20 Best Books For Directors (2023 Update)

Bloom draws on nearly twenty years of directing and teaching experience to convey the full experience of directing for the stage, as well as the mindset that all successful directors possess. more than a mere set of guidelines, thinking like a director details a technique that covers every facet of theatrical production, from first reading through final rehearsals. the key to directorial thinking, bloom asserts, is a dual perspective–an ability to focus on both the internal lives of the play's characters and the external elements of the play's structure. in this illuminating, engaging, and accessible handbook, the art of dramatic interpretation and the craft of working with actors are integrated into a single, unified method.

Through interviews with current asc cinematographers, and a balance between technical, aesthetic, and historical content, this book guides the director into a powerful collaboration with their closest on-set ally. topics include selecting a cinematographer, collectively discussing the script, choosing an appropriate visual style for a film, color palette, film and digital formats, lenses, camera movement, genres, and postproduction processes–including the digital intermediate (di). interwoven are quotes from working asc cinematographers.

Now that directors such as stephen spielberg, george lucas, and francis ford coppola are celebrated along-side movie stars, it is hard to imagine that little more than a century ago the director was a nameless, faceless entity-an overseer of workflow in the shuffle of shadows offstage. in surveying the pioneers who transformed theater into the dynamic art form it is today, directors on directing presents a timeless collection of writings offering insight into what it means to direct and how to better appreciate theatrical performances.

Praise for the second edition of the executive director's guide to thriving as a nonprofit leader "this book is a gift for nonprofit leaders in all stages of their careers. with clarity and profound simplicity, it dissects the otherwise overwhelming role of the nonprofit executive director into understandable components that can then be made workable (and even fulfilling!). it is a highly readable and practical road map for success." —molly polidoroff, executive director, center for excellence in nonprofits "the executive director's guide to thriving as a nonprofit leader not only clearly and concisely identifies the most critical issues of nonprofit leadership, but it also provides the resources and answers to those challenges. it will be required reading for both the most seasoned executive as well as the emerging leader." —bill coy, director of leadership practice, la piana consulting "i provide the executive director's guide to thriving as a nonprofit leader to all new executive directors placed by my firm. they find it to be a great resource during their orientation to a new organization, new people, and new challenges, and it continues to be a support as issues come up in their work over the years. it's comprehensive and sensible, and the authors' great knowledge and respect for nonprofit executives shine through." —susan egmont, consultant, egmont associates praise for the previous edition "how would i describe this book? practical. helpful. encouraging. realistic. thought-provoking. accessible. focused. honest. refreshing. it should be on every nonprofit leader's desk." —barry z. posner, former dean and professor of leadership, leavey school of business, santa clara university, and coauthor, the leadership challenge "in this new age of nonprofit management, executive directors are getting over their fantasies and past their fears, crafting change-the-world ideas and executing them every day. mim and margaret now provide real-life, real-time help in coaching and guiding executive directors from survival to success. i can't think of a more important contribution in today's drive to strengthen the sector." —roni posner, former executive director, the alliance for nonprofit management

Joining a board of directors is a great honour. it enables you to make an enhanced contribution to the success of an organisation but it also involves responsibilities and risks. where regulation and litigation are concerned, ignorance is not an excuse. being a company director requires a different mindset, new skills, a new identity and changed relationships. the new directors handbook will introduce you to the roles, responsibilities and risks you should be aware of as a company director, as well as providing you with some tools to help you in your career. it has grown out of many years' experience working directly with new directors and existing boards from around the world. as such it addresses the essential needs and practical challenges of real directors. read it through and it will provide you with a comprehensive foundation for your career as a company director. then use it as a reference and return to it when you need to.

Directors: barry levinson (bugsy), oliver stone (jfk), barbra streisand (the prince of tides), clint eastwood (unforgiven), neil jordan (the crying game), rob reiner (a few good men), andrew davis (the fugitive), frank darabont (the shawshank redemption), mike newell (four weddings and a funeral), quentin tarantino (pulp fiction), robert zemeckis (forrest gump), mel gibson (braveheart), michael radford (il postino), cameron crowe (jerry maguire), scott hicks (shine), mike leigh (secrets & lies), anthony minghella (the english patient), steven spielberg (amistad), james l. brooks (as good as it gets), james cameron (titanic), curtis hanson (l.a. confidential), gus van sant (good will hunting), roberto benigni (life is beautiful), john madden (shakespeare in love), steven spielberg (saving private ryan), peter weir (the truman show), frank darabont (the green mile), spike jonze (being john malkovich), michael mann (the insider), sam mendes (american beauty), m. night shyamalan (the sixth sense), ang lee (crouching tiger, hidden dragon), steven soderbergh (erin brockovich and traffic), ron howard (a beautiful mind), peter jackson (the lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring), baz luhrmann (moulin rouge), christopher nolan (memento), ridley scott (black hawk down), stephen daldry (the hours), peter jackson (the lord of the rings: the two towers), rob marshall (chicago), roman polanski (the pianist), martin scorsese (gangs of new york), sofia coppola (lost in translation), clint eastwood (mystic river), peter jackson (the lord of the rings: the return of the king), gary ross (seabiscuit), peter weir (master and commander: the far side of the world), clint eastwood (million dollar baby), marc forster (finding neverland), taylor hackford (ray), alexander payne (sideways), martin scorsese (the aviator).

