Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics

This comprehensive manual has inspired tens of thousands of readers worldwide to realize their artistic vision and produce well-constructed films. Filled with practical advice on every stage of production, this is the book you will return to throughout your career. Directing covers the methods, technologies, thought processes, and judgments that a director must use throughout the fascinating process of making a film. The core of the book is the human, psychological, and technical knowledge that every director needs, the enduring elements of the craft that remain vital. Directing also provides an unusually clear view of the artistic process, particularly in working with actors and principle crew to achieve personally expressive storytelling and professionalism on any budget. Directing explores in detailed and applicable terms how to engage with the conceptual and authorial sides of filmmaking. Its eminently practical tools and exercises show how to: discover your artistic identity; develop credible and compelling stories with your cast and crew; and become a storyteller with a distinctive voice and style. The companion website includes teaching notes, dozens of practical hands-on projects and film study activities to help you master technical and conceptual skills, film analysis questionnaires, and all the essential production forms and logs. New to the fifth edition * Virtually every chapter has been revised, updated, and re-organized for a streamlined and integrated approach. * Expanded sections on the basics of drama, including thorough analyses of recent films * Discussions of the director’s approach to script analysis and development * New discussion exploring the elements of naturalistic and stylistic aesthetic approaches. * New discussion on the narrative power of lighting and the lens - including many recent film examples for shot size, perspective, focus and exposure * Greater emphasis on the implications of composition, mise-en-scène, continuity shooting and editing, long take shooting, point-of-view sequences, and camera handling * Expanded discussion of collaboration between the director and principle creative crew * Updated coverage of workflow and comparative advantages to digital or film acquisition * New section on film production safety, set protocol and etiquette

Table of Contents:
The world of the film director Developing your path as a director Essential elements of drama Shaping the story into drama Plot, time, and structure Screenplay ground rules Recognizing the superior screenplay Script analysis and development Cinematic point of view Form and style Tone: naturalistic and stylized approaches Film language The frame and the shot The moving camera Language of the edit The human vantage of cinemativ language Exploring the script Casting Acting fundamentals Directing actors Rehearsals Acting exercises Planning the visual design Coverage and the shooting script Line producing and logistics Developing a production crew The director and production crew On set: production begins Directing on the set Monitoring continuity and progress Postproduction overview Editing begins: getting to know the footage The rough cuts Getting to fine cut and picture lock Working with music The sound mix The finishing touches  

About the Author :
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. Mick Hurbis-Cherrier has been teaching all levels of film and video production at Hunter College in New York City for more than a decade. He works professionally in both film and video and has performed a wide range of duties on films, including producing, writing, directing, cinematography, and editing. His films and videos have been shown around the country and have garnered prizes in many festivals.

Review :
Praise for the fourth edition "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