“What are the best books about and for Filmmaking?” We looked at 409 of the top Filmmaking books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!

The top 36 titles, all appearing on 3 or more “Best Filmmaking” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 350 titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.

Also, make sure to check out our Best Film History Book List as well as our sister website Cinema Dailies for more Film articles.

Happy Scrolling!

Top 36 Filmmaking Books Of All-Time

36 .) Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman

Lists It Appears On:

• Bustle
• Film Lifestyle
• Goodreads

No one knows the writer’s Hollywood more intimately than William Goldman. Two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter and the bestselling author of Marathon Man, Tinsel, Boys and Girls Together, and other novels, Goldman now takes you into Hollywood’s inner sanctums…on and behind the scenes for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men, and other films…into the plush offices of Hollywood producers…into the working lives of acting greats such as Redford, Olivier, Newman, and Hoffman…and into his own professional experiences and creative thought processes in the crafting of screenplays. You get a firsthand look at why and how films get made and what elements make a good screenplay. Says columnist Liz Smith, “You’ll be fascinated.

35 .) Film and Video Budgets by Deke Simon

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• How To Film School
• Premium Beat

The fifth edition of this all-time standard includes new material on preproduction and High Definition as well as an update of all budgets.

34 .) Kazan on Directing by Elia Kazan

Lists It Appears On:

• Bustle
• Film Lifestyle
• Goodreads

Elia Kazan was the mid-twentieth century’s most celebrated director of both stage and screen, and this book shows us the master at work. Kazan directed virtually back to back the greatest American dramas of the era—by Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams—and revolutionized theatre and film with dynamic action, poetic staging, and rigorous naturalism. His list of Broadway and Hollywood successes—A Streetcar Named Desire (stage and screen), All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, On the Waterfront, East of Eden, Baby Doll, America America, to name only a few—is a testament to his profound impact on the art of directing. Kazan’s insights into these and other classic stage works shaped their subsequent productions—and continue to do so. There is no directorial achievement in America equal to his. This remarkable book, drawn from his notebooks, letters, interviews, and autobiography, reveals Kazan’s method: how he uncovered for himself the “spine” or core of each script and each character; how he analyzed each piece in terms of his own experience; how he determined the specifics of his production, from casting and costuming to set design and cinematography. And we see how he worked with writers on scripts and with actors on interpretation. The final section, “The Pleasures of Directing”—essays Kazan was writing in his last decade—is informal, provocative, candid, and passionate; a wise old pro sharing the secrets of his craft, advising us how to search for ourselves in each project, how to fight the system, and how to have fun doing it.

33 .) Master­Shots 100 Advanced Cam­era Tech­niques to Get an Expen­sive Look on Your Low-Budget Movie by Christo­pher Ken­wor­thy

Lists It Appears On:

• DSLR Video Shooter
• Film Lifestyle
• Goodreads

Master Shots gives filmmakers the techniques they need to execute complex, original shots on any budget. By using powerful master shots and well-executed moves, directors can develop a strong style and stand out from the crowd. Most low-budget movies look low-budget because the director is forced to compromise at the last minute. Master Shots gives you so many powerful techniques that youll be able to respond, even under pressure, and create knock-out shots. Even when the clock is ticking and the light is fading, the techniques in this book can rescue your film and make every shot look like it cost a fortune. Each technique is illustrated with samples from great feature films and computer-generated diagrams for absolute clarity.

32 .) Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads

A generation of screenwriters has used Syd Field’s bestselling books to ignite successful careers in film. Now the celebrated producer, lecturer, teacher, and bestselling author has updated his classic guide for a new generation of filmmakers, offering a fresh insider’s perspective on the film industry today. From concept to character, from opening scene to finished script, here are easily understood guidelines to help aspiring screenwriters—from novices to practiced writers—hone their craft. Filled with updated material—including all-new personal anecdotes and insights, guidelines on marketing and collaboration, plus analyses of recent films, from American Beauty to Lord of the Rings—Screenplay presents a step-by-step, comprehensive technique for writing the screenplay that will succeed in Hollywood. Discover: •Why the first ten pages of your script are crucially important •How to visually “grab” the reader from page one, word one •Why structure and character are the essential foundation of your screenplay •How to adapt a novel, a play, or an article into a screenplay •Tips on protecting your work—three legal ways to claim ownership of your screenplay •The essentials of writing great dialogue, creating character, building a story line, overcoming writer’s block, getting an agent, and much more.

