100 Best Filmmaking Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

Making Movies

Sidney Lumet

5.0

From one of America's most acclaimed directors comes a book that is both a professional memoir and a definitive guide to the art, craft, and business of the motion picture. Drawing on 40 years of experience on movies ranging from Long Day's Journey Into Night to The Verdict, Lumet explains the painstaking labor that results in two hours of screen magic.

Recommended by Darren Aronofsky.

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]

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2

In the Blink of an Eye

Walter Murch

5.0

In the Blink of an Eye is celebrated film editor Walter Murch's vivid, multifaceted, thought-provoking essay on film editing. Starting with what might be the most basic editing question - Why do cuts work? - Murch treats the reader to a wonderful ride through the aesthetics and practical concerns of cutting film. Along the way, he offers his unique insights on such subjects as continuity and disco

Recommended by Austin Kleon.

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]

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3

Rebel Without a Crew: Or, How a 23-year-old Film Maker with $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player

Robert Rodriguez

4.9

The film-maker Robert Rodriguez describes how he made El Mariachi for $7000, demonstrating many ways in which a film-maker can do for nothing what professionals spend thousands of dollars doing without a second thought.

Recommended by Mat Whitecross.

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]

4

Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

Blake Snyder

4.8

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!

Recommended by Eric Weinstein, Vinod Khosla, Vinod Khosla, and 2 others.

Eric Weinstein

Managing Director/Thiel Capital

Eric Weinstein recommended this book on Twitter. [source]

Bill Liao

The human world occurs in language so best get good at it! [source]

Neville Medhora

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

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting

Robert McKee

4.7

Preview Summary

Robert McKee's screenwriting workshops have earned him an international reputation for inspiring novices, refining works in progress and putting major screenwriting careers back on track. Quincy Jones, Diane Keaton, Gloria Steinem, Julia Roberts, John Cleese and David Bowie are just a few of his celebrity alumni. Writers, producers, development executives and agents all flock to his lecture series

Recommended by Bill Liao.

Bill Liao

The human world occurs in language so best get good at it! [source]

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6

The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age: 2013 Edition

Steven Ascher and Edward Pincus

4.7

The authoritative guide to producing, directing, shooting, editing, and distributing your video or film

Widely acknowledged as the “bible” of video and film production, and used in courses around the world, The Filmmaker’s Handbook is now updated with the latest advances in HD and new digital formats. For students and teachers, professionals and novices, this indispensable handbook covers all aspe

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7

On Directing Film

David Mamet

4.7

According to David Mamet, a film director must, above all things, think visually. Most of this instructive and funny book is written in dialogue form and based on film classes Mamet taught at Columbia University. He encourages his students to tell their stories not with words, but through the juxtaposition of uninflected images. The best films, Mamet argues, are composed of simple shots. The great

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8

Hitchcock. Edition définitive

François Truffaut

4.7

En 1955, François Truffaut rencontre Alfred Hitchcock pour les Cahiers du cinéma. En 1962, Jules et Jim vient consacrer son talent de cinéaste et il prépare La peau douce (1964), de son aveu même le plus hitchcockien de ses films. Aux États-Unis, Hitchcock, avec Frenzy (1962), est au faîte de sa créativité et de son succès. Mais les critiques restent réticents.
Naît alors l'idée du «Hitchbook» : un

Recommended by Darren Aronofsky and Mat Whitecross.

Darren Aronofsky

This book is an amazing guide to Hitchcock’s thought process…Truffaut got Hitchcock to reveal a lot of the different techniques that he used to put together his monumental body of work. [source]

Mat Whitecross

One of the best books on film ever written. [source]

9

The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Joseph Campbell

4.7

Preview Summary

The 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

Recommended by Ray Dalio, Bryan Callen, Catherine Plano, and 4 others.

Ray Dalio

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]

Bryan Callen

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]

Catherine Plano

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]

10

Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting

Syd Field

4.6

A generation of screenwriters has used Syd Field’s bestselling books to ignite successful careers in film. Now the celebrated producer, lecturer, teacher, and bestselling author has updated his classic guide for a new generation of filmmakers, offering a fresh insider’s perspective on the film industry today. From concept to character, from opening scene to finished script, here are easily underst

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11

Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors

Blain Brown

4.6

The world of cinematography has changed more in the last few years than it has since it has in 1929, when sound recording was introduced. New technology, new tools and new methods have revolutionized the art and craft of telling stories visually. While some aspects of visual language, lighting and color are eternal, shooting methods, workflow and cameras have changed radically. Even experienced fi

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12

Directing Actors

Judith Weston

4.6

Internationally-renowned directing coach Weston demonstrates what constitutes a good performance, what actors want from a director, what directors do wrong, script analysis and preparation, how actors work, and shares insights into the director/actor relationship.

