About
the Book:
The Power of Film is a guidebook, a textbook, an
encyclopedia, and a source of information about dozens of the most
important aspects of motion picture storytelling; script, characters,
directors, sound, music, and everything else that goes into the
making of great classic films.
Howard Suber created and for many years chaired UCLA's
current Film and Television Producers Program, which is focused on
the realities of the modern film and television industries. He
team-taught with, or brought into the Producers Program, many of the
most important movie studio heads, agents, producers, lawyers, and
executives in the industry.
The Power of Film is a "class in a book" that
acts as a summary of his decades of teaching. He examines the
patterns and principles that make films popular and memorable.
Arranged alphabetically, the distinguished film professor
provides the definitive course on the intricacies of film. Each entry
in this remarkable book is structured from A to Z. More than 250
topics are covered and all entries are defined and categorized.
The Power of Film by Howard Suber has already
inspired and educated several generations of Hollywood's greatest
filmmakers and writers. It will be useful both for those who want to
create films and for those who just want to understand them better.
What people say:
"Howard Suber
is one of the foremost teachers of film in the world." —
Geoffrey Gilmore, Director,
Tribeca Film Festival, former Director, Sundance Film Festival
"The Power of Film
offers up a UCLA film school teacher's definitive A-Z course on the
motion picture, covering all the basic elements of the best films:
chaos, power struggles, cute, opposites and more themes. Each entry
by subject receives an analysis which cuts to the quick of successful
production approaches, offering a synthesis of the psychological and
technical sources which elevate a film from mediocre to successful,
and using examples from the film industry. College-level film
students, in particular, will find this absorbing and revealing —
and a 'must have' substitute for journeying to UCLA to attend one of
Suber's popular, sold-out courses." — Mid-West
Book Review
"A very interesting look at
story writing for the screen or novel, and a great overview of how to
structure a story." — Howard Kazanjian, Producer:
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Raiders of the
Lost Ark
"Howard Suber's
understanding of film storytelling fills the pages of this wise,
liberating book. Much of it is surprisingly contrary to what
'everyone knows'. A remarkable work." — Francis Ford
Coppola, 5-time Oscar winner, Director: The Godfather
Trilogy, Apocalypse Now
"For years students in Howard
Suber's legendary classes at UCLA begged him to write a
book. Now that he has delivered it, filmmakers, scholars and anyone
else with a serious interest in film can rejoice. A fascinating and
thought-provoking work." — Alexander Payne,
Director: About Schmidt,
Sideways,
and The Holdovers
"What Aristotle did for
drama, Howard Suber has now done for film.
This is a profound and succinct book that is miraculously fun to
read." — David Koepp, Screenwriter: War of
the Worlds, Spider-Man, Mission
Impossible, Jurassic Park
About the Author:
Howard Suber is professor emeritus of film and television
in the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and an expert on
copyright and creative control issues. He taught more than 65
different courses in over 50 years at UCLA's celebrated film school.
He was the founder and director of the university's program in film
history, theory, and criticism; the UCLA Film Archive; and the UCLA
Film and Television Producers Program. The recipient of both a
Distinguished Teaching Award and a Life Achievement Award, he has
been a consultant to every major film studio, and his former students
are currently active throughout the world.