31 .) Sculpting in Time by Andrey Tarkovsky

Lists It Appears On:

• BFI
• Goodreads
• Wolf Crow

An alternate cover edition can be found here. Andrey Tarkovsky, the genius of modern Russian cinema–hailed by Ingmar Bergman as “the most important director of our time”–died an exile in Paris in December 1986. In Sculpting in Time, he has left his artistic testament, a remarkable revelation of both his life and work. Since Ivan’s Childhood won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1962, the visionary quality and totally original and haunting imagery of Tarkovsky’s films have captivated serious movie audiences all over the world, who see in his work a continuation of the great literary traditions of nineteenth-century Russia. Many critics have tried to interpret his intensely personal vision, but he himself always remained inaccessible. In Sculpting in Time, Tarkovsky sets down his thoughts and his memories, revealing for the first time the original inspirations for his extraordinary films–Ivan’s Childhood, Andrey Rublyov, Solaris, The Mirror, Stalker, Nostalgia, and The Sacrifice. He discusses their history and his methods of work, he explores the many problems of visual creativity, and he sets forth the deeply autobiographical content of part of his oeuvre–most fascinatingly in The Mirror and Nostalgia. The closing chapter on The Sacrifice, dictated in the last weeks of Tarkovsky’s life, makes the book essential reading for those who already know or who are just discovering his magnificent work.

30 .) Shaking the Money Tree by Morrie Warshawski

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• Pond 5
• Premium Beat

Considered the “bible” on fundraising for independent noncommercial film and video.

29 .) Something Like an Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa

Lists It Appears On:

• Bustle
• Film Lifestyle
• Wolf Crow

“A first rate book and a joy to read…It’s doubtful that a complete understanding of the director’s artistry can be obtained without reading this book…Also indispensable for budding directors are the addenda, in which Kurosawa lays out his beliefs on the primacy of a good script, on scriptwriting as an essential tool for directors, on directing actors, on camera placement, and on the value of steeping oneself in literature, from great novels to detective fiction.”

28 .) The Art of Immersion: How the Digital Generation is Remaking Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and the Way We Tell Stories by Frank Rose

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• No Film School
• Premium Beat

Not long ago we were spectators, passive consumers of mass media. Now, on YouTube and blogs and Facebook and Twitter, we are media. And while we watch more television than ever before, how we watch it is changing in ways we have barely slowed down to register. No longer content in our traditional role as couch potatoes, we approach television shows, movies, even advertising as invitations to participate—as experiences to immerse ourselves in at will.

27 .) The DSLR Filmmaker’s Handbook by Barry Andersson and Janie L. Geyen

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• How To Film School
• Premium Beat

A how-to guide for getting professional-quality video from your DSLRShooting HD Video with a video-enabled DSLR has many benefits and some tricky drawbacks that digital filmmakers and videographers can overcome to get professional results. “The DSLR Filmmaker’s Handbook” helps filmmakers harness the HD video capabilities of their DSLRs to create professional-level video. Packed with professionally-tested techniques, this indispensible book serves as a training guide for the complex steps that must be taken before, during, and after filming. Teaches you the key tools and techniques for using your DSLR to shoot high-quality, professional-level videoDistills dense information about filmmaking and filters it down to easily understood granulesShows you what to expect and what to avoid with your DSLR and how to maximize the visual look of your filmShares tools and techniques that have been used in real-world, independent movie-making environments “The DSLR Filmmaker’s Handbook” shows you how to overcome any tricky drawbacks that you may face while shooting HD video with your DSLR.

