5 comments about Film Directing: Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Michael Wiese Productions).

1. This is a book about all the types os shots, but it has a serious problem. The writer doesn't explain the emotional meaning of all those shots. If you read this book, you will know the positions and angles that a cameraman uses; but you won't know nothing about when and why employ this angles. Katz doesn't talk about the art of direction and the connection between the script and the camera shots.
   
   If you want to learn the complicated art of the direction you must read other more interesting books, like "Film Directing Fundamentals" by Nicholas Proferes. Also you can analyze an Hitchcock's movie "shot by shot". Any movie of Hitch is a master class.



2. I think this book is for frappe latte mocha double half calf drinkers. Lots of flowery exposition. If it's the only book you've ever seen on the subject, it'll teach you something (in a very confusing way). But if you've ever shot anything, or read another book on camera setups, etc., this will not add much to your knowledge.
   
   I even read it a 2nd time to see if I was just "overwhelmed" by info the first time--nope...there are other books that get to the nuts and bolts and practical info much better.



3. its easy to read, lots of info and hints. especially very helpful for camera moves and shooting angels. pictures are great and makes real easy to understand.



4. I have used this book numerous times for my teachings in which students go through the process of making a short film with certain limitations being imposed. It is part of a process that I call "fast filmmaking". I like the examples that Katz presents, specifically that it is not the quality of the drawing, but how the drawing communicates the director's vision to the rest of the crew. I will usually have a student "explain" their storyboard to the class, and it is amazing how a few chicken scratches can give as much details as a fully detailed storyboard. Kudos to Katz for explaining the creative aspect of directing, and Michael Weise Productions for publishing these types of books.



5. as a long-time reader of videographer's magazines, I didn't find much of interest in this book. If I were new to the trade, I'd probably have found it more useful. For that reason, I gave it a rather high rating of 4 stars

4 comments about Hiding in Plain Sight: The Secret Life of Raymond Burr.

1. Starr, Michael Seth. "Hiding in Plain Sight: The Secret Life of Raymond Burr", Applause, 2008.
   
   No Secret to Me
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   Michael Seth Starr has written the "complete" story of actor Raymond Burr's career which includes his "secret" gay life. However I am not so sure his gay life was such a secret. Burr was a frequent visitor to New Orleans when I was out and about and we all knew him and saw him in the gay bars so it was no surprise to me. In other places he may have covered his steps but in New Orleans he was just another face. With that said let's have a look at the book.
   Burr was a film noir star as well as a television personality. His two shows, "Perry Mason" and "Ironside" were hits and received high ratings and we saw Burr on our small screens for a twenty year stretch. At the time he was popular being gay was a career ender so he had to keep his secret life out of the headlines or he would have committed career suicide. Burr manages to have a convenient life story ready which covered his lifestyle by claiming to be a "heartbroken husband and father" and there were rumors of an affair with Natalie Wood who was two decades younger than him. Here was a man who, on our TV screens, fought for truth but was not honest about who he really was. He lived with another man, an actor by the name of Robert Benevides and they shared their lives for thirty-five years, attempting to keep their secret away from everyone but their inner circle of friends.
   The book is a quick and easy read but for me had really nothing new to say. Burr's sexual escapades are barely dealt with and there is mention of one affair that really was not explicit. Starr does, however, do a fine job of reporting Burr's life in an easy, readable style but the title on the book leads the reader to believe that he is going to get some really hot and juicy information which is not there. It is fun to read about how Burr tried to his sexuality but that is only part of the story. Burr does come across as a kind, loving and generous man but I had the feeling of "so what"? Does anyone really care?



2. Throughout an otherwise informative and well-written book, Starr keeps hammering home two points over and over. He was gay: we get it. He was fat: we get it. Thanks to the tabloids and my own eyes, I already knew he was gay and fat. I'm over it.
   
   Still, the book is interesting due to well-researched info about his workaholic acting schedule (before, during and after the Perry Mason years), and his tireless generosity toward his fans and overseas troops. For whatever faults one might find, Mr. Burr is a man I wish I had known.
   
   Starr has chosen a good subject for a bio, and spent considerable time on it; but the excessive mentions of Burr's sexual preference, fabricated life story and girth really needed a good editor. The repetition became tiresome.
   
