With On Screen Directing , renowned filmmaker Edward Dmytryk distills a lifetime of experience as a director into a dozen short essays on the craft of directing, spanning every stage of the filmmaking process, from screenwriting, preproduction, and casting to set design, postproduction, and promotion. Originally published in 1984, this reissue of Dmytryk’s classic directing book includes a new critical introduction by Bette Gordon and Eric Mendelsohn, as well as chapter lessons, discussion questions, and exercises.
Dmytryk's book on directing has stood the test of time surprisingly well. Sure, there are plenty of other good books with much the same information out there, but most of that is rehashed, and this book comes from one of the most revered sources in Hollywood at the time with a proven track record in the field. No book will provide all the answers, this one provides more than most.
Dmytryk writes about directing in a very intelligent and philosophical way while still managing to give very practical advice. I definitely recommend this short, but useful read, despite its age.