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13

On Filmmaking: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director

Alexander Mackendrick, Paul Cronin, Martin Scorsese

4.6

An invaluable analysis of the director's art and craft, from one of the most revered of all film school directors. Alexander 'Sandy' Mackendrick directed classic Ealing comedies plus a Hollywood masterpiece, Sweet Smell of Success. But after retiring from film-making in 1969, he then spent nearly 25 years teaching his craft at the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles.

Mackendrick produce

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14

Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen

Steven D. Katz

4.6

This international best-seller is filled with visual techniques for filmmakers and screenwriters who want to expand their stylistic knowledge.

15

The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers

Christopher Vogler

4.6

Provides new insights and observations from Vogler's pioneering work in mythic structure for writers.

Recommended by Darren Aronofsky.

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]

16

Adventures in the Screen Trade

William Goldman

4.5

Now available as an ebook for the first time!

No one knows the writer's Hollywood more intimately than William Goldman. Two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter and the bestselling author of Marathon Man, Tinsel, Boys and Girls Together, and other novels, Goldman now takes you into Hollywood's inner sanctums...on and behind the scenes for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's

Recommended by Timothy Ferriss.

17

Sculpting in Time

Andrey Tarkovsky, Kitty Hunter-Blair

4.5

An alternate cover edition can be found here.

Andrey Tarkovsky, the genius of modern Russian cinema--hailed by Ingmar Bergman as "the most important director of our time"--died an exile in Paris in December 1986. In Sculpting in Time, he has left his artistic testament, a remarkable revelation of both his life and work. Since Ivan's Childhood won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1962,

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18

Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics

Michael Rabiger and Mick Hurbis-Cherrier

4.5

This comprehensive manual 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 proc

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19

Master Shots Vol 1, 1st edition: 100 Advanced Camera Techniques to Get an Expensive Look on Your Low-Budget Movie

Christopher Kenworthy

4.5

20

Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Ed Catmull

4.5

Preview Summary

“What does it mean to manage well?”
From Ed Catmull, co-founder (with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter) of Pixar Animation Studios, comes an incisive book about creativity in business—sure to appeal to readers of Daniel Pink, Tom Peters, and Chip and Dan Heath. Creativity, Inc. is a book for managers who want to lead their employees to new heights, a manual for anyone who strives for originality, and t

Recommended by Mark Zuckerberg, Timothy Ferriss, Ezra Klein, and 21 others.

Mark Zuckerberg

Founder/Facebook

This book is written by the founder of Pixar and is about his experience building a culture that fosters creativity. His theory is that people are fundamentally creative, but many forces stand in the way of people being able to do their best work. I love reading first-hand accounts about how people build great companies like Pixar and nurture innovation and creativity. This should be inspiring to anyone looking to do the same, and hopefully there will be lessons we can apply to connecting the world! [source]

Timothy Ferriss

Author & Entrepreneur

No matter your circumstances, storytelling and creativity are two 'meta-skills' that can take your business and life to the next level. Ed is a master. [source]

Ezra Klein

An amazing, amazing book. [source]

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21

The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film

Michael Ondaatje

4.5

The Conversations is a treasure, essential for any lover or student of film, and a rare, intimate glimpse into the worlds of two accomplished artists who share a great passion for film and storytelling, and whose knowledge and love of the crafts of writing and film shine through.

It was on the set of the movie adaptation of his Booker Prize-winning novel, The English Patient, that Michael Ondaatje

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22

The Filmmaker's Eye: Learning (and Breaking) the Rules of Cinematic Composition

Gustavo Mercado

4.5

This is the only book that combines conceptual and practical instruction on creating polished and eloquent images for film and video with the technical know-how to achieve them.

Loaded with hundreds of full-color examples, The Filmmaker's Eye is a focused, easy-to-reference guide that shows you how to become a strong visual storyteller through smart, effective choices for your shots. This book has

23

The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller

John Truby

4.5

John Truby is one of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry, and his students have gone on to pen some of Hollywood's most successful films, including Sleepless in Seattle, Scream, and Shrek. The Anatomy of Story is his long-awaited first book, and it shares all of his secrets for writing a compelling script. Based on the lessons in his award-winning class, Grea

24

The War of Art

Steven Pressfield

4.4

Preview Summary

The Art of War meets "The Artist's Way" in this no-nonsense, profoundly inspiring guide to overcoming creative blocks of every kind.

Recommended by Daniel Pink, James Altucher, Ryan Holiday, and 17 others.

