Film Directing Fundamentals: See Your Before Shooting

Bol Partner

Film Directing Fundamentals gives the novice director a set of specific techniques for developing the fundamental elements of this craft in realizing a screenplay for the screen, along with an introduction to the narrative/dramatic elements of film. In Part One, Nicholas Proferes provides a short screenplay to take the student step-by-step through the detective work necessary to uncover disparate dramatic elements such as character, circumstance, wants, and actions. This initial investigation identifies the dramatic essence of each moment, organizes them into a dramatic unit, and leads to an overall design for rendering the script on the screen. This section includes work with actors, staging, and use of the camera as an active narrator. Students are encouraged to use floor plans and storyboards to aid in the previsualization of the film. Part Two features a scene-by-scene analysis of three feature films by master directors. These are designed to be used in conjunction with the viewing of the films and allows the student to fully understand how the dramatic and narrative categories of film language are used by master directors. In addition, nine other films are analyzed for their distinctive styles and differing dramatic construction. An appendix contains the grammatical rules of film language, the cinematic categories of time and space, and essential questions directors should ask concerning their screenplays.

Bol

Film Directing Fundamentals gives the novice director an organic methodology for realizing on the screen the full dramatic possibility of a screenplay. Unique among directing books, this book provides clear-cut ways to translate a script to the screen. Using the script as a blueprint, the reader is led through specific techniques to analyze and translate its components into a visual story. A sample screenplay is included that explicates the techniques. The book assumes no knowledge and thus introduces basic concepts and terminology. Appropriate for screenwriters, aspiring directors and filmmakers, Film Directing Fundamentals helps filmmakers bring their story to life on screen.