Directing
8 Directing Books Every Filmmaker Should Read
Don’t read? You should start reading directing books to become a great filmmaker.
After all, top performers in various industries read for self-improvement.
Evidence suggests there is a strong link between success and reading.
I get it, we are filmmakers. We are visual people. We’d rather just watch something – reading can be boring and time-consuming. I would argue that reading is a key factor to success. Those who are successful in their industry intake valuable new knowledge wherever and whenever possible, and internalize it.
Written works are a wonderful source of knowledge because writing is a condensed form of thinking. A person puts all their thoughts and considerations onto paper and is forced to make these thoughts concise, throwing away bad ideas and leaving only those that are good.
With this in mind, here are some of the directing books I have read that I highly recommend any aspiring director read.
Visual Storytelling Skills
1. Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics
This directing book is a long one, filled with plenty of references, photos, and diagrams. It is up-to-date with modern techniques and technology and provides a great overview of directing, diving into both the artistic and technical aspects in depth.
“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.” (Source)
Bottom line: This directing book provides a solid overview for the filmmaker looking to up their game.
2. Film Directing Shot by Shot
This directing book is highly technical, covering a painfully exhaustive number of camera movements, framings, and analyzing different shots’ usage in conjunction with one another. It uses a plethora of visual references, such as photographs taken from films and photos shot specifically for the book, to demonstrate these techniques.
“A complete catalog of motion picture techniques for filmmakers. It concentrates on the ‘storytelling’ school of filmmaking, utilizing the work of the great stylists who established the versatile vocabulary of technique that has dominated the movies since 1915. This graphic approach includes comparisons of style by interpreting a ‘model script’, created for the book, in storyboard form.” (Source)
I must admit that it is a tough read, and may be best used as a reference. However, if you spend the time to think hard about the effect of using the shots it presents, it can be very useful.
Mostly, this book challenges you to consider every possible directorial option you have available when it comes to camera movement, framing, and focal length, as well as each of these elements’ effects on your viewer.
Bottom line: This directing book will help you internalize and better understand all the shot techniques available to you as a director.
Working with Actors
This directing book is great for one primary reason: it’s highly actionable.
“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.” (Source)
Often people will suggest David Mamet’s book “On Directing Film”. While there’s no doubt Mamet is a master of his craft and his knowledge immense, I found that “On Directing Film” was less than helpful. Why? It wasn’t easily actionable. At least for me, I found it to be far too vague to put easily into effect in my directing habits, so I moved on.
However, “Directing Actors” represents the opposite. It is highly actionable. Each section is broken down into practical themes – what you, the director, should and must do (or at least suggestions) to get particular results. I may not remember everything I read in this book (perhaps it makes a better reference after reading once), but I remember key points it made that I was able to put into effect in my directing.
One thing that stood out to me as I read is how many sections seemed like revelations. What I mean is that some of the points made in the book, once you read them, seem so straightforward and logical. You might ask yourself, ‘how did I not think of this, or just know it, before?’.
Bottom line: This directing book contains a heap of great, practical knowledge for working with actors.
Marketing and Publicity
4. Complete Independent Movie Marketing Handbook
I’ll be honest on this one. I haven’t had the chance (yet) to apply specific principles I learned through this book. However, I’ll tell you where I think the value lies in this book.
This book does two things:
First, it helps you to better understand the principles of selling and marketing generally, and specifically within the entertainment industry. I think that knowledge is very helpful because as you accrue more understanding about the subject of making films, you will be able to work more effectively and plan for the future when making films.
Secondly, this book doesn’t assume you’re a trust fund baby, retired millionaire, or already have achieved some level of success in the film industry. It approaches the marketing and sale of feature films from the lowest level.
“This book gives street-level instruction and real-world examples on how to promote, distribute, and sell your production.” (Source)
This book asks you, ‘well, I don’t have a lot of resources… what can I do? What works?’ Then, it tells you, providing many examples of approaches to marketing and selling, and case studies from filmmakers that have found success with those exact methods.
Bottom line: this directing book helps you get a boost in general marketing understanding and ‘street-level’ tactics, and it’s aimed at indie filmmakers planning to get their film in front of audiences.
Overview of Roles in the Business
This book is a bomb – it is exploding with insight. (I’ve read this book from cover to cover twice if that says anything.)
