101 Things I Learned® in Film School

by Neil Landau

Hardcover, 2021

Status

Available

Local notes

791.43 Lan

Barcode

6762

Collection

Genres

Publication

Crown (2021), Edition: 1, 216 pages

Description

An illustrated, accessible introduction to filmmaking from an award-winning Hollywood producer, screenwriter, film school professor, and script consultant to major movie studios Anyone with a cellphone can shoot video, but creating a memorable feature-length film requires knowledge and mastery of a wide range of skills, including screenwriting, storytelling, directing, visual composition, and production logistics. This book points the aspiring filmmaker down this complex learning path with such critical lessons as: * how to structure a story and pitch it to a studio * ways to reveal a story's unseen aspects, such as backstory and character psychology * the difference between plot, story, and theme * why some films drag in Act 2, and what to do about it * how to visually compose a frame to best tell a story * how to manage finances, schedules, and the practical demands of production Written by an award-winning producer, screenwriter, film school professor, and script consultant to major movie studios, 101 Things I Learned® in Film School is an indispensable resource for students, screenwriters, filmmakers, animators, and anyone else interested in the moviemaking profession.… (more)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2010

Physical description

216 p.; 7.4 inches

User reviews

LibraryThing member iruzadnal
The title says it all. This is a very compact education in filmmaking -- not only narrative and cinematographic technique, but also the slang and terminology, the business of movies from concept to release, and nuts and bolts details like the ratio of script pages to minutes on film, or how deals
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are structured. Each of the 101 Things is accompanied by a simple little drawing or chart that clarifies or describes the respective nugget of information. There are no deep ruminations here, but the succinct "101 Things" style allows for broad coverage of how movies are made, and how the industry works -- just the thing to pique the interest of someone considering film school, or to edify someone who just loves movies.
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LibraryThing member JimPratt
This is an excellent little book—entertaining, informative and very accessible. There are 101 entries, each a few sentences or a paragraph facing an illustration—often a cartoon, which adds depth or understanding to the point being made. Some examples: #10 Make Psychology Visual has suggestions
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on how camera angles can be used to depict a state of mind; #67 A Movie is a Novel Turned Inside Out—observing that the written medium necessarily explains motives and emotions where the movie creates scenes where motives and emotions are interpreted by the viewer. Some of the “things” are useful to movie makers (#48 Call ‘action’ in the mood of the scene) while others are helpful for movie-goers interested in deeper appreciation of the art (# 29 Props Reveal Character). Still others can be considered good advice beyond the realm of movie making, such as #18 Practice Perfect Pitch, which succinctly summarizes the steps to success in pitching a movie concept but which are equally applicable to any sales or other persuasive presentation. Overall this is a thoroughly enjoyable book, clearly written with thoughtful observations that will be interesting not just to students but also to audiences.
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LibraryThing member 5hrdrive
A very neat little book, but not at all what I was expecting. I guess I thought this would be more about filmmakers and what they personally learned along the way that made them great. Instead, the book offers 101 individual thoughts about filmmaking and explains them in one to three paragraphs
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with an example, drawing or diagram to help make each point.

I think it was about fifteen years ago that I started noticing that I was no longer "watching" movies like I always had, but instead I was "studying" them. Paying attention to camera angles and movement, editing, lighting, shot length, etc. Asking "Why did the character say that line like that?" or "How exactly did the director get that shot?", instead of just passively watching. Surprisingly to me, instead of ruining my movie-watching experience, this transformation has made movies much more interesting for me and I find myself watching movies that I like repeatedly to discover how the story was told rather than just the story itself.

If you like studying movies and find yourself wondering about the behind the scenes effort that goes into their production, you will enjoy 101 Things I Learned in Film School.
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LibraryThing member fugitive
I sometimes classify the treatment of a subject in a book along a two dimensional spectrum of "broad vs. narrow" and "shallow vs. deep." The former refers to the range of subject matter covered, the latter refers to how thoroughly that subject matter is covered.

This is a "broad and shallow" work
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(that is NOT a criticism, that is a description of the treatment of the subject). It covers a lot of ground, but doesn't go into a lot of detail about the subjects.

I'd call this little 5 x 7 inch book the Cliffs Notes of film making. The 101 items are discrete little snippets on how to make a good film, and what traps to avoid. I can picture this as a packet of 3x5 index cards (flash cards) from which a prospective auteur could occasionally pull out a random piece of useful advice. Things learned range through concise insights on plot, cinematography, lighting, dialogue, props, writing, character, etc.

This book is NOT a text or reference book on film making. It is not a comprehensive overview of the process. I think this work is most useful, and interesting, to the amateur film maker with a short attention span (like me).

And in the end, I enjoyed going through it randomly (I'm pretty sure I got through all 101 things) and learned quite a bit. My favorite: "Beware children, animals, and liquids!" (item 43)
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LibraryThing member LCB48
A quick read which gives an overview of the essentials of film making. The formart is a sketch illustrating the "rule" on the left page with a numbered "rule" on the right page across from it. I won't be making any films, but this information will add to my enjoyment of watching and evaluating.
LibraryThing member Katya0133
A valuable reference for those of us who haven't been to film school but are still interested in film criticism. (Those who have been to film school will hopefully have learned all of this, but may still find it useful as a quick reference.)

Favorite part: Many of the tips reference specific movies
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as examples, which is helpful.

Least favorite part: Drawings that are supposed to be of famous actors or directors are almost unrecognizable.
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LibraryThing member Daniel.Estes
I graduated from film school and I absolutely love little books like this one. Some of the wisdom was new for me though much of it was traditional film knowledge presented from the author's unique perspective. Some of the lessons were technical, like day-to-day stuff while working on a film, and
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some were about the art and how to best present it. The best tidbits had to do with trimming your work down for better clarity, better flow, better tension, and almost better everything. This applies to the screenplay, the film, and even the production itself.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is attributed to filmmaker Sidney Lumet: 'All great work is preparing yourself for the accident to happen.'
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LibraryThing member biblio99
101 Things I Learned in Film School, a review

Having little interest in the making of films I asked to review this book because my son had made application to several film schools after obtaining his MFA. When he arrived home after graduation, I presented him with the review copy. He laughed and
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pulled his own copy from his duffle bag. “Read it,” he said, “and tell me what you learn.” So having pledged to read and review, I did so.

I was immediately impressed by the simplicity of the book. Both the graphics and the instruction worked together to lead you through the book.. As a teacher of young adult reading I also was impressed at the interrelations between the genres. When I had finished the book I loaned to one of my students who was a film buff and he treated it as it was sacred. For one who is just a casual student of film or has film in the future, this is a good beginning.
Jim McGuire
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Pages

216

Rating

½ (23 ratings; 3.9)
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