Cinematic Storytelling

Customer Reviews

• Filmmaking Bible

  My husband (whom I bought the book for) insists the only thing I needed to say about this book is that it is the bona-fide Bible of filmmaking.

• Excellent book for understanding the art if cinematic storytelling.

  This is a fantastic book for anyone wanting to understand the art of cinematic storytelling. I have been doing production for over 18 years and was able to either reconfirm what I already know along with be reminded of what I forgot. This book is formatted to easily digest the concepts. Fred Meek - MindBOX Video Productions Austin, TX [...]

• An amazing resource

  I stumbled on this book almost b yaccident - and thank goodness! It has guided my own films and videos and those of my students ever since. You can flip to any page in this, or run start to finish, and quickly and easily expand your visual storytelling skills. This is a "can't miss" book !

• Great Book, with examples from films.

  
  Lots of other good reviews on this one (some bad as well). I took a look at it and found it to be very nice.
  At under $20.00 it is a lot better than paying for a $150.00 (used) textbook to use in a class.
  The basis of the book is giving you industry terms for the types of shots, with definitions and detailed examples from films. It delivers plain and simple, very nice book and written well.

• Don't Let Good Reviews Fool You

  I read many reviews before I commit to getting a book. Because this book was so well reviewed, I thought it would be perfect.
  I am a screenwriter and I recently directed my first commercial. I turned to this book to expand my visual vocabulary. I expected to see many visual conventions explained in graphic detail that I could adopt or at least be aware about.
  
  Don't let the reviews fool you. This book is academic jargon. Deconstructionist dribble. Postmodern silliness. It is not -- I repeat, NOT -- practical cinematic storytelling devices put on paper by a working professional, but reads more like an undergraduate film student's take on Citizen Kane, Raging Bull, etc...
  
  If you like film criticism, great. But this book claims to be a resource for screenwriters hoping to use a richer visual technique, or for directors who need to know the most common shots and visual conventions.
  
  So you understand what I am saying, understand: the very first chapter/point is "The Horizontal Axis." Our young author -- with no real experience -- then goes on to relate how often times good characters move from left to right, and villains move from right to left. If you don't see how annoying and impractical and just plain theoretical this book can be, let me choose another example.
  
  Chapter 14: Triangular Composition.
  Using the film "Witness" as an example, our naive author goes on to show how the filmmakers used triangles to show a love triangle between three central characters. First of all, there isn't any use of triangles in any obvious way, even in the picture she chose. Second of all, because she overlays the screenplay, you can see how there is no notion as such in the screenplay as well. Worst of all, the author then claims that the other elements in the frame --a birdhouse, picket fence -- are themselves triangular and part of the thematic message.
  
  This is the BS that they taught me in college English courses. This is what they call deconstructionism where the author's intent has nothing to do with a reader's ability to derive whatever meaning they want.
  
  If you are looking for a good practical shot guide, or anything to expand your moviemaking technique, do not get this book. It is not written by a filmmaker. A PA would no more about film than this woman.
  
  If you like post-modern crap, then get this book. I wish I could get rid of it.