James Altucher

Founder/StockPickr

When a writer or an entrepreneur, or a manager, or an employee, or a…whatever…sits down to get to work, he or she is often met by “the resistance”. The excuses that come up: I can’t do this. I am too old. I don’t have enough money. I’m scared. “The War of Art” is the guide to getting through that block. The comfort zone is papered up and cemented shut by our excuses. Learn to blast through that wall. Because on the other side of the comfort zone are all the tools of success. [source]

Seth Godin

Author, Marketer, Entrepreneur

Also hard to find on audio. I find Steve's voice to be fascinating, and even before I knew him, I was fascinated by listening to him speak his own work. The War of Art is one of those books, at least for me when I finally was exposed to it, I said, 'Why wasn't I informed? Why did it take this long for this book to land on my desk?'... You need to be clear with yourself about what you are afraid of, why you are afraid, and whether you care enough to dance with that fear because it will never go away. [source]

Adam Johnston

The last two pages of Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art gave me a swift kick in the ass. Do it or don’t do it. But if you don’t do it, you not only hurt yourself. You hurt your children. You hurt me. You hurt the planet. Pressfield wrote a beautiful book that you should read, but if nothing else, just read the last two pages of the book. I have them hanging on my wall in my office. [source]

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25

The Five C's of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques

Joseph V Mascelli

4.4

With the aid of photographs and diagrams, this text concisely presents concepts and techniques of motion picture camerawork and the allied areas of film-making with which they interact with and impact. Included are discussions on: cinematic time and space; compositional rules; and types of editing.

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26

Cinematic Storytelling

Jennifer Van Sijll

4.4

What the industry's most succcessful writers and directors have in common is that they have mastered the cinematic conventions specific to the medium.

Recommended by Andi Dumitrescu.

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]

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27

How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro

Steve Stockman

4.4

Newly updated and revised, How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck is a quick and easy guide that will make your video better instantly—whether you read it cover to cover or just skim a few chapters. It’s about the language of video and how to think like a director, regardless of equipment (amateurs think about the camera, pros think about communication). It’s about the rules developed over a century

28

The Visual Story: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, TV and Digital Media

Bruce Block

4.4

If 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

29

The Art of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives

Lajos Egri

4.4

Among the many "how-to" playwriting books that have appeared over the years, there have been few that attempt to analyze the mysteries of play construction. Lajos Egri's classic, The Art of Dramatic Writing, does just that, with instruction that can be applied equally well to a short story, novel, or screenplay.
Examining a play from the inside out, Egri starts with the heart of any drama: its cha

Recommended by Seth Rogen.

Seth Rogen

Very referential to certain plays. [source]

30

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls

Peter Biskind

4.4

This down-and-dirty romp through Hollywood in the 1970s introduces the young filmmakers--Coppola, Scorsese, Lucas, Spielberg, Altman, and Beatty--and recreates an era that transformed American culture forever.

Recommended by B.J. Novak and Darren Aronofsky.

B.J. Novak

Highly recommend it. … About filmmaking in the glory days of the '70s. [source]

Darren Aronofsky

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]

31

Notes on the Cinematograph

Robert Bresson

4.4

A key influence on the French New Wave and the director of such iconic works as Pickpocket and A Man Escaped, Robert Bresson is one of the central figures of French cinema. Notes on the Cinematograph is not only his definitive treatise on film—its inherent peculiarity and potential—but an ascetic meditation on how art transcends, and is transformed by, the senses.

Bresson upends inherited truths

32

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company

Robert Iger

4.3

Preview Summary

A grand vision defined: The CEO of Disney, one of Time's most influential people of 2019, shares the ideas and values he embraced to reinvent one of the most beloved companies in the world and inspire the people who bring the magic to life.

Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever and technology was changing faster th

Recommended by Brené Brown, Brian Chesky, John Stamos, and 9 others.

Brené Brown

I expected a book written by the person who has led Disney for decades to be defined by both gripping storytelling and deep leadership wisdom. The author delivers, and then some! This book is leadership gold—you won’t forget the stories or the lessons. [source]

Brian Chesky

Co-Founder & CEO/AirBnb

Bob's book is great and he's an excellent CEO. [source]

John Stamos

Loving the book Bob. Really honest and fascinating! Every Disney fan (everyone) needs to read. https://t.co/13VZpFleb0 [source]

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33

The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made

Greg Sestero, Tom Bissell

4.3

New York Times bestseller—now a major motion picture directed by and starring James Franco!

From the actor who somehow lived through it all, a “sharply detailed…funny book about a cinematic comedy of errors” (The New York Times): the making of the cult film phenomenon The Room.

In 2003, an independent film called The Room—starring and written, produced, and directed by a mysteriously wealthy social

Recommended by Austin Kleon.

Austin Kleon

I’ve been watching The Room for years, and I first read Bissell on the subject in Magic Hours. This was a total behind-the-scenes trip, and it is no surprise to me that the movie based on it has gotten great reviews. (I still haven’t seen it.) [source]

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34

Something Like an Autobiography

Akira Kurosawa

4.3

"A first rate book and a joy to read...It's doubtful that a complete understanding of the director's artistry can be obtained without reading this book...Also indispensable for budding directors are the addenda, in which Kurosawa lays out his beliefs on the primacy of a good script, on scriptwriting as an essential tool for directors, on directing actors, on camera placement, and on the value of s

35

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King

4.3

Preview Summary

Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, Stephen King’s critically lauded, classic bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

"Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealin

Recommended by Mark Manson, James Altucher, Ken Norton, and 8 others.

