We've ranked the best cinematography books using expert recommendations, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. At Shortform, we know books. Our book guides are the best in the world. Learn why.
1
2The first popular work to combine the spiritual and psychological insights of modern psychoanalysis with the archetypes of world mythology, the book creates a roadmap for navigating the frustrating path of contemporary life. Examining heroic myths in the light of modern psychology, it considers not only the patterns and stages of mythology but also its relevance to our lives today--and to the life of any person seeking a fully realized existence.
Myth, according to Campbell, is the projection of a culture's dreams onto a large screen; Campbell's book, like Star Wars, the film it helped inspire, is an exploration of the big-picture moments from the stage that is our world. It is a must-have resource for both experienced students of mythology and the explorer just beginning to approach myth as a source of knowledge.
Founder/Bridgewater Associates
The book I’d give every graduating senior in college or high school would be … Joseph Campbell’s 'Hero of a Thousand Faces'. It's little bit dense but it’s so rich, so it’s a good one. [source]
Joseph Campbell was the first person to really open my eyes to the compassionate side of life, or of thought... Campbell was the guy who really kind of put it all together for me, and not in a way I could put my finger on... It made you just glad to be alive, realizing how vast this world is, and how similar and how different we are. [source]
Was mind blowing, it really helped me put into perspective, that there are cycles and rhythms, and I now call them initiations, when you are faced with fear we are never too sure of our potential unless we know how to fail, what did we learn from it and what are we going to do differently the next time. There is a lesson in everything we experience, as long as we slow down enough to reflect. The other thing in the hero's journey is that even when you say 'yes' to a project, it really doesn't mean that you are going to succeed at it, but if you go into a project with an open mind and embrace that you are here to learn, the journey itself is rewarding, not always the outcome and when we really look at our failures, they weren't real failures after all, but a stepping stone onto something greater. [source]
3
4
Managing Director/Thiel Capital
Eric Weinstein recommended this book on Twitter. [source]
The human world occurs in language so best get good at it! [source]
It takes you through 11 different 'archetypes' of screenplays you can write, and the exact elements each needs to be a great story. [source]
5
6
Recommended by Darren Aronofsky.It’s an incredibly clear, honest, and precise discussion of the films Lumet made over the course of his career. There are many pearls of wisdom about directing and filmmaking in the book. [source]
7
8
9
10 Recommended by Bill Liao.The human world occurs in language so best get good at it! [source]
11
Recommended by Darren Aronofsky and Mat Whitecross.
12
13
14If you can't make it to one of Bruce Block's legendary visual storytelling seminars, then you need his book! Now in full color for the first time, this best-seller offers a clear view of the relationship between the story/script structure and the visual structure of a film, video, animated piece, or video game. You'll learn how to structure your visuals as carefully as a writer structures a story or a composer structures music. Understanding visual structure allows you to communicate moods and emotions, and most importantly, reveals the critical relationship between story structure and visual structure.
The Visual Story offers a clear view of the relationship between the story/script structure and the visual structure of a film, video, or multimedia work. An understanding of the visual components will serve as the guide to strengthening the overall story.
The Visual Story divides what is seen on screen into tangible sections: contrast and affinity, space, line and shape, tone, color, movement, and rhythm. The vocabulary as well as the insight is provided to purposefully control the given components to create the ultimate visual story. For example: know that a saturated yellow will always attract a viewer's eye first; decide to avoid abrupt editing by mastering continuum of movement; and benefit from the suggested list of films to study rhythmic control. The Visual Story shatters the wall between theory and practice, bringing these two aspects of the craft together in an essential connection for all those creating visual stories.
Bruce Block has the production credentials to write this definitive guide. His expertise is in demand, and he gives seminars at the American Film Institute, PIXAR Studios, Walt Disney Feature and Television Animation, Dreamworks Animation, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Industrial Light & Magic and a variety of film schools in Europe.
The concepts in this book will benefit writers, directors, photographers, production designers, art directors, and editors who are always confronted by the same visual problems that have faced every picture maker in the past, present, and future.
• Now in full color!
