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Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Knowx$15.65
  (26 reviews)
Best Price: $24.95 $15.65
What the industry's most succcessful writers and directors have in common is that they have mastered the cinematic conventions specific to the medium.
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Customer Reviews
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Good lessons in visual storytelling
By A2TENUE0TXT9NH on 2005-09-10
Having taught screenwriting for UCLA's Writing Program as well as being a working screenwriter for the past 20 years I've always been asked what separates a professional screenplay from the thousands of amateur screenplays out there. One of the things aspiring writers lack is what we call "getting your chops", a term borrowed from musicians. Meaning real, live experience that simply can't be taught. And usually, the only way to get it is by having your material produced. Jennifer Van Sijll's book CINEMATIC STORYTELLING, is the first book I've read to take an intensive look at what takes years and lots of produced credits to learn. By using written scenes from movies, coupled with actual film scenes printed alongside, Jennifer teaches visual storytelling in a way few books have done.
What I learned early on in this business is that there are several drafts after the one you sell. Many of us refer to them as the producer's draft, the director's draft, the actor's draft and the crew's draft. And you will make changes in all of those areas for reasons of character development, budget, schedule, location and ego.
Do writers really need to know about how films are shot and edited, even how sound can enhance a screenplay? The answer is yes and Jennifer's book, very appropriately titled provides invaluable information, something all writers whether aspiring ones or seasoned pros like myself need to consider. What she illustrates are the various parts of a movie and how they relate to the screenplay. The book is divided into chapters with topics like framing, locations, sound effects, transitions, camera motion and lenses, lighting, props and many more. Each chapter has many specific written scenes and still photo clips from well-known movies
Consider transitions, difficult for aspiring writers and even some pros. Learning to write good transitions between scenes rarely is taught in writing courses, and often left to the director, producer or editor. CINEMATIC STORYTELLING presents the reader written scenes from Citizen Kane, Fatal Attraction and many more movies, illustrating how sound and visual transitions are used in a finished film. A good writer can add smooth transitions into their screenplay and make their screenplay read more like a movie and more likely to be read. I've always been told my screenplays are easy reads, meaning that the reader is quickly engaged in the story, and this is directly due to my knowledge of visuals including transitions, close-ups, wide shots and sound cues. The secret here is writing it like it's part of the natural organic form of the screenplay rather than clumsy, noticeable descriptions. You don't have to write CLOSE UP, to indicate one.
Experience teaches the working writer and Jennifer's book is a solid attempt at dealing with this interconnected world of writing and making movies using many classic movies like Citizen Kane, Chinatown, The Searchers (my personal favorite), as well as contemporary movies like Pulp Fiction and lesser-known indie films including the cult favorite Harold and Maude to give a really good balance to her observations. She has focuses on framing, sound effects, transitions, camera motion, lighting, even camera lenses, which may not sound like anything a writer need know. However, a working knowledge of all those elements can and will contribute to a well-written screenplay.
I've always taught students that screenplays should be entertaining to read, in the same way movies should be entertaining, no matter how serious the subject. Breaking the rules is fine once you've sold your big feature, but don't forget the old saying, "you gotta learn the rules before you can break them". You have to write some thing that readers will want to read, to turn the page, to "see the movie". By knowing what directors, editors and even actors will need to interpret your screenplay, you can write a richer, clearer story. It's one of the best ways to protect the story you want to write, a lesson that took me years to learn. There are two things to remember when you're writing a screenplay, write a good story and write a good movie. Jennifer's book will help you make your screenplay more like a screenplay and will be useful time and time again.
