I continue to aspire to be a costume disigner, this book will stay by my side for a long time. The ideas he gives you in the first chaper on how to break down the script is easy to learn, with practice. I urdge anyone who is interested in this field to buy this book first.

A graduation requirement for my high school is a year-long senior research project on a subject we choose. This project includes a year-long research portfolio, a piece of work applying the research, as well as a 20-30 minute presentation. I decided to research costume design for films. The first book I found was this book by Richard La Motte, and it was the most helpful book out of all 27 that I read for my research project. This book not only tells of costume designing itself, it shows what goes on behind the curtain, the business of it, the organization and preparation involved in costume design, etc. This book truly is a costume designer's manual. There is so much helpful information written in a clear way, there are examples in the book that help the reader understand the information even more clearly, as well as some designs by the author himself. This book helped me ace my Senior Project, and also inspired me to study and pursue costume design for films.

I found this book to be incredibly useful. Even though I work in stage theater, its information is immediately applicable for all levels of productions. It has tips for organizational skills, outlines of how things work, who does what, advice on how to manage your time, working with actors, dealing with unexpected problems, etc.

I've read it several times and each time I get something new out of it. Read this book, apply it, and you will be a shining star that gets hired again and again for productions.

An excellent "how to" for anyone in the costume or fashion business, or someone wanting to know more about the inside scoop of what it takes to make the costumes in a movie come together. Well written. Gave me a better appreciation for how movies look.

This book is probably THE most informative book I have ever read, irregardless of the subject. Everthing you need to know about costume design is here, in this book. Critical information when contemplating a career, that you cannot get in a classroom. The author has been there, worked in the "trenches", for years, has had a successful career, and is now willing to share years of accumulated knowledge. I was amazed at all I gained from this book.

There is no other book like this. Or I should say the complete book about compositing. All you need to know and more.
I think for compositing work you only need to read two books this one and one from Ron Brinkmann. No need for anything else.

I really struggled through the first chapter, but after that is stared to make more sense. This book is very technical, and many topics like 10-bit logarithmic color are definitely complex concepts, but generally the author does an excellent job of explaining them as simply as possible.

Explanations for what is happening 'under the hood' of a lot of compositing tools are explained, as well as how to achieve them manually. Stuff like keying, despill, unsharp mask, and defocus operations. I've read the 2 other main compositing textbooks available on Amazon.com, I would say this is definitely better than "Digital Compositing In Depth", and slightly better than "The Art & Science of Digital Compositing". It's definitely the most detailed and technical of the 3 books.

I wouldn't recommend this for a beginner, it'd be more suited to someone who has composited for a few years and wants to better understand the underlying concepts of their compositing software.

I ordered two compositing books at once: this one and the classic textbook. I found that the other book was thorough but also did not cover that much more than I'd already learned online and through the manuals that came with my compositing program.

This book, however, went into a lot more specifics and I actually took one greenscreen despill recipe from the despill chapter and implemented it in the compositing program I use (Shake) and the results were fantastic. WAY better than what I had been getting with the built-in tools.

The book has a conversational tone and gives a lot of practical tips and recipes for compositing. The CD is a little light in content (basically the photos for the color plates in the book), but the book is still well worth getting if you're doing compositing. He uses a generic node notation for processing diagrams, so users of After Effects or other non-node-based compositing programs will have a tougher time.

If you consider yourself an upper intermediate level user or less, I'd recommend this book. Among many other things that it does quite well, it explains what procedural keyers like Primatte are doing and shows you how to accomplish the same kinds of processes manually. You will know what each of the many keyers in After Effects (and other compositing apps) are doing and the logic behind each. You will also learn where best to use each based on the situation at hand. It also takes you through many other areas like matte extraction, despill procedures and color correction. After reading it, you will understand scientifically what is going on under the hood of your favorite imaging and video apps. To me, this is the "Photoshop Channel Chops" of 2001. What David Biedny's legendary PCC book did for Photoshop artists a decade or so ago, this book will do for compositors today. I have seen other books handle this subject, some do it well but none as good as this one. Well-written and very easy to understand -- though there are definitely places where you will have to reread passages to understand what's being said. But if you commit to reading it with more than a cursory perusal, you'll walk away a master. Highly recommended. Five Cows.

