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Film

Behind every memorable moment on screen lies a world of creative decisions, technical craft, and storytelling mastery waiting to be explored. Our film books illuminate the art and science of moviemaking through expert guidance, philosophical insights, and insider knowledge from visionary directors, screenwriters, and industry professionals.

Film Book Summaries

Story Summary
Story
Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting
by Robert McKee 1997 466 pages
4.28
16k+ ratings
Writing
Film
Art
Screenplay Summary
Screenplay
The Foundations of Screenwriting Paperback – November 29, 2005
by Syd Field 1979 309 pages
3.99
8k+ ratings
Writing
Film
Reference
The Science of Interstellar Summary
The Science of Interstellar
by Kip S. Thorne 2015 336 pages
4.29
6k+ ratings
Science
Physics
Space
The Anatomy of Story Summary
The Anatomy of Story
22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller
by John Truby 2007 445 pages
4.25
6k+ ratings
Writing
Film
Crafts
Save the Cat! Strikes Back Summary
Save the Cat! Strikes Back
More Trouble for Screenwriters to Get Into… and Out Of
by Blake Snyder 2009 200 pages
4.17
1k+ ratings
Writing
Film
Crafts
Directing Actors Summary
Directing Actors
Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television
by Judith Weston 1996 314 pages
4.36
1k+ ratings
Film
Writing
Theatre
Making Movies Summary
Making Movies
by Sidney Lumet 1995 218 pages
4.28
9k+ ratings
Film
Media Tie In
Art
The Matrix and Philosophy Summary
The Matrix and Philosophy
Welcome to the Desert of the Real
by William Irwin 2002 280 pages
3.90
2k+ ratings
Philosophy
Film
Pop Culture
Save the Cat Summary
Save the Cat
The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
by Blake Snyder 2005 195 pages
4.02
20k+ ratings
Writing
Film
Reference
The Visual Story Summary
The Visual Story
Creating the Visual Structure of Film, TV and Digital Media
by Bruce Block 2007 297 pages
4.30
500+ ratings
Film
Art
Writing
Save the Cat! Writes for TV Summary
Save the Cat! Writes for TV
The Last Book on Creating Binge-Worthy Content You'll Ever Need
by Jamie Nash 2021 274 pages
4.31
100+ ratings
Writing
Film
Research
In the Blink of an Eye Summary
In the Blink of an Eye
A Perspective on Film Editing
by Walter Murch 1995 146 pages
4.21
7k+ ratings
Film
Art
Media Tie In
Save the Cat Summary
Save the Cat
The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need
by Blake Snyder 2005 195 pages
4.02
20k+ ratings
Writing
Film
Reference
Invisible Ink Summary
Invisible Ink
A Practical Guide to Building Stories That Resonate
by Brian McDonald 2010 153 pages
4.39
1k+ ratings
Writing
Art
Communication
Sonny Boy Summary
Sonny Boy
by Al Pacino 2024 384 pages
4.06
6k+ ratings
Biography
Memoir
Film
Documentary Storytelling Summary
Documentary Storytelling
Creative Nonfiction on Screen
by Sheila Curran Bernard 2010 352 pages
3.99
100+ ratings
Writing
Film
Academic
The Writers Journey Summary
The Writers Journey
Mythic Structure for Writers, 2nd Edition
by Christopher Vogler 1992 325 pages
4.10
10k+ ratings
Writing
Film
Mythology
How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck Summary
How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck
Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro
by Steve Stockman 2011 248 pages
4.20
1k+ ratings
Film
Photography
Reference
Netflixed Summary
Netflixed
The Epic Battle for America's Eyeballs
by Gina Keating 2012 304 pages
3.97
1k+ ratings
Business
Technology
History
The Intent to Live Summary
The Intent to Live
Achieving Your True Potential as an Actor
by Larry Moss 2004 368 pages
4.48
500+ ratings
Theatre
Film
Self Help
The Art of Character Summary
The Art of Character
Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV
by David Corbett 2013 383 pages
4.26
500+ ratings
Writing
Reference
Crafts
Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriters Summary
Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriters
Storytelling Secrets From the Greatest Mind in Western Civilization
by Michael Tierno 2002 191 pages
3.82
500+ ratings
Writing
Film
Philosophy
Making a Good Script Great Summary
Making a Good Script Great
by Linda Seger 1987 242 pages
3.87
1k+ ratings
Writing
Film
Reference
Looking Awry Summary
Looking Awry
An Introduction to Jacques Lacan through Popular Culture
by Slavoj Žižek 1991 188 pages
4.01
1k+ ratings
Philosophy
Psychoanalysis
Psychology