Mark Manson

Founder/MarkManson.net

I read a bunch of books on writing before I wrote my first book and the two that stuck with me were Stephen King’s book and “On Writing Well” by Zinsser (which is a bit on the technical side). [source]

Alina Varlanuta

My professional path – copywriting – somehow intertwines with my unprofessional (hahaha) path – writing so I would recommend reading literature for both. Somehow reading and writing are two ways of doing the same thing: storytelling (even when you read you tell yourself a story in your own voice, bringing your personal emotion and empathy to the story you’re reading). The only difference is that when I’m reading, panic is far away from me, in a safe place. Nevertheless, the words below helped me rewrite and think twice before adding an exclamation point: On Writing by Stephen King. [source]

Andrew Cowan

Yes. It is a surprise to a lot of people that this book is so widely read on university campuses and so widely recommended by teachers of writing. Students love it. It’s bracing: there’s no nonsense. He says somewhere in the foreword or preface that it is a short book because most books are filled with bullshit and he is determined not to offer bullshit but to tell it like it is. [source]

36

Kazan on Directing

Elia Kazan, Martin Scorsese, John Lahr

4.3

Elia Kazan was the mid-twentieth century’s most celebrated director of both stage and screen, and this book shows us the master at work.

Kazan directed virtually back to back the greatest American dramas of the era—by Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams—and revolutionized theatre and film with dynamic action, poetic staging, and rigorous naturalism. His list of Broadway and Hollywood successes—A S

37

Moviemakers' Master Class

Laurent Tirard

4.3

From Scorsese and Lynch to Wenders and Godard: interviews with twenty of the world's greatest directors on how they make films - and why.

Each great film-maker has a secret method to his moviemaking - and each is different. In Moviemakers' Masterclass, Laurent Tirard talks to an illustrious collection of today's greatest directors to get to the core of their approach to cinema. The results shed a u

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38

Herzog on Herzog

Paul Cronin, Werner Herzog

4.2

An invaluable set of career-length interviews with the German genius hailed by François Truffaut as "the most important film director alive"

Most of what we've heard about Werner Herzog is untrue. The sheer number of false rumors and downright lies disseminated about the man and his films is truly astonishing. Yet Herzog's body of work is one of the most important in postwar European cinema.
His in

39

Acting in Film: An Actor's Take on Movie Making

Michael Caine

4.2

A master actor who's appeared in an enormous number of films, starring with everyone from Nicholson to Kermit the Frog, Michael Caine is uniquely qualified to provide his view of making movies. This new revised and expanded edition features great photos throughout, with chapters on: Preparation, In Front of the Camera - Before You Shoot, The Take, Characters, Directors, On Being a Star, and much m

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40

Film Art: An Introduction

David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson

4.2

Film Art is often assigned to college students taking their first film class. Authors David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson do not follow the traditional method of teaching film art through a close analysis of individual films. Instead, they provide an overview of the major issues students confront when they watch movies. In clear, straightforward prose, the authors describe and dissect the complexi

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41

The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script

David Trottier

4.2

This book provides a concise presentation of screenwriting basics. The author shows the correct formats for both screenplays and teleplays, and takes the writer through the writing and marketing process.

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42

What is Cinema?: Volume 1

Andre Bazin, Hugh Gray, Jean Renoir, Dudley Andrew

4.2

André Bazin's What Is Cinema? (volumes I and II) have been classics of film studies for as long as they've been available and are considered the gold standard in the field of film criticism. Although Bazin made no films, his name has been one of the most important in French cinema since World War II. He was co-founder of the influential Cahiers du Cinéma, which under his leadership became one of t

Recommended by Andrew Sarris.

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]

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43

The Screenwriter's Workbook (Revised Edition)

Syd Field

4.2

At last! The classic screenwriting workbook—now completely revised and updated—from the celebrated lecturer, teacher, and bestselling author, Syd Field: “the most sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world”*

No one knows more about screenwriting than Syd Field—and now the ultimate Hollywood insider shares his secrets and expertise, completely updating his bestselling workbook for a new genera

44

Painting With Light

Alton, John.

