The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook
Authors: Chris Jones & Genevieve Jolliffe
Why read: “Brand new edition of this bestseller – the only book an amateur film maker needs! An entirely new, updated, and expanded third edition of the UK’s best-selling filmmaker’s bible, last updated in 2000”.
Moviemakers’ Master Class: Private Lessons from the World’s Foremost Directors
Author: Laurent Tirard
Why read: “From Scorsese and Lynch to Wenders and Godard: interviews with twenty of the world’s greatest directors on how they make films – and why.”
Rebel Without A Crew
Author: Robert Rodriguez
Why read: “A cult classic amongst film students, Robert Rodriguez recounts how he sold his body to medical science (sort of) to make El Mariachi – the lowest budget movie to gross $1,000,000.”
Buy: www.amazon.co.uk/Rebel-Without-Crew-23-year-old-Film-maker
Notes On The Cinematograph
Author: Robert Bresson
Why read: “Robert Bresson’s Notes on the Cinematographer are working memos which the great French director made for his own use. In all of them, Bresson reflects with a craftsman’s insight on techniques and their philosophical and aesthetic implications. Bresson makes some quite radical distinctions between what he terms “cinematography” and something quite different: “cinema” – which is for him nothing but an attempt to photograph theatre and use it for the screen.”
When The Shooting Stops, The Cutting Begins
Author: Ralph Rosenblum, Robert Karen
Why read: “The history and profession of the science and art of film editing in what is considered to be the definitive guide on the art of piecing a movie together after the cameras have been put away.”
Buy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Shooting-Stops-Cutting-Begins
Painting With Light
Author: John Alton
Why read: “”Painting With Light” remains one of the few truly canonical statements on the art of motion picture photography, an unrivalled historical document on the workings of post-war American cinema. In simple, non-technical language, Alton explains the job of the cinematographer and explores how lighting, camera techniques, and choice of locations determine the visual mood of film. Best known for his highly stylized film noir classics ‘T-Men’, ‘He Walked by Night’, and ‘The Big Combo’, Alton earned a reputation during the 1940s and 1950s as one of Hollywood’s consummate craftsmen through his visual signature of crisp shadows and sculpted beams of light. He earned an Academy Award in 1951 for his work on the musical ‘An American in Paris’. “
Jaws in Space : Powerful Pitching for Film & TV Screenwriters
Author: Charles Harris
Why read: “This book takes you through the essentials of what makes a good pitch to advanced skills that will help you in all kinds of pitching situations. Charles Harris gives a clear-sighted view of how pitching works in the industry and provides a series of practical techniques for developing a gripping and convincing pitch. Drawing on his experience, he examines the problems that can arise with both mainstream and unconventional projects – from a range of different cultures – and explains how to solve them. He also analyses the process of taking a pitch meeting and shows you how to ensure you perform at your best. Harris has written and directed for BBC and Channel 4, creating internationally award-winning documentaries and TV drama.”