MasterShots Vol 1
Page 12
Page 207: Romeo + Juliet. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1996. All Rights Reserved.
Page 209: A Heart in Winter. Directed by Claude Sautet. Gryphon Entertainment 1992. All Rights Reserved.
Page 211: Romeo + Juliet. Directed by Baz Luhrmann. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1996. All Rights Reserved.
Page 213: Stealing Beauty. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1996. All Rights Reserved.
Page 215: Murder By Numbers. Directed by Barbet Schroeder. Warner Home Video, 2002. All Rights Reserved.
Page 217: Enemy at the Gates. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. Roadshow Home Entertainment, 2001. All Rights Reserved.
Page 219: Romance. Directed by Catherine Breillat. Madman Films, 1999. All Rights Reserved.
Page 221: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Directed by Ang Lee. Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment, 2000. All Rights Reserved.
Page 223: Stealing Beauty. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 1996. All Rights Reserved.
MASTER SHOTS VOL 2
100 WAYS TO SHOOT GREAT DIALOGUE SCENES
CHRISTOPHER KENWORTHY
Building on the success of the best-selling Master Shots, this book goes much deeper, revealing the great directors' secrets for making the most of the visual during the usual static dialogue scene. A strong scene is determined from where you put the camera and how you position and direct your actors. This is especially true when shooting dialogue. The techniques in Master Shots, Vol. 2 ensure that every plot point, every emotion, and every subtle meaning is communicated clearly.
This is the first book to show how important it is to shoot dialogue well. What's the point of opening your scene with a great camera move, if you then just shoot the actors like a couple of talking heads? Master Shots, Vol. 2 gives you control of dialogue scenes, whether you're shooting two characters or a room filled with multiple conversations.
Using examples from well-known films, the book gives 100 techniques, lavishly illustrated with movie frame-grabs, and overhead diagrams, to show exactly what you need to get the required result. At all times, the techniques have been broken down to their core points, so they will work on a fully equipped Hollywood set, or with the most basic video camera.
“A terrific sequel to the first Master Shots. If there's a cool way to move the camera, Kenworthy has explained it to us. I can't wait to get this book into my students' hands.”
— John Badham, director, Saturday Night Fever, WarGames; author, I'll Be in My Trailer
“Master Shots, Vol 2 will inspire every filmmaker to think carefully about placement and movement of actors as seen through the camera lens. This book increases the reader's appreciation for the critical work of the cinematographer and the director as they speak the language of film through images.”
— Mary J. Schirmer, screenwriter, screenwriting instructor, www.screenplayers.net
CHRISTOPHER KENWORTHY has worked as a writer, director, and producer for the past ten years. He directed the feature film The Sculptor, which played to sold-out screenings in Australia and received strong reviews. Recent works include sketch comedy for the BBC's Scallywagga, a title sequence for National Geographic Channel, visual effects for 3D World, music videos for Pieces of Eight Records and Elefant Records, and an animated wall projection for The Blue Room Theatre in Perth, Australia. Kenworthy is the author of the best-selling Master Shots, two novels: The Winter Inside and The Quality of Light, and many short stories. Current projects include screenwriting, several directing assignments, and the development of additional Master Shots applications.
$26.95 | 240 PAGES | ORDER NUMBER 167RLS | ISBN: 9781615930555
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FILM DIRECTING: SHOT BY SHOT
VISUALIZING FROM CONCEPT TO SCREEN
STEVEN D. KATZ
BEST SELLER
OVER 200,000 COPIES SOLD!
Film Directing: Shot by Shot — with its famous blue cover — is the best-known book on directing and a favorite of professional directors as an on-set quick reference guide.
This international bestseller is a complete catalog of visual techniques and their stylistic implications, enabling working filmmakers to expand their knowledge.
Contains in-depth information on shot composition, staging sequences, visualization tools, framing and composition techniques, camera movement, blocking tracking shots, script analysis, and much more.
Includes over 750 storyboards and illustrations, with never-before-published storyboards from Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun, Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, and Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.
“(To become a director) you have to teach yourself what makes movies good and what makes them bad. John Singleton has been my mentor…he's the one who told me what movies to watch and to read Shot by Shot.”
— Ice Cube, New York Times
“A generous number of photos and superb illustrations accompany each concept, many of the graphics being from Katz'own pen… Film Directing: Shot by Shot is a feast for the eyes.”
— Videomaker Magazine
“…demonstrates the visual techniques of filmmaking by defining the process whereby the director converts storyboards into photographed scenes.”
— Back Stage Shoot
“Contains an encyclopedic wealth of information.”
— Millimeter Magazine
STEVEN D. KATZ is also the author of Film Directing: Cinematic Motion.
$27.95 366 PAGES ORDER # 7RLS | ISBN: 9780941188104
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DIRECTING ACTORS
CREATING MEMORABLE PERFORMANCES FOR FILM AND TELEVISION
JUDITH WESTON
Directing film or television is a high-stakes occupation. It captures your full attention at every moment, calling on you to commit every resource and stretch yourself to the limit. It's the white-water rafting of entertainment jobs. But for many directors, the excitement they feel about a new project tightens into anxiety when it comes to working with actors.
