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Summary
Summary
"Seen any good movies lately?" is a question almost as commonly asked as "How are you?" We all love watching movies, as much today as when film began. But with all the information and technology that's readily available, today's filmgoers know that making a movie isn't an act of magic!
By starting with the most basic formula (images + motion = film), Learn to Speak Film does away with the special effects and gets to the heart of what makes movies so much more than just something to watch on a Friday night. The lessons within these pages range from choosing a camera to writing dialogue, from handling criticism to preparing a press kit. Whether young readers just love Oscar Night or want to pursue a career as a screenwriter, set designer, or director, Learn to Speak Film will appeal to the inner film buff in all of us.
Author Notes
Michael Glassbourg has been writing, directing, and producing for over 30 years. He has been teaching film and television production at Humber College in Toronto for over 20 years. He lives in Toronto. Jeff Kulak is an Edmonton-born, Montreal-based designer/illustrator. From his studio, a converted room in a former nunnery, he creates art for books, magazines, album covers, and event posters.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-Anyone who has access to a camera can be an amateur filmmaker. Luckily, smartphones have made video cameras small, portable, and accessible to young people. Those who are already experimenting with the medium or just curious about how their favorite movies are made will soak up the valuable information and advice in this delightful soup-to-nuts guide. Although Kulak's playful design and illustrations are visually appealing for young readers, the content is sophisticated and practical for older readers as well. They are addressed not as children but as auteurs in training. The book covers all aspects of the movie industry, beginning with why film is a unique and powerful art form. Each chapter focuses on one part of the creative process and is further subdivided into specific topics such as camera framing, running rehearsals, or editing, making it easy to return to the text for reference. Sidebars contain tidbits of advice from industry professionals as well as age-appropriate films that exemplify a particular concept or style. Technical terminology is clearly defined in context, but the most important information Glassbourg presents focuses not on the practical elements of filmmaking but on the philosophical: organization, cooperation, and how to accept and use criticism. These are useful lessons for any young artist but particularly for those interested in filmmaking, which is an intricate medium requiring hard work and collaboration. A valuable addition for creative and curious readers.-Joy Piedmont, LREI, New York City (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
"Film brings a world that does not exist to life," writes Glassbourg, a producer and college-level film/TV production instructor, in this fourth and final book in the Learn to Speak series (following entries on music, dance, and fashion). In six chapters, capably illustrated once again by Kulak's sharp, vaguely retro images, Glassbourg explores the connections between photography and filmmaking, lighting, screenplays, and who's who on a film crew, along with tips on shooting, postproduction, and distribution. Throughout, sidebars offer comments from people in the industry ("If we think of a film as a building, the script is a foundation," says a scriptwriter/director), as well as relevant films for readers to track down. A comprehensible and encouraging intro to filmmaking, from inspiration through production. Ages 9-13. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A quick overview of how movies are made, offering encouragement and generic advice rather than specific information. Glassbourg, a veteran instructor of film and TV production, breaks the process of creating a movie down into simplified steps--from gathering ideas, creating a script, and learning how to think pictorially with still photography and storyboarding to production management, editing and marketing. Unfortunately, though he drops big names, uses recent and classic films as examples, and gathers comments from working professionals in the industry, the visuals are not stills or shots of actual sets or equipment but retro, graphic-style figures done in a limited range of solid hues that add color but only rarely any useful detail. He presents an almost dizzying array of film-related occupations, but his brief notes on what such arcane folk as location managers, production coordinators, Foley editors, key grips and other specialists do are unlikely to enlighten readers. Moreover, the vague references to CGI (confusingly dubbed "VFX," which is actually an older, broader term encompassing more than just digital wizardry), electronic press kits, sound design, social media and other topics similarly just skim the surface. Readers may come away knowing how to talk the talk, as the title promises, but little more. (Nonfiction. 11-13)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Budding filmmakers who want to learn a little more about their craft will appreciate this pleasingly designed guide, which is part how-to, part inspirational pep talk, and part behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Short chapters provide an overview about filmmaking and supply introductory advice on the various aspects: photography, screenplays, production, postproduction, and the perfect audience. Readers are encouraged to plan carefully, establish a budget, call in as many favors from friends and relatives as possible, and have fun. Brief tips from the author, as well as words of wisdom from film-industry professionals, are placed in colored sidebars throughout. Film Fest sections list films to view that demonstrate particular points made in the text. The plentiful retro-cool illustrations complement the text for the most part, though many points would have been better served with photographs. This is not an in-depth look at filmmaking, but it should satisfy those who have gotten the bug from pointing and shooting their electronic devices.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2010 Booklist
