Books On Image & Story

I'm looking for books or articles that touch on the subject of image and it's relationship to story. I am researching image, its impact on story, and the cinematographers influence on the story.

If anyone knows of some useful books or other resources I would greatly appreciate the help.

Thanks,

Owen Hooker

Owen Hooker writes:

>I'm looking for books or articles that touch on the subject of image and >it's relationship to story.

Interesting subject. I'm waiting to see what people come up with. But you might check out "Cinema As A Graphic Art" by Vladimir Neilsen, Sergi Esienstein's editor. It's not only about editing but about using image to tell stories. Don't know if it's currently in print.

Steven Poster ASC

I'm not well versed on the subject outside of books strictly devoted to film making but I'd say you couldn't go far wrong between André Tarchovskys 'Sculpting in Time', Walter Murchs 'In the blink of the Eye', Robert Bressons 'Notes on the Cinematographer' and 'Cocteau on Film' by Jean Cocteau.

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Tom Townend,
Cinematographer/London.

"The Innocence of the Eye", Ed Spiegel, Silman-James Press, Los Angeles. ISBN 1 879505 63 0

One of those books it's easier to recommend than to summarise.

Sam Garwood
Cinematographer
London

One of the best I've ever read on this subject is "The Dramatic Imagination" by Robert Edmund Jones.

Jones was a set designer working on Broadway, so his book is based on the theatre rather than film, and some parts are somewhat dated, but the essence of what he had to say is still very valid.

Brian Heller
IA 600 DP

"Every Frame a Rembrandt" deals with that subject a lot...(of course specifically for the movies that Andrew Lazlo shot) also, Days of a Camera by NEstor ALmendros has some chapters that refer to that and others that are more biographical... you can check it out.

Magela Crosignani

"The Visual Story" by Bruce Block, published by Focal Press might be one of the books you can be interested in reading.

Simone A. Rapisarda
Montreal, Canada

Visual storytelling by Bruce Block is the best book probably out there. Bruce Block specializes in these seminars out here in Hollywood. Try it out, its fantastic.

Tommy Upshaw
AFI-Cinematography fellow

My favourite is "Des lumi=E8res et des ombres" (Lights and shadows)Henry Alekan (La librairie du collectionneur (4 rue Cassette 75006, Paris)editor).

I don't know if it is translated.

Best,

Vincent "MAX" Fauvelle
Gaffer
Belgium
www.airlight.be

A bit narrow in scope (this is not a criticism, it is the author’s intention), but i found the book “A Cinema of Loneliness” by Robert Phillip Kolker somewhat insightful. it focuses specifically on Penn, Kubrik, Scorsese, Spielberg, and Altman.

The subject of image relating to story was – aside from the history of cinema – the crux of cinema studies at the university I went to. somewhere in some box in some closet in any number of cities, I still have all my textbooks from those classes, and they had also had a lot to say about this topic. might I suggest contacting schools you admire, gathering lists of their cinema studies courses, and then finding the required and suggested texts for each? that, I think, will give you a very nice range of material.

David Obuchowski

Brooklyn, NYC

Man I've seen "The Visual Story" by Bruce Block about a dozen times on this thread. I've GOT to get me this book!

Roderick
Az. D.P.
www.restevens.com
12On / 12Off

Please forgive the late answer, I have been in the hospital due to a heavily broken leg.

In my opinion there is one book that has been left out of the list. It is philosophical, rather difficult to read and in French. I refer to the French Philosopher's Gilles Deleuze two volumes of cinema books :

a) "L'image-mouvement" (the image-movement), ©1983, Les Editions de Minuit, ISBN 2-7073-0659-2

b) "L'image-temps" (the image-time), ©1985, Les Editions de Minuit, ISBN 2-7073-1047-6

Regards

Argyris Theos
DoP
Athens Greece

Argyris Theos wrote :

>I refer to the French Philosopher's Gilles Deleuze two volumes of >cinema books

Have they been translated into any other languages (i.e., English)?

Jason Rodriguez
Post Production Artist
Virginia Beach, VA

>Have they been translated into any other languages (i.e., English)?

Jason, I don't know about English, but, though I can't remember any publishing data, I'm completely sure they were published in Spanish in the 80's; perhaps by Editorial Fundamentos, so there should be a way of finding them - in Spanish (just in case your surname means something).

Arturo Briones-Carcaré
Filmmaker
Madrid (Spain)

>Have they been translated into any other languages (i.e., English)?

Both books on cinema by Deleuze, are available in English in inexpensive paperbacks and are in print.

They are ...

Cinema 1 The Movement-Image … Cinema 2 The Time Image

They are published by the Univ of Minnesota Press, but can be ordered from any local bookstore or online from www.amazon.com and other online bookstores.

Gerald Jones
Gaffer
Editor, PRODUCTION NOTEBOOK