Film Directing Shot by Shot: A Comprehensive Guide for Filmmakers

30 reviews between Mar 21, 2019 and Sep 29, 2023.

This book is a comprehensive guide to film directing shot by shot, covering everything from pre-production planning to visualization and the use of storyboards. It offers valuable insights and examples for both beginner and advanced filmmakers. The 25th anniversary edition is a must-read for anyone interested in directing or starting out in the field.

Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen: Katz,

30 reviews between Mar 21, 2019 and Sep 29, 2023.

Mar 21, 2019 - Sep 29, 2023

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Excelente
Um manual bem objetivo e prático. Valeu a pena!
Sentiment
- Positive
Content
- Film Directing
May 07, 2023
Dont buy this book , there are books out there for less price . And there is nothing special to know about film direction in this book , its exaggerated in my view . I have read many books on film making and most them bough here in Amazon , I honestly feel that I am ripped off with price tag.
Sentiment
- Negative
Content
- Film Directing
Jan 25, 2023
Helpful Guide for Learning to Direct a Film
Film Directing: Shot by Shot is a great guide for beginning directors because it goes through the process of directing a film on the ground level. This begins by thinking through what the film should look like through pre-production, and the book includes many examples of storyboards to illustrate the pre-production process. I'm a writer and not a director, and I could appreciate the breaking down of what goes into taking a story and preparing to translate it to film. The author gives some helpful guidance on taking disparate shots and turning them into seamless sequences of film that make a coherent story. With examples from popular films and anecdotal evidence, Film Direction: Shot by Shot is a great introduction to the intricacies of film directing and turning a scripted story into a visual story for an audience.
Sentiment
- Positive
Content
- Pre-production Planning
Nov 19, 2020
Essential foundational reading for the art and craft of directing
My first copy of this book was a first pressing, first edition way back in film school in 1991. It had just come out, and my directing instructor brought a copy to class one day, raving about it. His copy got passed around, we fell in love with it, and it quickly became an unofficial reference text for the class (and it was added to the syllabus for the next cohort the following year). More than 25 years later, this classic has gotten an update befitting the digital age while retaining the same straightforward practicality that made it genius in the first place. Of curse there are other directing books - many of them good as well - that wax philosophical about nuanced topics such as character development, theme, motivations, and related artistic and esoteric subjects. And those are touched on here, as needed, to convey the WHY of certain setups and shot choices. But in terms of direct, actionable, no-nonsense advice as to HOW to do this most peculiar of jobs, Katz's book remains the gold standard - and the best bang for your buck. I'd wager that 99% of my fellow working, professional filmmakers have owned at least one copy of this book, and us older dogs have probably gifted or recommended it more than any other volume. So whether you are just learning directing or simply need a handy reference on the shelf to quickly review key concepts, stop searching and buy it, because if you don’t have it already, this is the book you're looking for.
Sentiment
- Positive
Content
- Craft of Visualization
Apr 30, 2019
Good refresher/introduction 5/5
Katz has done an excellent job cataloguing an array of visual storytelling techniques in “Film Directing Shot by Shot”, covering the principles of framing, shot types, angles, movement, staging, etc… Moreover, Katz familiarizes the reader with the basic rudiments of every stage of production, ranging from screenwriting and storyboarding to editing.

Katz relies on examples from familiar directors such as Steven Spielberg and Alfred Hitchcock, utilizing their films to exemplify various filmmaking techniques. His intent with this book is to teach the viewer how to visualize a film before it is shot, so storyboards play a prominent role in the text. The book is a clear and accessible read — extremely informative, but never academic or dry — which makes it a great refresher before taking on any project.

