I love reading, I love making movies and I love film theory. So what would suggest itself more than reading books about movies, their creation and the art and theory behind it? Filmmaking is a creative process, just as well as a craft and I learned a lot about the craft even before going to school through various film books I bought or borrowed. I assembled a little list with my favorite books

 

Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need (Blake Snyder)

I read this book while writing various scripts at NYFA and really enjoyed it. Of course the title seems a little pretentious and neither is this the only book on screenwriting I would recommend to read nor will it turn you into an oscar winning screenwriter. As with all books on screenwriting you need to be cautious on how to use it. Most theories on writing are backwards engineering and they see what works in movies and finds common denominators to create sets of rules which in return are usually pretty similar to those of other theories. It still does make sense to read theories by different writers though one should never forget that those rules are more a set of tools which can help you to write, analyze and rewrite your script. I like how Blake Snyder presents his theory and his set of tools and the overall way this book is written even though it mainly concentrates on big budget Hollywood productions. Its quite fun to read and never feels dry. The only chink is, just as the title suggest, that the author sometimes is a little self-pleased which might be a bit annoying at times.

 

The Visual Story (Bruce Block)

In this book Bruce Block does not simply explore visual concepts but continues in how those concepts serve the story. Especially in times when making beautiful pictures has, at least from the technical aspect, become very easy and cheap, people sometimes tend to forget that everything and everyone on set and in post in the end has to serve the story. All those nifty tools like HDSLRs, Magic Bullet Looks, etc. can be used for the higher purpose of telling a story or simply for making the shot ‘look cool’. Block goes a lot into how the visuals have to support the story and go on the same roller coaster ride He points out how you can manipulate lines, tones, moods, etc. to emphasize the ups and downs of the story and how much of a difference it makes. One of the great things about the book is that Block not only talks about the theory in great depth but then also gives you “Movies to watch” and screenshots to actually point out how the great filmmakers have and of course still do use those visual cues and tools to tell their story. This is definitely one of the books I would not want to miss in my library.

 

Strike the Baby and Kill the Blonde: An Insider’s Guide to Film Slang (Dave Knox)

At first look this might be a strange suggestion for a book but at the second look it makes perfect sense for everybody planing on being in the industry in an English speaking country. The terms used on set have been created for a reason,mainly to make communication easier and save money. So it is essential to know them. Of course you learn most of the ‘film slang’ over time while being on set but I still found the book quite useful at times and would recommend it for film students hoping to work on bigger sets in the US. The book is not going into great detail or technical aspects of the words described but it gives you a good overview and is a fun read. For people from other countries it still might be a fun book though of course maybe not as useful. In Germany for example there are English terms which are used on set as well though many others are not.

 

The DSLR Cinematography Guide

If you like to get started on shooting video with your DSLR or get some more information on it, this is the perfect book for you. And the best part about it: It is totally free though donations are welcome and if you like it I hope you will make them a little donation. It is a free PDF E-Book published by nofilmschool.com and takes you through all the details you need to know about your camera. The book covers all topics from the first decision on which camera to buy, over lenses, audio, the downsides and workarounds until final grading in post. So if you are shooting video on DSLRs I highly recommend you this book to get started on the technical and creative side of HDSLRs.
I will suggest some more books later and in the meantime like to throw the ball back to you. What are your favorite film books? Please feel free to leave a comment below.

 

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On Amazon.com:

On Amazon.de:

The DSLR Cinematography Guide: HERE

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