In these vivid and revealing interviews, a diverse collection of filmmakers talk in extraordinary detail and with amazing candor about making their first films. each chapter focuses on a director's celebrated debut and tells the inside story of the film's creation. along the way, every aspect of the movie industry is explored-from writing the script and raising the money to casting the actors and assembling the crew, from shooting and editing to selling the movie and screening it. these interviews are not only memoirs of particular movies; each one is also an emotional journey in which the director relives the pain and elation, the comedy and tragedy, of making a first feature film.

Editing for directors guides directors through postproduction, starting with planning for editing during the shoot and ending with the completion of their film. this thorough, well-illustrated book: describes the artistic, organizational, and technical skills editors bring to the party; tells directors what to look for when hiring an editor and the best ways to work with an editor; explains how and why directors should plan for editing before they shoot a frame; devotes a full chapter to relating the history of editing and cutting tools and how they have affected the language of cinema and present-day editing; defines and discusses cutting-room terms, practices, and workflows; reveals how editors approach footage and put shows together; details the postproduction process from dailies to director's cut to locked cut; covers creating and overseeing vfx (video effects); demystifies spotting the show with the sound and music crew and creating, editing, and mixing sound and music; describes titling, color grading, the di (digital intermediate) process, and producing your show's final deliverables; and spells out ways to archive your show and why doing so matters.

"the american cinema is the citizen kane of film criticism, a brilliant book that elevated american directors from craftsmen to artists, launched the careers of numerous film critics, and shaped the aesthetics of a whole generation of viewers by providing new ways of looking at movies."–emanuel levy, author of george cukor, master of elegancethe auteur theory, of which film critic andrew sarris was the leading american proponent, holds that artistry in cinema can be largely attributed to film directors, who, while often working against the strictures of studios, producers, and scriptwriters, manage to infuse each film in their oeuvre with their personal style. sarris's the american cinema, the bible of auteur studies, is a history of american film in the form of a lively guide to the work of two hundred film directors, from griffith, chaplin, and von sternberg to mike nichols, stanley kubrick, and jerry lewis. in addition, the book includes a chronology of the most important american films, an alphabetical list of over 6000 films with their directors and years of release, and the seminal essays "toward a theory of film history" and "the auteur theory revisited." over twenty-five years after its initial publication, the american cinema remains perhaps the most influential book ever written on the subject.

A new york times bestseller. “if you think cybercrime and potential worldwide banking meltdown is a fiction, read this sensational thriller.”—bob woodward, politico graham weber has been the director of the cia for less than a week when a swiss kid in a dirty t-shirt walks into the american consulate in hamburg and says the agency has been hacked, and he has a list of agents' names to prove it. this is the moment a cia director most dreads. like the new world of cyber-espionage from which it's drawn, the director is a maze of double dealing, about a world where everything is written in zeroes and ones—and nothing can be trusted.

A 368-page, full colour hardback book, packed with everything you need to run an improvisational dracula dossier campaign, including conspiracy nodes, fully mapped and floorplanned locations, and vampiric beasts; more than 60 supporting characters in vampiric, heroic, or in-between versions; and different versions of the real mina harker, abraham van helsing, and the other stars of stokers novel.

A 368-page, full colour hardback book, packed with everything you need to run an improvisational dracula dossier campaign, including conspiracy nodes, fully mapped and floorplanned locations, and vampiric beasts; more than 60 supporting characters in vampiric, heroic, or in-between versions; and different versions of the real mina harker, abraham van helsing, and the other stars of stokers novel.

