---
product_id: 2478216
title: "On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director"
price: "€ 23.35"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.ie/products/2478216-on-film-making-an-introduction-to-the-craft-of-director
store_origin: IE
region: Ireland
---

# On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director

**Price:** € 23.35
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- **What is this?** On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director
- **How much does it cost?** € 23.35 with free shipping
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## Description

On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director [Mackendrick, Alexander, Cronin, Paul, Scorsese, Martin] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director

Review: Great Book & Easy Read - I'm not huge on film books...it's hard to find good ones. Most are either too technical or too snobbish. But this book is great. I read it in two days. MacKendrick has a humorous but nurturing tone in his writing that makes the book an easy read. There are some great tips and advice in it, both in terms of story and directing. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will definitely take it out to re-read parts in the future.
Review: A Masterpiece of Craft - On Film-Making by Mackendrick should be on every filmmakers, both director's and screenwriters, as well as actors short lists of must reads. It is essentially a Masters Thesis by a Master. So rewarding, timeless and resonant. I wish that I had read it 20 years ago, before I made my first film. If you ever wished that you had studied film at CalArts, read this book.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #133,121 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #85 in Video Direction & Production (Books) #130 in Movie Direction & Production #749 in Performing Arts (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (376) |
| Dimensions  | 5.95 x 1 x 8.85 inches |
| Edition  | First Edition |
| ISBN-10  | 0571211259 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0571211258 |
| Item Weight  | 14.8 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 336 pages |
| Publication date  | August 31, 2005 |
| Publisher  | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |

## Images

![On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/810IVwJDZZL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great Book & Easy Read
*by L***N on September 16, 2014*

I'm not huge on film books...it's hard to find good ones. Most are either too technical or too snobbish. But this book is great. I read it in two days. MacKendrick has a humorous but nurturing tone in his writing that makes the book an easy read. There are some great tips and advice in it, both in terms of story and directing. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will definitely take it out to re-read parts in the future.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Masterpiece of Craft
*by C***E on September 27, 2014*

On Film-Making by Mackendrick should be on every filmmakers, both director's and screenwriters, as well as actors short lists of must reads. It is essentially a Masters Thesis by a Master. So rewarding, timeless and resonant. I wish that I had read it 20 years ago, before I made my first film. If you ever wished that you had studied film at CalArts, read this book.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great ideas but there are better intros to directing
*by A***G on August 1, 2014*

This book got stellar reviews and Martin Scorsese writes a glowing preface. I appreciate Mackendrick's advice but wish the content were a little more comprehensive. We get bits and pieces, anecdotes, into the art of screenwriting and directing. The book was edited together, post mortem, from Mackendrick's notes on the craft of filmmaking, and the seams show. The content is good but fragmentary. The book is somewhat like reading the pre-socratic philosophers--a great deal of wisdom but not much coherence or development. On Filmmaking seems best, not as an introduction to the craft as advertised, but as a secondary or tertiary reference for an emerging filmmaker.

## Frequently Bought Together

- On Film-making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director
- Making Movies
- On Directing Film

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*Product available on Desertcart Ireland*
*Store origin: IE*
*Last updated: 2026-02-23*