The Film Director: Updated for Today's Filmmaker, the Classic, Practical Reference to Motion Picture and Television Techniques / Richard L. Bare

with a foreword by James Garner
introduced by Robert Wise

The Boston Globe said The Film Director is more than a solid nuts-and-bolts textbook. It is a fascinating behind-the-kliegs look at the director's world. Backstage raved, At long last, a book about directing written by a successful full-time practitioner of the craft. The New York Times called The Film Director, "Interestingly written as a clear and well-illustrated handbook for the beginner", and Film Reviewer exclaimed "The aspiring director and the student could not find a more expert and practical guide to the mastering of the directorial craft".

Now, award-winning Hollywood director Richard L. Bare's invaluable work on craft and craftsmanship has been completely revised and updated for a new generation of filmmakers. In it, they will not only learn to direct, they will also perhaps more importantly find out how to get a job directing.

A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at moviemaking, The Film Director uses firsthand examples from giants such as Hitchcock, Wilder, Kubrick, Stevens, and Vidor along with discussions of the working methods of Cameron, Scorsese, Spielberg, and Nichols. The mechanics and techniques of staging and handling the camera are examined, the art of keeping a story moving is explained, and working with actors so that they can give their personal best is analyzed as Bare did with the volume's foreword writer, James Garner, whom he discovered. Richard L. Bare brought George Lucas and Robert Altman to his Hollywood shoots so that they could see how industry professionals really work; now anyone who picks up this book can learn, too.

This is a must read for the beginning director on the way to a first big break, as well as for anyone interested in the challenges and triumphs of the director's art.