• Written by a renowned producer, visual consultant, and teacher
• The material in this books applies to any kind of visual story, including films, animated pieces, video games, and television
15 Recommended by Austin Kleon.A short, brilliant book about film editing that has quite a few lessons for writers, too. (It would make an excellent companion to Sidney Lumet’s Making Movies.) I first read about Murch in Lawrence Weschler’s book about his adventures in astrophysics, Waves Passing In The Night, which I picked randomly off my local library’s New Arrivals shelf. [source]
16
17
19
20 Recommended by Mat Whitecross.Yes, I remember growing up and really wanting to be a film-maker. I didn’t understand how films were made. There wasn’t a huge amount of information at the time. It seemed like an impossible dream to go off and become a director – there was no sure-fire route. There still isn’t. I remember going to the careers adviser at school and saying I want to be a director and he pretty much laughed at me and said, ‘Well you can’t!’ [source]
21
Recommended by Timothy Ferriss.
22
Recommended by B.J. Novak and Darren Aronofsky.Highly recommend it. … About filmmaking in the glory days of the '70s. [source]
This is an incredibly delicious read—just a great, great account of that era from Easy Rider (’69) through the mid-’70s. It’s the story of all those great filmmakers—my icons—Scorsese, Coppola, Friedkin, and Bogdanovich. They changed the way movies were made in America. It recounts their adventures in making movies. [source]
24
29 Recommended by Darren Aronofsky.It’s the Bible for screenwriters. I think it’s the best book on how to write a screenplay ever written. It helped me get through so many roadblocks as a writer. [source]
30 Recommended by Andi Dumitrescu.My career path is made of several components, all of them main ones: sound engineering, film montage, movie directing, composition and vocal singing. That’s what I want to do in life and this is what makes me happy. For each of these, I’ve had book to help me along the way: The Eye is Quicker, by Richard D. Pepperman, Cut by Cut by Gael Chandler, The Technique of Film and Video Editing by Ken Dancyger, Directing by Mike Goodridge, Cinematic Storytelling by Jennifer Van Sijll, Sound for Picture by Tom Kenny and The Rock'n'Roll Singer's Survival Manual by Mark Baxter. [source]
36
37Powerful Character Arcs Create Powerful Stories
Have you written a story with an exciting concept and interesting characters—but it just isn’t grabbing the attention of readers or agents? It’s time to look deeper into the story beats that create realistic and compelling character arcs. Internationally published, award-winning novelist K.M. Weiland shares her acclaimed method for achieving memorable and moving character arcs in every book you write.
By applying the foundation of the Three-Act Story Structure and then delving even deeper into the psychology of realistic and dynamic human change, Weiland offers a beat-by-beat checklist of character arc guidelines that flexes to fit any type of story.
This comprehensive book will teach you:
Gaining an understanding of how to write character arcs is a game-changing moment in any author’s pursuit of the craft.
Bring your characters to unforgettable and realistic life—and take your stories from good to great!
38
40
This is an amazing book. It’s an academic book, but it reads like a novel. It was a very important book for me when I was studying film and television. Film theory was dominated for many years by the idea of the auteur, the single visionary director who managed, in the hell of the industrial system that was Hollywood’s studio system, to nonetheless produce amazing individual work. Thomas Schatz’s book is a complete antidote to that. While he doesn’t in any way argue that Alfred Hitchcock or John Ford weren’t great directors, he talks about the vigour and energy of the classical Hollywood system. It’s not about these maverick individuals succeeding by fighting against the system. [source]
It’s about how gradually the stars became more savvy: they started saying I want to do this or that kind of movie, because people don’t like to be told they’re one sort of star. But people didn’t want to see Bogart going insane for example: he’s a cynic, and also a romantic, and you want to see that Warners’ style. That’s something Schatz deals with – that all the major studios developed a very specific house style. MGM was the kind of massive, prestige house – they famously said they never made B-grade movies – whereas Warners had this reputation for gang movies, and Jimmy Cagney was their big star. Universal developed the horror genre which was cheap, and as a result the players that were contracted to these studios fitted those house styles. But the stars become more important, and eventually the directors did too, largely down to Hitchcock, who inspired auteurs like Spielberg, Cimino and Coppola. [source]
43
45
46David Lynch erupted onto the cinema landscape in 1977 with Eraserhead, establishing himself as one of the most original and imaginative directors at work in contemporary cinema. Over the course of his career, he has remained true to a vision of the innocent lost in darkness and confusion, balancing hallucination and surrealism with a sense of Americana that is as pure and simple as his compelling storylines. In this volume, Lynch speaks openly about his films as well as about his lifelong commitment to painting, his work in photography, his television projects, and his musical collaborations with Angelo Badalamenti.