   Plus a few minor factual errors take away from the author's credibility. For example, Andy Griffith's "Matlock" series never aired on CBS.



3. I knew very little about "Perry Mason" but love that era of TV. Also "Rear Window" is my favorite Hitchcock film and Burr is so menacing in that. The author is very thorough in covering the story of this Canadian born (did not know that) and his career route through stage acting, into films and then into his famous TV roles. His efforts to hide his sexuality is amusing, especially considering the times, but is only a part of this famed actor's saga. Recommended for fans of TV and film who want a glimpse of behind the scenes life in Hollywood in the 40's. 50's and 60's.



4. I received the book yesterday and read it comfortably in two hours. The book really has nothing new or insightful about the life of one of my favorite all time actors, Raymond Burr. In a nutshell, he was only married once to Isabella Ward for a very short period of time, and the other two wives and son he claimed to have were bogus, designed to be able to tell the public and columnists, "I don't talk about that," when they pressed for info which might reveal his homosexuality. One tryst is mentioned which is nothing more than a supposed one night stand with another man, a bartender/female impersonator Raymond met...nothing shocking or particularly interesting. The bottom line is Raymond Burr was a loving, kind, generous and giving man. I would love to read a book/memoir by Barbara Hale, a true friend, or Robert Benevides, Raymond's significant other for his entire lifetime, who shared his home and life including the beautiful vineyard in California; that would be worth buying and reading...not this book. Such a disappointment and waste of time. Save your money.

2 comments about Adrian: Silver Screen to Custom Label.

1. adrian, a/k/a gilbert adrian, was one of the few designers for the classic hollywood films that did not blow his own horn during his time in the fashion industry as both costume designer and couturier.
   
   in his somewhat short life, he worked hard, played hard and draped some of the film industry's most glamourous bodies in uniquely beautiful designs. his creativity was unstoppable. yet, in a weird twist of fate, he was never to compete for an academy award.
   
   it is a wonderful thing to see another book published about this genius/workhorse! there are some of his gowns that defy description, such as his 'letty lynton' dress with its wildly ruffled sleeves. or, his showgirl get-ups that were featured in 'the great ziegfeld' and re-used time and again for mgm's less lavish musicals. and his period designs for the films of garbo and jeanette macdonald (to name a few), while not painstakingly researched, supply great amounts of aura for these actresses and the films.
   
   it would be nice for the academy to pay tribute to him, travis banton and many others one year. but as it won't get more people to watch, it probably won't happen.
   
   but that's fine. let the books keep coming and let the reinvestigations of the makings of glamour, hollywood style, spark many a scholarly discussion as they should.



2. I love this book soooo much i remember all the old movies that Adrian desigend for .. so happy with this book thanks Robert

5 comments about A Midsummer Night's Dream (The New Folger Library Shakespeare).

1. My daughter needed this for a school assignment. It worked out well for her, good price.



2. I recently re-read A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM prior to attending The Colorado Shakespeare Festival's performance of this play under the summer stars here in Boulder. Shakespeare (1564-1616) produced this romantic comedy between 1595 or 1596 and published it in the First Folio in 1623. It follows the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of amateur actors under the influence of fairies who inhabit a moonlit forest. The play is Shakespeare's most popular and is widely performed across the world.
   
   It play tells three stories connected by the wedding celebration of Duke Theseus of Athens and the Amazonian queen Hippolyta. In the opening scene, Hermia rejects her father Egeus's request that she marry Demetrius. Rather than facing death or lifelong chastity as a nun, Hermia and her lover Lysander decide to elope. Hermia tells her best friend Helena of her plan. Helena, who has been recently rejected by Demetrius, tells him of Hermia's plan to elope. Hermia, Lysander, Helena, and Demetrius all escape into the forest where they become romantically entangled under the influence of fairies.
   
   Oberon (King of the Fairies), and his queen, Titania, arrive in the same forest. Oberon enlists the mischievous Puck (aka "Hobgoblin" and "Robin Goodfellow") to apply the magical juice from a flower to Titania's eyes while she is sleeping. The juice makes the victim fall in love with the first living thing he or she sees upon awakening. Oberon also instructs Puck to spread some juice on Demetrius's eyes. Instead, Puck puts the juice on Lysander's eyes, causing him to fall in love with Helena. To correct the error, Oberon then orders Puck to apply the juice to Demetrius's eyes, causing him to also fall in love with Helena, much to her confusion (now having two suitors).
   