Ron Lindeboom
creativecow.net

The author has done a great job of taking most if not all the tricks and tips and combined them into one excellent book.
Film and Video is completely explained and the reader gets a great idea why they are so completely different.
This book is an A+ must have for anyone wanting to know more about the compositing process.

Discovering The Maltese Falcon And Sam Spade is a tribute to the novel by Dashiell Hammett featuring the hardboiled detective Sam Spade and his involvement in the doomed quest for a mysterious artifact, as well as the three film noir movies based from it including the classic that made Humphrey Bogart a star. Chapters tell of Hammett's days as a detective, his publication in pulps, the making of the classic novel, critical views of the movies, the reverberations of The Maltese Falcon in popular culture, and much more. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, selections of Hammett's pre-publication material, copies of news articles and other primary sources, and much more, Discovering The Maltese Falcon And Sam Spade is a "must-read" for mystery movie trivia buffs and anyone else curious about the history behind a legendary 'hard boiled PI" adventure story.

DISCOVERING THE MALTESE FALCON AND SAM SPADE is the complete book for the fan of Sam Spade in both film and fiction. Fortunately, a very detailed index is provided which allows the reader to choose from among an array of tantalizing topics.The latter includes an account of Dashiell Hammett's days as a Pinkerton detective as well as his work for BLACK MASK. The author also gives us much information about THE MALTESE FALCON in the movies and on stage and radio.The book represents an admirable effort by Layman and it will be enjoyed by anyone captivated by the lure of this enduring tale.

I love the story of THE MALTESE FALCON, not only as it is told in Hammett's novel but also as it is portrayed in John Huston's movie. I can never read enough about Dashiell Hammett, Joseph Shaw, Humphrey Bogart, Peter Lorre, Gladys George, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook Jr., Mary Astor, Barton MacLane, Robert and William Pinkerton, John Huston, Lillian Hellman, the Knights of Malta, BLACK MASK, San Francisco after World War I and Raymond Chandler.

This book has enough anecdotes and background material to satisfy even the most ardent enthusiast. My own favorite piece is an account by Mary Astor of her experiences while filming for her role as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in the 1941 version of THE MALTESE FALCON.

Dashiel Hammett is one of my favorite authors, I have all of his stories, including a couple of biographies. I'm also a fan of Noir stories and movies. This is a great book to add to my collection.

"Discovering the Maltese Falcon and Sam Spade" is an amazing collection of materials related to Dashiell Hammett, his greatest novel "The Maltese Falcon", the film adaptations of the book, and other spin-offs assembled by Hammett biographer Richard Layman. Layman states in his introduction, "The purpose of this volume is to provide researchers basic materials useful in studying 'The Maltese Falcon'." Not everything ever written about "The Maltese Falcon" is here, but the contents of this book are remarkably varied. The collection is probably too dense for casual fans of "The Maltese Falcon", but it's indispensable for Hammett scholars and aficionados. The only fault I find is that reproductions of newspaper and other type-written materials are sometimes poor and would have benefited from enhancement.

The book is organized into five parts. The first part, "Detective Days", provides biographical information on Dashiell Hammett, a history of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, an interview with a colleague of Hammett's at Pinkerton, excerpts from books on criminal investigation that Hammett studied, and some non-fiction pieces that Hammett wrote about his detective days. The second section, "The Pulps and the Making of the Novel", includes a history of "Black Mask" magazine, the historical basis for the Maltese Falcon statuette, comments by "Black Mask" editor Joseph T. Shaw, some reviews of Hammett's mystery fiction, and many excerpts from Hammett's stories that later inspired characters and events in "The Maltese Falcon".

"Magazine and Book Publication" begins with a copy of Hammett's book contract with Knopf and correspondence with publisher Harry Block. There are covers of "Black Mask" issues that serialized "The Maltese Falcon", examples of text that was revised between magazine publication and book publication, early book jackets, many favorable reviews of the book, Dorothy Parker's tepid review of "The Glass Key", articles about Cecil Henderson's plagiarism, and sales data for the novel. The forth section, "Critical Views of 'The Maltese Falcon'", is seven pieces of relatively recent literary criticism that explore American individualism, Sam Spade's vernacular, the novel as introverted romance, as allegory of international politics between the wars, and the pursuit of tangible wealth, among other themes.