51
53
54The book uses extensive illustrations to explain how to create extended sequence shots, elaborate moving camera choreography, and tracking shots with multiple story points.
56Learn with YOUTUBER JORDAN HETRICK- THE #1 AMAZON BEST SELLING AUTHOR on GoPro cameras. Jordan Hetrick's simple, yet thorough teaching style will give you the knowledge to film and share your stories like never before!Jordan Hetrick has been writing books for each GoPro camera model for more than 10 years, helping thousands of BEGINNERS and new users just like you to get the most out of their GoPro cameras.Everything you need to get the best results with the GoPro HERO 13 BLACK is here for you in this simple, step-by-step guide. This book is packed with colorful images and real life examples that make learning easy and enjoyable for any beginner.What's In This Book:Through the SEVEN EASY STEPS in this book, you will learn:The Basics of Operating your HERO13 cameraPresets for Every ScenarioTips for the Most Useful GoPro Mounts and AccessoriesEasy, Effective Photography & Cinematography TipsCreative Photo, Video and Time Lapse Editing TechniquesHow to Share your First Edited Videos and Photos...And So Much More!This book is perfect for beginners, but also provides in depth knowledge that will transform intermediate camera users into expert content creators. By the time you finish this book, you will possess all of the skills needed to share stories that will inspire and entertain loved ones for generations to come!Click the "Buy Now" Button for instant access and let's start creating!*Made for the HERO13 Black and HERO13 Black Creator Edition.
57This 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 you are a student of filmmaking, someone just breaking into the business, working in the field and looking to move up the ladder, or an experienced filmmaker updating your knowledge of tools and techniques, this book provides both the artistic background of visual language and also the craft of shooting for continuity, lighting tools and methods, and the technical side of capturing images on digital or on film.The companion website (www.routledge.com/cw/brown) features additional material, including lighting demonstrations, basic methods of lighting, methods of shooting a scene, using diffusion, and other topics.
58
60Master Every Feature of Your Insta360 X6 — From Your First 360° Shot to Your Best EditYou didn't buy a flagship 8K 360 camera to leave it in Auto mode. This guide walks you through everything the X6 can actually do — and, more importantly, how to use it — so you stop guessing in menus and start capturing footage that looks professionally shot and edited.Inside, you'll learn how to unlock the camera's full potential, including the powerful software and AI tools that make the X6 more than just a camera:AI Director & Auto Edit 2.0 — how the X6 analyzes your footage while charging and turns it into a ready-to-share highlight reel with one tapMoments Pro Cloud Editing — a plain-English walkthrough of the app's AI-powered cloud editing tool, so you can polish clips without touching a desktopPanoMind AI Reframing — trained on thousands of hours of real 360 footage, this feature turns raw 360 clips into perfectly framed flat videos automatically — this guide shows you how to guide it, not just trust itNative In-Camera Dolby Vision & 10-bit I-Log — a clear breakdown of when to shoot each, plus how to carry that color data through to Insta360 Studio or DaVinci ResolveFlowState Stabilization & Single-Lens Flat Mode — turn the X6 into a rock-steady action cam whenever you don't need the full 360° viewReframing, Keyframes & Aspect Ratios — step-by-step workflows for exporting the same 360 clip as a vertical TikTok, a widescreen YouTube video, or a cinematic panorama — without reshootingWhether you're a travel vlogger, an action-sports creator, or someone who just bought their first 360 camera and feels overwhelmed by the app, this guide breaks down every mode, setting, and software feature into simple, step-by-step instructions — no jargon, no fluff, no fumbling mid-shoot.Stop fighting your camera's menus. Start shooting — and editing — with confidence.
61
63
66
73
Recommended by Andrew Sarris.Bazin believed that films should be smooth, and needn’t be so socially weighty; he felt that films should have a realism to them. [source]
76