4.2

Few cinematographers have had as decisive an impact on the cinematic medium as John Alton. Best known for his highly stylized film noir classics T-Men, He Walked by Night, and The Big Combo, Alton earned a reputation during the 1940s and 1950s as one of Hollywood's consummate craftsmen through his visual signature of crisp shadows and sculpted beams of light. No less renowned for his virtuoso colo

45

The Wes Anderson Collection

Matt Zoller Seitz

4.2

Wes Anderson is one of the most influential voices from the past two decades of American cinema. A true auteur, Anderson is known for the visual artistry, inimitable tone, and idiosyncratic characterizations that make each of his films—Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Moonrise Kingdom—instantly recogni

46

Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey Into Story

John Yorke

4.2

Into The Woods is a revelation of the fundamental structure and meaning of all stories, from the man responsible for more hours of drama on British television than anyone else, John Yorke.
We all love stories. Many of us love to tell them, and even dream of making a living from it too. But what is a story? Hundreds of books about screenwriting and storytelling have been written, but none of them as

47

Master Shots Vol 3: The Director's Vision: 100 Setups, Scenes and Moves for Your Breakthrough Movie

Christopher Kenworthy

4.2

A highly visual exploration of the best shots, moves, and set-ups in the industry. This books reveals the secrets behind each shot’s success, so it can be adapted to the director’s individual scenes.

48

The Film Director's Intuition: Script Analysis and Rehearsal Techniques

Judith Weston

4.2

Acclaimed director Judith Weston offers a deeply creative exploration on how to access and stimulate the filmmaker's most precious assets: instincts, imagination, and intuition.

49

101 Things I Learned in Film School

Neil Landau, Matthew Frederick

4.2

How to set a scene? What's the best camera angle? How does the new technology interact with scenes? And how does one even get the financing to make a movie?

These basic questions and much more are all covered in this exquisite packaged book on the film industry and making movies as a profession. Written by Neil Landau, an experienced screenwriter and script consultant to the major movie studios, th

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50

Lynch on Lynch

David Lynch

4.2

David 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

51

Film Directing: Cinematic Motion

Steven D Katz

4.2

The book uses extensive illustrations to explain how to create extended sequence shots, elaborate moving camera choreography, and tracking shots with multiple story points.

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52

Film Form: Essays In Film Theory

Sergei Eisenstein, Jay Leyda

4.1

Twelve essays written between 1928 and 1945 that demonstrate key points in the development of Eisenstein’s film theory and in particular his analysis of the sound-film medium. Edited, translated, and with an Introduction by Jay Leyda; Index; photographs and diagrams.

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53

Writing Movies for Fun and Profit: How We Made a Billion Dollars at the Box Office and You Can, Too!

Thomas Lennon

4.1

This is the only screenwriting guide by two guys who have actually done it (instead of some schmuck who just gives lectures about screenwriting at the airport Marriott); “These guys are proof that with no training and little education, ANYONE can make it as a screenwriter” (Paul Rudd).

Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon’s movies have made over a billion dollars at the box office—and now they show

54

Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking

Annie Atkins

4.1

A behind-the-scenes look at the extraordinary and meticulous design of graphic objects for film sets

Although graphic props such as invitations, letters, tickets, and packaging are rarely seen close-up by a cinema audience, they are designed in painstaking detail. Dublin-based designer Annie Atkins invites readers into the creative process behind her intricately designed, rigorously researched, and

Recommended by Rick O'shea.

Rick O'shea

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 @AnnieAtkins work is genuinely amazing (you'll have seen it on a screen somewhere near you) and a @Phaidon book is a major milestone in the work of any artist. Fair play 😎 https://t.co/qhPKEcyru2 [source]

55

Poetics

Aristotle and Malcolm Heath

4.1

‘The plot is the source and the soul of tragedy’

In his near-contemporary account of Greek tragedy, Aristotle examines the dramatic elements of plot, character, language and spectacle that combine to produce pity and fear in the audience, and asks why we derive pleasure from this apparently painful process. Taking examples from the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, The Poetics introduces

Recommended by Bill Liao and Richard Walter.

Bill Liao

The Book "Made to Stick" combined with "The Poetics" by Aristotle really helped me to see the power of telling great stories with surprises in them and every time I meet a start-up I can always make a contribution to their pitch. [source]

Richard Walter

Aristotle’s Poetics is the user’s guide to dramatic narrative and dramatic structure. It’s just a ragged little pamphlet really. [source]

56

Master Shots Volume 2: Shooting Great Dialogue Scenes

Christopher Kenworthy

4.1

Building on the success of the bestselling "Master Shots," this volume goes much deeper, revealing the great directors' secrets for making the most of the visual during the usual static dialogue scene. Includes more than 200 diagrams illustrating camera positions.

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57

The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style

Christopher Riley

4.1

The Hollywood Standard describes in clear, vivid prose and hundreds of examples how to format every element of a screenplay or television script. A reference for everyone who writes for the screen, from the novice to the veteran, this is the dictionary of script format, with instructions for formatting everything from the simplest master scene heading to the most complex and challenging musical un

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58

The Magic Lantern

Ingmar Bergman, Joan Tate

4.1

“When a film is not a document, it is a dream. . . . At the editing table, when I run the strip of film through, frame by frame, I still feel that dizzy sense of magic of my childhood.” Bergman, who has conveyed this heady sense of wonder and vision to moviegoers for decades, traces his lifelong love affair with film in his breathtakingly visual autobiography, The Magic Lantern.