This book provides a method for establishing creative, collaborative relationships with actors, getting the most out of rehearsals, troubleshooting poor performances, giving briefer directions, and much more. It addresses what actors want from a director, what directors do wrong, and constructively analyzes the director-actor relationship.
“I believe that working with Judith's ideas and principles has been the most useful time I've spent preparing for my work. I think that if Judith's book were mandatory reading for all directors, the quality of the director-actor process would be transformed, and better drama would result.”
— John Patterson, Director Six Feet Under, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Practice, Law and Order
“Judith Weston is an extraordinarily gifted teacher. She doesn't so much explain as she changes your consciousness of the creative process and restores your confidence in it.”
— David Chase, Emmy® Award-Winning Writer, Director, and Producer The Sopranos, Northern Exposure, I'll Fly Away
“Judith opened a door for me to an aspect of that creative process about which I had never really been aware — acting.”
— Ron Judkins, Academy Award® Production Sound Mixing, Jurassic Park
JUDITH WESTON has taught her Acting for Directors workshop for over 20 years throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Her best-selling book, Directing Actors, is on the required reading lists of major film schools and is used extensively by working directors in Hollywood and around the world. She also authored The Film Director's Intuition.
$26.95 | 314 PAGES | ORDER NUMBER 4RLS | ISBN: 9780941188241
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THE STORYBOARD ARTIST
A GUIDE TO FREELANCING IN FILM, TV, AND ADVERTISING
GIUSEPPE CRISTIANO
A career guide for those who have artistic talent but don't know how to
harness the power of their own creativity. A visual and straightforward manual describing the various aspects of the storyboarding profession. Filled with career-expanding ideas it also includes tips and advice from a working professional with expertise in film, television, and advertising.
“It is my pleasure both to have had Giuseppe Cristiano work for me, creating terrific storyboards for the Nickelodeon animated series 3 Friends and Jerry, and now to recommend this new book. Succeeding as a professional storyboard artist is not easy. It requires not only excellent storytelling and decent drawing skills but many others as well, all-too-often overlooked in art school: marketing, task management, and navigating the chaos of the get-it-done-yesterday world of film and TV production. This book offers the aspiring storyboard artist an education in all of these. Read and keep The Storyboard Artist next to your desk. You will not only have the tools to become a better storyboarder: you will have the benefit of a seasoned professional mentor at your side.”
— Ray Kosarin, producer/director, Daria, Beavis and Butt-Head, Da Mob, The World of Tosh; animation instructor, New York University's Tisch School of the Arts
“There aren't all that many books widely available on the art of storyboarding (when compared to other creative fields), much less one I've read with such a simple overview on the world of freelancing. Covering (as the title suggests) the worlds of advertising, film, and TV, this is a comprehensive guide to those starting out in the field. I'd also consider this worth a read for those looking to hire storyboard artists — it's always good to know exactly what is reasonable to request of creative professionals.”
— Erin Corrado, www.onemoviefiveviews.com
GIUSEPPE CRISTIANO is a former comic artist as well as a writer. He freelances for advertising agencies and film production companies throughout Europe and the U.S., and has directed a number or shorts, music videos, and animated films.
Giuseppe Cristiano currently lives in Italy and Sweden. He travels on a regular basis between Europe and the U.S. (where he is planning to relocate in the near future).
$24.95 | 210 PAGES | ORDER NUMBER 175RLS | ISBN: 9781615930838
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CINEMATIC MOTION
2ND EDITION
STEVEN D. KATZ
BEST SELLER
OVER 40,000 COPIES SOLD!
Cinematic Motion has helped directors create a personal camera style and master complex staging challenges for over a decade. In response to the opportunities offered by digital technology, this second edition adds essential chapters on digital visualization and script breakdown.
S. D. Katz uses extensive illustrations to explain how to create extended sequence shots, elaborate moving camera choreography, and tracking shots with multiple story points. Interviews with top Hollywood craftspeople demonstrate how to bring sophisticated ideas to life.
Readers will be able to follow links to the MWP website and interact with the author's original storyboards, built in 3D with the latest storyboard software.
“There are a precious few ways to learn the subtleties of filmmaking and challenges of cinematography: Watch great movies repeatedly; go to a great film school; read Steven D. Katz's Film Directing: Shot by Shot and Cinematic Motion. The practical and pragmatic information is balanced by the insights of great filmmakers, Allen Daviau, Ralph Singleton and John Sayles. Cinematic Motion is the definitive workbook for both the aspiring as well as the accomplished filmmaker.”
— John McIntosh, Chair, Computer Art, School of Visual Arts, NYC
“There are few authors or books that reach ‘must-read’ status. The works of Steven Katz have achieved this appellation. Cinematic Motion is a remarkable tutorial for any aspiring or working director. Clear, practical, and wise, the book is an essential guide to understanding and implementing staging for the motion picture medium.”
— Sam L Grogg, Ph.D., Dean, AFI Conservatory
“In Cinematic Motion, Katz succeeds in breaking down the daunting tasks that a director faces when choreographing actors and the camera on set.”
