Gaffers, Grips and Best Boys: From Producer-Director to Gaffer and Computer Special Effects Creator, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Who Does What in the Making of a Motion Picture [Paperback]

Eric Taub (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312112769 | ISBN-13: 978-0312112769 | Publication Date: January 15, 1995 | Edition: 2

Gaffers, Grips, and Best Boys goes way beyond the usual Hollywood glamour and hype to explain every aspect of who does what in the making of a motion picture--from conception and casting to production, postproduction, advertising, and marketing here and abroad. A veteran film-industry insider, Taub takes readers through the labyrinthine world of today's studio system, sharing the candid and revealing interviews he's conducted with some of Tinseltown's most successful actors, directors, producers, and so forth. Each of Taub's subjects offers behind-the-scenes accounts of the precise role that he or she has played in making today's top-grossing (and, in some cases top-flopping) movies.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This fascinating book carries the reader from preproduction to postproduction, explaining through interviews with professionals (e.g., Haskell Wexler on photography, Neil Koenigsberg on publicity) exactly what such people as the sound mixer and story analyst do in the making of a motion picture. Although presented in narrative rather than dictionary form, this work will be useful to reference librarians because of its index and glossary. Updated from the 1987 edition (LJ 11/15/87) to reflect ratings modifications and technical breakthroughs in films like Jurassic Park and Forrest Gump, this is an excellent introduction for anyone interested in film production today. Highly recommended for all film collections.
Anthony J. Adam, Prairie View A&M Univ. Lib., Tex.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This fascinating book carries the reader from preproduction to postproduction, explaining through interviews with professionals (e.g., Haskell Wexler on photography, Neil Koenigsberg on publicity) exactly what such people as the sound mixer and story analyst do in the making of a motion picture . . . Presented in narrative rather than dictionary form [and] updated from the 1987 edition to reflect ratings modifications and technical breakthroughs in films like Jurassic Park and Forrest Gump, this is an excellent introduction for anyone interested in film production today. Highly recommended for all film collections."--Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 2 edition (January 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312112769
• ISBN-13: 978-0312112769
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #897,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Essayistic, April 10, 2001

By 

O. Heidelbach - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gaffers, Grips and Best Boys: From Producer-Director to Gaffer and Computer Special Effects Creator, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Who Does What in the Making of a Motion Picture (Paperback)

As far as I know there are two books on the subject, the other being William E. Hines' "Job Descriptions for Film, Video & CGI". From those two this book is certainly more prosa. Every major field of movie production is described through kind of essays written from industry insiders. Although the book is by no means an encyclopedia, the reader gets a good idea what those jobs really are about. If you want some insights instead of concise descriptions, buy this book.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's a decent book allright, but the title is misleading., February 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Gaffers, Grips and Best Boys: From Producer-Director to Gaffer and Computer Special Effects Creator, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Who Does What in the Making of a Motion Picture (Paperback)

_Gaffers, Grips and Best Boys_ is a great title. Unfortunately the title is misleading. The fine print is "From Producer/Director to Gaffer and Computer Special-effects creato, a behind the scenes look at who does what in the making of a motion picture."

If you're looking for good, solid information about "gaffing, gripping and best boying" forget it. It's just one of the subjects touched on in this book.

It's a decent book allright, but the title is misleading. If I had seen it in a book store I would have passed it by.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really helps explain what everyone does to make a movie, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Gaffers, Grips and Best Boys: From Producer-Director to Gaffer and Computer Special Effects Creator, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Who Does What in the Making of a Motion Picture (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. I never knew what gaffers and grips and producers actually did, but this book explains all those jobs. The book is written in the order that each person comes into a film, so you first learn about how an idea is generated, what happens with it, who gets involved next, and so on.

One thing I really liked was all the personal anecdotal information that each interviewee gave. For example, John Lithgow talks about working on the World According to Garp, and Charles Joffee talks about what it was like producing specific movies for Woody Allen.

A great book for someone who wants an enjoyable way to understand the intricacies of the filmmaking process.