ASK & DISCUSS INDEX

11 years, 4 months ago - Dan Selakovich

What aspect of directing? For example, I used to teach a seminar on camera placement for emotional impact. That's just one small aspect of it (but I feel an important one). There's a big DVD collection from Per Holmes (the same guy that did the "overheads" app I told you about). I think it's called "Hollywood Camera Work", and it's excellent and expensive. Worth it! For directing actors, one of the best things you can do is take an acting class if you have time. My directing teacher was Alexander MacKendrick. A brilliant man. Some years ago, a brit, Paul Cronin, took his class notes and turned them into an excellent book: "On Filmmaking".

http://www.amazon.com/Film-making-Introduction-Craft-Director/dp/0571211259/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394902861&sr=1-1&keywords=alexander+mackendrick

It's the book I used when I was teaching directing. Paul also put up "A director prepares" of Sandy (MacKendrick) giving a lecture on directing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo_P727IeZo

I've looked at a lot of "directing" courses on the web, as Focal Press has been bugging me for years to do a book on my seminar, and I didn't what to put out a lot of repetitive information. No worries there! They are are pretty awful, and not beyond the very basic--by people who seem to not have ever really directed.

I'd also look at films from master directors, even if you don't like them. Polanski being my favorite. He really knows where to put a camera. Check out John Frankenheimer as well. He packs more info into a frame than any director I've ever seen. You might listen to the commentary track on "Ronin" for example. It's like a master class in directing. Possibly, some shooting people members know of some educational commentary tracks. I'll post something.

Dan