Review for "Cinematic Storytelling" that appeared on Microfilmmaker.com
By A187I74UGEZSKJ on 2005-11-18
I recently reviewed a great debut film called 'Ascension' from a new microcinema director. The story and shooting style were fairly direct and straightforward; but--as this movie showed--just because the script didn't call for Michael Bay-style camera moves, it didn't mean that the shots had to be boring! A lot of beginning filmmakers (and even some that have more experience) can feel that they have to have lots of swooping crane or dramatic steadicam shots in order to have a great-looking movie. This isn't true. In reality, if you don't know how to effectively use the camera in the first place (visually speaking, not technically), you have no business putting it on a crane or steadicam; these devices cannot fix a visually uninteresting or inappropriate shot.
Enter Cinematic Storytelling. Using some of the most iconic and well-known films as examples, Jennifer Van Sijll explains how to use visual composition, lenses, editing, sound effects, transitions, camera position, and much more to give emphasis and convey information and emotion in your movie.
Comprehension
One of (the many) cool things about this book is that you don't have to have had any prior experience working with cameras to be able to understand the material. If you can read English and can look at the picture examples given (still photos from various films), then you can understand the concepts conveyed in the book.
Concepts and techniques (such as montages, intercutting, visual foreshadowing, etc.) are defined and clarified; even very subtle techniques that are almost unnoticeable in movies are pointed out and their effect explained. (For example, in describing the X-axis in screen direction, Van Sijll notes:
"As Westerners we read left-to-right. If you rented fifty studio-made movies, there's a good chance that the 'good guy' will enter screen left every time. When the 'good guy' moves left-to-right, our eyes move comfortably. Subconsciously, we begin to make positive inferences. Conversely, the antagonist usually enters from the right. Since our eyes aren't used to moving from right to left, the antagonist's entrance makes us uncomfortable. The screenwriter exploits this by transferring our learned discomfort to the characters" (4).
The author then goes on to show stills and a script excerpt from Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train to illustrate the effect of this principle.
Depth of Information
The book covers a tremendous amount of information, starting with the conventions of stationary camera techniques and progressing through editing, sound, lenses, camera movement and positioning, lighting, and finally, environment (location, wardrobe, props, etc.). However, each topic has still photos of at least one movie that exemplifies that certain technique, as well as an explanation of its dramatic value. This latter part is essential, because it's pointless to just talk about certain camera shots, effects, movements, etc. if you don't explain why they are important or what they are effective for. Additionally, the techniques are explained in the context of the movie photos, thus illustrating their effect.
[Quick side note: Jennifer Van Sijll draws from both old and new movies as examples. From Fritz Lang's 1927 milestone Metropolis, to Citizen Kane, Psycho, Pulp Fiction, The Piano, and Requiem for a Dream, all of the films she picks are excellent for viewing. You might want to add the "example movies" in this book to your Netflix or Blockbuster rental list. (Not like it's probably already long enough as it is!]
Interest Level
I found that it was very easy to maintain interest in this book. Truth be told, I was rather skeptical at first when I was informed that I'd be reviewing a book entitled Cinematic Storytelling; I was expecting a textbook-sized tome with simple drawings and technical words. Not so. The format is very easy-to-follow; each chapter has approximately between 4-10 sections, with each section usually covered in one full page. This makes for quick reading and easy comprehension. There are no big, technical-geeky words to wade through, and the explanations and summaries are brief, but detailed and thorough.
Reusability
This book is definitely a must-have investment for a filmmaker; whether you are just starting your first short or are working on your tenth full-length feature, this is a book you'll want to have within reach while planning your shot sheets and/or storyboards. And you'll probably find yourself coming back to it again and again with each new project you do.
Value vs. Cost
While the listed retail price this book being $25, it is worth far more for the information and ideas it provides. If you've never taken any kind of cinematic layout class (and even if you have!) this book is well worth the price. This book helps you to make the maximum impact with your main artistic tool: the camera itself. Just like writers understand the impact of their words, and painters understand how colors are used on their canvas, so must the filmmaker understand and know how to use the camera without relying solely on special effects and equipment.
