Directed Films: The Art of Film Directing

Author: Eric Sherman (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: "An artist does not create because he wants to or desires to, but because he must. Perhaps it is this driving force and the allure of reshaping the ordinary reality that makes a director an artist in film production." — Eric Sherman, Preface
Introduction
Part 1: The Director
The Director’s Birth, the Birth of Film
Chapter 1: Who Is a Director? Remember These—Some Basic Principles
Breaking Through and Starting
Producers and Their Partners
Chapter 2: The Script—A Director’s Capital
Style and Technique
Adapting Scripts
Changing Skills
Cooperation
Developing the Script According to Plan
Part 2: Film as a Battlefield
Chapter 3: Organizing the Troops
The Arena of Battle
Budget
Choosing Actors
Celebrities—“Film Creatures”
Other Factors in Choosing Actors
Professional and Non-Professional Actors
Chapter 4: Training the Soldiers—Rehearsals
Chapter 5: The Law—Shooting Techniques
Pre-Production
Camera on Stage
Sequential Shooting
Retakes—Low Frame Ratio and High Frame Ratio
Multi-Camera Shooting
Considering the Actor—Maintaining Distance
Aid to Actors
Cutaways and Close-Ups
Single-Shot Shooting
Number of Shots per Day
Number of Set and Lighting Changes per Day
Simply Telling the Story
Chases/Jokes
On-Site and Studio
Wide-Screen Shots
Color Lighting
Split Screen
Sound and Picture Separation
Looping
Film and Television
Instant Playback Equipment
Special Effects
Part 3: Under the Lights
Chapter 6: On the Set
The Director’s Responsibilities
Leveraging Opportunities
Chapter 7: Directing Actors
Stage and Screen as a Midwife for the Director
Freedom and Discipline—Finding the Key
Perhaps, I Can Provide Some Examples
Fear and Trembling
Communication Methods
The Core of Genius—Intuition, Talent, Ideas
Improvisation
Chapter 8: Visual Effects and Cinematography
Visual Effects—Ideas and Images
The Relationship Between the Director and the Cinematographer—How Important? How Difficult?
Common Methods and Techniques—Representative Critiques
The Interaction Between Narrative Needs and the Camera
A Discussion—The Nature of Cinematography Work
Chapter 9: Film Editing
The Art of Film Editing—The Importance of Analyzing Film Editing
The Relationship Between the Director and the Editor
Some Common Sayings
Some Methods and Examples
Using Sound
The Director’s Cut
Test Screening
Release
Part 4: “Film”
Chapter 10: Film as Art
Film, Stage Drama, and Other Art Forms
Artistic Thinking in Film
Making a “Personal” Art
The Director as Author
The Director as Collaborator
Directors with Distinct Styles
Influence—Addition and Subtraction
Documentary
Chapter 11: Watching Films
Audience Information
Critic Reviews
The Audience in Transition
Film Education
Name Translation Comparison Table
Postscript