(back cover) includes: woody allen â? ¢ pedro almodovar â? ¢ robert altman â? ¢ wes anderson â? ¢ michael apted â? ¢ dario argento â? ¢ darren aronofsky â? ¢ mario bava â? ¢ warren beatty â? ¢ ingmar bergman â? ¢ busby berkeley â? ¢ bernardo bertolucci â? ¢ luc bresson â? ¢ danny boyle â? ¢ nick broomfield â? ¢ luis buâ±uel â? ¢ tim burton â? ¢ james cameron â? ¢ frank capra â? ¢ john carpenter â? ¢ youssef chahine â? ¢ joel coen and ethan coen â? ¢ sofia coppola â? ¢ wes craven â? ¢ george cukor â? ¢ cecil b. demille â? ¢ walt disney â? ¢ marguerite duras â? ¢ clint eastwood â? ¢ federico fellini â? ¢ john ford â? ¢ stephen frears â? ¢ peter greenaway â? ¢ hal hartley â? ¢ amy heckerling â? ¢ alfred hitchcock â? ¢ peter jackson â? ¢ derek jarman â? ¢ jim jarmusch â? ¢ spike jonze â? ¢ abbas kiarostami â? ¢ elia kazan â? ¢ krzysztof kieslowski â? ¢ takeshi kitano â? ¢ stanley kubrick â? ¢ akira kurosawa â? ¢ beeban kidron â? ¢ spike lee â? ¢ ida lupino â? ¢ terrence malick â? ¢ fernando meirelles â? ¢ georges melies â? ¢ russ meyer â? ¢ takashi miike â? ¢ michael moore â? ¢ gaspar noâ â? ¢ roman polanski â? ¢ otto preminger â? ¢ sam raimi â? ¢ satyajit ray â? ¢ jean renoir â? ¢ roberto rossellini â? ¢ martin scorsese â? ¢ ridley scott â? ¢ mack sennett â? ¢ don siegel â? ¢ aleksandr sokurov â? ¢ steven spielberg â? ¢ quentin tarantino â? ¢ bela tarr â? ¢ lars von trier â? ¢ wong kar-wai â? ¢ john woo â? ¢ william wyler â? ¢ zhang yimou (front flap) lights, cameras, action! the world of movies is full of glamour and romance–but it is the men and women behind the camera who call the shots, crafting cinema experiences that have enthralled generations of moviegoers. the successor to the best-selling 1001 movies you must see before you die, 501 movie directors is a comprehensive guide to the masters of the big screen, from woody allen (annie hall) to fred zinnemann (high noon), and from takashi miike (audition) to ingmar bergman (persona). every auteur and action hit maker, comic genius and horror maestro is here, in one beautifully illustrated and fact-filled volume. from the pioneering buster keaton to french new wave director lean-luc godard and enfant terrible gaspar noâ, all the giants and emerging geniuses of world cinema are included, making this the most comprehensive guide to movie directors ever produced. each filmmaker receives at least a full-page entry, complete with a critically selected filmography and fascinating facts about his or her influences, trademarks, and creative partnerships. did you know that alfred hitchcock made cameo appearances in thirty-seven of his movies? discover martin scorsese's new york, and how 1960s italian gothic cinema shaped modern directing styles. written by an international team of film critics, film historians, and journalists, this is a complete biography of the creative forces behind more than a century of film. whether you read it from cover to cover or dip into it from time to time, 501 movie directors will broaden your love and appreciation of cinema . . . and continue to do so for many years to come. . . (back flap) steven jay schneider is a film critic, scholar, and producer, with m.a. degrees in philosophy and cinema studies from harvard university and new york university, respectively. he is the general editor of the best-selling 1001 movies you must see before you die, and 501 movie stars, both also available from barron's.

This illustrated guide shows filmmaking in action, chock full of factual information about actors and directors to the equipment and technology used throughout the ages. featuring appearances from hollywood heavyweights through time like george lucas, jean luc godard, agnes varda, akira kurosawa, and stanley kubrick, this book uses wonderfully detailed illustrations to illuminate film's past and to speculate on its exciting future!

This book covers both the artistry and craftsmanship of cinematography and visual storytelling. few art forms are as tied to their tools and technology as is cinematography. take your mastery of these new tools, techniques, and roles to the next level with this cutting-edge roadmap from author and filmmaker blain brown.this 4th edition has been thoroughly updated throughout to include detailed information on the latest lighting and camera equipment, as well as expanded and updated discussion on the following areas: shooting on a budget, color spaces with emphasis on the new uhd standards, the decision-making process in choosing what lights and equipment to use, considerations concerning power issues, safety and what electrical supply is needed for various types of lights, an examination of the cinematographer's role in preproduction, and much more. topics include: – visual storytelling- continuity and coverage- cameras and digital sensors- the tools and basics of film lighting- methods of shooting a scene- continuity and coverage- exposure- color- understanding digital images- using linear, gamma, and log video- image control and grading on the set- data management and the dit- optics and focus- camera movement- set operations- green screen, high speed, and other topics.