   Meanwhile, in a subplot, a band of "rude mechanicals" have been preparing a play in the forest about Pyramus and Thisbe for Theseus' wedding. Puck transforms the head of one actor, Nick Bottom, into that of an ass. When Titania is awakened by Bottom's singing, she immediately falls in love with him. Puck eventually restores Bottom's head, and lifts the spell from Lysander, but leaves Demetrius in love with Helena. The lovers conclude the night's events must have been a dream. Puck ends the play with a soliloquy.
   
   G. Merritt



3. The spirit of one of Shakespeare's richest plays is lighthearted laughter. The great impressario of the proceedings is Puck who in giving the 'love potion' to the wrong person, sets up the chaos of both Demetrius and Lysander loving Helena. There are numerous networks of parallel and contrast through the work , between the worlds of the royal humans, the fairies, and the craftsmen. The motif of dreaming and imagination play a strong part in the play. And the resolution in all the couples finding themselves in love and harmony at last is a supreme happy ending.
   This is one of Shakespeare's most delightful and amusing works, one of the richest comically in all the world of theater.



4. I must say that until I saw a simple, highschool play of this particular work, I was deathly afraid of SHakespeare, thinking it boring and only something for people over fifty to discuss and teach. WEll, i was wrong.
   This particular story brings in classical characters from Greek Mythology, such as Theseus and Hyppolita (sorry if I butcher her name...lol) as well as the regal Titania and Oberon, and of course, the humorous and jovial puck and bottom.
   Books like this are presented in the media to be boring but they truly are intersting and worthwhile reads. Without titles such as this, I highly doubt many writers of fantasy and romance would be the same today.
   Very highly recommend as a start to Shakespeares works, though seeing it is even better!



5. Say, this fictional and capricious play by Shakespear (not an original printing, you should know)is a capital reading choice. I commend you for taking the time to read and admire the Immortal Bard's wonderful work. Alliteration, huh? pretty neat.

5 comments about Macbeth (Folger Shakespeare Library).

1. Shakespeare was not very kind to the linchpin of his story. The tragedy of Macbeth the king became a personal tragedy of Macbeth the character of the play. He is sad, doubtful, fearful and altogether pathetic. In words, he is rebellious against his fate, but in the end he is powerless to do anything to alter it. He is not given an opportunity to shine his wit or spirit. He is not endowed with a single pun. Even Banquo is granted a piece of wisdom: "To win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray's in deepest consequence". Even Polonius is allowed to be witty ("Neither a borrower nor a lender be") and gives us "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't". Richard III is a veritable fountain of spirit, eloquence and wit. Macbeth is just evil and pathetic.
   
   Evil and pathetic is Lady Macbeth.
   
   The colorful relief from the lackluster main characters comes in the form of the porter and fantastical infernal creatures (Weird Sisters, Hecate and the apparitions) - the sole possessors of the playful and witty spirit. Maybe Shakespeare could not allow Macbeth to shine because the play was intended to please James I, the patron of Shakespeare's company and the descendent of murdered by Macbeth Banquo. Perhaps Macbeth indeed was a singularly uninspired man. Or the play may have been cut. Whatever the reason, in this macabre play about a tortured soul, Shakespeare uses spirits and the porter as a valve that relieves the pressure of pent up spark.
   
   The many murders and the eerie creatures make for quite a dramatic staging. However, the general lack of spark makes one miss other Shakespearean plays where the main characters, however evil, are not spared the playwright's poetry...



2. I generally like Shakespeare. In fact, I can't think of one play that I did not like before I read this one. Macbeth I found to be tacky with very few memorable quotes.



3. I'll admit, it's hard for me to get into Shakespeare (so go stone me in the streets, you drama geeks). Yet, this play is a killer.....literally. I mean, they need to make this into a movie nowadays-all the battle scenes, all the drama, all the Scottish accents. This play is the epitome of action-packed. You get the real beauty of this play sitting in your AP Literature class, reading it out loud as a class, and getting the class clown to tackle the part of Lady MacBeth. It's Mac-Awesome.