26 .) The Magic Lantern: An Autobiography by Ingmar Bergman

Lists It Appears On:

• BFI
• Film Lifestyle
• Wolf Crow

“When a film is not a document, it is a dream. . . . At the editing table, when I run the strip of film through, frame by frame, I still feel that dizzy sense of magic of my childhood.” Bergman, who has conveyed this heady sense of wonder and vision to moviegoers for decades, traces his lifelong love affair with film in his breathtakingly visual autobiography, The Magic Lantern. More grand mosaic than linear account, Bergman’s vignettes trace his life from a rural Swedish childhood through his work in theater to Hollywood’s golden age, and a tumultuous romantic history that includes five wives and more than a few mistresses. Throughout, Bergman recounts his life in a series of deeply personal flashbacks that document some of the most important moments in twentieth-century filmmaking as well as the private obsessions of the man behind them.

25 .) The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers by Thomas A. Crowell

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• How To Film School
• Premium Beat

Film and video production is a litigation lighting rod: actors get hurt, copyrights are infringed, and contracts are broken. Big-budget producers have lawyers on retainer, but many independent filmmakers are left legally exposed. Arm yourself with the practical advice in this book. You will not only avoid common pitfalls, but become empowered in your daily work. Too many otherwise competent producers turn over every aspect of the deal negotiations to their lawyers and agents. This book explains the principal deals common to every production, putting producers back in the co-pilot seat with their representatives.

24 .) The Reel Truth: Everything You Didn’t Know You Need to Know About Making an Independent Film by Reed Martin

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• No Film School
• Premium Beat

The Reel Truth details the pitfalls, snares, and roadblocks that aspiring filmmakers encounter. Reed Martin interviewed more than one hundred luminaries from the independent film world to discuss the near misses that almost derailed their first and second films and identify the close shaves that could have cut their careers short. Other books may tell you the best way to make your independent film or online short, but no other book describes so candidly how to spot and avoid such issues and obstacles as equipment problems, shooting-day snafus, postproduction myths, theatrical distribution deal breakers, and dozens of other commonly made missteps, including the top fifty mistakes every filmmaker makes.

23 .) The Screenwriter’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script by David Trottier

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads

This book provides a concise presentation of screenwriting basics. The author shows the correct formats for both screenplays and teleplays, and takes the writer through the writing and marketing process.

22 .) The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide: A Down & Dirty DV Production by Anthony Q. Artis

Lists It Appears On:

• Documentary Cameras
• EP Films
• Film Lifestyle

So you want to make a documentary, but think you don’t have a lot of time, money, or experience? It’s time to get down and dirty! Down and dirty is a filmmaking mindset. It’s the mentality that forces you to be creative with your resources. It’s about doing more with less. Get started NOW with this book and DVD set, a one-stop shop written by a guerrilla filmmaker, for guerrilla filmmakers. You will learn how to make your project better, faster, and cheaper. The pages are crammed with 500 full-color pictures, tips from the pros, resources, checklists and charts, making it easy to find what you need fast.

21 .) The Tech­nique of Film and Video Edit­ing: His­tory, The­ory, and Prac­tice by Ken Dan­cyger

Lists It Appears On:

• BFI
• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit

The Technique of Film and Video Editing provides a detailed, precise look at the artistic and aesthetic principles and practices of editing for both picture and sound. Because editing is about more than learning a specific software program, this book focuses on the fundamentals of editing as art. Analysis of photographs from dozens of classic and contemporary films and videos provide a sound basis for the professional filmmaker and student editor. This book puts into context the storytelling choices an editor will have to make against a background of theory, history, and practice. This edition includes brand new chapters covering the goals of editing, including editing for narrative clarity, subtext, aesthetics, and dramatic emphasis, all showing how to evoke specific audience responses.

