Random House New Releases - Performing Arts - Between November 25, 2008 and December 25, 2009.

The Futurist by Rebecca Keegan

2009-12-15T00:30:00-05:00

The Futurist The Life and Films of James Cameron
Written by Rebecca Keegan

With the release of Avatar, James Cameron cements his reputation as king of sci-fi and blockbuster filmmaking. It’s a distinction he’s long been building, through a directing career that includes such cinematic landmarks as The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, and the highest grossing movie of all time, Titanic.

The Futurist is the first in-depth look at every aspect of this audacious creative genius—culminating in an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of Avatar, the movie that promises to utterly transform the way motion pictures are created and perceived. As decisive a break with the past as the transition from silents to talkies, Avatar pushes 3-D, live action, and photo-realistic CGI to a new level. It rips through the emotional barrier of the screen to transport the audience to a fabulous new virtual world.

With cooperation from the often reclusive Cameron, author Rebecca Keegan has crafted a singularly revealing portrait of the director’s life and work. We meet the young truck driver who sees Star Wars and resolves to make his own space blockbuster—starting by building a futuristic cityscape with cardboard and X-Acto knives. We observe the neophyte director deciding over lunch with Arnold Schwarzenegger that the ex–body builder turned actor is wrong in every way for the Terminator role as written, but perfect regardless. After the success of The Terminator, Cameron refines his special-effects wizardry with a big-time Hollywood budget in the creation of the relentlessly exciting Aliens. He builds an immense underwater set for The Abyss in the massive containment vessel of an abandoned nuclear power plant—where he pushes his scuba-equipped cast to and sometimes past their physical and emotional breaking points (including a white rat that Cameron saved from drowning by performing CPR). And on the set of Titanic, the director struggles to stay in charge when someone maliciously spikes craft services’ mussel chowder with a massive dose of PCP, rendering most of the cast and crew temporarily psychotic.

Now, after his movies have earned over $3 billion at the box office, James Cameron is astounding the world with the most expensive, innovative, and ambitious movie of his career. For decades the moviemaker has been ready to tell the Avatar story but was forced to hold off his ambitions until technology caught up with his vision. Going beyond the technical ingenuity and narrative power that Cameron has long demonstrated, Avatar shatters old cinematic paradigms and ushers in a new era of storytelling.

The Futurist is the story of the man who finally brought movies into the twenty-first century.

The Futurist by Rebecca Keegan

2009-12-15T00:30:00-05:00

The Futurist The Life and Films of James Cameron
Written by Rebecca Keegan

With the release of Avatar in December 2009, James Cameron cements his reputation as king of sci-fi and blockbuster filmmaking. It’s a distinction he’s long been building, through a directing career that includes such cinematic landmarks as The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, and the highest grossing movie of all time, Titanic. The Futurist is the first in-depth look at every aspect of this audacious creative genius—culminating in an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of the making of Avatar, the movie that promises to utterly transform the way motion pictures are created and perceived. As decisive a break with the past as the transition from silents to talkies, Avatar pushes 3-D, live action, and photo-realistic CGI to a new level. It rips through the emotional barrier of the screen to transport the audience to a fabulous new virtual world.
With cooperation from the often reclusive Cameron, author Rebecca Keegan has crafted a singularly revealing portrait of the director’s life and work. We meet the young truck driver who sees Star Wars and sets out to learn how to make even better movies himself—starting by taking apart the first 35mm camera he rented to see how it works. We observe the neophyte director deciding over lunch with Arnold Schwarzenegger that the ex-body builder turned actor is wrong in every way for the Terminator role as written, but perfect regardless. After the success of The Terminator, Cameron refines his special-effects wizardry with a big-time Hollywood budget in the creation of the relentlessly exciting Aliens. He builds an immense underwater set for The Abyss in the massive containment vessel of an abandoned nuclear power plant—where he pushes his scuba-breathing cast to and sometimes past their physical and emotional breaking points (including a white rat that Cameron saved from drowning by performing CPR). And on the set of Titanic, the director struggles to stay in charge when someone maliciously spikes craft services’ mussel chowder with a massive dose of PCP, rendering most of the cast and crew temporarily psychotic.
Now, after his movies have earned over $5 billion at the box office, James Cameron is astounding the world with the most expensive, innovative, and ambitious movie of his career. For decades the moviemaker has been ready to tell the Avatar story but was forced to hold off his ambitions until technology caught up with his vision. Going beyond the technical ingenuity and narrative power that Cameron has long demonstrated, Avatar shatters old cinematic paradigms and ushers in a new era of storytelling.

The Futurist is the story of the man who finally brought movies into the twenty-first century.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

How to Write a Selling Screenplay by Christopher Keane

2009-11-04T00:30:00-05:00

How to Write a Selling Screenplay
Written by Christopher Keane

Christopher Keane has spent 20 years in the business, learning the truths--and the tricks--of writing a selling screenplay. In How to Write a Selling Screenplay, he takes writers through the entire process, from developing a story to finding the best agent. Using an annotated version of an often-optioned screenplay of his own, and citing examples from movies ranging from Casablanca and Lethal Weapon to Sling Blade and The English Patient, he discusses how to create three-dimensional characters, find a compelling story, build an airtight plot structure, fine-tune dialogue, and much more. Keane's tips on the difference between writing for film and television, as well as his advice on dealing with Hollywood movers and shakers, make this an essential companion for people writing their first--or their fortieth--screenplay.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Free for All by Joseph Papp

2009-11-03T00:30:00-05:00

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told
Written by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan takes you behind the scenes at the Public Theater and tells the amazing story of how Joe Papp made American theatrical and cultural history.

