History:
The Movie Brats: How the Film Generation Took Over
Hollywood
Michael Pye & Lynda Myles (1979)
Fascinating account of the rise of the "cine-literate" generation of
filmmakers. Covers Francis Ford Copppola, George Lucas, Brian DePalma,
John Milius, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg up to the tail end of
the 1970s. See also Easy Riders, Raging Bulls (1998), considered
to be a more gossipy account of the major filmmakers of this era.
The inside track:
Adventures in the Screen Trade
William Goldman (1983)
The ultimate insider's book. It's so revered that even today, you will
rarely find a book on screenwriting that doesn't point you in its direction.
Don't overlook it.
Naked Hollywood: Money and Power in the Movies Today
Nicolas Kent (1991)
A companion book to a BBC series which took an in-depth look at filmmaking
from several perspectives. Much like the series, one part focuses
on writers, one on directors, one on agents, and so on.
Spike, Mike, Slackers & Dykes
John Pierson (1995)
It was only a matter of time before someone told the inside story of
the "independent" film business, and Pierson does it with uncompromising
gusto. Nobody else seems willing to try their hand at this subject,
probably because Pierson did it so well. If only he would get a follow-up
out there. Also the only book which collectively takes a look at the heirs
to the thrones of the Movie Brats, namely Spike Lee, Richard Linklater
and Kevin Smith (to name a few).
In the trenches:
She's Gotta Have It
Spike Lee
Lee has published a book for nearly every one of his films, detailing
the process of creation and production. This first book reveals the trials
Lee went through to make his first feature. Includes fascinating diary
entries revealing the orgins of the story and characters, as well as the
trials of financing an independent feature.
Rebel Without A Crew
Robert Rodriguez
Diary form story of how Rodriquez learned the process of filmmaking
and developed his first feature, El Mariachi. A very honest and
open attitude makes this a great read. Rodriguez brings home the idea that
anyone can learn how to be a filmmaker.
Other disasters:
Special Effects
Ron LaBrecque (1988)
Details the tragedy that occurred during the filming of Twilight
Zone: The Movie and the subsequent trial. Director John Landis came
under fire for this accident which killed actor Vic Morrow and two children.
The Devil's Candy: The Bonfire of the Vanities
Goes to Hollywood
Julie Salamon (1991)
An unparalleled amount of access to the development and production
of Brian DePalma's Bonfire of the Vanities resulted in this fascinating
account of a disaster-in-waiting.
The Battle of Brazil
Jack Mathews (1987, revised 1999)
This is a legendary "David and Goliath" story of director Terry Gilliam
versus Universal Studios over his film Brazil. An uncommon and unforgettable
tale, due mainly to Gilliam's unconventional attitude toward his battle
with the studio. The hardcover edition is long out of print, but a revised
softcover edition, bringing the story up to the end of the 90s, is available.
Just for fun:
Ebert's Bigger Little Movie Glossary
Roger Ebert (1999)
Some people never learn. But hopefully, some aspiring filmmakers will
read Ebert's little compendium of clichés and find out how not to
make a movie.
Screenwriting:
In addition to the previously mentioned Adventures in the Screen Trade,
check out the following to guide and inspire you if writing is your passion:
Screenplay
The Screenwriter's Problem Solver
Four Screenplays
All by Syd Field
If there's one person whose name is inextricably linked to screnwriting,
it's Syd Field. Field's Screenplay is the number one instructional resource
for beginning screenwriters, used in many writing courses around the world.
The Screenwriter's Problem Solver is a more recent (and more thorough)
guide to screenplays, designed to come into play when a writer has hit
a specific problem. Four Screenplays analyzes four diverse films and interviews
the writers, providing helpful instruction along the way on topics such
as action writing, adapting from other sources and writing character.
Screenplays:
EDITOR'S NOTE: Luckily for the aspiring filmmaker (especially
the writer), the 1990s saw an explosion of screenplay publishing. A quick
note of books to avoid. In my personal opinion, any book that merely
acts as a transcript of the film as finished is worthless. Nearly any film
ever made is available for viewing at nearly any time via videotape, so
a paper copy of such doesn't really serve a purpose. In addition, these
printed transcripts often ditch the writer's original prose in favor of
basic descriptions of the action on screen. Just about any person who would
read a screenplay in book form is interested in the development needed
to bring the written word to the screen, and deserves an unabridged version.
Books in the Premiere Magazine Movie Script Library are transcripts. Other books walk a thin line between transcript and screenplay. Michael Tolkin's collection of 3 Screenplays: The Player, The Rapture, The New Age has been modified, by the author, to reflect the final films. Similarly, Alan Ball's published screenplay for American Beauty intentionally reflects the finished film rather than the screenplay that went before the cameras. And there are some rare cases, such as Mike Leigh's Topsy-Turvy, where a full script does not exist until the film is finished (Leigh creates his scenes with the actors and conforms the "screenplay" at the end of the process).
You might notice a bias below to more recent films. While I'm all for studying the classics, young aspiring filmmakers are most likely to be interested in the contemporary works. They're also easier to find in print.
Two Screenplays: Clerks and Chasing Amy
Dogma
Kevin Smith
If there's one thing director Smith has been recognized for, it's his
writing. The first book presents the full screenplays to his most acclaimed
works, as well as some additional material for the true fans. The second
is a paperback-sized companion to his most recent film, containing the
full shooting script, includng scenes which were excised to bring the running
time down from three hours.
Good Will Hunting
Ben Affleck & Matt Damon
The Academy Award winning screenplay is a great read as well.
The Fisher King: The Book of the Film
Richard LaGravenese (1991)
A very complex and emotional screenplay from LaGravenese, presented
very lovingly in screnplay form, supplemented by interviews with director
Terry Gilliam, actor Robin Williams and some comments from various crew.
Terminator 2: The Book of the Film
James Cameron & William Wisher (1991)
The ultimate script-to-screen book, it assumes some intelligence on
the part of the reader. This book provides tons of photos and storyboards
to supplement the screenplay. In addition, there are copious annotations
in the margins and thorough introductory materials. Cameron also did a
book like this for his Academy Award winning Titanic.
Making Ghostbusters
Don Shay (1984)
The template for the Terminator 2 book, providing great insights from
the key cast and crew members. The entire original screenplay is included,
annotated to describe which scenes were modified or deleted, illustrated
with lots of photos and behind-the-scenes artwork. Although out of print,
a lot of material from this book was adapted into the DVD of Ghostbusters.