20 .) The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler

Lists It Appears On:

• Bustle
• Film Lifestyle
• Goodreads

Provides new insights and observations from Vogler’s pioneering work in mythic structure for writers.

19 .) What is Cinema? by André Bazin

Lists It Appears On:

• BFI
• Goodreads
• The Guardian

The philosophy and unique insights of the late French film critic are revealed in these essays.

18 .) Who the Devil Made It: Conversations with Legendary Film Directors by Peter Bogdanovich

Lists It Appears On:

• BFI
• BFI
• Film Lifestyle

Peter Bogdanovich, director, screenwriter, actor and critic, interviews sixteen legendary directors of the first hundred years of film – from Allan Dwan and Raoul Walsh to Leo McCarey, Alfred Hitchcock and Sidney Lumet. The conversations brought together in this book give us a history of the movies. They are the stories of pioneers who came to the picture business from many worlds. Some were adventurers (running away to sea; joining Pancho Villa) before finding their place in the movies. Some were football stars, some electrical engineers, lawyers, auto mechanics, airplane designers. Some were trained in silent movies (Dwan, Walsh, Lang, von Sternberg, Hitchcock). Many of them were men who lived to the hilt and brought to their work the residue of their earlier experiences.

17 .) On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director by Alexander Mackendrick

Lists It Appears On:

• BFI
• Film Lifestyle
• Goodreads
• NYFA

An invaluable analysis of the director’s art and craft, from one of the most revered of all film school directors. Alexander ‘Sandy’ Mackendrick directed classic Ealing comedies plus a Hollywood masterpiece, Sweet Smell of Success. But after retiring from film-making in 1969, he then spent nearly 25 years teaching his craft at the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles. Mackendrick produced hundreds of pages of masterly handouts and sketches, designed to guide his students to a finer understanding of how to write a story, and then use those devices peculiar to cinema in order to tell that story as effectively as possible. Gathered and edited in this collection, Mackendrick’s teachings reveal that he had the talent not only to make great films, but also to articulate the process with a clarity and insight that will still inspire any aspirant film-maker.

16 .) The Five C’s of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques by Joseph V. Mascelli

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads
• How To Film School

With the aid of photographs and diagrams, this text concisely presents concepts and techniques of motion picture camerawork and the allied areas of film-making with which they interact with and impact. Included are discussions on: cinematic time and space; compositional rules; and types of editing.

15 .) The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style by Christopher Riley

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• Lights Film School
• No Film School
• Premium Beat

Finally a script format guide that is accurate, complete, authoritative and easy to use, written by Hollywood’s foremost authority on industry standard script formats.

14 .) Direct­ing Actors: Cre­at­ing Mem­o­rable Per­for­mances for Film & Tele­vi­sion by Judith Weston

Lists It Appears On:

• Elfs Japan
• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads
• How To Film School

Internationally-renowned directing coach Weston demonstrates what constitutes a good performance, what actors want from a director, what directors do wrong, script analysis and preparation, how actors work, and shares insights into the director/actor relationship.

13 .) Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics by Michael Rabiger

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads
• How To Film School
• NYFA

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.The third edition 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.

12 .) Painting With Light by John Alton

Lists It Appears On:

• Elfs Japan
• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads
• How To Film School

Few cinematographers have had as decisive an impact on the cinematic medium as John Alton. Best known for his highly stylized film noir classics T-Men, He Walked by Night, and The Big Combo, Alton earned a reputation during the 1940s and 1950s as one of Hollywood’s consummate craftsmen through his visual signature of crisp shadows and sculpted beams of light. No less renowned for his virtuoso color cinematography and deft appropriation of widescreen and Technicolor, he earned an Academy Award in 1951 for his work on the musical An American in Paris. First published in 1949, and long out of print since then, Painting With Light remains one of the few truly canonical statements on the art of motion picture photography, an unrivalled historical document on the workings of the postwar, American cinema. In simple, non-technical language, Alton explains the job of the cinematographer and explores how lighting, camera techniques, and choice of locations determine the visual mood of film.