Free for All is the irresistible oral history of the New York Shakespeare Festival and the Public Theater-two institutions that under the inspired leadership of Joseph Papp have been a premier source of revolutionary and enduring American theater. To tell this fascinating story, Kenneth Turan interviewed some 160 luminaries-including George C. Scott, Meryl Streep, Mike Nichols, Kevin Kline, James Earl Jones, David Rabe, Jerry Stiller, Tommy Lee Jones, and Wallace Shawn-and masterfully weaves their voices into a dizzyingly rich tale of creativity, conflict, and achievement. And at the center of this incredibly engrossing account of artistic daring and excellence the larger-than-life figure of Joseph Papp reigns supreme.

Free for All by Joseph Papp

2009-11-03T00:30:00-05:00

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told
Written by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Somebody by Stefan Kanfer

2009-11-03T00:30:00-05:00

Somebody The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando
Written by Stefan Kanfer

Stefan Kanfer, acclaimed biographer of Lucille Ball and Groucho Marx, now gives us the definitive life of Marlon Brando, seamlessly intertwining the man and the work to give us a stunning and illuminating appraisal. Beginning with Brando’s turbulent childhood, Kanfer follows him to New York where he made his star-making Broadway debut as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire at age twenty-three. Brando then decamped for Hollywood, and Kanfer looks at each of Brando’s films over the years—from The Men in 1950 to The Score in 2001—offering deft and insightful analysis of his sometimes brilliant, sometimes baffling performances. And, finally, Kanfer brings into focus Brando’s self-destructiveness, ambivalence toward his craft, and the tragedies that shadowed his last years.

The As It Happens Files by Mary Lou Finlay

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain Nuts
Written by Mary Lou Finlay

In the tradition of Peter Gzowski’s The Morningside Papers comes a book that celebrates the great stories and personalities behind As It Happens.

For eight years, Mary Lou Finlay had the pleasure of being the co-host of one of CBC Radio’s most enduring institutions. On any given day she and Barbara Budd interviewed people on subjects varying from the Air India investigation to a man who invented a suit that would withstand an attack from a grizzly bear to a cheese-rolling contest in Cheshire. The As It Happens Files gives us the great stories – the hilarious eccentrics, the audience favourites, the poignant moments – that make up, for many Canadians some of the fondest, most vivid memories of the last decade.

The As It Happens Files by Mary Lou Finlay

2009-10-27T00:30:00-05:00

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain Nuts
Written by Mary Lou Finlay

Robert Altman by Mitchell Zuckoff

2009-10-20T00:30:00-05:00

Robert Altman The Oral Biography
Written by Mitchell Zuckoff

Robert Altman—visionary director, hard-partying hedonist, eccentric family man, Hollywood legend—comes roaring to life in this rollicking cinematic biography, told in a chorus of voices that can only be called Altmanesque.

His outsized life and unique career are revealed as never before: here are the words of his family and friends, and a few enemies, as well as the agents, writers, crew members, producers, and stars who worked with him, including Meryl Streep, Warren Beatty, Tim Robbins, Julianne Moore, Paul Newman, Julie Christie, Elliott Gould, Martin Scorsese, Robin Williams, Cher, and many others. There is even Altman himself, in the form of his exclusive last interviews.

After an all-American boyhood in Kansas City, a stint flying bombers through enemy fire in World War II, and jobs ranging from dog-tattoo entrepreneur to television director, Robert Altman burst onto the scene in 1970 with the movie M*A*S*H. He revolutionized American filmmaking, and, in a decade, produced masterpieces at an astonishing pace: McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Thieves Like Us, The Long Goodbye, 3 Women, and, of course, Nashville. Then, after a period of disillusionment with Hollywood—as well as Hollywood’s disillusionment with him—he reinvented himself with a bold new set of masterworks: The Player, Short Cuts, and Gosford Park. Finally, just before the release of the last of his nearly forty movies, A Prairie Home Companion, he received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement from the Academy, which had snubbed him for so many years.

Mitchell Zuckoff—who was working with Altman on his memoirs before he died—weaves Altman’s final interviews, an incredible cast of voices, and contemporary reviews and news accounts, into a riveting tale of an extraordinary life. Here are page after page of revelations that force us to reevaluate Altman as a man and an artist, and to view his sprawling narratives with large casts, multiple story lines, and overlapping dialogue as unquestionably the work of a modern genius.

