Get the Picture?: The Movie Lover's Guide to Watching Films - Couverture souple

Jim Piper has taught film study and filmmaking at Fresno City College in California for over thirty years. He still makes films—short, noncommercial films. He has taken awards in little festivals that accept personal films in places ranging from Palo Alto, California, to Brno, C.S.S.R, only it's not called C.S.S.R any more. He has lived through, and not just read about, huge changes in the American Cinema, and he remembers those pre-multiplex days when you could go around the corner to an art film theater and see a foreign film. He has published three books, two English texts and a filmmaking book way back when video was just a Hershey bar in Sony's hip pocket. He has been a contributing editor to a nationally circulated filmmaking magazine, and he likes to put together free, EZ, big-screen video festivals for the community. He resides in Fresno with his wife Carol, his stepson Kyle, three cats, two dogs, and seven fat goldfish in a pond.

Movie lovers from school-age to seniors will enjoy the favorite classics, pop flicks, and lesser-known gems discussed in this lively introduction to film, which also details how different techniques have been used throughout cinematic history—and how modern filmmakers are adapting those traditions today. Avoiding technical jargon, the author clearly explains key aspects of film: shots, scenes, sounds, cuts, styles, setting, mood, and meaning. Covered are classic, popular, foreign, and independent films—most of which are available at local video stores. Filled with fascinating comparisons of movies and evocative still shots, this large volume will stimulate readers to watch movies with a new sense of understanding and enjoyment.