11 .) Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• Goodreads
• No Film School
• Premium Beat
• Uphill Cinema

Robert McKee’s screenwriting workshops have earned him an international reputation for inspiring novices, refining works in progress and putting major screenwriting careers back on track. Quincy Jones, Diane Keaton, Gloria Steinem, Julia Roberts, John Cleese and David Bowie are just a few of his celebrity alumni. Writers, producers, development executives and agents all flock to his lecture series, praising it as a mesmerizing and intense learning experience. In Story, McKee expands on the concepts he teaches in his $450 seminars (considered a must by industry insiders), providing readers with the most comprehensive, integrated explanation of the craft of writing for the screen.

10 .) Cinematography: Theory and Practice: Image Making for Cinematographers and Directors by Blain Brown

Lists It Appears On:

• DSLR Video Shooter
• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads
• How To Film School
• Premium Beat

Lavishly produced and illustrated, Cinematography covers the entire range of the profession. The book is not just a comprehensive guide to current professional practice; it goes beyond to explain the theory behind the practice, so you understand how the rules came about and when it’s appropriate to break them. In addition, directors will benefit from the book’s focus on the body of knowledge they should share with their Director of Photography. Cinematography presents the basics and beyond, employing clear explanations of standard practice together with substantial illustrations and diagrams to reveal the real world of film production. Recognizing that professionals know when to break the rules and when to abide by them, this book discusses many examples of fresh ideas and experiments in cinematography. Covering the most up-to-date information on the film/digital interface, new formats, the latest cranes and camera support and other equipment, it also illustrates the older tried and true methods.

9 .) Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock ‘N’ Roll Generation Saved Hollywood by Peter Biskind

Lists It Appears On:

• Film Lifestyle
• Goodreads
• Lights Film School
• No Film School
• NYFA
• Pond 5

This down-and-dirty romp through Hollywood in the 1970s introduces the young filmmakers–Coppola, Scorsese, Lucas, Spielberg, Altman, and Beatty–and recreates an era that transformed American culture forever.

8 .) Hitchcock by François Truffaut

Lists It Appears On:

• BFI
• Cheat Sheet
• Film Lifestyle
• Goodreads
• Lights Film School
• Wolf Crow

Any book-length interview with Alfred Hitchcock is valuable, but considering that this volume’s interlocutor is François Truffaut, the conversation is remarkable indeed. Here is a rare opportunity to eavesdrop on two cinematic masters from very different backgrounds as they cover each of Hitch’s films in succession. Though this book was initially published in 1967 when Hitchcock was still active, Truffaut later prepared a revised edition that covered the final stages of his career. It’s difficult to think of a more informative or entertaining introduction to Hitchcock’s art, interests, and peculiar sense of humor.

7 .) Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder

Lists It Appears On:

• Amy Clarke Films
• Elfs Japan
• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads
• Indie Film Hustle

This ultimate insider’s guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who’s proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!

6 .) Shooting to Kill: How an Independent Producer Blasts Through the Barriers to Make Movies that Matter by Christine Vachon

Lists It Appears On:

• Bustle
• Film Lifestyle
• Lights Film School
• No Film School
• Pond 5
• Premium Beat

Complete with behind-the-scenes diary entries from the set of Vachon’s best-known fillms, Shooting to Kill offers all the satisfaction of an intimate memoir from the frontlines of independent filmmakins, from one of its most successful agent provocateurs — and survivors. Hailed by the New York Times as the “godmother to the politically committed film” and by Interview as a true “auteur producer,” Christine Vachon has made her name with such bold, controversial, and commercially successful films as “Poison,” “Swoon,” Kids,” “Safe,” “I Shot Andy Warhol,” and “Velvet Goldmine.”Over the last decade, she has become a driving force behind the most daring and strikingly original independent filmmakers-from Todd Haynes to Tom Kalin and Mary Harron-and helped put them on the map.