Overall Comment
This book belongs on the shelf of anyone interested or involved in filmmaking, storyboarding, camerawork, cinematography, producing, and/or directing. Too many filmmakers--both microcinema and "big Hollywood"--don't fully understand the purposes and implications of various shots; this book will help you make the best use of your time, equipment, story, planning, and ideas.
Understandability - 9
Depth of Information - 9.5
Interest Level - 9.0
Reusability - 10.0
Value vs. Cost - 10.0
Total Score - 8.3
Reviewed by Kari Ann Morgan
Microfilmmaker.com
a good idea for a book
By A358XP3X4U0X45 on 2006-01-23
A book on storytelling via pictures would be useful for screenwriters to supplement all the books on how to write screenplays, because the people who decide whether your screenplay will ever get produced or not are Producers and/or Directors. These people describe themselves as "visual people". Bluntly put, they are glorified cinematographers. They know next to nothing about drama and care less. A script is simply a vehicle to exercise their cinematic skills.
This book, however, is about 20% storytelling and 80% cinematography. Also, there are only about fifty words of information in each two-page section. It does, however, afford a look into the minds of directors and cinematographers and gives a clue to the beliefs they hold. In many cases, it defies credibility that anyone could think that such things have an effect on audiences. As far as I know, not one of these beliefs has ever been subjected to a controlled experiment with even one live audience. For instance, is an audience really affected by whether a character enters left or enters right? Such superstitions help to explain why so many lousy movies are praised to the skies by the in-crowd while they flop at the box office.
Here is the table of contents: (1) Space: Screen Direction, (2) Frame: Composition, (3) Shape within the frame, (4) Editing, (5) Time, (6) Sound effects (7) Music, (8) Scene Transitions, (9) Camera Lenses, (10) Camera Position, (11) Camera Motion, (12) Lighting, (13) Color, (14) Props, (15) Wardrobe, (16) Locations, (17) Natural Environment
Bear in mind that these chapters contain only about 50 - 250 words of information. Sound effects and music are given especially short shrift, since filmmakers (mistakenly) consider them almost as unimportant as screenplays.
A better idea: screenwriters should always watch movies a second time with the director's commentary ON. This affords an insight into the minds of filmmakers even better than this book. For example, in the mixed-bag movie "Election", we begin by watching the main character running around and around the track. Later, we see him drawing circle after circle on the blackboard. And so on, and on. Well, as the director gleefully tells us, these are all CIRCLES, don't you see?! For a screenwriter, to interrupt or to slow down the drama for the sake of showing repeated instances of circles is insane! And this is only one instance among many in this movie. And Producers/Directors will never believe that these things take a toll at the box office.
A final footnote: the size and shape of this book make the book extremely unwieldy, making reading it a pain.
Writers, look through someone else's eyes.
By ALBMGUOVP10S6 on 2006-10-02
What a fascinating book for a scriptwriter to read! At first, you think "This isn't meant for me--it has chapters on camera lenses and camera positions, and wardrobe and sound effects! That's stuff directors and cinematographers and other people work with." From understanding the medium you're working in, comes better work.
Jennifer Van Sijll's Cinematic Storytelling provides 100 film conventions (as mentioned in the full title) in concise, two-page examples. The pages are index card-like in their brevity, but are so well-done there is no need for extra words. First, she lists the filmmaking element, such as "Motion," and gives an explanation. Next, she gives a film example, such as E.T., and explains the scene pictured in stills and how the particular scene conveys the element. If needed, she lists a script note or two and then explains what the dramatic value is of the element. Lastly, she lists a few other films that can serve as examples. The page with movie stills also contains the scene's script passage to show how the element was written. A writer will find the pieces of script excellent examples from which to learn.
Van Sijll's layout and logical progression through the different elements of film, from frame composition to locations and lighting, are easy to follow and almost Zen-like in their simplicity. Despite that simplicity, they do make an impact and stay with you long after you've put the book down. You'll find that when you sit down to write, you'll try and put those elements into your script with just a few well-chosen words (so not to look as if you're trying to direct). There are no exercises or homework and there is no general format information or advice on what the latest trick is to get your script seen. This is straightforward instruction presented in an easy-to-follow way.
