The Lean Forward Moment: Create Compelling Stories for Film, TV, and the Web (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: digital intermediate, directing actors, bonus materials, The Godfather, Citizen Kane, The Matrix (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In this groundbreaking book Norman Hollyn outlines his 'Lean Forward Moment Method' of storytelling that applies to all aspects of the film-making process and media production. Whether you are an editor, producer, director, cinematographer or visual effects pro, this book will provide the essential techniques you need to create engaging content that emotionally connects with your audience. The core storytelling techniques in this book, apply equally to all levels and types of film and media projects: feature films, television documentaries, fiction, web-based video games, commercials, event films and much more. As an Associate Professor at the School of Cinematic Arts at USC and having worked on movie projects with such Hollywood greats at Alan J Pakula, Sidney Lumet and Francis Ford Coppola, Norman Hollyn is uniquely qualified to provide you with the conceptual and practical tools to tell your story effectively. After the initial formative chapters, Norman examines the filmmaking process in its three main areas - preproduction, production and postproduction. Within each area he describes how the Lean Forward method can help with every step of the creative process (setup, scene description, the script, production design, direction, cinematography, editing, opticals and special effects, music and sound). He then brings together the concepts he discusses by providing real world examples from a drama, an action film, a documentary and a commercial.

"Norman Hollyn uses the ancient magic of alchemy to reveal the art of making a great film. Writing an outstanding primer on filmmaking, he provides an historical perspective from several iconic movies, revealing the innermost secrets of successful filmmakers. If you want to construct a film, you need this book!" - MARTIN COHEN, President of Post Production, Paramount Pictures.

"Norman Hollyn's The Lean Forward Moment speaks volumes about the art and craft of filmmaking. His elegant explanations of editorial choices and creative decisions tell the full story. It is a serious work and it will be a resource for every emerging filmmaker" - IAN CALDERON, Director of Digital Initiatives, Sundance Institute.

"Only a film editor, with a career of experience in the cockpit of the cutting room, could so clearly and completely explain how some storytelling efforts succeed and others fail. Fortunately, Norman Hollyn is such an editor, and he has given us the gift of explanation in the richly illustrated The Lean Forward Moment." - BILL KINDER, Editorial and Post Production Director.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: New Riders Press; 1 edition (January 2, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321585453
• ISBN-13: 978-0321585455
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #496,913 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning to produce and direct, January 20, 2009

By	Michael McKee "mystic cowboy" (Port Townsend, WA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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It's easy and inexpensive to create your own video. A digital video camera and some basic software aren't much of a barrier to entry. What's difficult is using those tools to create something that an audience will actually want to watch. No, bribing your brother-in-law with beer to sit through the thing doesn't count.

The Lean Forward Moment does as good a job as a book can to to help the budding DIY video maker acquire the knowledge to go in the right direction. No doubt many videos will benefit from their makers having read this book. While a book can't substitute for experience it can make learning quicker and more focused.

I help with a youth film making program. I've been learning with the kids as I offer them computer skills training. I'm enjoying this book and getting an insight into how the two film people who run the program do what they're doing. They're both semi-retired pros from Hollywood.

I let both look the book over. It got two thumbs up for people who actually know how this all works.

The book start at the beginning, before shooting, with discussions about story telling and examples of why successful films turned out well. It then moves on to writing, production design, directing, cinematography and editing. Also covered are visual effects, music, sound, special cases, and producing. There are good tips throughout the book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Text for the Intermediate Film Student, March 17, 2009

By	Erica J. Dymond (Bethlehem, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Like any film instructor, I'm always seeking an affordable text for my students. With the average text hovering around $80.00 (and then the additional charge for supplemental books), The Lean Forward Moment seemed like a steal. I say "seemed" because like many reviewers here, I'm a bit confused as to whom the target-audience is.

The simple, jargon-free language appeals to the lay-person (which is always welcome in texts geared toward the masses); however, the structure and more advanced concepts give the feel of an academic text. The Lean Forward Moment seems stuck in a perplexing gray-zone. While I feel Hollyn was attempting to please both audiences, he may have (accidentally) alienated both. Curious.

I know that it seems superficial, but one of the ways I evaluate the potential success of a film-text, is through its examples. I know (for a fact) that my students excitedly scan a text ... looking for stills from works they know/love. The Lean Forward moment uses many popular (and technically masterful) examples. The Matrix, Finding Nemo, 300, Lord of the Rings, The Godfather -- all good choices to get the cinema-neonate involved. On the flip side, Across the Universe, Brazil, Synecdoche, Contempt, Coons, Jack in the Box, Satacracy 88 -- these niche/obscure works are interesting to more advanced students (maybe). (And, now we're back to that gray-zone ...).

Here's my professional opinion, The Lean Forward Moment is fantastic for the intermediate student who knows the fundamentals, will be entertained by familiar examples, and is curious about lesser known works.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars [3.5 Stars] Thoughtful introduction for the budding filmmaker, February 12, 2009

By	Frederic Woodbridge "Fred" (ID, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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The Least You Need To Know: A solid work that garnered a three-and-a-half star review; despite its slightly screenwriter-centric title, this is a book for an all-around filmmaker.

Full Review: This book, by its very title, immediately ignited my imagination. Reading through, the author has done a great job of inviting a deeper reflection about generating stories for media publication from its infancy through publication, mainly as a full-blown movie.

I have to admit being a little disappointed with the book in that, upon further reading, this is not a work that revolves solely around creating stories, ie. it doesn't dwell on what I originally thought it would: screenwriting.

That said, there is a fine chapter on writing (among others) that gives some really good information. For example, the author covers something a lot of writers don't fully understand when creating stories for movies: the logline. In fact, this is such an important aspect of creating stories for publication that Hollyn, a film editor by trade, continues referring back to the film's logline every so often as a method of clarifying and interpreting any issues that normally appear as the story makes its way from creation to production.

A good logline provides that kind of a guidance to everyone involved in the movie-making process, from the screenwriter on to the director. It is a sort of "constitution" for a good story, he infers and I agree.
Many concepts are discussed so expertly that the reader understand the author's confidence. Little tips and tricks abound. Again in the writing chapter, Hollyn refers to something he calls the shape of the words on the (script) page. This serves the screenwriter in trying to create yet another interesting concept Hollyn refers to throughout the work and is, of course, the title of the book: Lean Forward Moments.

Using both the logline and the concept of the Lean Forward Moment, Hollyn covers a very wide array that sometimes, but not often, seems like the book is spreading itself too thinly. Chapter 1 discusses the way humans tell stories, then on to the all-important Loglines in chapter 2. Writing is next then comes several chapters on the technical aspects of filmmaking: Production Design, Directing, Cinematography, Edition, Opticals and Visual Effects, Music, Sound, and Producing: Putting It All Together.

It's a wonder this thing is not much heavier. Each of these topics is enough to cover a book several times its size.

Still, a nice little book for a budding filmmaker that touches on all of the aspects of storytelling for moviemaking. I like the production value of the book itself, which is something I have come to expect from New Riders. The book reads very easily, almost like a good novel. It does become a bit bogged down going through the editing and production-specific chapters, as expected.