Every great filmmaker has role models and films which inspired him or her to greater and greater heights. Here, for the first time, is an awe-inspiring guide that takes you into the inner workings of classic scenes, revealing the aspects that make them great and the reasons they have served as inspirations.
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
Blurbs masquerading as comments, January 8, 2007
By
unschooledI usually find Amazon readers' comments valuable, but after buying this book, Setting Up Your Scenes, I noticed that several of the five-star reviews also appear word-for-word in the front of the book as blurbs, probably solicited as back-scratching by the publisher and author, which suggested to me that the only meaningful comments here are the negative ones. I returned the book and will more carefully consider any Michael Weise products I find on Amazon.
be careful, April 19, 2006
By
forestInspired by the infamously atrocious 'Setting up your shots', this book is a sad departure from Pepperman's vastly superior 'the eye is quicker'. Most of the text is setting the scene in context (unnecessary if you've seen the film) and the rest is slight explanation of the shots, none of which is lined up with the frames making it a real hassle to read.
It deserves two stars, but given Pepperman's mates have provided the five stars I think one is appropriate in this instance.
I'm bitterly disappointed, I'd been waiting for this book for awhile. Buy Pepperman's other book instead it's excellent and in a whole different league to this one.
Scenes are from:
butch cassidy
dial m
french connection
jean de florette
my beautiful laundrette
rosemary's baby
sophie's choice
3 days of the condor
two women
burnt by the sun
children of a lesser god
colonol redl
fanny & alexander
400 blows
kolya
the little fugitive
the white balloon
atlantic city
the battle of algiers
chinatown
and 15 other films.
Scene Structure Explained, November 23, 2005
By
Ray Zone (Los Angeles, CA)
Published in a horizontal "landscape" format, this book is a must-read for film and video editors. Pepperman is a long time editor and the author of "The Eye is Quicker: Film Editing, Making a Good Film Better" published previously by Michael Weise Productions.
The man has great taste and here he has taken individual scenes from 35 classic films such as "Dial M for Murder, "Two Women" and "Chinatown," reproducing over 400 individual frames throughout the book with an in-depth analysis of the scene structure, both its sound and image editing. Dialogue is shown adjacent to the film image and analysis includes "Scene Value" and "Subtext."
Here is a great way to examine in detail editing choices as well as the strengths and potential artistic pitfalls avoided in some of the classic films of our time.
It's all about choices, and Pepperman has chosen well, October 21, 2005
By
Lily (Canada)
Pepperman dissects some very infamous scenes from some very famous movies -- providing us with the most breathtaking black & white stills -- in order to highlight the importance of the interplay between dialogue, subtext, and shot selection in great filmmaking. The beauty of the work is that while it will teach anyone who is willing to learn, it works equally well as a gorgeous coffee table tchotchke for the unwilling amongst us.
-- Lily Sadri, Screenwriter "Fixing Fairchild", [...]
Pepperman Produces Yet Again, October 21, 2005
By
Far DadaIf I had access to Richard Pepperman's Setting Up your Scenes ten years ago, it could have quite possibly saved me $100,000 in film school fees, not to mention a lot of time and grief. This book is a must-have for all would-be filmmakers and screenwriters.
-- Far Dada, Independent Filmmaker, Toronto, Canada