After each chapter, Van Sijll inserts a "Chapter Credits by Film Element" index where you'll find a segment on each film she's highlighted. Within the segment, you'll find its release date, writer, director, production company and distributor. It's an unconventional scriptwriting book, for sure, and definitely worth checking out. Van Sijll teaches at San Francisco State University, holds seminars, and also works as a script analyst for producers. I enjoyed this book thoroughly.
Demystifying Cinema "Magic"
By A2C5T0JJQVCVXE on 2005-09-17
Having earned an MFA in screenwriting from Columbia University, I wish this book had been available to me when I was learning to deconstruct the mechanics of film language. Each example in Van Sijll's wonderful text simply and eloquently excises the expressive potential of filmmaking. With examples as classic as Citizen Kane and as modern and far-reaching as Requiem for a Dream, Van Sijll's well-organized and painstakingly detailed book goes beyond the basic to expose the elemental building blocks that insiders use to embellish their stories, building blocks that when properly understood and utilized in an original screenplay, can turn the amateur storyteller into a cinema artist. Composition, editing, camera lens, motion and position elaborate a compelling tutorial that doesn't stop short with camera elements -- Van Sijll turns her attention to sound effects, music, theories of time, lighting, wardrobe and location, all the while keeping a concise and even pithy economy to her explanatory text. There's no fat in this book, just good, solid information. A comprehensive read for the true film lover, and a must-have for all students of cinema, I recommend Cinematic Storytelling to scholars and theorists of film as well as to its intended audience. This is more than a how-to, it's a why-to, and it advises us all on what makes movies magical.
- Flawed format. Wait for DVD!
By ARW9S1QGO9W3Z on 2007-10-06
I certainly agree with the existing reviews regarding content, and have nothing to add in this regard.
HOWEVER, there are two problems:
1. The book measures 7 1/2" tall and 11" wide. This makes it hard to hold and fits poorly on the reference bookshelf where it belongs.
2. The book mentions an upcoming DVD. This would a MUCH better format than book.
This book tries to illustrate various cinimatographic points with still shots from exemplary movies. Sometimes these still shots cannot illustrate the point adequately, while a video clip would be TREMENDOUS at illustrating the point. (For example: various transitions: How in the heck can you illustrate transitions with still photos?!)
WAIT FOR THE DVD. It should be TREMENDOUS,and well worth the purchase.
- EXCELLENT REMINDER FOR SCREENWRITERS
By A9BX5H7ALCUGZ on 2005-09-04
Years ago I placed two stickers on my computer monitor. One sticker said: "You are a storyteller." And the other sticker said: "Think Visually." The first sticker was to remind me that, in my simplest form, all I wanted to do was tell stories to move and entertain people. The second sticker was to remind me to not be so clinical in my writing and think visually as to how I want the scene to look; to look at other approaches, VISUAL approaches, so I don't become a static writer writing just the basic words to get the scene across.
Years later, those stickers are gone but the core ideas are not.
It is the most common thing I write on a script that I am editing: "How do you show?" The character is angry. "How do you show?" The character wears a t-shirt. "Does it say anything?" The character drives up in a car. "What kind of car is it?" And, more often than not, the writer looks at me with a blank look on their face to say: "You expect me to put that in?" "OF COURSE I EXPECT YOU TO PUT THAT IN! AREN'T YOU A WRITER?"
Then the argument comes back to me: "I've heard that Producers don't want lots of detail." "I've heard that Producers look at how much white space there is before they'll read the script." "I'm trying to keep it as basic as possible." Which tells me they want to keep it BORING! You are a WRITER. WRITE!