Whether it's a crew of two hundred shooting a cast of thousands on horseback, or a crew of twelve filming one person in a room, each and every successful movie production requires a strong first assistant director (ad) at its helm. in this new and updated edition, veteran first ad liz gill walks you through the entire filmmaking process through the perspective of the first ad, from pre-production, shoot, wrap, and everything in between. this book provides invaluable insight into working as a first assistant director, featuring tricks-of-the-trade for breaking down a script, creating a schedule and organizing test shoots, alongside how to use turnaround time, weather cover, split days, overtime and continuous days to balance a challenging schedule and get the most from the cast, crew and the shoot. this new edition has been fully updated and expanded throughout to provide up-to-date coverage on new equipment and software, health and safety considerations and the implications of vfx. this is the essential guide to becoming a successful first assistant director, ideal for professional and aspiring ad's seeking to further their career, students of directing and production looking to gain a better understanding of how this department works and anyone interested in film and tv production. the accompanying eresources provide an expanded selection of sample call sheets, report templates, checklists, and other useful documents.

Guillermo del toro is a complete and intimate study of the life and work of one of modern cinema's most truly unique directors, whose distinct aesthetic and imagination are unmatched in contemporary film. widely regarded as one of the most imaginative directors working in cinema today, guillermo del toro has built up a body of work that has enthralled movie fans with its dark beauty and edge-of-the-seat set pieces. in this book, acclaimed author ian nathan charts the progression of a career that has produced some of contemporary cinema’s most revered scenes and idiosyncratic characters. this detailed examination looks at how the strands of del toro’s career have woven together to create one of modern cinema’s most ground-breaking bodies of work. delving deep into del toro's psyche, the book starts by examining his beginnings in mexico, the creative but isolated child surrounded by ornate catholicism and monster magazines, filming stop motion battles between his toys on a super-8 film camera. it goes on to cover his development as a director with 1997's mimic, his blockbuster success with the hellboy films and goes on to study the films which have cemented his status as a legendary auteur, oscar award winners pan's labrynth and the shape of water, as well as his sci-fi masterpiece pacific rim, as well as looking at his exciting upcoming projects nightmare alley and pinocchio. an enlightening look into the mind of an auteur blessed with a singular creative vision, guillermo del toro analyses the processes, themes and narratives that have come to be recognised as distinctly del toro, from practical effects to an obsession with folklore and paganism. it looks into the narrative techniques, stylistic flourishes and creative decisions which have made him a true master of modern cinema. presented in a slipcase with 8-page gatefold section, with scores of illuminating photographs of the director at work on set as well as iconic stills from his films and examples of his influences, this stunning package will delight all guillermo del toro devotees and movie lovers in general.unauthorised and unofficial.

A striking, design-led reference book. a-z great film directors features andy tuohy's portraits of 52 directors significant for their contribution to cinema including kings of world cinema wong kar-wai and akira kurosawa, arthouse pioneers fritz lang and david lynch as well as the often under-appreciated female directors kathryn bigelow and jane campion.with text by film journalist matt glasby, each director's entry will also have a summary of the essential things you need to know about them, why they're important, a list of their must-see films, and a surprising fact or two about them, as well as images of their key films throughout.so whether you're already a film aficionado, or looking for a helpful cheat to pass convincingly as an arthouse fan, you'll love this guide to international directors, past and present.

In hollywood, women don't have to be in front of the camera to shine. each of the 15 women profiled in film makers shares a common trait: she is, as shonda rhimes says, "first. only. different." these phenomenal women have redefined the film and television industry, winning awards historically given to a male counterpart, being the only woman in a writers' room, or portraying stories no one else could tell. while their resumes are impressive, it is how they live their lives that has made a greater impact in the communities they serve. many of them, like gina prince-bythewood and greta gerwig, mentor other women. some, like agnieszka holland and chloé zhao, have stood up to those who seek to ignore or silence them. all of them tell their stories with passion and integrity, serving as role models and champions for future generations.

Designed for researchers seeking new ways to explore their field and media professionals aiming to extend their practice, this filmmaking handbook shows you how to plug in to issues at the intersection of documentary cinema and ethnography. exploring the unique potential for filmmaking to describe lifeworlds and the role of video editing in generating new ideas about human experience, it offers practical and theoretical advice for those making their first films. based on over twenty years of teaching and industry experience, filmmaking for fieldwork aims to inspire the development of core skills in camera use, sound recording and editing that can be applied to sensory, observational, participatory, reflexive and immersive modes of storytelling. written for a multi-disciplinary audience, this book covers all stages necessary to produce a documentary film, from conception through to preparation, production, editing and distribution.