Books by Gil Bettman

Directing the Camera

DIRECTING THE CAMERA: How Professional Directors Use A Moving Camera To Energize Their FIlms

“This new book by Gil Bettman contains the core lessons which directors today must learn in order to make the kind of films which the industry wants to make and the audience wants to see. It teaches the fundamental elements of craft which a director must master in order to shoot suspense-driven action sequences, as well as dialogue sequences energized by a moving camera. DIRECTING THE CAMERA does more than teach how to make cool shots. It teaches the overarching principles of visual design which work most effectively to tell a story.” From the Foreword by Robert Zemeckis. 

First Time Director: How to Make Your Breakthrough Movie

If you are a first time director, you need all the help you can get, especially on the set. And that’s exactly what Gil Bettman delivers: no lofty theorizing about the “art” of filmmaking, but lucid, real-world advice on how to handle the craft and people-management side of directing. This book explains in precise, easy to understand language everything the novice director needs to know before taking on his or her first professional assignment. Says Indie Slate Magazine, “Bettman’s voluminous tome on directing, is the real deal. A must-read for any serious aspiring director.”

“Gil Bettman’s lessons on the importance of moving camera play a part in my direction on shows such as The Real World and Making The Band. As a producer, I pass on Gil’s techniques to my directorial teams to ensure we have camera movement that provides the dramatic intensity associated with documentary television.”

- Matthew Ruecker, Producer, RETURN TO DUTY, THE REAL WORLD

“First Time Director is a valuable book by an experienced director that demystifies filmmaking.”

- Irvin Kershner, Director, STAR WARS: EPISODE V, NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN, ROBOCOP II