On Directing
Notes from the Sets of Saturday Night Fever, Wargames, and More
2nd Edition
Published on 1. October 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
220 pages
978-1-61593-316-7 (ISBN)
Description
Action and suspense films have almost always been made by 'seat of the pants'
filmmakers. Crafting their films on gut instinct and intuition their innate talent often leads them to exciting results. Badham examines and explains the elements of action and suspense that are needed to make a great film. Badham also dissects the elements of any good scene from any genre of film and gives valuable tools that the reader can apply in directing and acting for maximum impact.
This edition features a brand new section: The Director's Survival Guide to Episodic Television and explores the political danger zones faced in the ever expanding world of Streaming, Cable and Network television. Badham has created a much needed First Aid Kit for all directors and the newly expanded list of "14 Must Ask Questions Before Rehearsal"- an absolute essential in any filmmakers toolbox.
Intended for actors, directors, cinematographers, production designers or other creatives, Badham gives you the tools to deconstruct and understand your scenes.
Continuing the work begun in Badham's best-selling book "I'll Be In My Trailer" he shares more insights from talented directors on how they work with the difficult actor, rehearsal techniques and getting the best performance from any actor whether novice or pro.
filmmakers. Crafting their films on gut instinct and intuition their innate talent often leads them to exciting results. Badham examines and explains the elements of action and suspense that are needed to make a great film. Badham also dissects the elements of any good scene from any genre of film and gives valuable tools that the reader can apply in directing and acting for maximum impact.
This edition features a brand new section: The Director's Survival Guide to Episodic Television and explores the political danger zones faced in the ever expanding world of Streaming, Cable and Network television. Badham has created a much needed First Aid Kit for all directors and the newly expanded list of "14 Must Ask Questions Before Rehearsal"- an absolute essential in any filmmakers toolbox.
Intended for actors, directors, cinematographers, production designers or other creatives, Badham gives you the tools to deconstruct and understand your scenes.
Continuing the work begun in Badham's best-selling book "I'll Be In My Trailer" he shares more insights from talented directors on how they work with the difficult actor, rehearsal techniques and getting the best performance from any actor whether novice or pro.
More details
Edition
2nd Revised edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Seattle
United States
Edition type
Revised edition
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
415 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-61593-316-7 (9781615933167)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Previous edition
Book
09/2013
Michael Wiese Productions
€25.50
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
John Badham, BA, MFA Yale University, DHL Columbia College, is a Director and Producer of Theatrical Films and Television including Saturday Night Fever, War Games, Short Circuit, Blue Thunder, Bird on a Wire, Heroes, Criminal Minds, the Shield, Nikita, Psych, Supernatural, Siren. The Library of Congress recently selected 'Saturday Night Fever' to be added to the National Registry of Films.
His textbook I'll Be In My Trailer, the Creative Wars Between Directors and Actors has been translated into Mandarin Chinese, Italian and Japanese. The first edition of John Badham on Directing is also taught in film schools world-wide. His films have been nominated for five Academy awards and two Emmy awards. He has won three Saturn Awards from the Academy of Science fiction and Fantasy and the Grand Prize from the Paris International Science Fiction Festival. His areas of expertise are working with actors, action, suspense and fantasy films.
As Dodge Professor of Film and Media at Chapman University, he teaches intermediate and advanced directing.
His textbook I'll Be In My Trailer, the Creative Wars Between Directors and Actors has been translated into Mandarin Chinese, Italian and Japanese. The first edition of John Badham on Directing is also taught in film schools world-wide. His films have been nominated for five Academy awards and two Emmy awards. He has won three Saturn Awards from the Academy of Science fiction and Fantasy and the Grand Prize from the Paris International Science Fiction Festival. His areas of expertise are working with actors, action, suspense and fantasy films.
As Dodge Professor of Film and Media at Chapman University, he teaches intermediate and advanced directing.
Content
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION by John Badham
Part I: A Lack of Trust: The Five Mistakes
Introduction: A Nasty Bit of Laundry
Chapter 1: Mistake #1: Directed by Anonymous
Get 'Em While You've Got 'Em, Before You Get 'Em
Homework...Do It
They're On Board
On the Day
Failure Is OK
Summary
Chapter 2: Mistake #2: Know-It-Alls Rule
Summary
Chapter 3: Mistake #3: Filibusterers
Summary
Chapter 4: Mistake #4: Too Many Notes
Step #1: Cut and Validate
How Not to Watch a Take
Step #2: Privacy Please
Technology Sidebar
Step #3: Keep Them in the Loop
The Bull in the Arena
Step #4: Make It Fun
Step #5: One at a Time
Don't Let Things Slide
Make It Their Problem
Summary
Chapter 5: Mistake #5: Enamel Grinders
Tales from the Trenches
Summary
Chapter 6: Working With Your Actors
A Cyber -Colloquium
Part II: Action and Suspense: The Three Strategies
Chapter 7: Strategy #1: Not Just a Pretty Chase
What Is Action?
