Wednesday 19 November 2014

The Pixar list of recommended books for interns

I received a request for a link to the Pixar list of recommended books for interns, but failed to locate a copy on Google.
    So, I contacted Brian McDonald, who, I knew, has a couple of his own books on the list. And, prompt and helpful as always, Brian sent the following the next morning. The original version is numbered 1) to 25), but pairs the books by William Goldman together as one, and the same for Brian McDonald. I have given each book it's own number.




1) The Art of Dramatic Writing, by Lajos Egri

2) On Film-making, by Alexander Mackendrick

3) On Directing Film, by David Mamet

4) In the Blink of an Eye, by Walter Murch

5) Adventures in the Screen Trade, by William Goldman

6) Which Lie Did I Tell?, by William Goldman

7) Hitchcock, by Francois Truffaut

8) 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them, by Ronald Tobias

9) The Visual Story: Seeing the Structure of Film, TV and New Media, by Bruce Block

10) Film Directing: Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen, by Stephen Katz

11) Invisible Ink, by Brian McDonald

12) The Golden Theme, by Brian McDonald

13) Making Movies, by Sidney Lumet

14) Conversations with Wilder, by Cameron Crowe

15) Final Cut: Art, Money, and Ego in the Making of Heaven's Gate, by Steven Bach

16) Comics and Sequential Art, by Will Eisner

17) Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud

18) Cinematic Motion, by Steven Bach

19) The Five C's of Cinematography, by Joseph Mascelli

20) Film Editing, by Karel Reisz

21) The Conversations, by Michael Ondaatje and Walter Murch

22) Trickster Makes This World, by Lewis Hyde

23) A Short History of Myth, by Karen Armstrong

24) On Writing - A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King

25) The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp

26) The Uses of Enchantment by Bruno Bettelheim

27) The Writers Journey, by Christopher Vogler




If you haven't read these, take advantage of the commercial Xmas season to buy yourself a present. (Maybe buy a different book for a friend who writes. You can swap later and get double the value.) I'd recommend reading them all, starting with the book covers shown, in sequence. If you don't know Invisible Ink, you'll be out of the conversation at any number of screenwriting get-togethers. Buy it now.



2 comments:

Unknown said...

This list of texts from Pixar has all the top books. I am ashamed to say I had not heard of Invisible Ink and have now ordered it. This kind of inside knowledge is invaluable. Thanks, Henry.

Unknown said...

I stand corrected. Invisible Ink was reviewed in this very blog Friday, 13 January 2012. At the time I had no money to buy it. I still can't really afford it but what has changed are my priorities. Who can afford not to study their craft?