4. It would be ridiculous for someone to come on here and give Bill a bad review. When a person writes a review on a Shakespeare play, Shakespeare is not on trial, the reviewer is. So, I have no comments on the play, just the series. This is the second Shakespeare work I have read out of the Folger Library series. The running commentary and essay at the end of the play are well done and beneficial. If you enjoy reading Shakespeare, but find the archaic language hard to grasp at times, this is a good series for you.



5. Virtually all editions of Macbeth will have at least some annotations. Rummaging through five different editions, I preferred the Yale University Press version, edited by Burton Raffel, as having the most comprehensive and comprehensible notes, as well as an excellent introduction to Shakespeare's play. Raffel not only explains the meanings of obscure words, but also gives brief notes pertaining to relevant history, geography, stage directions, etc, that are rarely addressed as fully by other editors. In addition, Raffel frequently gives the proper way to stress the syllables in a line when reading it aloud, which can be extremely helpful. (However, in most places these stresses need to be very subtle, so that you don't sound like "taDUM taDUM taDUM".) And Yale's page layout is among the clearest that I've seen.
   
   (To find this edition: at Avanced Search, enter ISBN 0300106548; or, enter Macbeth as title, and either Raffel as author or Yale as publisher.)
   
   As a bonus, this edition includes at the back a long essay on the play by Harold Bloom. This is not an uninteresting commentary, but Bloom desperately needs a good editor. His essay is not only at least three times longer than it should be, but is startlingly repetitious. Yale would have been wise to have asked Bloom for a rewrite.

5 comments about The Clean House and Other Plays.

1. Sarah Ruhl is writing the very best contemporary drama. She's on fire in these plays.



2. Sarah Ruhl is arguably the most talented, inventive, and poignant female playwright of our generation. Her beautifully crafted plays glow with humor and a deep understanding of the human mind; Sarah Ruhl is a thought-provoking genius.



3. This is a collection of beautiful plays. Sarah Ruhl is quickly becoming one of my favorite playwrights, and I have not even seen a production yet.



4. This is a collection of beautiful, beautiful words. Inside these words lives possibilty. These are plays that are at once heartbreaking, and all the while lovely. They present worlds that seem familiar, perfect summer days, the kind open to wonder and reflection. I fell in love with each of these play worlds. If you are invested in the future of the American theater, you must read these plays.



5. The plays in this volume are outstanding, surprising, human, and yet totally magical and at times silly without being trite. The author really has an original voice, and seems to be able to breathe life into the everyday sources of our greatest emotions and fears and hopes. I saw one of her plays at Yale - The Clean House - and was blown away. Apparently her play Eurydice is coming, and I saw reviews for her latest play, Passion Play a Trilogy, which sounded totally interesting. She is my favorite author of plays.

5 comments about Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived.

1. I thought this book was one of the best I have read in a long time. If you enjoy stories that touch your heart and have a bit of excitement: This is a must read! Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful.



2. This is truly one of the best books I have ever read. Someone gave me this book as a gift and I was like, "OK. The True Story of the Greatest Elephant that Ever Lived? Sounds corny." But once I started reading, I could not stop. This book is amazing and is a story of true love and perseverence. I have now given this book as a gift multuple times, as it was originally given to me. This is a must read!!! Move up MOSIE!!!!



3. I fell hook, line and sinker for this book. I fell in love with the story, the elephant Modoc, the boy....even the author -- Ralph Helfer -- who becomes a character in his own book as the rescuer of "Modoc."
   
   And as a true story -- I was spellbound. Why, this elephant had more character than most humans I know!
   
   But that was when I thought it was a true story. If I had thought Modoc was a fictional account I would have been less enchanted. It would be a nice tale, but not well written enough to warrant my enchantment.
   
   In doing my own research after the reading I came up with several sites and people who doubt Helfer's veracity. Moreover, I could find only one (audio) interview in which Helfer talks about the book -- but it's not with an interviewer who had ever read it! So no questions were asked about how much truth there was in this literally "fabulous" tale.
   
