Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics

by Michael Rabiger, Mick Hurbis-Cherrier

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 process of making a film. The core of the book is the human, psychological, and technical knowledge that every director needs, the enduring elements of the craft that remain vital. Directing also provides an unusually clear view of the artistic process, particularly in working with actors and principle crew to achieve personally expressive storytelling and professionalism on any budget. Directing explores in detailed and applicable terms how to engage with the conceptual and authorial sides of filmmaking. Its eminently practical tools and exercises show how discover your artistic identity; develop credible and compelling stories with your cast and crew; and become a storyteller with a distinctive voice and style. The companion website includes teaching notes, dozens of practical hands-on projects and film study activities to help you master technical and conceptual skills, film analysis questionnaires, and all the essential production forms and logs. New to the fifth edition * Virtually every chapter has been revised, updated, and re-organized for a streamlined and integrated approach. * Expanded sections on the basics of drama, including thorough analyses of recent films * Discussions of the director’s approach to script analysis and development * New discussion exploring the elements of naturalistic and stylistic aesthetic approaches. * New discussion on the narrative power of lighting and the lens - including many recent film examples for shot size, perspective, focus and exposure * Greater emphasis on the implications of composition, mise-en-scène, continuity shooting and editing, long take shooting, point-of-view sequences, and camera handling * Expanded discussion of collaboration between the director and principle creative crew * Updated coverage of workflow and comparative advantages to digital or film acquisition * New section on film production safety, set protocol and etiquette

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Art, Collections, Reference, Textbooks

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Mohammed · Rating 3 out of 5]

- ماهذا الكتاب؟ يبدو مختلفًا!
- آه، نعم...عن الإخراج.
- أي نوع من الإخراج؟
- السينمائي طبعاً.
- أوه رائع. لم أكن أعرف أنك تعمل في مجال السينما.
- هاقد أضفت لك معلومة حتى لو كانت خاطئة. فأنا لا أعمل في هذا المجال.
- إذن تريد أن تصنع فيلمك الخاص؟
- ولا هذا!
- لماذا إذن تقرأ كتابًا عن الإخراج السينمائي؟
- هممم. نزوة ولن تتكرر.
- كي لا تتكرر يجب أن نعرف الدوافع.
- صحيح لكن الإنسان كائن غامض. لن تستطيع فهم دوافعه، راجع روايات دوستويفسكي للمزيد من الغموض.
- يا عزيزي، الأمر بسيط، لماذا اخترت كتاباً عن الإخراج، صارحني وسأتفهمك.
- حسنٌ سأعترف لك. كل ما في الأمر أن الكتاب يحتوي على فصول عن فن الكتابة والإبداع، اختيار المواضيع و رسم المشهد...إلخ، بالإضافة إلى طريقة كتابة السيناريو.
- إذا كان الأمر كذلك فلا بأس. استطيع تفهم إقدامك على مثل هذا الفعل. وهل استفدت؟
- لم استفد كثيرًا. صحيح أن كل تك المواضيع وردت في الكتاب ولكنها لم تكن بالثراء الذي توقعت، ربما لأنني أطلعت على نصوص متعلقة بنفس الموضوع من قبل. كلها كُتبت بواسطة أدباء، فتوقعت أن أجد أمرًا مختلفًا لدى مخرج سينمائي. هذا إلى جانب أن مروره على أغلب النقاط كان سريعًا.
- أتفق معك بأنه قد تشكّلت بين السينما والأدب علاقة حميمة.
- بالضبط، السينما تستمد الإلهام من الأعمال الأدبية، والأديب يستحضر التقنيات السينمائية في الكتابة.
- وكيف ستقيم هذا الكتاب؟
- تقييمي لن يكون منصفًا بالتأكيد، وعلى كلٌ لن يلتفت لهذه المراجعة أحد. فالقارئ المختص سيبحث عن المراجعات الذي كتبها مختصون مثله، لا متطفلون.
- لا استفدت ولا أفدت!
- هذه هي غايتي في الحياة.