"Cinematic Storytelling" is a book that rubber stamps my continued arguments with writers. It breaks down, by explanation, script examples and photos, how a scene is put together visually - and all the different combinations there-in. The subtitle to the book is: "The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know"
Jennifer Van Sijll, using examples from the silent film "Metropolis" to Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill 1" (and everything in between) explores those 100 Powerful Film Conventions in great detail.
The book is broken up in 17 chapters, each with an introduction and then within those chapters she breaks down each convention. For instance, Chapter 5 deals with "Time" while Chapter 9 deals with "Lenses." As you read through this book she provides you with an explanation to the convention, she will often provide the bit of the script that refers to that convention, and then photographs from the scene to reinforce the convention.
In the chapter on "Lighting" (Chapter 12) she breaks down "Motion Lighting" showing how the opening scenes of ET used lights in motion to heighten the suspense of ET running through the forest. First, with the truck head-lights and then, secondly, with the flashlights the pursuers use. She also re-prints the part of the script where this scene is described to show you, the writer, how it translated from the page to the screen. There are quite a number of "script segments" that are, of course, different from the draft or shooting script to what was actually shot, printed and shown. Did you know the opening to the film "Adaptation" was actually in the 2nd Act of that film?
Besides the above, she also includes details on each example she used at the end of each chapter: Title, date, writer(s), director, production company and distributor. I think this information would be very helpful if you're doing research on these persons or the process.
I found myself, as I read through this book, thinking about the films I had most recently seen trying to find examples of what she was referring to. I was questioning some of my favorite films confirming a lot of what she explains in the book. These conventions really do add to the whole story-telling process and they do help the page "come alive" on the screen.
There are two complaints I have with this book:
1. 90% of the script portions she uses come from films that were directed by the writer. Joel and Ethan Cohen ("Fargo" and "Barton Fink"), Orson Welles ("Citizen Kane"), Luc Besson ("The Professional), etc. Obviously their vision is going to be more "complete" because they are directing what they have written. What I feel would have been more beneficial, especially for amateur screenwriters, is to show how a "Spec" Script was modified from the written version to what the director envisioned. Did the sparse description turn into a riveting scene because of what the director did with the script? Or was there enough on the page for the director to work with? As an amateur writer there is a "less is more" approach to writing which, in my opinion, saps the writer from being creative and stamping their script with a particular vision. A few more examples of this would have been helpful.
2. The other complaint piggy-backs the first. Many of the script examples she provides came from screenplays that were obviously shooting scripts or scripts that had been through the Hollywood mill. Jennifer explains in the "Note on Credits and Script Sources" how she came to the scripts and what she had to work with. I think it's excellent to have the script portions in the book and extremely helpful to the reader - but it also may confuse new writers who suddenly feel they have to include scene numbers or every single camera angle. She DOES note when the script portion is a draft or a shooting script but I still think this could add to some confusion.
But how does this book help that writer who's afraid a Producer will balk when they see a camera movement or a highly detailed description? What I feel this book DOES do is confirm that writing a screenplay is more than just typing: "Joan walks into a bar." And turns it into: "Joan, mid-thirties and wearing a slinky red dress, slinks into a smoke-filled sports bar." If a Producer doesn't get more drawn in with example number two - then you probably would not want to work with that Producer.
Overall this is an excellent book which goes beyond the typical screenwriting books. There is no mention of proper formatting. No talk of three act structure. The book challenges you, the storyteller, to look at your script in a visual way. To push those visual clues and see how you can write a script and add those images that fit YOUR vision, too.
Screenwriters, whether amateur or not, need to be reminded that they are, indeed, storytellers and they must tell their stories visually. This book helps you explore those visual options.
"Cinematic Storytelling" reminded me of the basics of screenwriting: "Telling a story in a visual way." It's a lesson all screenwriters need to learn - it's a lesson all screenwriters need to remember.
- You need this book.
