Directing the Camera by Gil Bettman is by far the best book in print on the art of using a camera to tell a story. This book succeeds where most others on the topic fall short, because the author understands that a great movie is not a combination of cool shots, but rather a great story well told scene by scene.
JoAnne Sellar, Academy Awardnominated Producer: There Will Be Blood . Producer: Inherent Vice, The Master, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love, Boogie Nights
Gil Bettmans great new book analyzes and defines the visual language of a number of ground-breaking directors and provides clear instruction on how to best emulate their craft. For anyone who wants to learn how to use the camera to tell a story as these directors do, it is a must-read.
William Teitler, Producer: Rob the Mob, What Maisie Knew, Zathura, Empire Falls (TV), The Polar Express, How to Deal, Mr. Hollands Opus, Jumanji . Executive Producer: Tuck Everlasting, The Hurricane
Gil Bettman has written a masterful guide to the art of visual storytelling, using a seamless blend of theory and practice. Directing the Camera is essential reading not only for aspiring filmmakers, but for all those who love the visual language of cinema.
David S. Ward, Academy Awardwinning Screenwriter: The Sting . Academy Awardnominated Screenwriter, Sleepless in Seattle . Screenwriter: The Mask of Zorro, Major League, The Milagro Beanfield War . Director: Down Periscope, Major League I & II, The Program, King Ralph, Cannery Row
Gil Bettmans book on directing will not only be informative and challenging to the novice, it will make directors whove been working away at the craft for years realize how much we need to articulate the challenges of our ever-evolving art form.
Best of all, it makes you want to go out and shoot.
Raymond Defelitta, Director: Rob the Mob, City Island, The Thing About My Folks, Two Family House, Cafe Society
Dont leave this one off your bookshelf! Gil Bettman demystifies and elucidates the principles of moving camera so any tyro filmmaker can jump light years ahead in learning how to create dynamic and exciting action or dialogue scenes.
John Badham, Director: Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, Blue Thunder, Stakeout, Short Circuit, The Shield (TV), Psych (TV), Nikita (TV)
Directing the Camera nails how to use a camera to tell a story. Bettman has walked the walk. Now he talks the talk.
Penelope Spheeris, Director: Waynes World, The Little Rascals, The Beverly Hillbillies, Black Sheep, The Decline of Western Civilization,
Its one thing to be knowledgeable and insightful about working with camera for todays movies. Its another thing to be able to communicate those theories to students and then follow them up with solid examples that dissect, analyze, and explore not only the How but the all-important and essential Why of camera movement. Gil Bettman accomplishes both in an erudite yet entertaining way.
Donald Petrie, Director: Miss Congeniality, Grumpy Old Men, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Mystic Pizza, Just My Luck
Gil Bettmans new book contains everything you need to know about visual design to launch your directing career. His ultramodern approach shows you how to weave and integrate dynamic camera motion into a narrative.
Olatunde Osunsanmi, Director: Evidence, The Fourth Kind
Gil Bettman dismisses the notion that filmmakers are hapless artistes who intuit their way through a days work. Instead, his superb book is a mandate to harness storytelling logic. His message is blunt: Get involved and stay employed. Directors disinterested or unschooled in visual technique proceed at their own risk.
Thomas Ackerman, ASC, Cinematographer: Snow Dogs, Rat Race, The Muse, Beetlejuice, George of the Jungle, Dennis the Menace
... the first viable grammar for the language of filmmaking. Bettman lays out the ways and means of directing the camera in a simple and truthful manner. It is a great read for the aspiring director and cinematographer.
Johnny E. Jensen, ASC, Cinematographer: Material Girls, Rosewood, Rambling Rose, Grumpy Old Men, Lost in Yonkers
At an early stage in my professional career, I got to work with Gil Bettman, and, in the process of collaborating, he passed on to me all the wisdom he has put in Directing the Camera . Gils excellent ideas about how, when, and why to move the camera have stayed with me throughout my career.
Byron Werner, Cinematographer: Breakout, Phantom, Lucky, Scary or Die
Gil Bettmans moving master approach is extremely helpful for directors who are always looking for energetic and dynamic ways to tell a story, providing more fluid performances from the actors, and time efficiency on a busy set.
Allan Fiterman, Director: Embarque Imediato, Living the Dream, Cheias de Charme (TV), Louco por Elas (TV), Ciranda de Pedra (TV)
Gil Bettmans intense and focused book provides directors with the tools they need to give their films the look that will engage todays audiences.
Garth Holmes, Chairman, Co-Founder, AFDA, The South African School of Film Medium and Live Performance
Gil Bettman has always known his way around a moving camera. So it comes as no surprise that he has put his understanding into a clear and inspiring book, Directing the Camera .
Harald Stjerne, former Chair of the Department of Directing and Screenwriting, The Stockholm School of Dramatic Arts
Directing the Camera extends the reach of a gifted teacher who has a profound understanding of his craft and a genuine passion to convey it to others.
Pavel Jech, Dean, FAMU, Film and Television School of the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague
Gil Bettmans approach to teaching how to use a moving camera to tell a story is remarkably effective. Without a doubt, Directing the Camera is by far the best book in print on this very important subject.
Professor Herman Van Eyken, Head of School, Griffith Film School, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
Professor Bettmans excellent book on directing the camera is by far the best one on the topic. It will benefit all beginning directors throughout the world.
Daw-Ming Lee, Professor and Chair, Department of Filmmaking, Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan
Gil Bettmans workshops have translated into a deep understanding of technical virtuosity that can be learned and, as applied by talented young directors, has resulted in award-winning films. Directing the Camera captures the dynamism and clarity of Gil Bettmans teaching, and will be required reading for all my students.
Jenny Granville, Chair, The Northern Film School, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, UK
This book is the bring-your-script-to-life toolbox, complete with instruction manual, that many writers never get to have.
Chad Gervich, TV Writer: Dog with a Blog, After Lately , and Cupcake Wars . Author: How to Manage Your Agent and Small Screen, Big Picture
Bettman packs a tremendous education into this deceptively short book, and directors at every level of expertise will learn from it.
Gregory McNamee, Contributing Editor, Encyclopedia Britannica , and former literary critic, The Hollywood Reporter
DIRECTING THE CAMERA
How Professional Directors Use a Moving Camera to Energize Their Films
GIL BETTMAN
Published by Michael Wiese Productions