Each section is dedicated to a role and area of the film industry, and though it definitely comes from the perspective of people who are at high levels in the industry, the type of valuable perspective they provide is highly revealing.
“This book is for anyone interested in the business of breaking into the movies. Learn who the key players are when it comes to getting a movie made and how to navigate the politics of filmmaking from start to finish, from first pitch to filling movie seats.” (Source)
The coolest thing about this book is that each section consists of a person successful in their area of the industry giving the bare-bones essence of their wisdom; what they think is most important for people to know, and they follow it up with a fascinating anecdote demonstrating their points.
Bottom line: This book is a great way to get up to speed or get a refresher on how the industry works and intake some wisdom from industry experts.
This book is a hidden gem. How is this not the most popular book for directors and indie filmmakers?
This book extensively covers the subjects of copyright and contracts in the film industry. If you want to better understand how deals are made between crew, cast, producers, studios, etc., want to better protect yourself, the people you work with, and your productions, as well as make better deals, you should read this book.
“Clearance and Copyright is the industry-standard guide to almost every conceivable rights issue that filmmakers, videomakers, television producers, and Internet content creators might encounter.
From the initial acquisition of material through the rights issues that arise during preproduction, production, postproduction, and release, this legalese-free guide–now extensively revised, updated, and expanded–will help you protect yourself and your work from disastrous legal actions.” (Source)
By the way, this book includes a ton of free sample contracts for different things an indie filmmaker might need. Oh, and the book breaks down each and every paragraph in those contracts to explain what they are for, what they do, and what to look out for.
Bottom line: if you want a solid overview of what all ‘that legal stuff’ means, and how to protect yourself as a filmmaker, this is a must-read.
This book for directors is similar to Clearance and Copyright in terms of content, but with a broader view. It focuses less on contracts and copyright (though that is a large portion of its content) and more on the relationships between the people you hire or work with, the financial implications of those relationships, and what the legal issues are for that topic.
The book is broken down by the steps in the filmmaking process, from pre-production to distribution, and further breaks those down into the actions and relationships formed during that phase.
“Making a movie may be part art and part science, but it’s 100 percent business. In this comprehensive and accessible guide, Kelly Charles Crabb shares the information necessary to understand the legal and financial challenges involved in getting a film from story to the silver screen and beyond.” (Source)
This filmmaking book also covers a good bit of financial specifics, and the portion regarding dealing with distributors I find to be particularly insightful for the independent director. I know that when I was looking to distribute my first film, there seemed to be a mysterious and dark fog over the whole distribution process as if everything was a secret shared only within a small club; a club I wasn’t part of.
Bottom line: If you are looking to amplify further your understanding of the legal, relational, and financial aspects of making films, read this book.
Understanding Story
Save the Cat. If you haven’t already heard about Blake Snyder’s iconic and widely-loved book on the structure of feature films (and story generally), then you’ve probably read it.
“…Blake Snyder tells all in this fast, funny and candid look inside the movie business. ‘Save the Cat’ is just one of many ironclad rules for making your ideas more marketable and your script more satisfying…” (Source)
There’s little more that needs to be said about this book. It’s a great directing book because it will improve your understanding of standard film and story structure and vastly improve your storytelling skills as a director.
I can’t recommend enough that you dedicate time to studying and practicing its principles.
If you haven’t started, this book is a good place to do so. While I don’t think reading it is a substitute for a continued and deep dive into story structure, this book has undoubtedly opened my mind and helped me work through various story problems.
Bottom line: The quintessential directing book to learning the key aspects of story and film structure.
Start reading… like right now.
Where you start will depend on where you’re at in skill and learning in your journey, but here’s a recap:1. Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics
2. Film Directing Shot by Shot
3. Directing Actors
4. Complete Independent Movie Marketing Handbook
5. Make Your Movie
6. Clearance and Copyright
7. The Movie Business
8. Save the Cat
I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes each week to read a bit, even if it isn’t your strongest skill. You’ll be better off for it.
Read on!
Author
Entrepreneur & Storyteller. Co-founder of Occulus Films. I love working with teams to create compelling and engaging films and commercial video content. Fave films include Blade Runner and Mad Max: Fury Road.
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