The last section, "Movies, Stage, and Radio: Hammett's Novel in Popular Culture", follows Hammett's life after the publication of the novel, followed by discussions of the script, budget, and reviews for the first film adaptation at Warner Brothers in 1931. More letters from Warner Brothers, title suggestions, correspondence with the Breen Office, and reviews of the second movie adaptation, "Satan Met a Lady", in 1936. For John Huston's 1941 adaptation, there is a letter from Joseph Breen citing Production Code violations in the script, a budget, letters about filming, Mary Astor's recollections of the film, 3 movie reviews, and 4 critical analyses. There is a bit about an abortive stage play and the legal challenges over "The Adventures of Sam Spade" radio show. There is a list of selected publications of "The Maltese Falcon" in the back of the book as well as an index.

It is simply one of the most inspiring and novel books ever written about film production: Jean-Pierre Geuens' FILM PRODUCTION THEORY. This is not a "how to" book, it is a book that raises strategic questions about what we perceive as standard filmmaking practices and accepted aesthetic (professional) norms. What Geuens sets out to do is to open the potential filmmaker's mind to alternate ways of "skinning the cat" or alternate approaches to filmmaking from various significant aspects: screenwriting, composition, staging, sound, editing and even direction. The book is literally a testament to the benefits (and the pain) of thinking differently- of going against the grain and standing your ground. Geuens reveals the real reason anyone should go to film school and it is not to make a delightful reel of your work that imitates hollywood production values and conceits... He reminds us that what we love about certain filmmakers was born from those particular individual's unwillingness to conform- to challenged the pre-existing notions; so therefore this book inspires you to challenge, to explore, to take risks and more importantly to appreciate the risks and challenges taken by others. It is the kind of book that could be read simultaneously with any "standard" required film production book. Geuens repeats the rules and then reveals to you how others have broken the rules and still made provocative,groundbreaking and classic work. For graduate students, Geuens puts various thinkers (Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Derrida, Nietzche and Bazin) to great use and allows their thoughts to be easily understood in the context of film production. For the practicing (struggling) filmmaker, Geuens renews your faith in the differences between your work and "hollywood", your work and the conventional, the unique experiences of your soul and the "system". The lignt that permeates Geuens work is that he forces you to decide whether you are trying to really make films or trying," to use filmmaking to secure the easy life." (pg. 256) All in all this was a compelling, throughly engaging and necessary read for anyone interested in film, films studies, film production and film criticism.

I picked up this book thinking it would be a dry treatise about lighting and camera direction etc. But having not attended film school I thought it'd be good information to lay under my practical film Production experience.

...and it certainly opened my eyes.

This is a book for filmmakers, film critics, and those with a deep interest in film.

It does NOT tell you HOW to make a movie. It provides food for thought about the major production decisions that the Producer and/or Director considers when making a motion picture.

It is an extremely "thinky" book. Moored in the French New Wave, American Zoetrope and to a lesser extent Spanish and Italian cinema. It praises experimentation and asks the reader to consider the effect of everything that they will put into the film. Likewise, the author derides "Hollywood" for sacrificing the potential of the motion picture as art form in order to accumulate as much money as can be made. While this feeling is prevelant throughout the text, it is refreshingly not overbearing.

The book reads like a series of lectures about film theory on such topics as Film School, Writing, Directing, Framing, Lighting, Sound and Editing. In this format it is digestible in small chunks and allows the reader to process what they have read before taking on the next topic.

As an Independent Producer, I found the points in this book to be worthy of consideration as I develop, plan, shoot, and finish my projects. I don't agree with everything he says, but he says it in such a way as to help me understand the impact of my decisions (e.g. to shoot on location vs. on a soundstage). I could easily see myself skimming through this text before any project to help me frame my approach. This is as much a testament to its depth and density as it is to its worth.

It is a new century, a new reality... Hail the new art form! one that will only 100 years of life awaits to be fully and beautifully exploited by new kinds of filmmakers, artists, philosophers, dreamers and siners!

This is the one book you need to read to fully understand the capabilities of Cinema as a true art form, not an obscene business.

Thank you Mr. Geuens, blessings to your creatively anarchic mind.

BUY THIS BOOK!!!

First I thought what could this book tell me what I didn't know already. But then I realized this is not just about filmmaking, this book is about you and me and what we call life. It's a story of looking behind the curtain and seeing the wizzard but not giving up your dream. Deeply inspiring and ultimatly insightful, this is the one text everybody who cares about movies should read. I read this book in a day and I hope Mr. Geuens will continue to write. So fasten your seatbelt and be prepared to see your preconceived ignorance shatter into a thousand little pieces and out of it will rise a new outlook on life and the movies.

Film Production Theory is an exciting and important book. Most importantly, the book outlines what is at stake aesthetically and philosophically in what appear to be merely technical considerations that enter into the making of film. Unlike many other works that focus upon the finished product, or, upon the personalities behind the product, Geuen's book focuses upon the techniques of cinema, with an eye to clarify what are the assumptions about the nature of cinema that are implicit in those techniques. For example, with respect to screenwriting Geuens points out that the standardized approach to screenwriting, in which dialogue is the most prominent feature and camera movement and angles are for the most part deliberately left out, implies that film is about story first and image second and also implies a less than fully collaborative relationship between writers and directors. Of course some writers and directors do collaborate very effectively -- but in doing so they are going against a trend that is implicit in the mainstream traditions of filmmaking, traditions that make it difficult for filmmakers to, say, let images and settings be the impetus for a creative and improvisational approach to telling stories. In addition to screenwriting, Geuens gives very helpful and detailed analyses of the nature of film school, the techniques of directing and lighting and cinematography and sound and editing. In all this, he is not simply aiming to criticize the way films usually get made, or the techniques that get applied to filmmaking, but primarily to show that such techniques pretend to be the best and only professional way to do things when in fact there have been remarkable films made differently and with far different results. In fact, the first few chapters of the book are attempts to understand why and how the "Hollywood system" came to be what it has become, what impact it has had culturally, and along the way to consider and highlight paths that were never or rarely taken. Sometimes Geuens can get a bit heavy handed and he is certainly not without his own strong views, but the book as a whole works to open up and clarify and illuminate the process of filmmaking. He is extremely well read in philosophy and critical theory and film theory, and draws upon ideas from people like Heidegger and Merleau-Ponty and Deleuze and many others, but never simply in the form of obscure name dropping. His references to such thinkers almost never fail to be both extremely helpful on the nature of film and quite clear in its summary of the often obscure thoughts of difficulty philosophers. The book is both an exceptional guide for the aspiring filmmaker and a powerful complement to works of film theory that focus on the product rather than the process. I consider the book the most important book on film I have read in a very long time, and can't recommend it highly enough.

Darcie Denkert has given us a gem. Her lavish book with its incredible photographs tells Broadway and Hollywood tales with purpose. She discusses the influence of Broadway on filmmaking and the all-important connection between the two art forms in highly intelligent and most enjoyable prose. Her knowledge of the genres is huge, yet she lays it out in a natural way, never inserting herself into the stories, although she no doubt has many of her own across a distinguished career. Her passion for the subject is palpable. The people and places come alive in the telling.

This book is required reading for all budding theater impresarios and filmmakers.

You might expect that a work filled with such brilliant photography in the coffee-table sized format to be all fluff. Wrong, Ladies and Gentlemen. This work actually has something to say and does it in an intelligent fashion! Not for just anyone, but if you truly Love the American Musical it is a Must Have. Since I teach Musicals, both Broadway and Hollywood, this is a welcome reference work. Besides the photos are wonderful and many not seen elsewhere.

I couldn't agree more with the other two reviews. This is a marvelous book that any musical and/or movie musical fan will devour. And the design, layout and pics are all sensational. If only "A Chorus Line" had been included, the book would be perfect. (Maybe Denkert was precluded from writing about it for some reason.) In any event, this is a reader-friendly (not to mean dumb) coffee table book that won't break your wrists or the bank.

Being an observer of plays and movies with a particular interest in musicals I've long been puzzled by the difficulty there seems to be with moving a musical from Broadway to Hollywood. Why does a smash hit like Gypsy, sometimes called 'The best damn musical ever,' basically flop on screen?