An Actor Prepares Summary
An Actor Prepares
by Constantin Stanislavski 1936 320 pages
4.09
4k+ ratings
Theatre
Film
Drama
You Are What You Watch Summary
You Are What You Watch
by Walter Hickey 2023 240 pages
3.69
500+ ratings
Psychology
Film
Pop Culture
Room to Dream Summary
Room to Dream
by David Lynch 2018 496 pages
4.34
6k+ ratings
Biography
Film
Memoir
Producer to Producer Summary
Producer to Producer
A Step-By-Step Guide to Low-Budgets Independent Film Producing
by Maureen Ryan 2010 350 pages
4.20
100+ ratings
Film
The Big Picture Summary
The Big Picture
The Fight for the Future of Movies
by Ben Fritz 2018 377 pages
4.02
2k+ ratings
Film
Business
Media Tie In
The Art of Acting Summary
The Art of Acting
by Stella Adler 2000 288 pages
4.23
1k+ ratings
Theatre
Film
Art
Star Wars and Philosophy Summary
Star Wars and Philosophy
More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine
by William Irwin 2005 227 pages
4.04
1k+ ratings
Philosophy
Star Wars
Pop Culture
Disney War Summary
Disney War
by James B. Stewart 2005 592 pages
4.10
7k+ ratings
Business
History
Biography
Rebel Without a Crew, or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker with $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player Summary
Rebel Without a Crew, or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker with $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player
by Robert Rodríguez 1995 285 pages
4.17
5k+ ratings
Film
Biography
Media Tie In
Directors Tell the Story Summary
Directors Tell the Story
Master the Craft of Television and Film Directing
by Bethany Rooney 2011 326 pages
4.49
50+ ratings
Film
Catching the Big Fish Summary
Catching the Big Fish
Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity
by David Lynch 2006 181 pages
3.74
16k+ ratings
Philosophy
Film
Art
The 101 Habits Of Highly Successful Screenwriters Summary
The 101 Habits Of Highly Successful Screenwriters
Insider's Secrets from Hollywood's Top Writers
by Karl Iglesias 2001 256 pages
3.86
100+ ratings
Writing
Film
Reference
Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho Summary
Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho
by Stephen Rebello 1990 204 pages
3.91
1k+ ratings
Film
History
Biography
Now Write! Screenwriting Summary
Now Write! Screenwriting
Screenwriting Exercises from Today's Best Writers and Teachers
by Sherry Ellis 2010 368 pages
4.08
100+ ratings
Writing
Reference
Film
Cinematic Storytelling Summary
Cinematic Storytelling
The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know
by Jennifer Van Sijll 2005 257 pages
4.00
500+ ratings
Film
Art
Writing
Screenwriters Problem Solver How To R Summary
Screenwriters Problem Solver How To R
by Syd Field 1998 384 pages
3.82
100+ ratings
Writing
Film
Media Tie In
The True Adventures of the World's Greatest Stuntman Summary
The True Adventures of the World's Greatest Stuntman
My Life as Indiana Jones, James Bond, Superman and Other Action Heroes
by Vic Armstrong 2011 384 pages
3.67
100+ ratings
Biography
Film
Memoir
Cinema Speculation Summary
Cinema Speculation
by Quentin Tarantino 2022 391 pages
4.05
12k+ ratings
Film
Media Tie In
History
Hitchcock/Truffaut Summary
Hitchcock/Truffaut
by François Truffaut 1966 368 pages
4.48
8k+ ratings
Film
Biography
Media Tie In
Respect for Acting Summary
Respect for Acting
by Uta Hagen 1973 227 pages
4.20
3k+ ratings
Theatre
Drama
Film
Walt Disney Summary
Walt Disney
The Triumph of the American Imagination
by Neal Gabler 2006 851 pages
4.06
11k+ ratings
Biography
History
Business
The Sound of Music Story Summary
The Sound of Music Story
How A Beguiling Young Novice, A Handsome Austrian Captain, and Ten Singing von Trapp Children Inspired the Most Beloved Film of All Time
by Tom Santopietro 2015 324 pages
3.75
500+ ratings
History
Music
Biography
Story Structure Architect Summary
Story Structure Architect
by Victoria Lynn Schmidt 2005 288 pages
3.83
500+ ratings
Writing
Reference
Crafts
Harpo Speaks! Summary
Harpo Speaks!
by Harpo Marx 1961 482 pages
4.22
4k+ ratings
Biography
Humor
Film
Psychology for Screenwriters Summary
Psychology for Screenwriters
by William Indick 2004 304 pages
3.93
100+ ratings
Writing
Film
Psychology
Scandals of Classic Hollywood Summary
Scandals of Classic Hollywood
Sex, Deviance, and Drama from the Golden Age of American Cinema
by Anne Helen Petersen 2014 289 pages
3.48
2k+ ratings
History
Film
Biography
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