More grand mosaic t

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59

Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told

Blake Snyder

4.1

In the long-awaited sequel to his surprise bestseller, Save the Cat!, author and screenwriter Blake Snyder returns to form in a fast-paced follow-up that proves why his is the most talked-about approach to screenwriting in years. In the perfect companion piece to his first book, Snyder delivers even more insider's information gleaned from a 20-year track record as ?one of Hollywood's most successf

60

Motion Picture and Video Lighting

Blain Brown

4.1

61

The Peregrine

J. A. Baker, Robert Macfarlane

4.1

From autumn to spring, J.A. Baker set out to track the daily comings and goings of a pair of peregrine falcons across the flat fen lands of eastern England. He followed the birds obsessively, observing them in the air and on the ground, in pursuit of their prey, making a kill, eating, and at rest, activities he describes with an extraordinary fusion of precision and poetry. And as he continued his

Recommended by Jeremy Mynott, Robert Macfarlane, and William Fiennes.

Jeremy Mynott

It’s the story of this pursuit of the bird and how he came to feel a kind of affinity with it, and how he uses the bird as a symbol for the things he feels, or wants to feel, about the natural world. [source]

Robert Macfarlane

Baker turned his bulging set of ornithological field journals into a 120-page prose poem. It’s astonishingly energy-filled. [source]

William Fiennes

It’s hard to imagine a greater contrast with U and I, although it was written by another Baker. My book The Snow Geese had a lot to do with birds and the non-human world around us, but I didn’t read this book until I’d finished. I wish I’d read it earlier than I did. The way he describes the world outside him, particularly birds, is so electric. It avoids all the traps of rhapsody and the sort of nature writing that Evelyn Waugh satirises in Scoop. You remember William Boot the protagonist of Scoop? He writes a nature column that’s a terrible, sub-poetic kind of purple-word haze. But The Peregrine is far removed from that. [source]

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62

Which Lie Did I Tell?: More Adventures in the Screen Trade

William Goldman

4.1

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63

The Complete Film Production Handbook

Eve Light Honthaner

4.1

This book is for working film/TV professionals and students alike. If you're a line producer, production manager, production supervisor, assistant director or production coordinator--the book has everything you'll need (including all the forms, contracts, releases and checklists) to set up and run a production--from finding a production office to turning over delivery elements. Even if you know wh

64

Notes on Directing

Frank Hauser, Russell Reich

4.1

In 1987, British Director Frank Hauser quietly handed twelve pages of typewritten notes to his apprentice, American Russell Reich. The notes gathered over a long career and polished to a sharp edge documented the teachings and directions that Hauser shared privately with a host of theatrical and cinematic figures, including Sir Alec Guinness, Richard Burton, Sir Ian McKellen, Dame Judi Dench, Kevi

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65

Conquest of the Useless: Reflections from the Making of Fitzcarraldo

Werner Herzog

4.1

Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man) is one of the most revered and enigmatic filmmakers of our time, and Fitzcarraldo is one of his most honored and admired films. More than just Herzog’s journal of the making of the monumental, problematical motion picture, which involved, among other things, major cast changes and reshoots, and the hauling (without the use of special effects) of a 360-ton steamship over

66

Set Lighting Technician's Handbook: Film Lighting Equipment, Practice, and Electrical Distribution

Harry Box

4.1

Comprehensive. Detailed. Practical. Set Lighting Technician's Handbook, Fourth Edition , is a friendly, hands-on manual covering the day-to-day practices, equipment, and tricks of the trade essential to anyone doing motion picture lighting, including the lamp operator, rigging crew, gaffer, best boy, or director of photography. This handbook offers a wealth of practical technical information, use

67

Directing the Documentary

Michael Rabiger

4.1

Tens of thousands of readers have benefited from Michael Rabiger's classic text on documentary filmmaking, now updated to reflect the revolutionary switch to digital video equipment and software. You will learn how to research and focus a documentary film or video idea, develop a crew, direct the crew, maintain control during shooting, and oversee postproduction. Practical work is emphasized, with

68

Art of the Cut: Conversations with Film and TV Editors

Steve Hullfish

4.1

Art of the Cut provides an unprecedented look at the art and technique of contemporary film and television editing. It is a fascinating "virtual roundtable discussion" with more than 50 of the top editors from around the globe. Included in the discussion are the winners of more than a dozen Oscars for Best Editing and the nominees of more than forty, plus numerous Emmy winners and nominees. Togeth

69

Shooting to Kill

Christine Vachon, David Edelstein

4.1

Complete with behind-the-scenes diary entries from the set of Vachon's best-known fillms, Shooting to Kill offers all the satisfaction of an intimate memoir from the frontlines of independent filmmakins, from one of its most successful agent provocateurs -- and survivors. Hailed by the New York Times as the "godmother to the politically committed film" and by Interview as a true "auteur producer,"

70

Filmmaking For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Bryan Michael Stoller

4.1

Everything you ever wanted to know about making a movie but were afraid to ask...

Lights, camera, action! We all have at least one movie in us, and the amazing and affordable advances in digital technology makes it increasingly easy to make your dream a reality and share it with the world. Filmmaking for Dummies is your definitive guide to bringing a project to life, from the comedy antics of love

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71

Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film

Peter Biskind

4.1

DOWN AND DIRTY PICTURES chronicles the rise of independent filmmakers and of the twin engines the Sundance Film Festival and Miramax Films that have powered them. Peter Biskind profiles the people who took the independent movement from obscurity to the Oscars, most notably Sundance founder Robert Redford and Harvey Weinstein, who with his brother, Bob, made Miramax an indie powerhouse. Candid, pen

72

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Brian Selznick

4.1

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key,

73

Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know

Jeremy Vineyard

4.1

Over 100 storyboards with simple descriptions.

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74

My First Movie: Twenty Celebrated Directors Talk about Their First Film

Various and Stephen Lowenstein

4.1

In these vivid and revealing interviews, a diverse collection of filmmakers talk in extraordinary detail and with amazing candor about making their first films. Each chapter focuses on a director's celebrated debut and tells the inside story of the film's creation. Along the way, every aspect of the movie industry is explored-from writing the script and raising the money to casting the actors and

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75

Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen

Robert Mckee

4.1

The long-awaited follow-up to the perennially bestselling writers' guide Story, from the most sought-after expert in the art of storytelling.

Robert McKee's popular writing workshops have earned him an international reputation. The list of alumni with Oscars runs off the page. The cornerstone of his program is his singular book, Story, which has defined how we talk about the art of story creation.

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76

Cassavetes on Cassavetes

John Cassavetes, Ray Carney

4.1

Since his death in 1989, John Cassavettes has become increasingly renowned as a cinematic hero--a renegade loner who fought the Hollywood system, steering his own creative course in a career spanning thirty years. Having already established himself as an actor, he struck out as a filmmaker in 1959 with Shadows, and proceeded to build a formidable body of work, including such classics as Faces, Wom

77

What They Don't Teach You at Film School: 161 Strategies For Making Your Own Movies No Matter What

Camille Landau, Tiare White

4.1

Two filmmakers who've beaten the system give the real dope on what it takes to get your movie made.

Do you have to go to film school to get your movies made? No, say two young entrepreneurs who survived the grind. Here they offer 140 strategies for making movies no matter what. Amateurs as well as seasoned veterans can pick up this entertaining and incredibly useful guide in any place--at any point

78

Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development (Helping Writers Become Authors Book 7)

K.M. Weiland

4.1

About the Book

Powerful 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 ac

79

The Godfather Notebook

Francis Ford Coppola

4.1

THE PUBLISHING SENSATION OF THE YEAR FOR EVERY FILM FAN

The never-before-published edition of Francis Ford Coppola’s notes and annotations on The Godfather novel by Mario Puzo reveals the story behind one of the world’s most iconic films.

The most important unpublished work on one of the greatest films of all time, The Godfather, written before filming, by the man who wrote and directed it—Francis

80

Cinematography for Directors: A Guide for Creative Collaboration

Jacqueline B Frost

4.1

The essential handbook for directors and aspiring filmmakers who want to get the best visuals for their films while establishing a collaborative relationship with their cinematographer. This is the only book that focuses exclusively on the relationship between the director and cinematographer.

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81

Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood

Mark Harris

4.1

Explores the epic human drama behind the making of the five movies nominated for Best Picture in 1967-Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, Doctor Doolittle, and Bonnie and Clyde-and through them, the larger story of the cultural revolution that transformed Hollywood, and America, forever.

Recommended by Josh Charles and Kyle Russell.

Josh Charles

@MarkHarrisNYC I love this so much Mark. Can’t wait to read this book! [source]

Kyle Russell

Found my new "recommends in every coffee meeting" book - "Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood," telling the stories behind the 5 Best Picture nominees in 1968 https://t.co/xpghc74OWy [source]

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82

The Great Movies

Roger Ebert

4.0

America’s most trusted and best-known film critic Roger Ebert presents one hundred brilliant essays on some of the best movies ever made.

For the past five years Roger Ebert, the famed film writer and critic, has been writing biweekly essays for a feature called "The Great Movies," in which he offers a fresh and fervent appreciation of a great film. The Great Movies collects one hundred of these

83

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

Cary Elwes, Joe Layden, Rob Reiner

4.0

From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldm

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84

Your Screenplay Sucks!: 100 Ways to Make It Great

William M Akers

4.0

A lifetime member of the Writer's Guild of America who has had three feature films produced from his screenplays, Akers offers beginning writers the tools they need to get their screenplay noticed.

85

The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-Digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap

Stu Maschwitz

4.0

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86

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Jesse Andrews

4.0

Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme ado

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87

Making a Good Script Great

Linda Seger

4.0

Making a good script great is not just a matter of having a good idea. Nor is it a matter of just putting that good idea down on paper. In scriptwriting, it's not just the writing but also the rewriting that counts. Making a Good Script Great focuses on the rewriting process and offers specific methods to help you craft tighter, stronger, and more workable scripts.

While retaining all the valuable

88

Harry Potter Page to Screen: Updated Edition: The Complete Filmmaking Journey

Bob McCabe

4.0

Harry Potter Page to Screen: Revised and Expanded now has more pages devoted to the legacy of the Harry Potter films. In addition to the complete history of all eight Harry Potter films, the book now explores the theme parks in Florida, California and Japan, the sets and props in Leavesden, England and the House of MinaLima, founded by the graphic designers on all of the films, and located in Lond

Cover unavailable

89

The Tools of Screenwriting: A Writer's Guide to the Craft and Elements of a Screenplay

David Howard

4.0

In The Tools of Screenwriting, David Howard and Edward Mabley illuminate the essential elements of cinematic storytelling, and reveal the central principles that all good screenplays share. The authors address questions of dramatic structure, plot, dialogue, character development, setting, imagery, and other crucial topics as they apply to the special art of filmmaking.

Howard and Mabley also demon

90

Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts

Matthew Reinhart

4.0

A 3-D masterpiece celebrating Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from New York Times best-selling pop-up engineer Matthew Reinhart.

Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts is an exhilarating, interactive guide to the iconic school of witchcraft and wizardry. This book features spectacular pop-up re-creations of key locations inside and outside Hogwarts castle, and it opens f

91

Directing the Story: Professional Storytelling and Storyboarding Techniques for Live Action and Animation

Francis Glebas

4.0

Francis Glebas, a top Disney storyboard artist, teaches artists a structural approach to clearly and dramatically presenting visual stories. They will learn classic visual storytelling techniques such as conveying meaning with images and directing the viewer's eye. Glebas also teaches how to spot potential problems before they cost time and money, and he offers creative solutions on how to solve t

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92

The Story of Film

Mark Cousins

4.0

93

Grammar of the Film Language

Daniel Arijon

4.0

94

Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History

Michael Klastorin

4.0

Go Back to the Future with Doc Brown and Marty McFly in this visually stunning look at the creation of one of the most beloved movie trilogies of all time.

Great Scott! Few films have made an impact on popular culture like the Back to the Future trilogy. This deluxe, officially licensed book goes behind the scenes to tell the complete story of the making of these hugely popular movies and how the a

95

Conversations with Wilder

Cameron Crowe

4.0

In Conversations with Wilder, Hollywood's legendary and famously elusive director Billy Wilder agrees for the first time to talk extensively about his life and work.

Here, in an extraordinary book with more than 650 black-and-white photographs -- including film posters, stills, grabs, and never-before-seen pictures from Wilder's own collection -- the ninety-three-year-old icon talks to Cameron Crow

96

From Reel to Deal: Everything You Need to Create a Successful Independent Film

Dov Simens

4.0

From screenwriting & budgeting to marketing, Simens provides encyclopedic, precise, & creative instruction for putting your vision up on the screen.

97

Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner

Paul M. Sammon

4.0

The 1992 release of the "Director's Cut" only confirmed what the international film cognoscenti have know all along: Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, based on Philip K. Dick's brilliant and troubling SF novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, still rules as the most visually dense, thematically challenging, and influential SF film ever made. Future Noir is the story of that triumph.

The making of Bl

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98

Four Screenplays: Studies in the American Screenplay

Syd Field

4.0

In a field being transformed by technology, Syd Field shows you what works and why and how to find new ways to create a truly outstanding film using four extraordinary examples: Thelma & Louise, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, The Silence Of The Lambs, and Dances With Wolves.

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99

Psychology for Screenwriters

William Indick

4.0

Screenwriters must understand human behavior to make their stories come alive. This book clearly describes theories of personality and psychoanalysis with simple guidelines, thought provoking exercises, vivid film images and hundreds of examples from classic movies.

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100

Film as a Subversive Art: By Amos Vogel

Amos Vogel, Scott MacDonald

4.0

A classic returns! The original edition of Amos Vogel's seminal book, "Film as a Subversive Art" was first published in 1974, and has been out of print since 1987. According to Vogel--founder of Cinema 16, North America's legendary film society--the book details the "accelerating worldwide trend toward a more liberated cinema, in which subjects and forms hitherto considered unthinkable or forbidde