Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers: The Next Generation

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers: The Next Generation

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 11 ratings · 1 review

A companion volume to George Stevens, Jr.’s, much admired book of American Film Institute seminars with the great pioneering moviemakers (“Invaluable”—Martin Scorsese).
Those represented here—directors, producers, writers, actors, cameramen, composers, editors—are men and women working in pictures, beginning in 1950, when the studio system was collapsing and people could no...more A companion volume to George Stevens, Jr.’s, much admired book of American Film Institute seminars with the great pioneering moviemakers (“Invaluable”—Martin Scorsese).
Those represented here—directors, producers, writers, actors, cameramen, composers, editors—are men and women working in pictures, beginning in 1950, when the studio system was collapsing and people could no longer depend on, or were bound by, the structure of studio life to make movies.
            Here also are those who began to work long after the studio days were over—Robert Altman, David Lynch, Steven Spielberg, among them—who talk about how they came to make movies on their own. Some—like Peter Bogdanovich, Nora Ephron, Sydney Pollack, François Truffaut—talk about how they were influenced by the iconic pictures of the great pioneer filmmakers. Others talk about how they set out to forge their own paths—John Sayles, Roger Corman, George Lucas, et al.
            In this series of conversations held at the American Film Institute, all aspects of their work are discussed. Here is Arthur Penn, who began in the early 1950s in New York with live TV, directing people like Kim Stanley and such live shows as Playhouse 90, and on Broadway, directing Two for the Seesaw and The Miracle Worker, before going on to Hollywood and directing Mickey One and Bonnie and Clyde, among other pictures, talking about working within the system. (“When we finished Bonnie and Clyde,” says Penn, “the film was characterized rather elegantly by one of the leading Warner executives as a 'piece of shit' . . . It wasn’t until the picture had an identity and a life of its own that the studio acknowledged it was a legitimate child of the Warner Bros. operation.”)
            Here in conversation is Sidney Poitier, who grew up on an island without paved roads, stores, or telephones, and who was later taught English without a Caribbean accent by a Jewish waiter, talking about working as a janitor at the American Negro Theater in exchange for acting lessons and about Hollywood: It “never really had much of a conscience . . . This town never was infected by that kind of goodness.”
            Here, too, is Meryl Streep, America’s premier actress, who began her career in Julia in 1977, and thirty odd years later, at sixty, was staring in The Iron Lady, defying all the rules about “term limits” and a filmmaking climate tyrannized by the male adolescent demographic . . . Streep on making her first picture, and how Jane Fonda took her under her wing (“That little line on the floor,” Fonda warned Streep, “don’t look at it, that’s where your toes are supposed to be. And that’s how you’ll be in the movie. If they’re not there, you won’t be in the movie”). Streep on the characters she chooses to play: “I like to defend characters that would otherwise be misconstrued or misunderstood.”
            The Next Generation is a fascinating revelation of the art of making pictures.(less)

ebook, 784 pages

Published April 3rd 2012 by Knopf

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 38)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Feb 01, 2013 Art rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: filmcriticism

As part of their education, students/fellows at the American Film Institute get to have seminars with famous film-makers. This book collects the moderated interviews with a number of directors (and occasionally other movie personnel, such as actors, composers, producers, screenwriters, cinematographers, and even film critics). As you might imagine, the quality of the interviews depends upon the insightfulness of the interviewees (or at least the amount of detail about actual movies they are will...more

like · see review

May 18, 2013 Will marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 06, 2013 Seth marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 05, 2013 Mathieu rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Apr 02, 2013 Nick is currently reading it · review of another edition

Mar 31, 2013 Miguel Ravelo marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Mar 31, 2013 Jade Stillwell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feb 11, 2013 Cinestef is currently reading it · review of another edition

Feb 10, 2013 Mathieu Langlois rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Feb 01, 2013 Jasongilmore rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jan 14, 2013 Laura is currently reading it · review of another edition

Jan 09, 2013 Matthew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jan 07, 2013 Seraphina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: movie-books

Dec 30, 2012 Ethan marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Dec 29, 2012 Peter marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Dec 17, 2012 Paul marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: media, non-fiction

Oct 26, 2012 Kevin marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Oct 16, 2012 Krb marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Sep 18, 2012 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sep 04, 2012 Dan Eggleston rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Aug 28, 2012 Tessa marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Aug 19, 2012 Brendan is currently reading it · review of another edition

Nov 11, 2012 Yameng Li marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jul 30, 2012 John Watt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jul 19, 2012 Greg Harrison marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jul 12, 2012 Sandy Taylor marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jul 11, 2012 Zoe Brown marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jun 30, 2012 Miranda marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jul 02, 2012 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jun 02, 2012 Ian W. Hill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

« previous 1 2 next »

currently-reading

6 shelves

filmcriticism

1 shelf

movie-books

1 shelf

non-fiction

1 shelf

media

1 shelf

hollywood

1 shelf

Books by George Stevens, Jr.

Conversations with the Great Moviemakers of Hollywood's Golden Age: At the American Film Institute

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Conversations at ...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers: The Next Generation
avg rating	preview: Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers: The Next Generation Goodreads rating: 3.82 (11 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13533353-conversations-at-the-american-film-institute-with-the-great-moviemakers?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360570443l/13533353.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13533353-conversations-at-the-american-film-institute-with-the-great-moviemakers?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers: The Next Generation by George Stevens, Jr.[/url]

Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers: The Next Generation

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)

Popular Shelves

Books by George Stevens, Jr.

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Conversations at ...

Conversations at the American Film Institute with the Great Moviemakers: The Next Generation

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (3)

Popular Shelves

Books by George Stevens, Jr.

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Conversations at ...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)