Sidney Lumet

The award-winning director journeys inside the world of film to illuminate the arduous process of creating movies, discussing the art and craft of directing, writers and actors, the camera, art direction, editing, sound tracks, distribution and marketing, and the studio role. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.

Making Movies

Damn, I miss being on set every day, but I’m so glad that I’m finally working on  another film. 

An essential text, not just for filmmakers, but for any real fan of the movies. Paints a remarkably vivid portrait of the wild, incredible, and insanely difficult job of making a picture. The glamour and the money and the endless toil and struggle—it’s all here. 

Michael Klepacki

Damn, I miss being on set every day, but I’m so glad that I’m finally working on  another film. 

An essential text, not just for filmmakers, but for any real fan of the movies. Paints a remarkably vivid portrait of the wild, incredible, and insanely difficult job of making a picture. The glamour and the money and the endless toil and struggle—it’s all here. 

Mariella

This book was such an amazing read. It was filled with knowledge and wisdom if the industry along with the fact that film is an art. To make movies is to be creative and tell a story

Habiba

Alice Uzzan

An enlightening read which shows us that Sidney Lumet is not only a fantastic director - he's also a great human being. If the book gives undeniably precious (although sometimes somewhat outdated) insights into the film industry, its most interesting aspect to me was how it exposed Lumet's own conception of his work, coworkers, himself and their role in the world. Delivering an anything but naive depiction of his environment, the director however gives a heartwarming tribute to the actors, screenwriters, composers, etc he has worked with - basically every part of the process is celebrated, except maybe producers whose common image as money-grubbing opportunists devoid of an artistic vision is here barely challenged except for one example. This celebration is done through a plethora of fascinating anecdotes who make us see the filmmaking process for what it is - a conjunction of hysterically meticulous planning and miraculous surprises. By the end, Lumet feels like an old friend who has simply given us a tour of his workplace, explaining technical details and introducing us to famous figures and their not-so-famous quirks along the way. Not only did I learn many things about Lumet's films and the industry at large but I also thoroughly enjoyed the profound respect he has for each and every person on the set - from the director of photography to the script girl -, which includes a surprisingly progressive and well-meaning vision of women for a man of his generation. I heartily recommend it to anyone interested in the process of filmmaking.

Gabriela

I liked it even though I watched only one Lumet's film before. He seems like a pearson dedicated to what he does. It is a good introduction for someone who wants to have a overview of the whole fimmaking proces, especially from director's pon of view. 
Of course the book can't be treated as a example of how the film industry works today but is a good source for amateurs (like me) to know more about movies made before 2000.

Andrew Molina

I'm constantly surprised when someone that is really good at what they do is also really good at teaching what they do. Most times, they're so far ahead of everyone else, they take things for granted that are crucial for laypeople. But Sidney Lumet does a fantastic job of bringing even the most novice of movie people into his world. His voice sings through the text and he's funny, interesting and has a strong point of view. He tells great stories. And he breaks down concepts in a really easy-to-follow and equally engrossing way. I usually separate "learning books" from "reading books," but I found myself equally excited to read this as any fiction book, given the anecdotes Sidney shares and how he intersperses them with concepts. It's a fun read for any general fan of movies and a syllabus for anyone serious about any part of the movie-making business.

Making Movies

Reviews