INFORMATION

For anyone who's interested in film and filmmaking I have devised this section with resources and information. One of the best ways to begin to understand the filmmaking process is by watching them. With this in mind I have selected a short list of film/television makers whose work has inspired and entertained me.

Of course this information is just a starting point, where you go from there is up to you.

Often when studying films the director is cited as the person with overall influence over the style of a film. In reality the director is one of many persons who contribute towards the making of a film but it is still possible to analyse the individual 'style' a director can bring to the making of a film.

Stanley Kubrick (America)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Kubrick
His visual style is much celebrated and for me never ceases to intrigue. When he worked on a project he never did things by half. The commitment from start to finish was second to none, even designing the actual advertising posters for his films. My personal favorite is 'A Clockwork Orange', although dark in nature I enjoy the element of light relief provided by the prison officer.

Steven Soderbergh (America)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Soderbergh
His visual style isn't like that of Kubrick but for me SS's main skill is in the way he edits his films. 'Traffic' is a great example of how he managed to edit four separate stories into one film. I get the impression that when he's shooting a film he knows exactly how it's intended to be cut together. For a modern Hollywood director this is a great way of keeping the studio's overheads down, as he only needs to shoot what is actually required.

Sergei Eisenstein (Russia)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Eisenstein
Early Russian pioneer of cinema, I couldn't really produce a short list without an old master, of which there are many. Eisenstien's films may not be entertaining to watch and sometimes feel like a bit of an ordeal but if you want to see how cinema has evolved then bear with the silent, black and white films such as 'Battleship Potemkin', 'Strike' & 'October'.

Michelangelo Antonioni (Italy)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo_Antonioni
Another one of may overall personal favorites and also for me, highly influential. 'Blow-up' is a film that doesn't give much away, its all there for you but without much dialogue and explanation. The way Antonioni photographs his scenes is unique and his use of editing sparse: compare his films with the likes of Steven Spielberg. I could write much more about Antonioni but then I would have less space for Mike, Lars and Jean-Pierre.

Mike Leigh (UK)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Leigh
Different directors can be studied for different reasons. Mike Leigh films are not filmed with any recognisable visual style but do seem to breath a life of their own through the performances of the actors. The dialogue seems very real with ML directing his players through improvisation.

Lars Von Trier (Denmark)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Von_Trier
I remember watching 'Breaking the Waves' at the cinema and never before have I left a film feeling so shattered. Using the same camera techniques as the French New Wave cinema, a harrowing storyline and an amazing performance from Emily Watson this film is a film you don't just watch, you experience.

Jean-Pierre Melville (France)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Pierre_Melville
Whenever I visited the world cinema section of some rental stores and library's 'Le Samouri' would always stare back at me. I was in for a treat. This film is French and even though it has subtitles you don't need to read much as the dialogue is sparse. Alan Delon's performance is ice-cool and so is the films visual style. 'Le Cercle Rouge' is also well worth checking out.

RESOURCES

Books

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