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Showing reviews 1-5 of 32
 Don't Let Good Reviews Fool You November 5, 2009
Real Director (Los Angeles, California United States)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read many reviews before I commit to getting a book. Because this book was so well reviewed, I thought it would be perfect.
I am a screenwriter and I recently directed my first commercial. I turned to this book to expand my visual vocabulary. I expected to see many visual conventions explained in graphic detail that I could adopt or at least be aware about.
Don't let the reviews fool you. This book is academic jargon. Deconstructionist dribble. Postmodern silliness. It is not -- I repeat, NOT -- practical cinematic storytelling devices put on paper by a working professional, but reads more like an undergraduate film student's take on Citizen Kane, Raging Bull, etc...
If you like film criticism, great. But this book claims to be a resource for screenwriters hoping to use a richer visual technique, or for directors who need to know the most common shots and visual conventions.
So you understand what I am saying, understand: the very first chapter/point is "The Horizontal Axis." Our young author -- with no real experience -- then goes on to relate how often times good characters move from left to right, and villains move from right to left. If you don't see how annoying and impractical and just plain theoretical this book can be, let me choose another example.
Chapter 14: Triangular Composition.
Using the film "Witness" as an example, our naive author goes on to show how the filmmakers used triangles to show a love triangle between three central characters. First of all, there isn't any use of triangles in any obvious way, even in the picture she chose. Second of all, because she overlays the screenplay, you can see how there is no notion as such in the screenplay as well. Worst of all, the author then claims that the other elements in the frame --a birdhouse, picket fence -- are themselves triangular and part of the thematic message.
This is the BS that they taught me in college English courses. This is what they call deconstructionism where the author's intent has nothing to do with a reader's ability to derive whatever meaning they want.
If you are looking for a good practical shot guide, or anything to expand your moviemaking technique, do not get this book. It is not written by a filmmaker. A PA would no more about film than this woman.
If you like post-modern crap, then get this book. I wish I could get rid of it.
 Visual Vocabulary for Writers October 26, 2009
Penny Penniston
OK- this book is basic. But it's brilliantly basic. Buy it and you can skip your first year of film school. If you're an experienced director, you won't find anything new here. But budding directors will find this to be an essential reference guide- a primer on fundamental directing and editing techniques. This book is also essential for the rest of us- writers, producers and actors who need to have a basic understanding of the visual vocabulary of film.
With film stills paired along side script excerpts, Jennifer Van Sijll illustrates 100 different cinematic conventions. Most importantly, she discusses the dramatic value of each convention. She examines not only the "how" of each technique but also the "why" of it. Why is this technique used at this particular moment? In what ways does it enhance the story?
The lessons are crystal clear and efficient. They cover topics such as screen direction, frame composition, shapes within a frame, editing, concepts of time, sound effects, music, scene transitions, camera lenses, camera position, camera motion, lighting, color, props, wardrobe, locations and environment.
While new directors will find this book useful, I think the book's most important lesson is for writers. For writers, this book is a powerful reminder that the language of the script isn't the only language in the film. There is a whole other voice contained in the visual language of the director. This book helps the writer consider the impact of that voice and design his script in such a way that the two voices can work in harmony.
 Basic, but good September 20, 2009
R. Nuttmann (Seattle, WA United States)
This is a well written book, but a bit basic for the more informed movie maker. There were some great ideas I had never considered, but most of it was on the basic concepts side. If you are new to movie making, this is definitely a good book to remind you all the thinks you need to be well versed in. If you've been making movies for a while, you may want something more advanced.
Like having the greatest directors of all time over for dinner September 20, 2009
Tony Levelle (Lower Lake, Ca United States)
Reading this book is like having the best filmmakers from the last 100 years stop by your table in a cafe, one by one, to tell you exactly how they achieved their best scenes.
Van Sijll identifies film's most powerful cinematic conventions, and then explains how each is achieved.
First, Van Sijll describes the convention, and how it was used in a classic scene.
Second, the actual script for the scene is reprinted.
Third, the scene is shown in screen captures.
The information flows from left to right in the 'landscape' format book: explanation, script, screen capture. The screen captures are brilliantly chosen shots illustrating the key elements of the scene.
On page 50, for example, Van Sijll describes Montage by analyzing the opening scene in Charlie Kaufman's film, Adaptation. She uses less than 100 words to explain Adaptation's opening montage--images which span 4 1/2 billion years and end with Charlie Kaufman sitting in a restaurant. She then explains the dramatic value of the montage, gives us the original script for the montage (mentioning that it's page 41, scene 62 of the script!), and then shows 5 screen captures with the key shots from the montage. Whew!
I loved the fact that Van Sijll did her homework. She tracked down the exact script excerpt, explained montage clearly and concisely, and then lavishly illustrated the explanation with screen captures. She even went so far as to talk about other films with great montage examples (Apocalypse Now, and Falling Down).
Recommended for filmmakers, film students, documentary filmmakers, film teachers and anyone who loves to watch and talk about film.
The best single book I've seen for explaining how to achieve cinematic effects, and a delight to read.
For someone who loves films, this book is like a huge box of Belgian chocolates... once you've started, how do you stop?
a good book if you've never read a book June 16, 2009
Stephen Troy (Avon, MA United States)
2 out of 12 found this review helpful
This reads as if it was written by a freshman college student using one source. You know what I mean, when words are used simply to add to the page count, and the information is so repetitive and basic that you can essentially just read the titles of the sections and know what it will say.
So eventually I decided, well, this book may be painful to read, but its still another film book to add to my bookshelf. Problem with that is, it's long, not tall, meaning it sticks out and looks bad when I put it with other books. So scrap that idea.
I do not recommend this to any student of film. However, if you'd like an awkwardly shaped book to put on your coffee table, and you're in high school, maybe you'd enjoy this.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 32
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