Film Theory & Appreciation, Film Production & Direction

Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics

Name: Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics
Author: Michael Rabiger
ISBN: 9780240818450

by Michael Rabiger, Mick Hurbis-Cherrier

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Overview

"Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics is a comprehensive manual that teaches the essentials of filmmaking from the perspective of the director. Ideal for film production and directing classes, as well as for aspiring and current directors, Directing covers all phases of preproduction and production, from idea development to final cut. Thoroughly covering the basics, Directing guides the reader to professional standards of expression and control, and goes to the heart of what makes a director. The book outlines a great deal of practical work to meet this goal, with projects, exercises, and outcomes assessment tables to judge progress." The third edition has been completely revised to capitalize on the advantages offered by the revolutionary shift to digital filmmaking. This new edition also emphasizes the connection between knowing and doing, with every principle realizable through projects and exercises. Much has been enhanced and expanded, notably, aspects of dramaturgy, beats and dramatic units, pitching stories and selling one's work, the role of the entrepreneurial producer, and the dangers of embedded moral values. Checklists are loaded with practical recommendations for action, and outcomes assessment tables help the reader honestly gauge his or her progress. Entirely new chapters present preproduction procedures, production design, script breakdown, procedures and etiquette on the set, shooting location sound, continuity, and working with a composer.

Audience: Film students, directors, filmmakers, film industry professionals.

About the Author, Michael Rabiger

Michael Rabiger has directed or edited over 35 films, founded the Documentary Center at Columbia College, Chicago, and was Chair of its Film/Video Department. Now Professor Emeritus, Rabiger has also been presented with the Preservation and Scholarship Award by the International Documentary Association. He has given workshops in many countries, led a multinational European documentary workshop for CILECT, the international association of film schools. As Visiting Professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he taught idea development, directing, and advanced production.

When he retired 2001 to write full-time, Columbia renamed its documentary center "The Michael Rabiger Center for Documentary.” In 2002 he was made Honorary Professor at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; in 2003 awarded the 2003 Preservation and Scholarship Award by the International Documentary Association in Los Angeles; in 2005 the Genius Career Achievement Award by the Chicago International Documentary Festival, and also in 2005 was made Professor Emeritus by Columbia College Chicago.

He is the author of the enormously successful, Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics (Focal Press), now in its fourth edition, and Directing the Documentary (Focal Press), now in its fifth edition. He is also the author of Developing Story Ideas (Focal Press), currently in its second edition. He is currently writing a biography of Thomas Hardy.

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Editorials

From the Publisher

"Michael Rabiger's book "Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics" is the gold standard. His attention to the artistry of directing, not merely the technical concerns, puts him in the first rank. Rabiger's taste, knowledge, and insight are even more finely honed in this new edition. For the novice or the seasoned pro, this book is a joy and a must."
-Jared Rappaport, Chair of the Department of Cinema and Television Arts, California State University - Northridge

"In its fourth edition, Directing remains as fresh and relevant as ever. Rabiger has devised a clear and eminently practical method for film directing which also promotes individual creative expression. By meticulously exploring drama, craft, process and artistic perspective, he demonstrates how to plunge into the heart of a screenplay and emerge with a film that reflects the heart of the director." -Mick Hurbis-Cherrier, Film Professor at Hunter College of the City University of New York, Filmmaker, and author of, "Voice & Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production"

"As he has in previous editions of "Directing," Michael Rabiger continues to offer a complete and comprehensive overview of virtually all aspects of directing, from ideas to budgeting, from casting to editing. From my viewpoint there is no comparable book on the market."
-Eric Swelstad, Department Chair - Media Arts, Los Angeles Valley College

"A comprehensive introduction to directing that focuses heavily on the interpersonal and organizational aspects of the craft....For those about to embark on their debut short or feature, Directing offers a thorough manual that keeps one from having to learn everything the hard way." - American Cinematographer

Praise for the 3rd Edition:
"This is the single most valuable guide for both novice and seasoned practitioner...The new edition continues to be the comprehensive text for learning directing, integrating the rapid changes in technology with what was already a superbly detailed step-by-step text." - Jameson Goldner, professor of cinema at San Francisco State University

"This is the only comprehensive book on filmmaking that I recommend to my students", Jeremy Kagan, USC Graduate Film School; Artistic Director Sundance Institute