ABSTRACT

In this unique study of the process of filmmaking, director Edward Dmytryk blends abstract film theory and the practical realities of feature film production to provide an artful and elegant analysis of the conceptual foundations of filmmaking and film studies. Dmytryk explores the technical principles underlying the craft of filmmaking and how their use is effective in developing the viewer’s involvement in the cinematic narrative.

Originally published in 1988, this reissue of Dmytryk’s classic book includes a new critical introduction by Joe McElhaney.

chapter 1

The Collective Noun

chapter 2|7 pages

The Indispensable Viewer

chapter 3|14 pages

You’d Better Believe It

chapter 4|13 pages

The Power of the Set-up

chapter 5|6 pages

Invisibility

chapter 6|9 pages

Moving and Molding

chapter 7|10 pages

Look at Him, Look at Her

chapter 8|8 pages

The Art of Separation

chapter 9|8 pages

Rules and Rule Breaking

chapter 10|9 pages

The Modification of Reality

chapter 11|8 pages

Symbols, Metaphors, and Messages

chapter 12|8 pages

Auteurs, Actors, and Metaphors

chapter 13|10 pages

Time and Illusion

chapter 14|11 pages

The Force of Filmic Reality

chapter 15|9 pages

About a Forgotten Art