Directors Close Up by Kagan, Jeremy; of America, Directors Guild;

Long description:

The edited selections in this book are taken from in-depth discussions exploring the complex process of directing. These began in 1992 when The Directors Guild of America launched a series of yearly seminars with the nominees for outstanding feature film directing.




The structure of each of these discussions followed the stages of filmmaking that the director supervises, concentrating on creative and pragmatic issues: script development, pre-production, production, and post-production. A short chapter follows, where each director touches on what they feel to be the best and worst part of being a director. Finally, the book concludes with a lecture given by Elia Kazan on "What Makes a Director," which he gave at Wesleyan University in 1973. It remains one of the most elegant declarations of the characteristics of all directors.

Nonimees include James L. Brooks (As Good As It Gets),Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption), Andrew Davis (The Fugitive), Clint Eastwood (The Unforgiven), Mel Gibson (Braveheart), Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential), Scott Hicks (Shine), Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies), Barry Levinson (Bugsy), Anthony Minghella (English Patient), Mike Newell (Four Weddings & a Funeral), Mike Radford (Il Postino), Rob Reiner (A Few Good Men), Steven Spielberg (Amistad, Schindler's List, Color Purple), Oliver Stone (JFK, TitanicBarbara Streisand ( Prince of Tides) Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting,Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump)


"Jeremy Kagan's Directors Close Up is a compendium of engaging, informative, insightful interviews with film directors who were each nominated for "Best Film" by the Directors Guild of America. A highly recommended addition to any academic, professional, and community library film studies collection, Directors Close Up is a fascinating and informative work will entertain film buffs, educate film school students, and tutor aspiring directors." - Bookwatch, September 2000

"It's fascinating, if for no other reason than offering insight into some powerful egos." - Robert Goodman, Videography, July 2000

"The volume is filled with intriguing insights into the process of filmmaking by many of the world's most acclaimed directors, including Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Robert Zemeckis, Barry Levinson, Oliver Stone, Peter Weir, Quentin Tarantino and 14 others." - Variety, September 2000

'It's not often the world's biggest directors are this honest and open about what they do...Buy it. A classic for dipping into.' - Alex Norris, ON THE SHELF

'The interview structure allows for far more depth and focus than most outsider's analyses can produce. Recommended for any library collection with a film or arts department. - Bookwatch, November 2000



The edited selections in this book are taken from in-depth discussions exploring the complex process of directing. These began in 1992 when The Directors Guild of America launched a series of yearly seminars with the nominees for outstanding feature film directing.



The structure of each of these discussions followed the stages of filmmaking that the director supervises, concentrating on creative and pragmatic issues: script development, pre-production, production, and post-production. A short chapter follows, where each director touches on what they feel to be the best and worst part of being a director. Finally, the book concludes with a lecture given by Elia Kazan on "What Makes a Director," which he gave at Wesleyan University in 1973. It remains one of the most elegant declarations of the characteristics of all directors.

Nonimees include James L. Brooks (As Good As It Gets),Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption), Andrew Davis (The Fugitive), Clint Eastwood (The Unforgiven), Mel Gibson (Braveheart), Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential), Scott Hicks (Shine), Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies), Barry Levinson (Bugsy), Anthony Minghella (English Patient), Mike Newell (Four Weddings & a Funeral), Mike Radford (Il Postino), Rob Reiner (A Few Good Men), Steven Spielberg (Amistad, Schindler's List, Color Purple), Oliver Stone (JFK, TitanicBarbara Streisand ( Prince of Tides) Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting,Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump)