Twilight Director's Notebook: The Story of How We Made the Movie Based on the Novel by Stephenie Meyer

by Catherine Hardwicke

A personal, behind-the-scenes look at the making of the blockbuster film Twilight from groundbreaking director Catherine Hardwicke!

This intimate full-color "notebook," designed to replicate the one director Catherine Hardwicke kept on and off the set, takes you through the creative process that went into making Stephenie Meyer's breathtaking novel come alive on screen - from casting to costumes, stunts to story boards. With never-before-seen notes, sketches, and photographs taken directly from the visionary director's personal notebook, this book includes everything from her visual inspirations, to step-by-step breakdowns of action sequences, to a behind the scenes look at some of the most pivotal moments in the creation of the film, and much more.

Get the inside story - this collectible notebook will be a must-have addition to every Twilight fan's bookshelf!

Genres: Nonfiction, Vampires, Romance, Paranormal, Film, Reference, Supernatural

163 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Catherine Hardwicke (born Helen Catherine Hardwicke; October 21, 1955) is an American production designer and film director. Her works include the independent film Thirteen, the Biblically-themed The Nativity Story, and the vampire film Twilight.

Hardwicke was born in Cameron, Texas, the daughter of Jamee Elberta (née Bennett) and John Benjamin Hardwicke. She grew up in McAllen, Texas and is a Christian.

Reviews

[Thomas Andrikus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I start, let me clarify one thing here: I am not, and never will be, a Twilight fan.

I have read all four books and watched three of the movies, and I have to admit that though the books are not necessarily as great as those teenage girls claim to be, the first Twilight movie does show a quality moviemaking.

There, I said it. The first Twilight movie is superb.

Which is the reason I got curious of this book, where the director Catherine Hardwicke compiles a huge stack of handwritten notes with a heap of pictures from the shoots and behind-the scenes. And voila, an amusing, and at times sentimental recollections of how the crew worked at their picturesque locations on the outskirts of Portland, OR.

It is also interesting to note how oftentimes Bella's scenes have to be done by a double because the actress Kristen S. was still 17 during most of the shoot process. In most U.S. states, you can only work a maximum of six hours a day if you are below 18. This led the crew to throw a birthday party saying "Welcome to [Working] nights!".

On the whole, this small-ish hardcover would be an interesting companion to watching the first movie. Unless of course, you don't like the movie either.

And try listening to Twilight OST album while leafing thru the pages.

Oh crap. Forget I said that. Now I'm sounding like a teenage girl too.

[Edeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

turns out robert pattinson chose the spider monkey line out of like 10 lines . dont know what to think anymore

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twilight Director’s Notebook is Catherine Hardwicke’s behind the scenes journal of working on the first Twilight film. It gives a lot of great insight into the first movie. This book is perfect for Twilight fans and anyone interested in getting into the world of filmmaking (including directing, costume design, etc.).

I’m a huge Twilight fan, so I enjoyed this book and I found myself surprised by a lot of facts in this book. My favorite facts that I learned were that Peter chose for Carlisle to wear lots of scarfs to hide Carlisle’s bite mark, Bella’s wardrobe color changes to match her growing love for the Cullen family, and Robert’s real life sister was in the cafeteria for the first cafeteria scene.

I live in Oregon, so reading a lot of the Oregon filming facts was really interesting because I knew exactly when certain scenes were being shot since I remember that year vividly due to the weird times we got snow that year.

As a cosplayer who has cosplayed from Twilight and wants to do more Twilight cosplays, this book will come in handy when searching for new Twilight pieces. There’s close ups of some clothing pieces and a lot of details are provided about them.

This book definitely drags at a few points and I’m not a fan of Hardwicke’s “quirky” misspellings of words, but those were the only two issues I had with this book.

[Olivia's Bookish Places & Spaces · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this when I was in my serious Twi-hard days. Not only is it well written and fun, it also gives a pretty interesting insight into how movies are made and just how much work goes into special effects. I think anybody interested in twilight or movie production would really enjoy this book.

[Melissa Chung · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was obsessed with Twilight when it first came out. The only four books I owned. I would read them numerous times before they were “hated”. I’m not going to discuss “politics “ here. Some love Twilight, some hate it. I happen to love the books in all its cheesy glory. Its a fun teen romance. I have collected Twilight books over the years. This is just another to add to my collection.

This is a fun walkthrough or behind the scenes of Twilight the first movie in the saga, directed by Catherine Hardwicke.

