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Click on the cover to buy the book.
Story - Robert McKee
The philosophy, the structure, the soul of screenwriting. Or, at least the Hollywood model. Not just a Hollywood blueprint though, its first 30 pages don't even mention plot points. Sometimes a bit dense, but there is so much useful and helpful information packed into its 450 pages that any minor flaws are more then made up for. The screenwriters, and indeed film makers, essential handbook.
Teach Yourself Screenwriting - Raymond G. Frensham
All the structural information you could ever want to know. From generating ideas to developing a career, this book has shed-loads of information, including countless quotes from those in the know and in the industry. Fills in the (small amounts of) stuff not in Robert McKee's book.
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls - Peter Biskind
Film history, cultural history, juicy gossip. Scorsese, Coppola, Friedkin, Bogdanovich, Spielberg, Lucas, Altman, Cimino, Malick, Ashby, Hopper, Rafelson, Schrader, Towne. Hollywood in the 60's and 70's or, "How the sex 'n' drugs 'n' rock 'n' roll generation saved Hollywood". Fantastic.
The Guerilla Film Makers Handbook - Chris Jones and Genevive Jolliffe
They say you learn from your mistakes, but buy this book and save a lot of money and hair by learning from other peoples. British film makers must have this book.
Grammar of the Shot, Grammar of the Edit - Roy Thompson
Both a little expensive for not much information, and they sometimes overlap, but they still contain a lot of essential information. Editing is in some ways even more neglected than writing, but it is just as important. Don't neglect it and buy this book.
A History of Narrative Film - David A. Cook
Big, expensive, but well worth it. Everything from the Thaumatrope to African film. Buy this even if you have a dozen other books on film history on your shelf. Not in depth on everything, but 1000 pages covering everything imaginable on narrative film history.
Filming On A Microbudget - Paul Hardy
Pocket-sized, cheap and extremely informative. Gives you hundreds of pieces of advice on how to get the best out of your miniscule budget. Well worth £4.
What They Don't Teach You at Film School - Camille Landau and Tiare White
Some useful advice hidden in amongst the obvious and dubious. This is one of those "this is how to make it in the movies" books from people who haven't. Apparently between them they've made 30 shorts, but not one feature!
Film Directing: Shot by Shot - Steven Katz
"A complete catalogue of visual techniques and their stylistic implications". Taking your film from the bare bones of the story to the finished product. Big, expensive, but packed with information.
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A Short History of Film
Pt. 1: Silent Cinema 1895-1927
Pt. 2: Studio System 1927-1945
Pt. 3: Post-War 1945-1959
Pt. 4: New Waves 1959-1975
Pt. 5: Blockbusters 1975-2002
