On Directing Film

I randomly saw this book on Amazon recommends and I ordered it, as only a few days ago I saw Mamet's MasterClass and heavily influenced me. I was really apprehensive when I picked this book because it was a really tiny book and pretty costly compared to its size. However, being a fan of Mamet and someone who works mostly in film line I had to buy it and read it. I loved how Mamet has written this book. Yes, there is not much content on this book but every word in the book is golden and will help you in your film writing and direction career more than any other book with 100 pages. Most the content is written in the form of dialogues between him and his students. It was like you were actually sitting in a workshop with Mamet himself guiding you and telling you about his experiences and how to make a good movie. Though the name of the book is "On Directing Film", I would say this book is more about screenwriting than direction. This is because Mamet by profession is a writer first, being a creator of several plays, screenplays and novels and a director later with superb films such as "House of Games". I loved this book and I am going to read it again. The last page of this book has made a huge impact on me. There is a question that one of his students ask him that what if he works really hard on his movie but the movie still doesn't work. Basically, it is the question that everyone wants to ask - whether one's hard work will pay. Truth is that no one can tell anyone in 100% confirmation that whether his hard work will pay off. You just have to do hard work and then wish everything ends in success. Mamet answers the student in the form of a story and it was the perfect ending to a perfect book. Of course, you have to read the book to know what that story was. If you are a filmmaking student, and a wannabe writer-director, this book is a must read and is another bible which you should read religiously, again and again, to get inside the mind of the master screenwriter legend called Mamet.

This book helped me how to practically think and execute the written script. Thanks David Mamet for sharing the real knowledge useful on field.

The book was in good condition and it a decent and quick read. Pretty thin, like 120 pages at most if not more and gives some interesting views on minimalism in film

Jaisa socha tha usse kai jyada better nikala.

Must have for aspiring filmmakers. Soulful book. Not a technical manual but an insight into Mamets technique of constructing a story.

Great way to explain a fact behind, screenwriting, directing and shot sequencing of a film.

This book is incredible in its simplicity and authenticity. I felt as though Mr. Mamet was personally guiding me. The perspective here is worth the price tag. I loved it.

2.5 , I've read this book with an enthusiasm of a newborn, the auther definitely has the skilsets but the book while reading the first 40 pages has very contrasting ideas, it talks about something in the first page but skips off track and talks about the same thing the book said not to in the first few pages. As if the book doesn't put forward a clear picture. But a scattered collection of thought, like a mokey from one brach to another ,"but of a different tree entirely"