Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics - Softcover

Rabiger, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0240808827 ISBN 13: 9780240808826

Publisher: Focal Press, 2007

Synopsis

Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics is a comprehensive manual that has inspired tens of thousands of readers worldwide to realize their artistic vision and produce well-constructed films. Filled with practical advice on every stage of production, this is the book you will return to throughout your career.

Directing covers the methods, technologies, thought processes, and judgments that a director must use throughout the fascinating process of making a film. It emphasizes low-cost digital technology, which allows cutting-edge creativity and professionalism on shoestring budgets. And, recognizing that you learn best by doing, the book includes dozens of practical hands-on projects and activities to help you master technical and conceptual skills.

Just as important as surmounting technological hurdles is the conceptual and authorial side of filmmaking. This book provides an unusually clear view of the artistic process, particularly in working with actors. It offers eminently practical tools and exercises to help you develop credible and compelling stories with your cast, hone your narrative skills, and develop your artistic identity. This book shows you how to surpass mere technical proficiency and become a storyteller with a distinctive voice and style.

This edition has been streamlined and thoroughly revised for greater ease of use. Other updates include:
* current information on digital technology
* an expanded section on directing actors that cross-references thirty exercises
* new questionnaires to help you pinpoint a film's aesthetic needs and assess where your vocational strengths lie; and much more.

The companion web site includes teaching notes, checklists, and useful forms and questionnaires: http://www.elsevierdirect.com/companion.jsp?ISBN=9780240808826

* Comprehensive manual on the creative, technical, and interpersonal aspects of directing
* Includes dozens of practical exercises and projects to help you improve your work and gauge your progress
* Realistic advice and encouragement from a highly regarded filmmaker, mentor, and teacher

About this title

Review:

"Michael Rabiger's book "Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics" is the gold standard. His attention to the artistry of directing, not merely the technical concerns, puts him in the first rank. Rabiger's taste, knowledge, and insight are even more finely honed in this new edition. For the novice or the seasoned pro, this book is a joy and a must."
-Jared Rappaport, Chair of the Department of Cinema and Television Arts, California State University - Northridge

"In its fourth edition, Directing remains as fresh and relevant as ever. Rabiger has devised a clear and eminently practical method for film directing which also promotes individual creative expression. By meticulously exploring drama, craft, process and artistic perspective, he demonstrates how to plunge into the heart of a screenplay and emerge with a film that reflects the heart of the director." -Mick Hurbis-Cherrier, Film Professor at Hunter College of the City University of New York, Filmmaker, and author of, "Voice & Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production"

"As he has in previous editions of "Directing," Michael Rabiger continues to offer a complete and comprehensive overview of virtually all aspects of directing, from ideas to budgeting, from casting to editing. From my viewpoint there is no comparable book on the market."
-Eric Swelstad, Department Chair - Media Arts, Los Angeles Valley College
"A comprehensive introduction to directing that focuses heavily on the interpersonal and organizational aspects of the craft....For those about to embark on their debut short or feature, Directing offers a thorough manual that keeps one from having to learn everything the hard way." - American Cinematographer

Praise for the 3rd Edition:
"This is the single most valuable guide for both novice and seasoned practitioner...The new edition continues to be the comprehensive text for learning directing, integrating the rapid changes in technology with what was already a superbly detailed step-by-step text." - Jameson Goldner, professor of cinema at San Francisco State University

"This is the only comprehensive book on filmmaking that I recommend to my students", Jeremy Kagan, USC Graduate Film School; Artistic Director Sundance Institute

About this edition

• Publisher: Focal Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0240808827
• ISBN 13: 9780240808826
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 4
• Number of pages: 584