By A34Q9AJNG54INA on 2005-09-16
Wow! Of the hundreds of screenwriting books out there, Cinematic Storytelling is the only one addressing how to write specifically for the screen. If you want to learn how to write a movie instead of a novel, a cinematic script instead of a dialog driven one, read Van Sijll's book. The book starts where Syd Field and Robert Mckee leave off. It delivers what usually takes years of industry experience to master. You need this book.
- Cinematic Storytelling
By A3OP5GGOICSX9N on 2005-10-10
This well crafted book investigates the language of film beyond dialogue and is a must read for screenwriters and filmmakers looking to add powerful visual language to their scripts and films and better understand the process of filmmaking. Cinematic Storytelling is a must read for anyone writing, producing, directing or editing film.
- What Every Screenwriter Should Know
By A29SND4B73IR6S on 2005-09-09
Cinematic Storytelling is a resource that should be on your
bookshelf next to the "The Writer's Journey" and the Syd Field books.
Ms. van Sijll has nailed it. Both novice screenwriters and seasoned
professionals can learn from this book. It presents very complex ideas
about story messaging in a way that anyone can understand.
Almost every other screen writing book talks about structure; Cinematic
Storytelling talks about rendering. It shows you how to transform your story
into a cinematic script. It's also a great resource for directors because it
connects camera angles, lenses etc. directly to storytelling.
Kudos Ms. van Sijll, this book is an A+++++.
- TOO BASIC
By A1PF8IABZD10IC on 2005-09-11
The title misrepresents the content; the information is limited and over stated. If you don't already know these conventions from the most basic viewing of films, this book won't help.
- Make sure you know these screenwriting essentials
By A2MY2SPOWQ9626 on 2006-02-24
I'm still learning about screenwriting and how to incorporate the many layers of storytelling tools required for a good script. Like her title says, the concepts Van Sijll covers in her excellent book are yet another layer of what screenwriters should know. Unless you have been able to incorporate this into your writing on your own, your writing will improve greatly once you understand how these writing essentials are part of the filmmaking process that begins with the writer and continues with his or her directing, cinematography, and set-design collaborators.
Personal success story: Some writer friends who read a script of mine that I wrote after I studied this book say the script was the best one of mine they had read. Unless you're one of the lucky "natural" screenwriters, you should understand what Van Sijll is presenting and then figure out how the concepts can make your scripts better.
- Film as art
By AY20S8XS9799P on 2005-08-18
I think this book is really good for the beginner filmmaker or someone who wants to learn about film as art. This will teach all the techniques that are used in a film to create a certain feeling or emotion. It's very interesting. Cinematic Storytelling teaches you from the point of view of the screenwriter. How do you take script to and put it to screen.
- This review first appeared in the launch issue of Moviescope magazine
By A2049TBN63BAJA on 2006-07-30
One of the greatest challenges for new filmmakers is learning to handle all the possibilities of the medium for optimal storytelling. Screenwriters often focus mainly on the narrative aspect of screenwriting, without considering the innumerable options available to them on the visual, auditory or sensory level. Similarly, beginning directors can be overwhelmed by the choices on offer - or conversely, swamp the material by overloading it with all the `toys' available to them. Jennifer Van Sijll, screenwriter, lecturer and script analyst, lends a helping hand with this impressive tome.
As the title indicates, the book provides an encyclopaedic tour of cinematic storytelling devices. These are divided into sections: space, frame composition, shape within the frame, editing, time, sound effects, music, scene transitions, camera lenses, camera position, camera motion, lighting, color, props, wardrobe, locations and natural environment. Each section features one or more techniques, introducing them theoretically, and then showing a practical application used in a very famous film. These scene excerpts are accompanied by the relevant part of the screenplay, black-and-white photographs illustrating the relevant images, and an explanation of the dramatic value of the technique. Where necessary, Van Sijll also notes differences between the screenplay and the final onscreen result.
This is not a light read: in order to gain the maximum benefit from this book, you'll have to put in some effort. It would also be a perfect foundation for a film school course. Despite a few minor editing mistakes, the book definitely succeeds in its goal: stimulating the imagination.
