A slim but pragmatic and helpful manual for navigating a film set.
An industry primer offers novice actors a guide to surviving their early careers in Hollywood.
For new actors freshly arrived in Hollywood, getting to practice their craft on a real film set is probably the main thing on their minds. But successful actors know that there is a lot more expected of them on a movie set than mere acting. With this book, Mongiello (Start Your Own Screen-Printing Business, 2008) seeks to prepare actors for operating within the world of the film set so that they can give the finest performances and leave the best impressions. Some “actors will overwork themselves and their crews because they don’t know some basics that make for a much better movie,” writes the author in her foreword. “If you remember the suggestions in this book, then directors, producers, and crews will want to hire you over and over again.” Mongiello preaches the gospel of professionalism: showing up prepared, on time, and agreeable. She describes the processes of a set, from call sheets and one-liners to the various responsibilities of gaffers, grips, and script supervisors. She also goes into the etiquette of working with directors, hitting a mark, navigating hair and makeup, and practicing on-set ethics. In addition, the author delivers off-set advice regarding acting classes, coaches, and that trickiest of topics: money. Despite a few peculiarities (the volume is dedicated to “my dearest friend, L. Ron Hubbard”), Mongiello’s manual supplies advice that is generally practical and sound. Her prose is direct and easy to follow, as here when she provides a tip for preserving emotional continuity during scenes shot out of order: “A good way to keep track of all this is to get a hold of the continuity one-liners the script supervisor makes. These are like a table of contents for the movie. Underneath each one-liner write what the character is going through.” The work is a quick read without much filler. The author is a fellow thespian taking a newbie under her wing. Even if her counsel is sometimes clipped, it comes from lived experience and will save actors the pain of learning it for themselves.
A slim but pragmatic and helpful manual for navigating a film set.Pub Date: April 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5320-7089-1
Page Count: 158
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Sept. 20, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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