Moviemakers' Master Class: Private Lessons from the World's Foremost Directors Paperback – October 10, 2002

This book is absolutely fantastic -- both very readable to a general audience, as well as very informative to a filmmaking one. By asking basically the exact same questions to each of these twenty famous and/or award-winning Directors, he allows us to compare/contrast how each think... & it's fascinating how often these Directors think _differently_ from each other. Ie, twenty (20) different, yet equally valid, perspectives.This isn't some puff-piece or "tell me about that bitchy Actress" kind of text. Instead, Tirard asks questions targeting the Directors' creative process, from How they conceive (their work), to What they like to make & Why, and even on to For Whom they make it. Plus a very interesting filmic question: "Do you consider yourself the Author of your Films". Tirard can even be [forgiven] his "Are films Art" question... b/c he received some rather interesting answers, esp. by those whose work is considered 'Art'.Best of all, is Tirard's method -- he asks his standard [ie. excellent] questions, continues on with some very incisive follow-up... & then gets the hell out of the way (definitely unlike the "me-too" style of Bogdanovich). Refreshing.Absolutely 10 stars for a tremendous work -- This text is a MUST-HAVE for anybody who loves films... & *especially* for anybody who wants to make film. Everybody seems to have their own [strongly-held] opinion of the 'Right Way' to make films... well, this text gives twenty different "Right Ways" to make films, by some of the very best filmmakers around. I just wish they weren't all White Males... I'd've loved to hear Mira Nair's interview, or Nora Ephron's. Where's Volume 2?

This is really a great read for anyone aspiring to work in film, photography, theater, or writing. The interviews are honest and informative, providing a level of insight into the filmmaking process that you just don't get from critical reviews that saturate us with the view from the outside most of the time. This should be required reading for any students heading into film school, as it will get your head out of just the technical preparation and deeper into the practical side of filmmaking. FIlm fans with no interest in production will also get a lot out of these interviews, and a deeper appreciation for the director's featured here.

The book is great. The insights are great, however, I would have loved to see these great craftsmen be more open and honest about their working relationships with their actors. Way too much gushing as if they were afraid to alienate themselves from one of their most important, yet in many cases difficult and demanding resources. An excellent book that deserves 5 stars because of its insights visits into the minds of so many wonderfully gifted and experienced auteurs, but only 2 stars for the directors' lack of TRUE discussion on at least some of their actors.

Directors are often on their own. There's no mentoring system or 'coming through the ranks'. You're just thrown in and.... good luck. This book helps any first time director really understand what they're about to get into from the experiences of many of the world's most accomplished directors. It's not about what Scorsese or Spielberg do, which is a relief, but the honest and straightforward insights of top creative film makers.

This book was a requirement for a directing class I took in college, and I really recommend it for anyone in film school. It discusses how so many directors have so many approaches to things and really teaches how to take time with actors. I love it.

This is the must read book for any aspiring movie director. It encapsulates the ideas and personal perceptions on presentation of screen story. It's not a book to know nitty gitty technical details, this is a collection of interviews with many directors and their style of making movie, when they talk about it. Same questions have been asked to all directors (Very good questions, no sterio typical questions you see in movie promos).Get your copy today and enjoy it.

Not particularly deep or insightful; only because these pieces are based on one hour interviews in many cases, but very entertaining and well worth the price. You may not learn much you haven't read about these people, but you'll enjoy every page and the work is compiled by a passionate lover of the medium. Excellent.

It's a master class in the sense that you get to know the tricks behind the work of great directors. How they handle hard productions, actors and difficult shots. A great book to any aspiring director or filmmaking geek.

I love this book. Before reading it, I didn't know how inspiring it is. The writer just interviews different directors (many of whom are the best and most popular directors of our time — Coen brothers, Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodovar, Tim Berton etc.) and basically asks them the same questions. We don't read the questions, just the responses of the directors, written like small essays. It's very inspiring to know about different approaches, personalities and histories of such outstanding people.

This Book gave me very interesting Insights into the creative workflows of big Budget Directors. Some of the techniques are quite simple and helped me with my own work. This Book is a easy and entertaining read for everybody involved in producing moving images.

Great condition book. Thanks.

Great book.

This was very much appreciated as a gift for a young cinematographer in the family. I will look for more like this.