Video Production Books

In 1928, Margaret Mitchell began writing a passionate story about a woman who dare to stand up to the old traditions and ways, a woman who is wild and carefree, a woman who changed through the war. It is a tale of unrequited love, of a man who desires this woman with all his heart but who can never obtain her. He is Rhett Butler and she is Scarlett O'Hara and this is Gone with the Wind. Read it and you'll see why Margaret Mitchell is regarded as the best writer of all time and why Gone with the Wind is the best selling novel with more than 40 million copies and made into a 8 Academy Award winning movie, Gone with the Wind is truly amazing.

This book offers a short biography of Leone and a history of the Western before getting into its main purpose: a concise synopsis and analysis of each of Leone's 7 films. As this book is only 90 pages long, the discussions of the movies are necessarily brief, so if you want a more complete study on either the movies or Leone himself, there are other, more in-depth books.

But for the price, "Sergio Leone" can't be beat in sparking the reader's interest in films of Leone.

This is a very thoughtful examination of the classic George Stevens film. The authors trace how the film was made, covering things such as Stevens' annotated copy of the novel, possible casting choices (William Holden as the father!), conditions of filming in Wyoming, scenes cut from the movie (a romantic subplot for Ben Johnson's character), and how the movie was received.

"Shane" tends to polarize fans of the Western. There are those who deeply admire it and those who find it too self-conscious. I fall into the first camp, but I think that anyone interested in the Western genre should find something of interest in this book.

I teach video production and purchased this as a resource for my students. They love the book and have enjoyed that it explains all steps of the process.

The "Berkeleyesque" dance number is one that "depends on sheer spectacle, on the deployment of hordes of chorus dancers in a grandiose setting." Ever since I became aware of Busby Berkeley's spectacular musical productions during a film history course in college 20 years ago, I've longed for a comprehensive look at his films and career. Showstoppers is the Berkeley Bible!

Showstoppers is divided into three parts, the first of which describes Berkeley's inimitable style, the elements that distinguish his work from others, and it's roots. Part II looks at his Broadway theater career during the second half of the 1920s. The meat of the story is presented in Part III, comprising 3/4 of the book, which describes in 7 chapters his cinema career spanning from 1930 to 1962. Each of his films is examined and includes references to the photos which are presented in two groups.

Showstoppers contains 248 pages of text plus 62 pages of production still photos of Berkeley's numbers. Although the black and white photos are not enlargements of actual frames from the films, they depict real sets and actors and, in some cases, show production equipment not visible in the film such as camera tracks in one instance. They are professionally lit, well printed and the captions informative. I highly recommend this book to any Berkeley buff, film fan, or lover of the musical spectacle on film.

of English actors, this is the book for you. Clive Francis (one of my favorite actors - Masada, The Piglet Files, Poldark) has drawn caricatures of dozens of actors - who give their own verbal tributes to Sir John Gielgud.

Ralph Winters spent 70 years in the movie business engaged in the critical but often under-appreciated job of film editor. His credits include Ben Hur, King Solomon's Mines, Gaslight and Victor/Victoria. The book tells about how these movies and others were made --- in a way that keeps it lively and informative. Winters is now 92 --- hopefully just beginning a new literary career.

Fascinating interviews from virtually every prominent Chinese director working today, including Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, Ang Lee, Hou Hsiao-hsien, and Edward Yang. Although, curiously, missing perhaps the most influential and "hip" auteur of all, Wong Kar-wai, it also includes some young up and comers like Jia Zhangke, Zhang Yuan, and Li Yang. The question and answer sessions, conducted by the author over the past several years from around the world, ranging from their home turfs to various promotional visits in New York, etc, show detailed research and preparation aforehand. The interviews delve into the personal histories of the filmmaker to see what cultural and historical experiences, especially during their adolescence and developing years, influenced their works (eg. parents dying during Mao's Cultural Revolution, social turmoil during the Taiwanese revolts against Nationalist hegemony). Interviews then follow into their filmographies, with their key works (eg. Tian Zhuangzhuang's "Horse Thief", Edward Yang's "A Brighter Summer Day") questioned in depth.

The filmmakers were usually very forthcoming about their works, such as the effect of censorship by the government, regrettable choices in project selection (eg. Chen Kaige's foray into Hollywood with "Killing Me Softly"), and the difficulty in trying success in Asia with the poorly developed distribution system and rampant piracy. Extensive bibliographies following each chapter offer more analysis if the reader is interested. Overall, a comprehensive and illuminating look into the minds and works of the most prominent auteurs in and around China.

Those interested in the prominently featured "Fifth Generation" may want to take a gander at Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy: The Genesis of China's Fifth Generation (by Zhen Ni).

This is almost an academic text that examines every possible nook and cranny of Kubrick's last seven films (Strangelove, 2001, Clockwork, Lyndon, Shining, Full Metal and Eyes Wide Shut). Though certain technical and historical aspects are noted, Rasmussen focuses on the stories, themes and concepts of the films themselves. Each film is given its own chapter where an almost scene by scene analysis dissects their unique symbolic elements, psychological themes and aesthetic qualities. "Stanley Kubrick : 7 Films Analyzed" is either a great companion for admirers, or a 'skeleton key' for those that never fully understood what made Kubrick such a important figure in modern cinema.

This book is meant to be a complete breakdown of the themes, styles and subject matter of some of Stanley Kubricks best films, and it succeeds on every level. For anyone who has been confused as to what messages Kubrick was trying to convey to his audience, this is the book for you. It describes in detail every message, every detail about how someone should go about viewing any and all of Stanley Kubrick's greatest films. This is a great reference for anyone who has ever questioned Kubrick's style as a director. It also bring into light the ideals Kubrick wanted his audience to see through his films, the main one being "humanity and the world that we live in." If anyone is a fan of Stanley Kubrick's films, his life or film in general than I suggest you get this book!