Making Movies

Written by Sidney Lumet

Narrated by Richard Davidson

One of the greatest directors of all time, Sidney Lumet has made movies that have been nominated for more than 50 Academy Awards. Making Movies is an honest and unflinching look at the business and craft of movie making. Lumet's book reveals the ingredients for the potion that brings movie magic to life and assures one thing: you will never look at movies the same way again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 25, 2009
• ISBN: 9781436134354

Reviews for Making Movies

[Gabino Garcia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

there is so much helpful information for aspiring filmmakers!

[Project Life · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about storytelling as told by a storyteller. It reminds us exactly how little control we have over the story while simultaneously teaching you all the things you must control to elicit the story. A confirmation that says to take things one project at a time and focus on the consistencies in behavior and mindset needed to bring down that story. Brilliant

[Mike Claman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic. An incredibly informed insight into the process of filmmaking. Lumet covers the whole journey of creating a motion picture: its thrills, its heartbreaks, its dull moments, and its unforgettable ones. His description of the process is highly detailed and thorough. And though some of the technical explanations are now outdated, I think modern filmmakers can still learn an enormous amount about their current tools by understanding some of the more mechanical processes used before the age of digital media.

One of the most important lessons that comes through is simply the amount of work and dedication needed to make a film. It's clearly a monumental undertaking. Highly recommended listening for anyone considering a career in filmmaking.

[Craig · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the step-by-step insight into the filmmaking process. Working with the actors like Al Pacino was interesting.

[kslade-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

OK account of the nuts and bolts of moviemaking by Lumet. Sometimes he goes on a little long about his grievances with the process like too much producer control, etc. It is a really big team effort and sometimes results are great.

[stravinsky-544320 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

he really didn't like teamsters.

[bobbybslax · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very informative and briskly paced. It goes step by step into the filmmaking process as it pertains to studio filmmaking.

[ambermcwilliams · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful overview of the film-making process, full of practical info and great anecdotes from an experienced man-of-the-trade. It's also very well written, leading from the technical information to the personal process seamlessly. And it makes you want to watch all Lumet's films!

[regularguy5mb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sidney Lumet is one of those powerhouses of filmmaking. His films don't all have the greatest financial success, but over the years he has delivered some amazing cinema. I mean, this is the man who adapted 12 Angry Men and Murder on the Orient Express for the screen, who brought us Dog Day Afternoon and Network. Lumet has always been one of the best, so when I saw this book on the shelf, I knew it would be a must read. Took me a while to finally get to it, but here we are.The book itself is part memoir and part manual on moviemaking. Lumet explains each technical aspect; starting with directing, moving on to writing, dealing with actors, lighting, music, sound, and even going through the processes of rushes and prints before the concluding chapter dealing with the studio and focus groups. Having been in the business since the late 50s, Lumet has had a wide and varied experience with every aspect of getting his movies made, and he shares them all here.If you're looking for a straightforward technical manual or an up-to-date look at the process of making film in the digital age, this isn't the book for you. When Lumet wrote this, digital filmmaking was still in relative infancy, and certainly wasn't being used on the simple dramas that he made. But, if you're looking for some solid advice and storytelling about making a movie from one of the best directors out there, this is definitely a welcome addition to your library or reading list.

[robertmorrow_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was surprised to learn that this book was published in the mid-90's, as a good chunk of it (the sections dealing with the technical aspects of movie making) is technologically passé. The book gave me a decent appreciation of the complexity of making a film and the challenges a director faces in terms of limitations and the simple realities of light and sound. The author is a serious name-dropper (there is one long paragraph towards the end of the book that is merely a list of directors he admires) and although he exercised tight control over his movies came across as a bit insecure. I would recommend this or Understanding Movies if you know nothing about filmmaking, but don't expect a thrilling read.