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Title: Art of Technique, The: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production by John S. Douglass, Glenn P. Harnden ISBN: 0-205-14248-6 Publisher: Pearson Education Pub. Date: 20 December, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $58.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.33 (6 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A first-rate primer for the aspiring filmmaker
Comment: "The Art of Technique: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production," is more of a primer than it is a critique of cinema. Yes, there is a big difference between this volume by John S. Douglass and Gleen P. Harnden and "Film Art: An Introduction" by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson. The latter utilizes literally hundreds of frames from both classic and relatively unknown films to demonstrate cinematic techniques. "The Art of Technique" does the same thing with student models. Whether this has to do with the cost of using copyrighted images and/or transforming them into individual frames for use in a book, this is a major difference between the two textbooks. When Douglass and Harnden discuss something, like Ingmar Bergman's use of Extreme Close-ups (ECU) in "Scenes from a Marriage," they can only talk about the extraordinary intimacy it gave the production, without offering visual evidence to support their claim. However, the authors do use their "homemade" examples to good use at time; for example, when exploring the concept of framing they provide examples of "bad" shots (filled with distracting clutter) before showing better choices for the cinematographer.
"The Art of Technique" is divided into two main sections. After an introductory chapter on "Interpretation and Treatment," there are six chapters focusing on the various ways a film can tell a story, essentially pre-production considerations. There is a nice little section detailing the basic types of stories Hollywood tells over and over again ("Jack the Giant Killer," "Fish Out of Water," etc.). Clearly the emphasis here is more on production than criticism, which makes the orientation of this textbook more towards the filmmaker than the movie audience. This first section ends with a look at Mise en Scene and questions of design. In terms of concepts covered, separate from the issue of how those concepts are presented in the textbook, the authors provided a comprehensive, well-organized presentation.
The second half of the book covers "Techniques for Interpretation," which starts with a consideration of the trinity of how the camera, editing and lighting can be used for interpretation. Again, everything is here; I could not find a concept or technique that was an obviously glaring omission. The book concludes with a pair of chapters on Symbols and Significance, which get into the impact film can have on an audience. You might expect to find a glossary at the back of the book, but instead we have a pair of appendixes on Electricity and Measuring Light, which only serves to reaffirm that this book is geared towards the novice filmmaker. If you are looking for a textbook that because you are a budding film critic, then this is not going to be your first choice. I can even make the argument that by not saturating their textbook with frames from dozens of films, Douglass and Harden do their readers a favor, because instead of borrowing shots and techniques from the acknowledged masters of the art form, they are being asked to reinvent the wheel. Do not knock this, because that is basically how we think Orson Welles made "Citizen Kane."
Rating: 5
Summary: An Excellent Overview
Comment: This book explores many aspects of filmmaking in a logical, easy-to-follow manner. A great find, albeit a bit pricy.
Rating: 5
Summary: good intro for the novice filmmaker
Comment: this book works very well as an introduction to the creative use of techniques for filmmaking. it is quite clear and concise and is not bogged down by too much technical details or dicussions on film theory. a good starting point.
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Title: The Filmmaker's Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age by Steven Ascher, Edward Pincus, Carol Keller, Robert Brun, Ted Spagna, Stephen McCarthy ISBN: 0452279577 Publisher: Plume Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know by Jeremy Vineyard, Jose Cruz ISBN: 0941188736 Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions Pub. Date: February, 2000 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Gaffers, Grips, and Best Boys by Eric Taub ISBN: 0312112769 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 01 February, 1995 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Editing Digital Video : The Complete Creative and Technical Guide by Robert M. Goodman, Patrick McGrath ISBN: 0071406352 Publisher: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics Pub. Date: 10 September, 2002 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
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Title: In the Blink of an Eye Revised 2nd Edition by Walter Murch ISBN: 1879505622 Publisher: Silman-James Press Pub. Date: 01 August, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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