Direction & Production

Beloved culture writers Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards share the unauthorized, behind-the-scenes story of the stunning rise and suddenly uncertain reign of the most transformative cultural phenomenon of our time: the Marvel Cinematic Universe....

A memoir of leadership and success: The executive chairman of Disney, Time’s 2019 businessperson of the year, shares the ideas and values he embraced during his 15 years as CEO while reinventing one of the world’s most beloved companies....

This heartfelt and wry career memoir from the director of Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Legends of the Fall, About Last Night, and Glory gives a dishy, behind-the-scenes look at working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood....

The co-founder and longtime president of Pixar updates and expands upon his New York Times bestseller on creative leadership, reflecting on the management principles used to build Pixar's singularly successful culture, including what he got wrong—and how he made it right....

A full-speed-ahead oral history of the nearly two-decade making of the cultural phenomenon Mad Max: Fury Road....

Legendary sitcom director James Burrows has spent five decades making America laugh. Here listeners will find never-revealed stories behind the casting of the dozens of great sitcoms he directed....

Simply put, George Lucas is one of the most influential filmmakers of the past 50 years....

Who made the phone call that got HBO to launch The Sopranos? What’s the significance of all those eggs? And, what the hell ever happened to the Russian? Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, and the entire cast and crew of The Sopranos have all the answers....

In this essential guide to acting, internationally renowned directing coach Judith Weston demonstrates what constitutes a good performance, what actors want from a director, and what directors do wrong....

Peter Cowie's book chronicles the life and the sixty-year film and stage career of Ingmar Bergman as he wrestles of themes of love, sex, and betrayal with the figure of Death hovering overhead.

Norman Lear remade our television culture - while leading a life of unparalleled political, civic, and social involvement....

For 60 years, since the birth of United Artists, the studio landscape was unchanged....

The definitive, behind-the-scenes look at the most popular sitcom of the last decade, The Big Bang Theory, packed with all-new, exclusive interviews with the producers and entire cast....

Multi-Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Shane Stanley writes a book anyone and everyone should hear if they want an entertainment industry insider's professional guidance on how to create a movie....

A fascinating look at Hollywood’s most turbulent decade and the demise of the studio system—set against the boom of the post-WW II years, the Cold War, and the atomic age—and the movies that reflected the seismic shifts....

This is a comprehensive bible to low-budget film production for emerging and professional producers. Structured to guide the listener through production meetings, every aspect of the film-production process is outlined in detail. Invaluable checklists are included....

The distinguished filmmaker chronicles his life, from his birth in 1910 to the worldwide success in 1950 of his film Rashomon, and provides a provocative account of the Japanese film industry....

Howard Hughes was one of the most amazing, intriguing, and controversial figures of the 20th century....

Ein immerzu hungriger Junge, mit der Mutter aus dem bombardierten München in ein bitterarmes Nest in den Alpen geflohen. Ein Jugendlicher mit...

This honest, vibrant, and often hilarious memoir reveals a man whose career was defined by his drive to make people laugh and whose personal philosophy—despite his tremendous achievements—was always that life is more important than show business....

It’s harder today than ever before for independent filmmakers to make money with their films. From predatory film distributors ripping them off to huckster film aggregators who prey upon them, the odds are stacked against the indie filmmaker....

Want to learn how to write a screenplay that doesn't suck and can actually make you money? Listen to this audiobook....

Go beyond what buttons to push on your computer and what trendy effects to use in your videos. Transform your editing with skills that you can apply to any project....

Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins' new book, Red Pill Unmasked, is an inside look at the on-screen, behind-the-scenes development and production of her first feature film, Red Pill....

Award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and director David Mamet shares scandalous and laugh-out-loud tales from his four decades in Hollywood where he worked with some of the biggest names in movies....

Peter Cowie's book chronicles the life and the sixty-year film and stage career of Ingmar Bergman as he wrestles of themes of love, sex, and betrayal with the figure of Death hovering overhead. Blending biographical information with critical comment, Cowie presents a man whose life and work were intimately fused.

"Detailing step-by-step how one created a production board, shot-by-shot, day-by-day, set-by-set to turn a shooting schedule into a workable production schedule... For every film production student and most professionals." Los Angeles Times Includes: Complete four-color production board Full 41-day shooting schedule Sample breakdown sheets Script formats, and much more ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ralph S. Singleton is the Emmy winning producer of the critically acclaimed television series, Cagney & Lacey. He is a veteran producer/production manager/assistant director whose credits include: A Clear and...

Drawing from over three decades as an assistant director, McGiffert charts a revealing and informative journey through the making of many major films working with noted directors such as Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton, Cameron Crowe, Sydney Pollack, Milos Forman, Peter Weir, Steve Zaillian, Jon Avnet, and Terry Gilliam. This behind-the-scenes book is a must-listen for casual moviegoers and committed film lovers alike.