[Neveen · Rating 4 out of 5]

كان عندي حاله من الاستمتاع بكل لحظه بقرأ فيها ف الكتاب، ده من الكتب اللي مش متضايقه اني خلصتها لاني متأكده اني ديما هحتاج ارجعله. الكتاب معمول للاشخاص اللي: "انا في معهد سينما ومحتاج كتاب يساعدني" او "انا مجال دراستي مكنش السينما بس انا ف بدايه طريقي إني ابقي مخرج" .. انا مش شخص من دول، بس يمكن ده سبب حبي للكتاب.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read for anyone seriously considering working as a filmmaker, scriptwriter, or director. He presents several thought-provoking ideas to ponder as you begin your careeer.

[Ricardo Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never took a film class (only a production class), but the passion for it was always there. After looking up university textbooks online, this one came up. I couldn’t have found a better book to acquire a moderate overall understanding of cinema. It explains everything thoroughly and clearly. Although I got lost from time to time, I believe that with practice I’ll come to understand what it taught me.

[Ting Peng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly detailed

Clearly written and loads of information. I’ll probably revisit some chapters many times. A must read for an aspiring filmmaker.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's good and it's big and it has sections on everything you want to know and also things you didn't realise you needed to know (like how a sound editor marks up their cue sheets). In parts the text is fluid and lucid and eminently readable; in other parts the other author must take over and it's a wishy-washy mess of uncongealed metaphoric hand-waving. The sections especially on the director's role in developing the story and how to approach directing actors are genuinely very helpful. Whenever these well-meaning elderly authors talk about technology, however, they are usually only mostly right. The discussion of mirrorless cameras or LUTs is so close to being right. But you can't blame them, they're clearly Mac users (they never talk about video files, only QuickTime files).

Having read the whole thing cover-to-cover, for some reason, I can say that the pace is brisk enough that things never get too boring. There is the usual film-teacher disdain for commercial movies, but it's not as bad as Robert McKee's. And there's just a lot of good, clear, demystifying advice about the practical and artistic expectations of what it means to direct a film of any length. To that end, this is a good text, but don't forget to augment it with genius YouTube content like In Depth Cine and MovieWise. Their examples are in colour, and move!

[Horror DNA · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2003, author Michael Rabiger’s Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics offered a straightforward look at the directing process in a manner previously seldom seen. A wealth of information was delivered in a variety of clear and concise applications utilizing a comprehensive hands-on approach balancing standard descriptive text with clarifying charts and diagrams. Over the following decade, the guide has been revised and amended with thoughtful revisions and updates to address changes in technology.

You can read ZigZag's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Kate_52 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the 6th edition for my capstone class (communications/media major here!), super effective tool that helped cement my learning in the class and on real world sets. I especially appreciate the limited use of academic language, making it easy to digest. One of the few college textbooks I've read that I would actually recommend

[Paul Kareta · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read for someone who is starting up to get some insight and important tips into the filed of cinema.

The book is not amazing, some chapters are so amd so, a little bit boring, but it's covering all the essential aspects for starting out.

[Benyam Ephrem · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enlightening read for those new to the field.

[Abner Rosenweig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covering, in order and in good detail, the five stages of filmmaking from the director's point of view, Rabiger provides comprehensive practical solutions that will guide burgeoning directors through a production efficiently and professionally. DFTA really stands out when Rabiger transcends practical advice, particularly in chapter 16, and takes you inside the director's mind to convey the art of directing and how directors achieve greatness.

[Arijit Saha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great book, with all the information you need to know for Directing a film. A must have for all film students.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is empowering. It allows anyone with no knowledge at all to learn moviemaking basics, with some good exercises in the DIY style. And above all, in its end there are great references, so one can learn him or herself, like continuing studies through shot by shot, or other classics.

[Mike Calla · Rating 4 out of 5]

In depth compendium of what to expect as a director, and how to deal with it.
Very easy to read, concise, from script to screen. Geared to towards the studio system, but the knowledge given can be easily extrapolated to indies and even B&Is

[Siddhu]

many things

[Andron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about the whole process of film making.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read again.