African Action
Directing Actors in Action
Summary
Chapter 8: Strategy #2: Who, Where, and When
Point of View
ID and Locate
Orientation
Jeopardy
Countdown
Summary
Chapter 9: Strategy #3: Quick Techniques and Safety
1. Pointless Masters
2. Few Actions
3. Overlap Actions
4. Scissor Time
5. Not That Fast
6. Change-Up
7. No Immutable Rules
8. Booby Traps
Summary
Part III: Preparing the Scene: The Director's Checklist
Before Rehearsal?
The Checklist
Chapter 10: The Scene Related to the Film
1. What happened before this scene?
2. What does it add?
3. What's different at the end?
Summary
Chapter 11: Architecture of the Scene
4. Whose point of view?
5. Where are the beats?
Tool #1: Physicalizing
Tool #2: Characters Think Ahead
Tool #3: Use the Camera to Show a Character's Thought Process
6. Where is the tipping point?
Summary
Chapter 12: Characters Enter the Scene
7. What do they want?
Rule #1: We Always Have a Goal
Rule #2: No Goal, No Acting
Rule #3: Every Character Has His or Her Own Goal
Rule #4: One Beat, One Goal
8. What do they expect?
9. What's at stake for each character?
Summary
Chapter 13: Perks: Interacting Characters
10. What's stopping them?
11. How do they get what they want?
Only Verbs... Active Verbs!
12. How does a character regard the other?
Summary
IV: A Director's Survival Guide to Episodic Television
Chapter 14: Television - Not a Parallel Universe
A Political Minefield
Chapter 15: Research and Preparation
Self Preservation
Coverage
First Day of Prep
I'll Never Forget What's Their Name
Summary
Chapter 16: Concept & Tone Meetings
Your New Best Friends
Schedule Angina
Scouting and Loyalty
Summary
Chapter 17: Casting
If, When and Where?
Summary
Chapter 18: What's the Story
CheckList Re-dux
Staging & Shot Planning
Summary
Chapter 19: On The Day
Welcome Stress
Rehearsal
Rules to Make Your Day
Summary
INTRODUCTION by John Badham
Part I: A Lack of Trust: The Five Mistakes
Introduction: A Nasty Bit of Laundry
Chapter 1: Mistake #1: Directed by Anonymous
Get 'Em While You've Got 'Em, Before You Get 'Em
Homework...Do It
They're On Board
On the Day
Failure Is OK
Summary
Chapter 2: Mistake #2: Know-It-Alls Rule
Summary
Chapter 3: Mistake #3: Filibusterers
Summary
Chapter 4: Mistake #4: Too Many Notes
Step #1: Cut and Validate
How Not to Watch a Take
Step #2: Privacy Please
Technology Sidebar
Step #3: Keep Them in the Loop
The Bull in the Arena
Step #4: Make It Fun
Step #5: One at a Time
Don't Let Things Slide
Make It Their Problem
Summary
Chapter 5: Mistake #5: Enamel Grinders
Tales from the Trenches
Summary
Chapter 6: Working With Your Actors
A Cyber -Colloquium
Part II: Action and Suspense: The Three Strategies
Chapter 7: Strategy #1: Not Just a Pretty Chase
What Is Action?
African Action
Directing Actors in Action
Summary
Chapter 8: Strategy #2: Who, Where, and When
Point of View
ID and Locate
Orientation
Jeopardy
Countdown
Summary
Chapter 9: Strategy #3: Quick Techniques and Safety
1. Pointless Masters
2. Few Actions
3. Overlap Actions
4. Scissor Time
5. Not That Fast
6. Change-Up
7. No Immutable Rules
8. Booby Traps
Summary
Part III: Preparing the Scene: The Director's Checklist
Before Rehearsal?
The Checklist
Chapter 10: The Scene Related to the Film
1. What happened before this scene?
2. What does it add?
3. What's different at the end?
Summary
Chapter 11: Architecture of the Scene
4. Whose point of view?
5. Where are the beats?
Tool #1: Physicalizing
Tool #2: Characters Think Ahead
Tool #3: Use the Camera to Show a Character's Thought Process
6. Where is the tipping point?
Summary
Chapter 12: Characters Enter the Scene
7. What do they want?
Rule #1: We Always Have a Goal
Rule #2: No Goal, No Acting
Rule #3: Every Character Has His or Her Own Goal
Rule #4: One Beat, One Goal
8. What do they expect?
9. What's at stake for each character?
Summary
Chapter 13: Perks: Interacting Characters
10. What's stopping them?
11. How do they get what they want?
Only Verbs... Active Verbs!
12. How does a character regard the other?
Summary
IV: A Director's Survival Guide to Episodic Television
Chapter 14: Television - Not a Parallel Universe
A Political Minefield
Chapter 15: Research and Preparation
Self Preservation
Coverage
First Day of Prep
I'll Never Forget What's Their Name
Summary
Chapter 16: Concept & Tone Meetings
Your New Best Friends
Schedule Angina
Scouting and Loyalty
Summary
Chapter 17: Casting
If, When and Where?
Summary
Chapter 18: What's the Story
CheckList Re-dux
Staging & Shot Planning
Summary
Chapter 19: On The Day
Welcome Stress
Rehearsal
Rules to Make Your Day
Summary