Making Movies
The director of Network and Dog Day Afternoon walks through how a film actually gets made, decision by decision.
Sidney Lumet directed Twelve Angry Men, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Network, and here he explains exactly how a film gets made: choosing the script, casting, working with actors, the camera, the cutting room, the mix. It is plainspoken, unsentimental, and full of the practical reasoning behind decisions audiences never notice. Widely considered among the best books ever written on directing. Guillermo del Toro calls it a beautiful text whether you are starting out or very experienced.
Recommended by 2 People
Darren Aronofsky
It breaks down the different problems Lumet had in making films, and tells how he solved them. Even though I had only done a bunch of short student films at that point, I could sort of identify with some of the challenges that he dealt with and wrote about. And I eventually got to put some of the stuff to use. Generally, hearing how Lumet navigated the struggles I was running into myself—that was very encouraging.
Interview · August 2011
Guillermo del Toro
Lumet's book on directing is a beautiful text no matter if you are starting or very experienced
Tweet · April 2020
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