Motion Picture Directing: The Facts and Theories of the Newest Art

Milne, Peter, 1896-1968Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.4

Word count: 232K words
Chapters: 24

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Motion Picture Directing: The Facts and Theories of the Newest Art by Peter MilneAuthor: Milne, Peter, 1896-1968,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: Sep 22, 2016

Editor's review

This is an early theoretical work on the art of film directing. Peter Milne takes the then-emerging art of cinema as his subject, setting out the basic facts and theoretical framework of the director's work. As a document from the early twentieth century, its value lies not in offering shooting techniques that can be applied directly today, but in showing how the profession of film director was understood and discussed in its formative period: the scope of the director's responsibilities, the relationship with cinematography and editing, and ideas of staging all bear the mark of their time. Readers interested in film history, media archaeology, and early film theory can read it as primary material and see the seeds of many later directorial ideas. The Project Gutenberg electronic edition is easy to search and cite, making it suitable as a course reference or research aid. Note that the technical conditions and industrial environment discussed in the book differ greatly from those of today; read it with a historical eye, distinguishing specific conclusions from theoretical concerns.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and researchers in film history and media studies who need early primary sources
Fans and enthusiasts interested in how directors worked in the silent era
Teachers of film theory courses who need supplementary historical readings
Researchers who read English public-domain e-books and conduct literature searches

Not a good fit for

Practitioners hoping to learn contemporary film and television production techniques
Readers who prefer light entertainment and do not wish to engage with early theoretical writing
Beginners who struggle with English reading and need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and introduction first to grasp the author's overall division of directorial responsibilities, then read chapter by chapter.
While reading, watch clips from representative silent-era films to better understand the working situations described in the book.
Take notes comparing the book's views with later directing theory, distinguishing historical conditions from universal questions.
When using it as research material, note quotable passages and page numbers as you go for later writing.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Does this book teach modern film directing techniques?

No. It is an early theoretical work on the art of film directing, reflecting how cinema was understood when it first became an independent art; its technical and industrial context differs greatly from today's. Its value lies mainly in film history and early theory, not in modern shooting methods that can be copied directly.

Can I read this book if my English is not good?

This is an English-language public-domain original with no Chinese translation. Its style bears the characteristics of early twentieth-century expository writing, with rather long sentences. If English reading is difficult, it is advisable to first read Chinese works on film history for background, then decide whether to tackle the original.

What uses is the electronic edition suited to?

The Project Gutenberg edition is free and easy to search in full text, making it suitable for locating references, excerpting quotations, and course reading materials. For academic writing, check the edition and publication information when citing.

What background knowledge should I have before reading this book?

It is best to have some understanding of the basic situation of the silent film era, such as the studio system and the early forms of cinematography and editing. With a general grounding in film history, it is easier to judge which arguments in the book are limited by their time and which still offer theoretical inspiration.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Milne, Peter, 1896-1968 Author · American · 1896–1968

Peter Milne (1896–1968) was an American Hollywood screenwriter who was active in the 1930s and 1940s and took part in the screenwriting of a number of films. One work by him is held in the collection, Motion Picture Directing: The Facts and Theories of the Newest Art, which examines film directing as a then-emerging artistic field, setting out its facts and theories and reflecting the author's systematic attention to filmmaking practice and ideas. Public information about his life and career is limited, and the specific titles and influence of his screenwriting work are difficult to describe in detail. Judging from the available information, his writing combines practical experience with theoretical discussion, addressing the real problems of film production while attempting to establish a framework for discussing a new art, and it offers some reference value for understanding the division of labor and ideas in the American film industry in the first half of the twentieth century.