American Film Institute Desk Reference

For anyone who appreciates every aspect and every fibre on the history of the Hollywood film system, this is a great guide to keep by your bedside. Not only are you given a timeline that follows over a hundred years worth of events and headlines, but the book also covers the technical side of todays modern day film making, and also the language used by todays truly acclaimed filmakers.

There are plenty of good books available on what films are out there and other books of the art of making films. We can find vertical market books on specific subjects that are film related. However this book is exactly hat the title implies. There is more depth to this book than just an overview or an introduction book. Although this book could be a good coffee table book it also makes a good desk reference book. With 608 pages, most containing partial if not totally glossy color snaps from the famous and obscure movies of our time. The different subject or chapters have color coded tabs on the edge of the page allowing for quickly finding the information sought. Although designed as a reference I found it more fun to read page by page picking up gems here and there that would never have been found by just reference searches.

"In Hollywood, anything can happen. Anything at all." ~Raymond Chandler If you are looking for a one-volume source containing the information about movies and the people who produce them, this is an excellent reference manual. If information makes you high, this book will make you feel slightly heady. There is information on everything from film history to the biographies of major players. I enjoyed the hundreds of photos, quotes and factoids. This desk reference is divided into five main sections: 1. Movie History - Take a journey from 1830-2002, decade by decade. 2. Movie Basics - An outline of who, what, when and where. This includes information on studios, creative people, how to break into the movies, buzzwords and coveted salaries. 3. Movie Crafts - The hands-on aspects of movie making. Producing, directing, writing, acting, cinematography, production design, costumes, makeup, hair, special effects, sound and music, editing, distribution and critiquing films. 4. People in Film - Profiles of historical and contemporary film-industry producers and players. 5. Films - Dream lists for the movie lover in you! See if you agree with the AFI's 100 Funniest movie list or read about the top 50 all-time box office hits. The movies are listed, then listed again with additional information. You can also read about the movies again in various parts of the book and page numbers are given for easy reference. Like "Some Like it Hot" is listed in AFI's Top 100 American Movies and while it is listed under AFI's 100 Funniest American Movies, they save space by referring you to pg. 383 for the detailed information. This section also has a collection of "movie quotations" like: "I'd love to kiss you, but I just washed my hair." ~Bette Davis (Madge), Cabin in the Cotton (1932) If you enjoy watching Foreign Films, this chapter has information about films around the globe. There are lists of films from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Senegal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Sources - Addresses, phone numbers and websites for every facet of the film world. If you want to know about film projects in development, there are places you can find this information online. You can find out information on: What you have to do to sell your screenplay to Hollywood. Where you can rent cameras if you wanted to make a film. Why films get chosen for the Cannes Film Festival. How the Oscar got its name. The stars names found on the Holly wood Walk of Fame. The main features in this book include: Lists of movies, essays, articles giving information about who's who, detailed cinema history, fascinating anecdotes, gossip, trivia and quotes from film personalities in side columns. Information on "screenplay formats and terminology" is a real bonus. It is pretty amazing to find all this information in one book! If there is another boo

This is a good book with lots of beautiful pictures. It's not something I want to sit down and read through, I'd rather flip through it and look for interesting things. The facts on the sides of the pages are the most fun to read.

This is a great reference book and one that is very reader friendly. Plenty of infomation and the book is designed for flipping about for quick reference. It isn't an encyclopedia, nor should it be but rather a great book for my desk at work and I have another next to my DVD. It was a gift and I went out and bought another one for myself.