Customer Reviews

The Total Film-Maker.

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This book was published in 1971 and, since then, several other books tried to teach young film-makers how to make a movie. Well, some people say that filmmaking changed in 30 years, you now have digital cameras and digital sound, you have amazing special effects, but the basic is all in the book. And, most important: If you are a young film-maker, you won't work with special effects and a million-dollar budget. Jerry Lewis put everything on the book: The pre-production, budget, the filming itself, homework, and the pos-production, with editing and mixing. And distribution. But the book is really how to relate with the people that you are working with, actors and crew. If you have ever been in a set, you know how hard it can be. Jerry Lewis gives us advice. Maybe you don't follow all of his advices but, even so, you have to think about. What he says makes sense. And that is more than you can say about most of the men who writes about filmmaking.

Without doubt, this is the best book on movie Directing I have ever read. I have hundreds of film books, and I give Jerry's book my highest recommendation. Nobody else even comes close, but a great second choice would be my friend Mark Travis's "Director's Journey." (At least until my book is out.)

If you're serious about getting great performances from Actors for your movie, on any size budget, and how to make your movie crew run faster and jump higher, find Jerry's book, and read it. Don't waste any time!

When I find a copy of this book, I buy it, to give to deserving film friends. Google me and tell me why you deserve one. Either hardbound or the paperback editions, buy Jerry's book!

Great book! Too bad they don't publish it anymore, but even though the book is about 40 years old, I got it like new from Amazon. Totally worth it!

Some things have changed since a set of circa-1970 film school lectures was transcribed into this book, but it's the best of the dozen or so how-to books I've read on making movies. The thrust: keep a hand in the technical stuff, but master the human elements. Of course. But the details are there, concrete and vivid in a way I haven't seen elsewhere. A lot of 'What you've got to do to stay on top of things,' and, 'What to do when things are about to go haywire,' and the like. There are some particularly insightful sections on the special demands of comedy.

At the end of the book there's a bit about how the advent of home video would increase the demand for movies - the U.S. studios were then putting out less than 100 films a year. And then, this little gem:

"Recently I saw a film made by a twenty-one-year-old, Steven Spielberg. It was twenty-four minutes of film called 'Amblin', produced for around $17,000. It rocked me back. He displayed an amazing knowledge of film-making as well as creative talent."

Mr. Lewis knows his stuff. Highly recommended.

"I THINK I LOVE FILMS AND THOSE WHO LOVE THEM BETTER THAN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD ---
and I hope when you read this book you will become a part of the already overwhelming number of film-loving people."
-J. L.
[from the book]