Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York [Hardcover]

James Sanders (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2006

From the cinema verité of the sixties to softer fare like Splash, New York has provided some of the most iconic moments on film. Beginning with a survey of such classics as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Scenes from the City captures how the changing face of New York, as well as the founding of the MOFTB, have contributed to a particular school of film characterized most emphatically in the street-style work of directors as diverse as Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee. With over 200 stills and contributions from noted New York film personalities such as Sidney Lumet and Nora Ephron, the book also includes rare, unpublished, behind-the-scenes shots and stories from the quintessential New York filmmaker himself—Woody Allen. With a special section on the landmark TV series, commercials and music videos filmed in New York, Scenes from the City is an affectionate and vivacious ovation for this captivating "character" that rarely receives billing but always steals the show.

Editorial Reviews

Review

-- "A moving collection of location photographs covering four decades of iconic New York movies and capturing the city's ceaseless change." -- 12/10/06 NEW YORK TIMES

-- "It's a lively, fetching, and addictive read." -- 10/17 DAILYCANDY.COM

-- "Perfect for the movie buff..." -- 11/29/06 AM NEW YORK

-- "fascinating behind-the-scenes look" -- Apr ARRAY

"Can any self-respecting film fanatic go wihtout this beautiful collection of gorgeous stills..? In unison, everyone: fuhgeddaboudit!" -- 11/24/06 TIME OUT NEW YORK

In 1966, New York City Mayor John Lindsay established the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. Encouraging directors and producers to use the city as a context for film and television products... Sanders offers here a volume that is both a Baedeker-like guide to urban film and a glossy promotional publication. In text and images, the book explores landmark films shot before Lindsay stepped in... -- Choice, Middletown, CT May 2007

About the Author

James Sanders, an architect, co-wrote the Emmy Award-winning PBS series New York: A Documentary Film and its companion volume, New York: An Illustrated History, as well as Celluloid Skyline: New York and the Movies. He has written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Vanity Fair and Architectural Record. He has also participated in several important design projects in and around the city.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli; First edition (October 17, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847828905
• ISBN-13: 978-0847828906
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 1.2 x 10.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #745,449 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just Beautiful, Simply Beautiful!, October 18, 2006

By 

Peter Thomas Senese - Author. ""A book is... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York (Hardcover)

Open the first page and listen: you can hear the heartbeat of the world's greatest city pumping with a rythem determined and powerful.

'Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York by James Sanders is a rare introspective on the filmmaking world of New York City as much as it is of New York City itself. Darting from time period to time period the reader travels not only to the location of many film locations, but through the careful selection of the photographs chosen, the reader is in many cases brought directly to the social causes/events that were part of the filmmakers reasoning in making a particular film. So, not only does the photographs tell a historical story of New York over the past decades, but it tells of the social changes and issues occuring at the time. Adding in commentary by some of New York's more notable filmakers like Woody Allen and Marty Scorsese adds breath to the pounding heartbeat that is Town. As a person working in the trades of film and publishing, I found James Sander's 'Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York' to be wonderfully presented, informative, and outright fun to read and review! Well done Mr. Sanders.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Four decades of New York filmmaking, January 9, 2007

By 

Harry Matthews "KnowGotham" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York (Hardcover)

This handsomely produced volume traces forty years of film-making in New York City with a rich variety of photographs and anecdotes. There are lots of behind-the-scenes photos, plus essays and epigrams from directors, actors, producers, and other film professionals. Though the organization is chronological, the materials are organized by theme: "Chases," "Central Park," "Backlit Streets," etc. It's eminently browsable and consistently entertaining.

At the same time, serious film buffs will find the book light on analysis and somewhat haphazard in organization. The filmography, for instance, does not include casts. Its publication marks the 40th anniversary of the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting -- the City agency renowned for its ability to cut through red tape and otherwise ease filmmakers' lives -- and, not incidentally, the launch of a wildly successful new program of tax and promotional incentives. So the book is, in a sense, a print infomercial. But the presentation is so engaging and the "product" so fascinating that it's an infomercial you'll gladly stay up late to see.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING BOOK!, November 28, 2007

By 

Estefania Fernandez "EFA" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York (Hardcover)

This is a great book for NYC & Film Lovers!! Images are beautiful and it's so great to see all these amazing projects together in one compilation. I love NYC, it just makes you wanna grab a camera and start filming. Highly recommended!!