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Hollywood Movie Stills: Art and Technique in the Golden Age of the Studios
Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe... It is through the eye of the stills camera that we experience and recall some of the cinema's most memorable events and faces. Still images are so powerful that they can easily pass for actual scenes for the movies they represent - rather than separately posed, lighted and photographed shots that may not even find their way into the finished film.
This book is the most detailed and perceptive survey ever devoted to this neglected aspect of film-making. It traces the origin of stills photography during the silent era and the early development of the star system, through to the rise of the giant studios in the 1930s and their eventual decline. Finler focuses on the photographers, on the stars they photographed, and on many key films and film-makers.
Hollywood Movie Stills is illustrated with hundreds of rare and unusual stills from the author's own collection, including not only portraits and scene stills but production shots, behind-the-scenes photos, poster art, calendar art, photo collages and trick shots. There are also photos showing the stars' private lives and special events in Hollywood. This lavishly presented new edition of Finler's classic work includes many new stills and much new insight and information into this fascinating aspect of the great film studios in their heyday.
This book is the most detailed and perceptive survey ever devoted to this neglected aspect of film-making. It traces the origin of stills photography during the silent era and the early development of the star system, through to the rise of the giant studios in the 1930s and their eventual decline. Finler focuses on the photographers, on the stars they photographed, and on many key films and film-makers.
Hollywood Movie Stills is illustrated with hundreds of rare and unusual stills from the author's own collection, including not only portraits and scene stills but production shots, behind-the-scenes photos, poster art, calendar art, photo collages and trick shots. There are also photos showing the stars' private lives and special events in Hollywood. This lavishly presented new edition of Finler's classic work includes many new stills and much new insight and information into this fascinating aspect of the great film studios in their heyday.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1995
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 4, 2014
You might wonder what the point would be to accompany a book of movie stills with text, but author Joel Findler has a great explanation. Movie still photographers were sometimes invisible on the set, in fact some directors positively hated them! Luckily other directors allowed them free reign on their movie sets, so we have many beautiful movie stills from Hollywood history to enjoy.
As only about 20% of silent films still exist, many times the movie stills taken on the set are the only thing left from silent movies. Findler covers movie still photography history from the teens until the 1960s. He categorizes movie stills as portraits, scene stills (including scenes that were filmed but not included in the final film), behind-the-scenes stills, and even prop photos. He also explains why movie still quality declined starting in the 1960s as the studio system fell apart, studios devoted less time and money to publicity, and the cameras got smaller.
But of course you don't get a book like this just to read. It's filled with beautiful black and white stills from the teen through the 1970s for our perusing pleasure. This is a must-read for fans of movie still photography.
As only about 20% of silent films still exist, many times the movie stills taken on the set are the only thing left from silent movies. Findler covers movie still photography history from the teens until the 1960s. He categorizes movie stills as portraits, scene stills (including scenes that were filmed but not included in the final film), behind-the-scenes stills, and even prop photos. He also explains why movie still quality declined starting in the 1960s as the studio system fell apart, studios devoted less time and money to publicity, and the cameras got smaller.
But of course you don't get a book like this just to read. It's filled with beautiful black and white stills from the teen through the 1970s for our perusing pleasure. This is a must-read for fans of movie still photography.
July 15, 2013
Amazing! Highly recommended for film buffs and photography enthusiasts alike. A must-read if you are a fan of film history and Hollywood. This book contains many great and fascinating images, all with captions and info, and the writing is excellent. A very impressive volume, indeed.
August 15, 2020
【中译本】值啊，这本买了真的值啊【大吸特吸
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews