On Film-Making: An introduction to the craft of the director - Hardcover

Alexander Mackendrick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0571215610 ISBN 13: 9780571215614

Publisher: Faber & Faber, 2004

Synopsis

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 produced hundreds of pages of masterly handouts and sketches, designed to guide his students to a finer understanding of how to write a story, and then use those devices peculiar to cinema in order to tell that story as effectively as possible. Gathered and edited in this collection, Mackendrick's teachings reveal that he had the talent not only to make great films, but also to articulate the process with a clarity and insight that will still inspire any aspirant film-maker.

About this title

Review:

'Invaluable... I can easily imagine a college without a film program building a curriculum around these writings' -- Martin Scorsese

'This book is as vital and enjoyable for the watcher of films as their potential maker.' -- The Times

'This eminently accessible collection of teaching notes and sketches lays bare the myth of moviemaking' -- Empire magazine

Book Description:

Alexander Mackendrick's On Film-making is a masterclass in film-making from the acclaimed director of Whisky Galore and The Ladykillers.

About this edition

• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0571215610
• ISBN 13: 9780571215614
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336
• Editor: Paul Cronin