5 .) Making Movies by Sidney Lumet

Lists It Appears On:

• Bustle
• Cheat Sheet
• Film Lifestyle
• Film Shortage
• Goodreads
• Indie Film Hustle
• Wolf Crow

From one of America’s most acclaimed directors comes a book that is both a professional memoir and a definitive guide to the art, craft, and business of the motion picture. Drawing on 40 years of experience on movies ranging from Long Day’s Journey Into Night to The Verdict, Lumet explains the painstaking labor that results in two hours of screen magic.

4 .) The Filmmaker’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Digital Age by Steven Ascher & Edward Pincus

Lists It Appears On:

• EP Films
• Film Shortage
• Film Tool Kit
• Indie Film Hustle
• No Film School
• NYFA
• Premium Beat

For first time since its publication in 1984, “The Filmmaker’s Handbook” — the classic volume highlighting the techniques and technologies needed for the creation and production of movies — has been completely revised and updated. Written by filmmakers for filmmakers, this essential text now includes the latest information on digital age filmmaking, where the shifting boundaries between film, video, and computer systems have introduced a wide range of methods and equipment every filmmaker must master to be competitive.This comprehensive reference guide addresses the techniques necessary to make feature, documentary, industrial, and experimental films while detailing the possibilities and limitations of various formats. New chapters spotlight video camera and video editing, essential information for modern film students and makers who focus on video production exclusively.

3 .) On Directing Film by David Mamet

Lists It Appears On:

• BFI
• Bustle
• Film Lifestyle
• Film Shortage
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads
• Lights Film School
• No Film School
• NYFA
• Premium Beat

According to David Mamet, a film director must, above all things, think visually. Most of this instructive and funny book is written in dialogue form and based on film classes Mamet taught at Columbia University. He encourages his students to tell their stories not with words, but through the juxtaposition of uninflected images. The best films, Mamet argues, are composed of simple shots. The great filmmaker understands that the burden of cinematic storytelling lies less in the individual shot than in the collective meaning that shots convey when they are edited together. Mamet borrows many of his ideas about directing, writing, and acting from Russian masters such as Konstantin Stanislavsky, Sergei M. Eisenstein, and Vsevelod Pudovkin, but he presents his material in so delightful and lively a fashion that he revitalizes it for the contemporary reader.

2 .) In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch

Lists It Appears On:

• Bustle
• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads
• How To Film School
• Indie Film Hustle
• Lights Film School
• No Film School
• NYFA
• Pond 5
• Premium Beat

In the Blink of an Eye is celebrated film editor Walter Murch’s vivid, multifaceted, thought-provoking essay on film editing. Starting with what might be the most basic editing question – Why do cuts work? – Murch treats the reader to a wonderful ride through the aesthetics and practical concerns of cutting film. Along the way, he offers his unique insights on such subjects as continuity and discontinuity in editing, dreaming, and reality; criteria for a good cut; the blink of the eye as an emotional cue; digital editing; and much more. In this second edition, Murch reconsiders and completely revises his popular first edition’s lengthy meditation on digital editing (which accounts for a third of the book’s pages) in light of the technological changes that have taken place in the six years since its publication.

1 .) Rebel Without a Crew, or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker with $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player by Robert Rodríguez

Lists It Appears On:

• Amy Clarke Films
• Bustle
• DSLR Video Shooter
• Film Lifestyle
• Film Tool Kit
• Goodreads
• How To Film School
• Indie Film Hustle
• Lights Film School
• No Film School
• Pond 5
• Wolf Crow

In Rebel Without a Crew, famed independent screenwriter and director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Sin City 2, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids) discloses all the unique strategies and original techniques he used to make his remarkable debut film, El Mariachi, on a shoestring budget. This is both one man’s remarkable story and an essential guide for anyone who has a celluloid story to tell and the dreams and determination to see it through. Part production diary, part how-to manual, Rodriguez unveils how he was able to make his influential first film on only a $7,000 budget.

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