   I'm afraid I have to say -- after reading people's blogs and comments and noticing discrepancies myself now that I don't think the story is true. I think it's a collage of Modoc stories and pictures (it turns out there were three elephants named Modoc in U.S. circus history.)
   
   Helfer even says in the beginning that he takes truth, hearsay and a dash of some of this and thatand then combines it all to make his story. He even says he stretches the truth -- but we want to believe it so much -- we take it all as gospel.
   
   So my recommend is -- until Helfer has a serious interview about the facts in Modoc -- unlikely since he spends most of his time in Africa -- that you read this book as fiction -- in which case, I'm sad to say, it's okay. Not great. Okay.
   
   And now I know why there was such a commotion about A Million Little Pieces -- James Frey's book. When it's true the reader's heartstrings are tugged in a different way. Really "true" life is still what amazes us most. It makes a difference.



4. If you are not an Elephant lover you will be after your read this book and if you have an Elephant lover in your life buy them this book. It will make you cry and laugh.



5. I bought this book because the photo on the front cover touched me deeply. Once I started it, I did not put it down until I finished. Alhtough I didn't always care for the writing style of the author, the story is so compelling, I highly recommend it to any animal lover. The 7+ decade relationship between a circus elephant and his trainer is the most amazing tale. Warning: you'll need a box of tissue.

5 comments about How Does the Show Go On: An Introduction to the Theater.

1. A really great overview of the wonderful world of Broadway! My daughter, (11 years old) who is a musical theater kid, absolutely loves it!



2. Get this book if you have young children so they can see what goes on back stage. I think it will make them want to see more of the action.



3. A great book that shows children (and adults) what goes in to putting on a show!



4. This is a must for anyone that loves theater and wants to share it with children. Due to the inserts, photographs and through explanations contained within this book, my grandchildren's first visit to Broadway will be ever so special. "How Does the Show Go On" gives clear explanations regarding the many careers involved in a theater production---and great side notes too! This book is a winner!



5. This book is fantastic! It's really good for people who are really into the theater and the "behind-the-scenes" aspect of it. It has a very interesting design and style that is used throughout the book. Overall, I would totally recommend it to young and old who love the theater and want to know how it works!!

5 comments about Sanford Meisner on Acting.

1. Mr. Meisner's book should be in your collection if you are a serious student..on the Mt Rushmore of acting teachers he would be right up there with Hagen, Adler, Stanislavsky and Strasberg. Meisner goes beyond the 'method' to what are the greatest tools you can bring to any performance...listen and react...listen and react..if you master the first the reaction will come naturally..but the first is the most difficult for any beginning actor..you might think you're listening but chances are you're not..



2. Sanford Meisner shared some very cool ideas on the theatre, and a contrast to Stella Adler's talkative nature.
   
   They basically believe the same thing, but go about it in completely different ways. For a stage performer , and in a different way, any artist, this book is one of the many paths to a deeper and richer manifestation of your craft.
   
   A great read indeed.



3. I bought this book at a time when I bought a lot of other, more recently written, books on theater. The books were by Anne Bogart and others who wrote about techniques that are not the Method. I thought that I would get a Meisner book because I thought it would be good to get to know some of the history of acting... and Meisner was certainly important historically. I saw this book as a sort of "eat your vegetables". So, I left it for the last book of the bunch that I read...... and it turned out to be WONDERFUL!
   
   This book is INCREDIBLY not dryly written. It is SO interesting to read. It is written as a series of reports on a class that Meisner was teaching, so you get to follow along and learn the Method with his class and see where Meisner is coming from on his beliefs on the Method. The writing style is really interesting and easy to read because Meisner's speech is really interesting.
   
   This book is WONDERFUL!



4. This is different from other acting books in that the reader learns the technique through following the process of students in thier first year with Meisner. He never gives any direct, step-by-step, this-is-how-we-learn-to-act instruction. You have to be patient enough to follow the story and mine the diamonds for yourself. I found a few useful tidbits to add to my technique, but many of Meisner's tools don't work for me, for I'm an Adler girl at heart; however, I have also found it useful to understand the process of my colleagues who use Meisner's technique.



