What a Producer Does: The Art of Moviemaking (Not the Business) [Paperback]

Buck Houghton (Author)

Book Description

Series: Not the Business | Publication Date: April 1992

This title addresses the job's creative concerns, rather than the fund-raising aspects.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Buck Houghton

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Silman-James Press; 1st edition (April 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879505053
• ISBN-13: 978-1879505056
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Off The Mark, February 22, 2005

By 

Phreddy Tran (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What a Producer Does: The Art of Moviemaking (Not the Business) (Paperback)

Houghton eschews all talk of money in his book, but these days, a producer's priority is getting funding for his film. Of course, it was easy for him to disregard financial matters -- he was primarily a TV producer, with a big studio backing his moves. Beyond the Twilight Zone, his credits were immaterial. Hence, his advice is largely inapplicable to independent producers and students of film -- the likely readers of this book.

This book is also dry to the point of going full-Sahara. As just one example, he describes a sound-editing room in tedious detail for no apparent reason. When you consider the fact that today's sound-editing rooms bear no resemblance to the rooms Houghton used on the Twilight Zone, then it's all just wasted ink.

And as if this book wasn't enough of a chore to read, it contains numerous typos. Pathetic.

If you want to get an inside-look at making movies, you would be better served by renting your favorite DVD's and listening to the commentaries. Then supplement that by reading John J. Lee's reference book, "The Producer's Business Handbook."

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Valuable Learning Tool, May 11, 2001

By 

"dreamypickles" (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What a Producer Does: The Art of Moviemaking (Not the Business) (Paperback)

I certainly wouldn't recommend using this book to replace a thorough education, but if you're strapped for cash and just want to know how it's done, "What a Producer Does" by Buck Houghton can pave the way. I bought this book because I'm going to film school in the fall, and I wanted to know a little about what I'm getting into. I tried to pick up painting once... I was unpleasantly surprised by all the details involved in something as simple as color selection! Any art requires a good deal of technical knowledge before the artist can actually produce masterful works, but filmmaking is simply too expensive to "try out"! Buck Houghton has offered us practical applications of his craft to show the aspiring producer the do's and don'ts without the confusing technical jargon. Mostly the book deals with the how-to's of dealing with the various artists involved in making a film or TV show. He puts the producer in his place, telling him when to crack down and when to let the experts do their work. This is years of experience put into a simple to understand book. The only reason I gave it four instead of five stars is because I ((opinion!)) prefer books that are more manual-like in their structure (bulleting, charts/graphs, etc.). So if that isn't your bag, ignore the four and make it a five!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for students; great for anyone who loves movies!, February 27, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: What a Producer Does: The Art of Moviemaking (Not the Business) (Paperback)

Of all the books I've read on filmmaking, lighting for film, etc., Buck Houghton's is the most pleasant and interesting! This book is concise, non-critical, and informative. I really appreciated the stories he told from his years in "The Twilight Zone," plus other anecdotes and examples he sprinkled throughout the book. As noted earlier, it's not just good for film students; anyone who has ever watched the credits after a movie and wondered, "What does a Foley operator do?" "What's a gaffer?" should read this book. You won't ever take good movies, or those involved in the making of, for granted again.