- Excellent Information - Could use more examples
By A2HJHN79MLX9PP on 2006-08-10
This book gives extremely useful insights into the grammar of film and the meanings behind the movements, sounds, shot selections, transitions, etc. It doesn't delve very deeply, but it does quite consisely and clearly demonstrate how certain decisions can either lead the viewer to a conclusion, make them feel something or just set them up for something to come. It is a good handbook to keep on the shelf and use when storyboarding.
- Spectacular
By ATJE929ETFFNH on 2007-08-28
To call me a newbie screenwriter would be to insult newbie screenwriters. I'm a fledgling, nascent, inchoate, and very bad screenwriter. And if you would read the mere one-page script I wrote yesterday, you'd call me some choice names but I daresay 'screenwriter' will not be one of the myriad.
That said, this is such a great book, the highest quality through and through, from the binding to the clear type and the clear picture examples of each shot type. I found myself reading this like I would an easy novel: it was literally a page-turner and filled with so much information, and information I could immediately start using.
With each example, I popped in the respective DVD and found the particular shots and marveled at how the author's description and subsequent interpretation of the scene was spot on, a real "Aha!" moment on each page. In my long and very arduous road to screenwriting mediocrity, I believe 'Cinematic Storytelling' will be a staunch ally, immovable from its perch as a resident of my reference bookshelf.
- MARIE JONES, ABSOLUTEWRITE.COM BOOK REVIEWER WRITES:
By A225H01JA1PAH0 on 2005-08-31
The language of cinema gets full exposure in this comprehensive reference guide that takes a look at 100 years of film history and technique, focusing on elements such as lighting, editing, sound and direction as key tools for powerful storytelling.
Most of us think of visual effects and dialog as the most obvious tools of communication when it comes to film, but a deeper examination of what makes a good film great reveals true artistry that goes beyond what is being said and done on the screen. Author Jennifer Van Sijll, a screenwriting teacher at San Francisco State with an MFA from USC's Dept. of Cinema-Television, has undertaken a huge task here, compiling dozens upon dozens of examples of how the use of sound, camera motion, angles and picture quality all serve to enhance the magic of cinema.
Chapters cover the gamut from screenwriting and directing technique to the use of space and dimension, frame composition, editing, using the expansion and contraction of time, sound effects, scene transitions (both audio and visual), lighting, use of color, props, camera motion, differing camera lenses, where to position the camera, wardrobe and locations and so much more. In fact, if it isn't included in this virtual encyclopedia of film technique and artistry, it must not exist.
Each chapter includes plenty of film grabs from the most memorable films in history, from "The Graduate" to ""Pulp Fiction" to "Citizen Kane," as well as photographs that compliment the description and give the reader a more visual sense of the technique's effect. There are also descriptions of the dramatic value achieved with each technique, as well as actual pages from the screenplays that drive the point home. Sijll also includes suggested reading and additional films to view that compliment the elements being discussed, so filmmakers can continue to explore the concepts and techniques outside of the content of this book.
Making films is all about telling a story and that is not just done with words on a page, or even pictures on a screen. There are so many elements involved in the creation of a film, and understanding how to use those elements can truly make the difference between a movie and a masterpiece. For anyone interested in a career in film, "Cinematic Storytelling" is a priceless guide to creating memories on screen that will last a lifetime and beyond.
- Very Good Reference Guide
By A2BULNYJF22FLS on 2005-09-02
The book is organized into categories such as space, frame composition, editing, time, sound effects, music, camera position, lighting, wardrobe, and more. Each category contains a series of techniques which are illustrated by reference to specific instances in film. The referenced scenes are broken down, often frame by frame, with accompaying description and snippets from the actual screenplay. Whether it is a discussion of spatial relationships such as the horizontal X-axis of an onscreen image ("As Westerners we read left-to-right. If you rented fifty studio-made movies, there's a good chance that the "good guy" will enter left every time"), the use of music lyrics as a form of narration, the use of an audio bridge to compress time between scenes, visual foreshadowing, and a host of others, there is quite a bit to learn from Cinematic Storytelling.