[Catherine Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a re read. I was missing my books and I cannot find them so I read this one again. First time I read it, it was good and just kinda skimmed through it. I read it again and actually read it. It was quite interesting how she had worked on the movie. Kinda like an in depth in to the movie making.

If you are a twilight fan then you need to read it. It's great!

[Sabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading about how the first movie was made!






So much process goes into making a movie! Since I especially love the first movie, it's a nice treat!

[Anna Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

i found this really interesting now that im working in the industry! fun to get more inside scoop and fun to follow along now that i undertstand all the steps in the movie-making process from school/work

[Lena Tumasyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift from a friend and I loved it!!

Let me start out by saying, that although I am a Twilight fan, and I have read the books, I am NOT the biggest fan in the world. And out of all the Twilight movies, the 1st one is definitely my favorite. It has a certain feel that is just not replicated anywhere else, not in the other 3 movies and not in other movies I've seen. All the diagonal shots, the cool tones, the small home-town feel, it was just magical. So, I was very excited to read this book.

I read this book PAGE BY PAGE, Picture by picture and caption by caption. I really absorbed it. It was so much fun seeing how one of your favorite movies was made! You don't realize how wacky things are on set and how much work all this is. But Catherine Hardwicke is a genius. She really gets the artsy feel across, the magic of Twilight, like no other director. And I saw some imitation (or a sort of reverting to Twilight) in Breaking Dawn part 1, but it really doesn't come close. Catherine set the tone and it was perfect for the story. By reading this book you really get to see how her mind works to make all of that happen.

I loved her hand-written notes, the silly humor, and the honesty in this book. I am so glad she made it.

Thank you Catharine for making a wonderful movie and a great book!!

[Gerasimos Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love the movies and the books, and if you are interested in how directors direct movies you should get this one. Plus, it is full with beautiful, artistic never before seen photos.

[millie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really dont know what to think of this...
Honestly it was so good getting to know the actors, directors, designers and producers behind such a successful story! The jokes were terrible lol but that was kinda the point.
I love the thought process that went into certain scenes and I'm tired just reading about the effort they've put in!
Also omg I love robert pattinson so much he recorded the music and everything 😊
I will never forget the fact that out of 10 lines, he chose the spider monkey one :)
Alice will always be my favourite x🧛‍♀️

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had forgotten i read this when it came out and that i have a hard copy of this. so i'm reviewing now.

it's a pretty good insight of the filming process. i have to give it credit saying that when i read this at my tender age of 13 years old, i fell in love with all the process that goes into making a movie and that evolved into loving other movies as well. so thank you, catherine hardwicke and twilight.

[Buchita · Rating 5 out of 5]

my bf sent me this book and i was like omg this book is so awesome, i saw their sketches and follow them through the creative process and everything before a completely of this movie. i love art, sketch and drawing and you know what in this book their line are so great, perfect sketch. remind me thinking of when i was studies in art university on making film class ;)

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not an hardcover Twilight fan. I loved the book, liked the movie, but don’t even know if I finished the 2nd movie🫣🤣

This book surprised me. I honestly didn’t think I’d love it this much.

I loved Catherine’s humor!!
I loved to know how the movie was made. Made me think of the bonus part in DVDs (it’s been a while since I watched one🤣).

It was really interesting!

[Sadie Clark]

✨NO RATING✨
38/200
The good and the bad.
This book was such a fun way to get to know my favorite movie series better! (Please no hate. Most of y’all grew up watching Mickey Mouse, I grew up watching Twilight🫶🫶)
I loved seeing all the ideas and what worked and what didn’t!
Overall, I would recommend this if you are a fan of the books and/or the movies!

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

skimmed it for booktalks... fun facts... will keep fans going

[Mya · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, learning and understanding how this movie was made, gave me a better appreciate for the culture that this movie has cultivated.

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was SO fun. I loved getting a behind-the-scenes look into the making of Twilight—both technically and creatively. This would be a great gift for anyone who loves Twilight!!

[Daniela Rosas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este é o primeiro livro de não-ficção lido este ano.
"Crepúsculo:Caderno da Realizadora" foi-me oferecido por uma colega de escola à cerca de 3/4 anos.
Este livro é fantástico, tem ilustrações incríveis e ficamos a conhecer todo o processo criativo que a realizadora Catherine Hardwicke teve durante a realização do filme "Crepúsculo".
Ver como tudo foi feito é espectacular, conhecer os processos de filmagem, de construção das personagens, as suas roupas, o cabelo, os acessórios.... tudo isto leva ao resultado final que vemos no filme e saber como tudo é feito é impressionante.
Gostei muito da leitura e fico com muita mais vontade de ler os livros sobre os bastidores dos filmes e acabar todos os livro relacionados com a série "Twilight".