Darcie Denkert is an expert on both Broadway and Hollywood. In this book she has carefully researched a series of the most famous musicals that were made into movies. Sometimes, like with Gypsy, the play simply doesn't translate into the big screen. The scene at the train station, for instance when Rose is shifting her attentions to Louise after June left in the play works well. The train station doesn't look like a train station, it looks like a set. The orchestra is visible, the song works. In the movie, at a real train station, you don't just burst into song. And the stars, great movie stars, just didn't fit.

This is the kind of information that only an insider with a foot into each camp could get and then put into a book. Referring to Gypsy again, the author also tells us how the stories got written, who did what, how did the music get written, what did they do in the screenplay to adapt it?

The book covers 6 big plays: My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Gypsy, The Sound of Music, Cabaret, and Chicago, and 8 smaller ones. This format gives all the space that is needed to completely tell the story. Gypsy, for instance gets 38 pages, and they're big pages. To we outsiders, not plugged into either Broadway or Hollywood, this is an absolutely fascinatin book.

darcie denkert has done a fabulous job talking about the great shows of broadway and their translation to the screen. i love this book--the illustrations are insightful and the text is very well thought out. it should be a great addition to any college course on musicals.

it is also a great thing to see a woman's voice come through on this subject that is dominated my many great writers such as ethan morrden and mark steyn.

go, darcie!

I've got to hand it to the author, this book did exactly what it said it would do. I needed to learn Premiere fast and now, although I'm no expert, I'm pretty comfortable. I was surprised it was in color too, especially since it was less than $15.

The Focal Easy Guide to Premiere Pro by Tim Kolb is just that - easy. As a longtime Premiere (and now Premiere Pro) user, I found it very easy (there's that word again) to search through the book and find references to tools or procedures that needed "refreshing" in my mind. Even if you use Premiere Pro everyday, you don't use every tool or technique on every project, so the help file and good reference books like this are essential when deadlines are looming or you are just experimenting with new ways to jazz up your videos. The descriptions are easier to follow and are better organized than the online help included with the program. They often go well beyond the information that Adobe includes in the help files.

Aiding me in my searches (and for new users, making Premiere Pro easier to understand) are the book's graphics. The graphics used for the screenshots in this book are, in a word, spectacular. They are crisp, clear and large enough so that even a casual viewing conveys lots of information immediately. They are what sets this book apart from so many other "getting started" books.

I really wish that I had had this book available when I was first learning Premiere; it would have saved me lots of time and lots of bumps from banging my head against the wall.

Jeff Bellune
Owner
Bellune Digital Video Services

A great find! This little book helped me get up to speed with Premiere Pro quickly. It is not a watered down "for dummies" book, but is not an 800-page bible either (which I don't need!!). Instead it gets right down to business and shows you how to get through your first couple projects with ease. The full color, price and ease of use make this a great package.

This book is certainly a great way to get your chops, being taught by someone who uses the application for real world work - on a daily basis.

I've followed Tim around the web for years, on different forums and as a respected expert editor and Adobe guru. You can find him online and pick from his reviews, articles and posts that all clearly demonstrate his qualifications and insights before you buy the book... But no need, it's cheap! Very easy to get way more than 15.00 of value from this book. You really can't go wrong.

It's far better than trudging through a boring black and white book (typical software manual) that covers everything but what you really want to know! The book is laid out very well, lots of color. It offers a very visual method of learning the app and why the different parts of the app are there..what they do.

I've used Premiere for 4 or 5 years now. Premiere Pro is quite different. This book is a great primer and companion for learning the ins and outs of this newly revamped Non-Linear Editor.

I am really of two minds about this book. My impression is that it would be almost useless to teach someone how to use Premiere Pro. I still liked it.

I am no great video editor but I do have some, small familiarity and have learned some things from other books. Based on that experience, I doubt this book would have done much good at all in learning to operate the program. Where I found it useful is in its overview and presentation. It does a great job of explaining broad concepts and giving a feel for the capabilities of the program. It also give some of the very basics of the mechanics of how to edit. I suspect I will find this book useful as a continuing reference not to explain the particulars of how to do something but to explain conceptually what can be done. I will use it as a jumping off point to investigate specific topics in other books.

The illustrations in this volume are luxurious. They are full color screen shots and are big enough, barely, to see what is happening on the screen. How I wish other training aids had as nice visuals!