Essential Reading for Film Studies

[kawolski]

Hi guys,

I start a Degree in Film Studies (Cinema and Practice) in September, and being impatient i'm after some suggestions for essential reading material that would be relevant.



Is there a 'bible' for anyone studying Film?

[sippog]

There's a trillion useful books out there but you could do worse than try:

"A Short Guide To Writing About Film" by Timothy J Corrigan (Pearson/Longman) for help with essays.

[kawolski]

Cheers sippog I'll check it out.

[julian_craster]

You might want to check out THE CINEMA BOOK (ed by Pam Cook) (published by BFI, latest edition 2008) for an overall guide to theoretical approaches etc.....

[kawolski]

I love you guys!

[LukeAFB]

A very good book for budding film Producers/Directors etc. is John Boorman's "Journey into Light" about the trials and tribulations in the making of his film "The Emerald Jungle" starring his now biker son, Charlie.



It tells the whole story from script treatment, through the financing, to the finished production (which nearly wasn't!) and is eminently readable. I don't know if it's still available, but read it if you can. The best of luck. (also posted on a similar topic)

[Dr Amicus]

I've taught on a few film & media courses over the years, and one book I can recommend is Film Art by David Bordwell & Kristin Thompson. A brand new one is quite expensive (around £35), but older editions can usually be picked up cheaply.



I'll second The Cinema Book - a very useful overview of key topics.



Also handy will be a good film studies reader - there are many around. Depending on the collection of essays inside, these can offer a wide range of useful material for a relatively cheap price.

[julian_craster]

Some useful study material on this website.........



davidbordwell.net : film art





From: davidbordwell.net : home

[Harold Shand]

You must own Key Concepts by Susan Hayward. It covers everything - really handy for defining that essay term. Equally important in filling the inevitable gaps in the lecture notes.I'm in my 3rd year and my copy has been referenced in every essay.

[kawolski]

Thanks guys,

the general consensus i've been getting from mates that are at uni is that Bordwell & Thompson and Hayward are must have bits of kit.

Your experience is much appreciated.

Where you studying Harold?

[MB]

In the Guardian today:



How to write plays and screenplays.



Obviously not an in-depth study , but with some interesting quotes from Ronan Bennett, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Lucinda Coxon et al…

[orpheum]

What about the books written by William Goldman?

[sippog]

name='orpheum']What about the books written by William Goldman?

I loved "Adventures In The ScreenTrade" and still recommend it to students but I personally found "What Lie Did I Tell", the sequel, a bit of a let down.



Of course, if you're talking about his novels, "Marathon Man" is quite enjoyable. It has a twist (like Ira Levin's "A Kiss Before Dying") that you can only pull off in a book -it doesn't translate to screen. If you're one of the 2 percent who've never seen the movie, read the book first!



Likewise THE PRINCESS BRIDE is charming in a deliberately old fashioned way. You can enjoy that even if you've seen the film.