The Reading List: Making Movies By Sidney Lumet

 Making Movies By Sidney Lumet
Lument, S, 1996, Vintage

Based mainly one Chapter One - The Director: The Best Job In The World

This book has a strong and gripping first chapter which makes you readily want to read more, Sidney's deliberate and slow introduction of each "Character" and a short description of tell-tale characteristics is both informative and light.

Often last to arrive is the writer. He is the last because he knows that at this point he is the target. At this moment, anything wrong can only be his fault, since nothing else has happened yet. So he moves quietly to the coffee tab;e, stuffs his mouth full of Danish so he won;t have to answer any questions, and tries to become as small as possible (Page 6-7)

Joking aside, the book, namely the first chapter focuses on not only a lot of facts that we as young filmmakers in the making have not yet even thought a moment about such as budget controls, actor and their entourage or what location to have the first script run through etc. but also that there are no rules to being a director, no step by step guideline you can follow to ensure the success of your vision, there's only you and what you believe is right. Also understanding that you aren't in complete control, and that that's okay.

Defining the Emotional Theme of your work is important, What is the theme of the movie, the spine, the arc? What does the movie mean to me? Personalising the movie is very important. I'm going to be working flat out for the next six, nine, twelve months. The picture had better have some meaning to me. (Page10) I believe that the idea behind this is that, of course you are physically and mentally connected to the film and the project, but emotionally helps to tie the bond, and it doesn't matter what it means to everyone else, as long as you can make your own definitive conclusion then that's all that matters.

Overall in this book there is a lot of  Me and I, what do I want to achieve, what does this mean to me, and although movie making is a collaborative process (No matter how hard you try do it all alone) it's till important to have that personalised selfishness to keep you level headed and on track.