Filmmaking is a thrilling adventure that requires technical skill and creativity. Whether you are excited to learn the essentials or have experience and are simply seeking fresh angles, the right reads might be your movie mentor. Below is a curated selection of books that explore filmmaking's art and craft, offering timeless wisdom and insights from industry experts.
This book, 'Steven Spielberg All the Films,' takes you through the movies Steven Spielberg has ever directed. The book also discusses how Spielber's films were created, from initial concept to location scouting. It also talks about his collaboration with John Williams and George Lucas. The book is a guide to Spielberg, who invented Hollywood blockbusters such as 'E.T.,' 'Jaws,' 'Jurassic Park' and 'Lincoln and The Post.'
In the book 'MCU,' writers Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards share the complete story of Marvel Studios and its ongoing creation, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). They interviewed many people involved, like actors, directors, and writers, to tell the whole tale. Marvel Studios faced challenges, from choosing Robert Downey Jr. for Iron Man to setbacks like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and important people leaving in 2023. The book explains that Marvel Studios succeeded by changing Hollywood's old ways. 'MCU' is the first book to tell the full Marvel Studios story, giving us an exciting look into American popular culture.
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Francis Ford Coppola started a unique movie company called American Zoetrope over 50 years ago in San Francisco. He wanted to change how movies were made through this experimental and communal idea. Despite facing many challenges, his dream lives on, especially in his long-in-the-making film 'Megalopolis.'
Sam Wasson got special access to Coppola's archives and did many interviews to create a remarkable portrait of the filmmaker. The book reveals Coppola as a charming and brilliant person who sees life and art as family and community. He has never been satisfied staying still, always taking chances and testing how far he can go.
The book also tells the story of his wife, Eleanor Coppola, and their kids. Their personal lives are closely connected to their artistic passions. The book explores the different paths of Coppola and his co-founder, George Lucas, showing their distinct views on art and business. It's also tied to the making of one of the greatest movies ever, Apocalypse Now, revealing what Coppola experienced in the jungles of the Philippines. This captivating story, already legendary, is now fully told in this extraordinary book.
An avant-garde pop album rich with tension and fear, 'Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)' marked a pivotal point in David Bowie's career. Standing at the bleeding edge of the new decade between the experimental Berlin Trilogy ('Low,' 'Heroes,' and 'Lodger') and 1983's wildly successful 'Let's Dance,' it was here Bowie sought to bury the ghosts of his past and the golden decade of the 1970s to become a global superstar reaching millions of new fans.
Featuring fresh insights and exclusive interviews with close collaborators, Adam Steiner's 'Silhouettes and Shadows' uncovers the studio stories, meanings behind them, and the secret history of 'Scary Monsters.' Steiner gives a nuanced, memorable portrait of Bowie at a personal and professional crossroads, drawing on his own struggle with addiction, growing paranoia, and political turmoil. Despite the album's confrontational themes, it included the hit singles' Fashion' and 'Ashes to Ashes,' with Bowie riding a new wave of inspiration from the post-punk of Joy Division, The Specials' two-tone revolution, and the stadium synth-pop of Gary Numan.
This book, 'Charlie Chaplin vs. America,' by Scott Eyman, talks about how Charlie Chaplin faced difficulties in post-World War Two America. People criticized him for his political views and for not becoming a US citizen. The Red Scare and xenophobia made things worse. Besides politics, Chaplin faced accusations about his relationships with young women. He lost a paternity suit in the 1940s, and his sexuality became a way for opponents to attack him. Unable to return to the US, he settled in Switzerland, making his last films in London. Scott Eyman delves deep into Chaplin's days, concentrating on when the USA faced much political trouble.
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