5. This excellent book is an edited transcript of an actual studio class, recorded during one of Sanford Meisner's two-year studio sessions. The reader begins at the beginning and tracks this group through the major phases of training, while getting to read Meisner's own words, and those of his students. If one already knows something about acting techniques and even Meisner, this book deepens and develops that understanding right from the horse's mouth; it charms and provokes myriad thoughts about the art of acting. It's awesome. However, if one is looking for an introduction to the "Meisner Technique" or to any other technique that branches from Stanislavski or The Group Theater, this book is too advanced -- and even somewhat opaque at times -- because it takes for granted certain underlying concepts and vocabulary.

5 comments about Long Day's Journey into Night.

1. Eugene O'Neill's classic play, "Long Day's Journey into Night," is an autobiographical work that makes you feel immense pity for his family life. It's a great read, and wonderful to analyze! Just don't think that this will be a playful romp through the theater. O'Neill tackles a lot of heavy issues in this play and it can be difficult to read.



2. Starting in the 1600s, America was known as the place to make it big, where one could make a decent and happy living if one just worked hard. Whether contrasted to the chaos of Revolutionary France, the abject urban poverty of Dickens' England, the abject rural poverty of Ireland, the militarization of German society or the civil strife of Russia; America was heaven on Earth, a place where one could live the life they wanted. This image gradually wore away by the early 1900's, and this disillusionment was captured in work after work of American literature. The Great Gatsby unveiled the decay of the super-rich, The Grapes of Wrath showed the pitfalls of the rural farmer, Sinclair's "The Jungle" revealed the horrors of industrialized society, and To Kill a Mockingbird forced us to confront the horror of Jim Crowe laws. But no work so fully and so subtly attacked the everyday failings and desperation of middle class America until this short classic by Eugene O'Neill. This story has no true protagonist or antagonist. Instead, it examines one middle-class family, the Tyrones, over the course of one day. The Tyrones live in their own house, and are financially independent. The parents are middle-aged. The husband is past his prime earning years, and his wife, Mary, is addicted to snuff. One son is an alcoholic womanizer, and the other is frail and probably a nervous wreck. Nobody is in danger of starvation or eviction, but the family as a whole has problems, with depression probably being universal. Everyone has personal failings that weigh on their souls, and each day is a struggle to get through without damaging relationships with each other. Hence the title of the book, a long day's journey into night. Night probably means death here, as noone in the family is going to die soon. The journey is the time they have to spend with each other and put up with each other. This fate, this tragedy probably afflicts more people around the world than any other, and that is to have to live with your failings and those of your loved ones. This book was published at the end of O'Neill's career, and is supposed to represent his family. Regardless of its intention, this is a great book, and of the few American classics that anyone around the world can understand.



3. I have written reviews of some of Eugene O'Neill's other plays elsewhere in this space. I have noted there that Iceman Cometh is my favorite for a variety of reasons, some of them political. Journey, however, may be O'Neill best play and not only because it is somewhat autobiographical. The trials and tribulations of a dysfunctional family that is ultimately clueless about solutions to what ails each of the four characters (father, mother and two very unlike sons)is very much the stuff of modern drama. The intervention of the gods would seem out of place here.
   
   In O'Neill hands the tensions, misunderstandings and illusions presented are recognizable to today's audiences, even those who may themselves be troubled about finding solutions to some very disturbing problems. Althought this is a difficult play to read (and more difficult to watch performed)virtually everyone I know who has read and/or watch it has survived to the end. And was glad of it. That will tell as much as anything else that I could add that we are dealing with a master work of American literature. Enough said.



4. I recently re-read "Long Day's Journey into Night" on a vacation flight and was surprised to find how well it stood up in my second reading.
   
   The first time I read the play was when I was in my late teens and I could easily relate to melancholia of Edmund.
   
   With age and time, I am less melancholic and perhaps less Edmund-like but "Long Day's Journey into Night" is a wonderful play. The most personal (autobiographical) of O'Neill's work: it also is his most universal work.
   
   On every page, the American Dream/nightmare comes through with a brilliance perhaps not equaled elsewhere.
   
   If a professional or quality amateur production of this work is not readily available to you, I highly recommend you pick up a copy. Enjoy!



5. Simply said, the most beautiful American play of all time.