— Dan Ochiva, Millimeter Magazine
STEVEN D. KATZ, who lives in New York City, is an award-winning filmmaker and writer, and the author of Shot by Shot, the now classic text on cinematic style and technique.
$27.95 362 PAGES ORDER # 121RLS | ISBN: 9780941188906
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SAVE THE CAT!®
THE LAST BOOK ON
SCREENWRITING YOU'LL EVER NEED!
BLAKE SNYDER
BEST SELLER
He's made millions of dollars selling screenplays to Hollywood and now screenwriter Blake Snyder tells all. “Save the Cat!®” is just one of Snyder's many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable and your script more satisfying – and saleable, including:
• The four elements of every winning logline.
• The seven immutable laws of screenplay physics.
• The 10 genres and why they're important to your movie.
• Why your Hero must serve your idea.
• Mastering the Beats.
• Mastering the Board to create the Perfect Beast.
• How to get back on track with ironclad and proven rules for script repair.
This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat. “Imagine what would happen in a town where more writers approached screenwriting the way Blake suggests? My weekend read would dramatically improve, both in sellable/producible content and in discovering new writers who understand the craft of storytelling and can be hired on assignment for ideas we already have in house.”
— From the Foreword by Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Vice President, Development at Zide/Perry Entertainment, whose films include American Pie, Cats and Dogs, Final Destination
“One of the most comprehensive and insightful how-to's out there. Save the Cat!® is a must-read for both the novice and the professional screenwriter.”
— Todd Black, Producer, The Pursuit of Happyness, The Weather Man, S.W.A.T, Alex and Emma, Antwone Fisher
“Want to know how to be a successful writer in Hollywood? The answers are here. Blake Snyder has written an insider's book that's informative – and funny, too.”
— David Hoberman, Producer, The Shaggy Dog (2005), Raising Helen, Walking Tall, Bringing Down the House, Monk (TV)
BLAKE SNYDER, besides selling million-dollar scripts to both Disney and Spielberg, was one of Hollywood's most successful spec screenwriters. Blake's vision continues on www.blakesnyder.com.
$19.95 | 216 PAGES | ORDER NUMBER 34RLS | ISBN: 9781932907001
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THE WRITER'S JOURNEY
3RD EDITION
MYTHIC STRUCTURE FOR WRITERS
CHRISTOPHER VOGLER
BEST SELLER
OVER 180,000 COPIES SOLD!
See why this book has become an international bestseller and a true classic. The Writer's Journey explores the powerful relationship between mythology and storytelling in a clear, concise style that's made it required reading for movie executives, screenwriters, playwrights, scholars, and fans of pop culture all over the world.
Both fiction and nonfiction writers will discover a set of useful myth-inspired storytelling paradigms (i.e., “The Hero's Journey”) and step-by-step guidelines to plot and character development. Based on the work of Joseph Campbell, The Writer's Journey is a must for all writers interested in further developing their craft.
The updated and revised third edition provides new insights and observations from Vogler's ongoing work on mythology's influence on stories, movies, and man himself.
“This book is like having the smartest person in the story meeting come home with you and whisper what to do in your ear as you write a screenplay. Insight for insight, step for step, Chris Vogler takes us through the process of connecting theme to story
and making a script come alive.”
— Lynda Obst, Producer Sleepless in Seattle, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Author, Hello, He Lied
“This is a book about the stories we write, and perhaps more importantly, the stories we live. It is the most influential work I have yet encountered on the art, nature, and the very purpose of storytelling.”
— Bruce Joel Rubin, Screenwriter Stuart Little 2, Deep Impact, Ghost, Jacob's Ladder
CHRISTOPHER VOGLER, is a veteran story consultant for major Hollywood film companies and a respected teacher of filmmakers and writers around the globe. He has influenced the stories of movies from The Lion King to Fight Club to The Thin Red Line and most recently wrote the first installment of Ravenskull, a Japanese-style manga or graphic novel. He is the executive producer of the feature film P. S. Your Cat is Dead and writer of the animated feature Jester Till.
$26.95 448 PAGES ORDER # 76RLS | ISBN: 9781932907360
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{ THE MYTH OF MWP }
In a dark time, a light bringer came along, leading the curious and the frustrated to clarity and empowerment. It took the well-guarded secrets out of the hands of the few and made them available to all. It spread a spirit of openness and creative freedom, and built a storehouse of knowledge dedicated to the betterment of the arts.
The essence of the Michael Wiese Productions (MWP) is empowering people who have the burning desire to express themselves creatively. We help them realize their dreams by putting the tools in their hands. We demystify the sometimes secretive worlds of screenwriting, directing, acting, producing, film financing, and other media crafts.
By doing so, we hope to bring forth a realization of ‘conscious media’ which we define as being positively charged, emphasizing hope and affirming positive values like trust, cooperation, self-empowerment, freedom, and love. Grounded in the deep roots of myth, it aims to be healing both for those who make the art and those who encounter it. It hopes to be transformative for people, opening doors to new possibilities and pulling back veils to reveal hidden worlds.