I also enjoyed how Van Sijll incorporated a fair amount of film history into the book - while there are a number of current examples, especially from such films as Barton Fink and Bound, she also focuses quite a bit on the evolution of storytelling conventions in the early days of film. What is so intriguing is that a knowledge of some of these techniques can actually allow a filmmaker to play off of them (for example, if you know that the good guy normally enters from the left, and the bad guy comes from the right, and you switch them, you have managed to subvert the audience's expectations - which may, or may not, be a good thing). There's also an extended excerpt from Vsvold Pudovkin's principles of editing which focus on the issues of contrast, parallelism, symbolism, and the like - very interesting reading for someone with an interest in how cinematic stories are actually constructed. All in all, Cinematic Storytelling is an excellent quick and easy reference guide to some of the strongest filmmaking conventions around.
- BILL HASH AUTHOR OF AMRA
By AM4JTKLD1606I on 2007-01-09
It is a really good book showing the RULES of story telling.DON'T YOU USE A ROAD MAP WHEN THERE IS SOMEWHERE YOU WANT TO GO? GET THIS 'ROADMAP'
- Great take on film theory.
By A1KFGYRJLOO0S5 on 2007-05-09
The use of storyboards and stills from scenes in congunction with a theoretical breakdown make this a vey useful and thought provoking study on cinema.
- Beautiful Encyclopedia
By A1Z99NS03GDWD1 on 2005-08-30
Cinematic Storytelling is a beautiful encyclopedia of film technique. Van Sijll names and decodes one hundred technical elements used by master filmmakers to engage audiences on a psychological and emotional level.
These strategies work beneath the surface dialog, beneath the audience's conscious awareness. Yet, through the examples, we see how carefully the best screenwriters and directors craft messages that work beyond the intellect.
The elegant layout of Cinematic Storytelling supports the rich content. Each two-page spread identifies a specific film element, from the use of screen direction and audio bridges to the symbolic use of natural phenomena. Van Sijll explains each technique simply and, pulling from both classic and contemporary work, she identifies an example and concludes with the dramatic value to the film story. We begin to see how a fish-eye lens can add resonance to the right story moment, and not just look like a photographic gimmick. We see when and where a wide shot can reveal more about character than another pair of close-ups.
The breadth and depth of Cinematic Storytelling will intrigue novice filmmakers and stimulate those who are already accomplished in their craft.
- great book
By A11DG1G1RVN426 on 2007-01-09
usefull to discover a lot of ideas of movie "telling" , really simple and clear a book usefull for writers and directors, gives you an opportunity of meeting a lot of good scripts and visual idea.
- happy with my purchase
By AIXHI84Q4ADB1 on 2007-10-23
there was no unpleasant surprise with my purchase. the book came a day or two later than was promised, but other than that, all was as i expected!! :)
- Great book!
By A2POCG8R79F3OE on 2008-08-30
This is a great book for anyone interested in cinematography and script writing. Each chapter contains script examples and movie shots. The author makes a great job explaining the concepts in a concise manner.
- A must read for serious filmakers and writers
By ABPNUYYUZ15JQ on 2008-10-27
Cinematic Storytelling is a key tool for filmakers and screenwriters trying to translate their skills to the visual realm of filmaking. The author combines examples from great films throughout history along with a discussion of human perceptions to illustrate how certain visual actions illicit deep reactions in audiences without words. Although, geared for aspiring filmakers, as a screenwriter I found the discussions very thought provoking and useful in my efforts to more fully understand how to create evocative visual imagery and get across important concepts and messages through visual means. I found this book very inspiring and have consulted it frequently in my screenwriting endeavors. Kudos to the author for providing a no nonsense, useful guide to creating truly visual films and screenplays.
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