Reviews
Coppola's natural abilities as a storyteller, regardless of the medium, are evident here. Sections dealing with his relationship to the prehistory of live cinema are as personally revealing as they are fascinating. . . . This consummate filmmaker's enthusiasm for cinema is infectious., This is a gold mine of a book, intensely personal, and a rocket ride to the potential future of cinema/theater/television. It is simultaneously an intimate confessional and a magic key to the storehouse of Coppola's hard-won sixty years of wisdom about writing, directing, actors, rehearsals, and groundbreaking technique, and his visionary hopes for the cinematic language., Invoking intimate details of his childhood, some that he's never shared before, Coppola conjures up the magic world of television in the 1950s. Readers interested in the new technology will find this an eminently user-friendly book, but it is also peppered with brilliant personal observations about the most basic principles and techniques of filmmaking that will also fascinate readers who have no interest in making live cinema but simply loved The Godfather., Invoking intimate details of his childhood, some that he's never shared before, Coppola conjures up the magic world of television in the 1950s. Readers interested in the new technology will find this an eminently user-friendly book, but it is also peppered with brilliant personal observations about the most basic principles and techniques of filmmaking that will also fascinate readers who have no interest in making live cinema but simply loved The Godfather., In this surprising new book--part memoir, part diary, part guide--Francis Ford Coppola reenergizes himself and the reader with his search for a new way of storytelling. Live Cinema and Its Techniques blends elements of Coppola's autobiography, his encyclopedic knowledge of film and television, and his creative process toward a new language of cinema., This is a gold mine of a book, intensely personal, and a rocket ride to the potential future of cinema/theater/television. It is simultaneously an intimate confessional and a magic key to the storehouse of Coppola's hard-won sixty years of wisdom about writing, directing, actors, rehearsals, and groundbreaking technique, and his visionary hopes for the cinematic language., Full disclosure: Francis and I have been friends for over fifty years. Of all my contemporaries, he is the most curious, the most innovative and the most visionary. In this surprising new book--part memoir, part diary, part guide--he re-energizes himself and the reader with his search for a new way of storytelling. Francis blends elements of his autobiography, his encyclopedic knowledge of film and television and his creative process toward a new language of cinema., The word Live in the title could be either an adjective or a verb: either way, this is a gold mine of a book, intensely personal, and a rocket-ride to the potential future of cinema/theatre/television. It is simultaneously an intimate confessional and a magic key to the storehouse of Coppola's hard-won sixty years of wisdom about writing, directing, actors, rehearsals, ground-breaking technique, and his visionary hopes for the cinematic language. Breaks new ground every few pages. Revelatory., A curious and exhilarating account of a master in his field wrestling with a new way to convey his vision. The book begins with an exploration into the history of television in its infancy, when nearly every program was brought to audiences live, and it is peppered throughout with personal asides about how this technique has dogged his entire career. . . . As in his films, Coppola knows how to tell a compelling story. Live cinema, in its new incarnation, and everyone it attracts, will benefit from his insights., A unique blend of vintage Coppola reminisces and a hard-headed, totally original plan for a stunning new way to make cinema using technology originally invented for television sports. Invoking intimate details of his childhood, some that he's never shared before, Coppola conjures up the magic world of television in the 50s. Readers interested in the new technology will find this an eminently user-friendly book, but it is also peppered with brilliant personal observations about the most basic principles and techniques of film-making that will also fascinate readers who have no interest in making live cinema but simply loved The Godfather., In this surprising new book--part memoir, part diary, part guide--Francis Ford Coppola reenergizes himself and the reader with his search for a new way of storytelling. Live Cinema and Its Techniques blends elements of Coppola's autobiography, his encyclopedic knowledge of film and television, and his creative process toward a new language of cinema.