Damn good coffee, cherry pie, and the “big bang of auteur television”―why Twin Peaks deserves to be a pop culture classic In 1990, avant garde filmmaker David Lynch (Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Dune, Blue Velvet) and acclaimed television writer Mark Frost (Hill Street Blues) teamed up to create a television show that would redefine what the medium could achieve in a one-hour drama.

Contrary to popular belief, the YouTube platform is not dead. In this audiobook, author Austen Porter shares insider tips and expertise and guides you through everything you need to start a successful YouTube channel from scratch. From all topics from making your first video to dealing with burnout and creative ruts, Austen Porter provides a new perspective and advice to grow on social media.

Developed by Scott Shaw, the primary premise of Zen Filmmaking is that no screenplay should be used in the creation of a film. There are no rules and no definitions. The spontaneous creative energy of the filmmaker is the only defining factor. This allows for a spiritually pure source of immediate inspiration to be the only guide in the filmmaking process. Within the pages of this book, Scott Shaw leads the reader through all of the elements of Zen Filmmaking -- allowing one to emerge as a competent independent filmmaker, possessing all of the necessary skills to create a feature film, ...

Directing movies promises vast rewards--but not for free. Traps and pitfalls await even the most talented, most skilled and hard-working director. "Darkest Secrets of Film Directing" by Tom Marcoux offers priceless knowledge. Knowledge of those traps lying ahead. More, he describes effective countermeasures with which to handle each one. Problems on set come in many forms. Directors need to spot them in advance and fix them as each arises. When the crew turns on you, a name actor goes through a breakdown mid-shoot, or the producer starts squeezing your budget--knowing all these and the rest...

Ready to be rich early? How I Got To The Person I Needed To Be is the most useful modern-day personal financial-advice book that has influenced trillions of successful executives, entrepreneurs, and pioneers the world over. Whether it's guiding you away from going paycheck to paycheck or revealing new ways that keeps wealth down the line in your family's generation, Williams' advice is based on life's lessons about money shared in a warm and motivating way.

2023 Readers' Favorite Awards Winner - Finalist in Sports Nonfiction Must Read -- Jennie Louwes - Reedsy Discovery "Nostalgic and reverential, beautifully written and rich in emotion." -- The Prairies Book Review "...a great story that deserves to be read." -- Astrid Lustulin - Readers Favorite Haunted for thirty years by a dream of a female friend's death eight years before she died in a skydiving accident, filmmaker Paul Gorman hopes to unlock the mystery of his dream by making a film about her. Gorman's memoir tells the remarkable story about the making of his 2014 award winning ...

In the age of digital content, aspiring creators and vloggers dream of becoming the next YouTube sensation, but the path to stardom can be elusive. Discover the secrets, strategies, and insights you need to embark on your journey to YouTube stardom with our "Becoming a YouTube Sensation Bundle." This exclusive bundle features two essential audiobooks that will guide you from a novice content creator to a true YouTube hero.

Discover the secrets of building a strong foundation for your channel as you dive into the fundamentals of content creation. From defining your niche to understanding your target audience, you'll learn how to stand out from the crowd and develop a unique brand that resonates with viewers. Unleash your creativity as you explore different video formats, storytelling techniques, and the art of engaging your audience.

This heartfelt and wry career memoir from the director of Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Legends of the Fall, About Last Night, and Glory, creator of the show thirtysomething, and executive producer of My So-Called Life, gives a dishy, behind-the-scenes look at working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

Investigative journalist Sam Irvin's tell-all behind the making of FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY (Universal / NBC-TV, 2-part miniseries, 1973) has many facets. It is an eye-opening exposé on the movie industry of the early 1970s with an emphasis on Universal Pictures and the horror genre. But the chronicle also reveals a hidden agenda – fueled by the astonishing courage of a revolutionary group of LGBTQ+ artists spearheaded by producer Hunt Stromberg Jr. and his screenwriters Christopher Isherwood (THE BERLIN STORIES – the basis for CABARET) and his lover, artist Don Bachardy.

Hollywood producer/director/executive Stephen Simon’s provocative and entertaining new book illuminates a bold and controversial new plan to save new movies from extinction. Simon also shares the fun of growing up in The Old Hollywood: Frank Sinatra was my “godfather.” My Dad was a successful producer/director and I spent the Sundays of my youth with Dad’s best friends Red Skelton, Milton Berle, Jack Benny, and Lucille Ball. I played touch football with Elvis Presley, and rode horses every Saturday with Ronald Reagan. In my own thirty-five year Hollywood career, I fired Nancy Meyers...

The first major biography of one of Old Hollywood’s greatest directors. Sometime partner of the eccentric Howard Hughes, drinking buddy of William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway, an inveterate gambler and a notorious liar, Howard Hawks was the most modern of the great masters and one of the first directors to declare his independence from the major studios. He played Svengali to Lauren Bacall, Montgomery Clift, and others, but Hawks’s greatest creation may have been himself.