[Rocío (Taylor's version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eu posta que está genial este libro. Me encontré con muchos datos súper interesantes sobre cómo hicieron la película, detalles que quizá uno como espectador suele pasar por alto y muchas otras cosas más. Está copado eh, yo que ustedes le daría una oportunidad

[Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik blijf bij mijn standpunt dat de eerste Twilight film een modern voorbeeld is van ‘auteur cinema’ en dit boekje bevestigt dat des te meer. Dankjewel Marieke, wat een heerlijk cadeau 😂

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun little book! After visiting Forks and the filming locations of Twilight throughout Washington and Oregon, I really wanted to learn more about how and why the locations were chosen. I saw this book in a shop and realized I’d never read it before (in my youthful Twilight collecting days) - and hoped that it might provide some insight! The book is definitely geared towards a younger audience, and was not as detailed and informational as I had hoped it would be. However, I wasn’t disappointed! It’s set up as if it’s an actual notebook of Catherine Hardwicke’s - with handwritten notes accompanying behind the scenes photos and storyboards, etc, from the making of the film. The book touches on just about every scene and character, briefly. Spanning location choices, costuming details, script adjustments, and fun facts. Although, as an adult with a more specific in depth interest, I had hoped for more from it overall - I still give it a 5 star rating, because I think it’s a fun and well put together companion for any regular fan of the film.

[Immortal Fiction · Rating 3 out of 5]

I excited bought this from Borders on March 17 (while celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary!) My first impression? GEEZ! Could it be any smaller and still show photos? Typical 5×7 paperback novel size, thinner than most. Nice hardback cover, but you’ll break the spine trying to see Rob Pattinson’s face in both of the two-page spreads where Edward is faceless or headless.

I bought it of course. They knew it was a sure thing for collections if nothing else but its also full of very cool photos, drawings, and journal notes. I’m just being blunt because I expected something the same size and quality as the movie guide from last fall. That photo book was absolutely perfect so this one had a pretty big shadow to overcome. Sadly, it didn’t.

But thanks anyway Catherine. We loved your creative work and passion for Twilight. You will be missed and your notebook is a treasure.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Twilight, and I thought the movie was great. Now, I've really enjoyed going through Catherine Hardwicke's journal. She is so passionate about making the movie, correctly, and she put so much hard work into it.

First off, I absolutely love the drawings and the storyboard sketchings. They really gave me a new perspective on the behind-the-scenes of Twilight. The costume designs were awesome! I think they were my favorite part. I also really enjoyed reading about how they made the favorite scenes, how everything was placed, etc.

All in all, it was a quick read into the movie world of Twilight. I recommend it to others who share the same passion about Twilight.

Rating:

95/100

[Kai (CuriousCompass) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if you absolutely hate Twilight I absolutely reccomend this book to anybody interested in the film industry or the process of making movies. Catherine Hardwicke is often overlooked in the grand scheme of things as far as the industry goes, despite what she accomplished with this movie, breaking records and making roadway for female directors to land bigger projects, despite the fact that the saga itself jilted her after the first movie.

I got this book for my 13th birthday years and years ago, and I've had it into adulthood. I was a total Twihard back then and even had a Twilight birthday cake, which is obnoxious, embarrassing, and totally glorious all at once. I absolutely love the behind the scenes photographs, concept art, trivia, and her obvious love for what she does. 5/5

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first film of the series has always been my favourite. The love story to the Pacific Northwest and its abundant natural environment is a character in itself. So much lush green. (In my pocket of the Northeast it’s mostly concrete and city.)

Catherine’s careful choices of colour palette, location scouting, and character building via wardrobe add more depth to the story than readers or film viewers may realise.

I do wish she included a photo of Robert Pattinson with hair extensions. Maybe if there was a flashback scene when Carlisle turned him.

[AH · Rating 2 out of 5]

My neighbor was cleaning out her garage and gave this book to me.

Nice photos, but we've seen them already.
Difficult to read as it is written in teeny tiny handwriting.

Good for - the Twilight Fan.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOOD

[Twillaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I now know EVERYTHING, Catherine Hardwicke! Mwhahahaha!!!! Brilliant book :)

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is technically a book so I am counting it toward my reading goal!! Either way, it was actually a really cool behind-the-scenes look into the director’s mind.