“Film Directing Shot by Shot” will be a frequently referenced book on my shelf. I recommend it!
Sentiment
- Positive
Content
- Visual Storytelling Techniques
Apr 15, 2019
Great Book for Those Serious About Making Movies
I think this is an absolutely great book for the person who is serious about becoming a film maker, or one who is looking to improve their technique and learn more about film making. I really liked how it was made clear that the expensive equipment necessary to make film 25+ years ago is no longer necessary, that iPads, iPhones,etc....have great cameras and can make some good movies and short films. That said, this book is over my head but would be a great learning tool for someone who is thinking about majoring in film in college. We get books that are proofs to review that are frequently printed on cheap paper and always black and white, but this book (even ours) is very good quality. All the pictures and diagrams are black and white so I don't know if the book you'll be getting will have color pictures, but if not I don't think that will really matter. Please see the, "Look Inside" function and you will see all the topics this book covers plus a lot of pictures that comprise a lot of this book. My daughter loves making home movies using her pets as characters and for someone who has absolutely zero training she does a great job and her movies are always so funny and entertaining. I got this book mainly for her but it's more than she can take on right now, but as I said earlier, this book will be a great tool for more serious film makers.
Sentiment
- Positive
Content
- Pre-production Planning
Apr 13, 2019
Academic Book - a Classic
This is the 25th anniversary edition of this book used in colleges. It is a book written in a professional, academic tone treating the subject seriously. As the subtitle states this takes the screenplay concept to visual form using storyboards and moving the story from 2D written word into a 3D visual world. About 120 pages is about how to set up each shot with every technical detail from angles to composition and options for how to shoot different scenes such as conversations or handling a group of people interacting. Part four is about moving the camera through the action. This is a long published and well respected book that is considered to be a classic. It handles aesthetics and the importance of artistic vision on each scene moving from part to whole. I respect this book as a solid source of information and for how it takes the elements of art into consideration. Rating 5 stars = Love It.
Sentiment
- Positive
Content
- Shot Set Up and Planning
Apr 13, 2019
Very detailed and interesting book about creative choices and plans that go into moviemaking
If you're truly into making videos and a beginning director, this would be five stars - it's comprehensive, detailed, covers every topic one could imagine, while obviously just being a basic primer.

For someone like me who was curious about all the decision-making and creative choices that go into planning and directing a movie/video, it's four stars because plenty of it is over my head. But, if you were planning to use this as a guide or a starting point for your own YouTube projects or photojournalism, I think there is an enormous amount to learn.

Basically, this gives you the behind-the-scenes of how shots are created. We take it for granted that a movie is seamless, but they had to make a lot of decisions up to the finished product. You can tell the difference between something done on the fly, vs.something with a lot of thought behind it. The evidence of planning is right there on the screen, and this book will help you understand the reasons WHY directors and cinematographers make the choices they do. Very interesting!
Sentiment
- Positive
Content
- Directing Techniques
Mar 29, 2019
A useful update to the classic book
This has been a go to book for filmmakers for many years. Today's digital systems offer immediate previews and reviews which make the task of imagining how everything is going to turn out a little easier. Young filmmakers today probably cannot imagine a time where you had to wait for film to be processed and printed to see what things really look like, and where post shoot adjustments were difficult and costly. This book was first written in those times.

Developing the discipline to see how things will play out in your mind before putting the crew and equipment to work is still a valuable skill, and essential is you are going to rise to the top of the craft.
Sentiment
- Positive
Content
- Technical Details of Filmmaking
Mar 24, 2019
Selectors vs. Directors
This update of filmmaker Steven D. Katz's textbook on directing is primarily about one activity—visualization. Katz is teaching the craft of imagining what you want to see on screen, and the techniques of putting it there.

The craft is taught in the book. The art, Katz says, is up to the reader.

The book is divided into four sections: how production design and storyboards enable the director to visualize shots and sequences; how to use the different kinds of shots to compose; how to use camera angles and staging to to tell the story; and how to move the camera.

If you want to be a director or a cinematographer, or learn any technical craft, Steven Katz's book is up to date and the knowledge contained in it is absolutely necessary.

Most of the books on movie making I've read approach the topic from the angle of screenwriting, where you're advised not to indulge in technical jargon. I expected this book to be interesting but perhaps too technical to actually read.

The book—all nearly four hundred pages—flows smoothly and will profit anyone who is interested in film or television.

Katz divides filmmakers into selectors or directors. The directors work with their colleagues, plan their movies, and can therefore work quickly and more cheaply. The selectors have to try out (or be shown) possibilities and then experiment.

Of course in any art form there are different ways to work—some mystery novelists plan their stories out in detail and others just start writing. I would hazard a guess that the prolific, successful writers plan to some degree. And the same for directors.

One of the most interesting and informative sections of the book is the section where a fictional director in training shadows an experienced one from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM during a typical day. You may know that a lot of work goes into shooting a small amount of film, but it's fascinating to learn exactly what has to be done.

Steven Katz doesn't only deal with technology. He also explains what actors need to do, and what they need from the director.
Sentiment
- Positive
Content
- Craft of Visualization
Mar 21, 2019
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Positive(27)

90%
Negative(2)

7%
None(1)

3%

83 Net Promoter
Score

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English(29)

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Portuguese(1)

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Film Directing Shot by Shot: A Comprehensive Guide for Filmmakers

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