Robert Altman by Various

2009-10-20T00:30:00-05:00

Robert Altman The Oral Biography
Written by Mitchell Zuckoff
Read by Various

Robert Altman by Various

2009-10-20T00:30:00-05:00

Robert Altman The Oral Biography
Written by Mitchell Zuckoff
Read by Various

Robert Altman by Mitchell Zuckoff

2009-10-20T00:30:00-05:00

Robert Altman
Written by Mitchell Zuckoff

Robert Altman by Various

2009-10-20T00:30:00-05:00

Robert Altman The Oral Biography
Written by Mitchell Zuckoff
Read by Various

Acting as a Business by Brian O'Neil

2009-10-06T00:30:00-05:00

Acting as a Business Strategies for Success
Written by Brian O'Neil

An essential handbook for actors–a modern classic–in a newly updated edition.

Since its original publication, Acting as a Business has earned a reputation as an indispensable tool for working and aspiring actors. Avoiding the usual advice about persistence and luck, Brian O’Neil provides clear-cut guidelines that will give actors a solid knowledge of the business behind their art. It’s packed with practical information–on everything from what to say in a cover letter to where to stand when performing in agent’s office–including:

•How to craft a winning theatrical résumé
•The most effective ways to join the performer’s unions
•Tactics for getting an agent
•Strategies for finding work in the theater, on daytime television, and in independent films
•Navigating the different customs and cultures of New York and Los Angeles

O’Neil has updated Acting as a Business to keep up with the latest show-business trends, including how best to use the Internet, making this new edition no actor should be without.

Four Screenplays by Syd Field

2009-09-30T00:30:00-05:00

Four Screenplays Studies in the American Screenplay
Written by Syd Field

In a field being transformed by technology, Syd Field shows you what works and why and how to find new ways to create a truly outstanding film using four extraordinary examples: Thelma & Louise, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, The Silence Of The Lambs, and Dances With Wolves.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

The Second City Unscripted by Mike Thomas

2009-09-29T00:30:00-05:00

The Second City Unscripted Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy Theater
Written by Mike Thomas

In 1959, a group of like-minded Chicagoans joined forces to open a hip new venue dedicated to coffee, cigarettes, conversation, and comedy. The result, a nightly cabaret featuring a troupe of inventive young actors skewering everything from politics to popular culture in witty, rapid-fire, improvised scenes, not only made delighted audiences laugh–it made history.

Copping its iconic name from a New York journalist’s disparaging remark, Chicago’s Second City theater brashly defied the role of runner-up and single-handedly made the Windy City North America’s cradle of comedic brilliance from which generations of household names would spring. Now, in The Second City Unscripted, a Who’s Who of the celebrated comedy camp’s alumni–including Alan Arkin, David Steinberg, Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Eugene Levy, Amy Sedaris, and Stephen Colbert–tell it like it was in the house that hilarity built.

Here are candid tales of John Belushi’s raw ambition and chemical experimentation, Bill Murray’s heckler-pummeling and lady-killing, superstar Mel Gibson’s roof-raising appearance in Braveheart regalia, and legendary director Del Close’s shuttling between the comedic asylum he ruled over and the real one he rehabbed in.

In this unvarnished, unexpurgated, and unprecedented account, what happened onstage, backstage, and offstage at Second City isn’t staying there anymore. From the smash hits and near misses to the love affairs and the bitter feuds, from the showbiz politics and pitfalls to the inspired tomfoolery and heartbreaking tragedy, The Second City Unscripted is part memoir of a cherished era, part time capsule from a comedic renaissance, and part valentine to the exquisite art of being funny. It captures like never before the history of the men and women who caught lightning–and laughter–in a bottle.

From the Hardcover edition.

The Second City Unscripted by Mike Thomas

2009-09-29T00:30:00-05:00

The Second City Unscripted Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy Theater
Written by Mike Thomas

Acting in Young Hollywood by Frederick Levy

2009-09-22T00:30:00-05:00

Acting in Young Hollywood A Career Guide for Kids, Teens, and Adults Who Play Young Too
Written by Frederick Levy

"Frederick has created an indispensable guide for young actors, just as Frederick himself is an indispensable guide for so many kids and adults working in Hollywood."
—Ken Baumann, actor, The Secret Life of the American Teenager

"Acting in Young Hollywood is a book that every aspiring actor and their parents should read. It will teach you the ins and outs of the business and show you how to find success as an actor."
—Asher Book, actor, Fame

The youth market is exploding in Hollywood, and there has never been a better time for young people to break into the business. Kids, teens, and anyone who can play young have greater opportunities to find success and celebrity than ever before, and Acting in Young Hollywood is the essential guide any young actor needs to find his or her footing on the oftentimes rocky path to fame. Covering everything from the most basic tools (headshots, reels) to a breakdown of the integral team players (agents, managers) to actually getting out there and acting (auditions and booking), this is the go-to book for anyone hoping to launch—and maintain—a lifelong career. Frederick Levy is a friend to and advocate for young performers, which is why Acting in Young Hollywood is filled with inspiring anecdotes, sympathetic advice, and much-needed encouragement for the future stars of stage and screen.

Going to the Movies by Syd Field

2009-09-16T00:30:00-05:00

Going to the Movies A Personal Journey Through Four Decades of Modern Film
Written by Syd Field

Featuring insights ... analysis ... great films and filmmakers from “the most-sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world” (The Hollywood Reporter).

A life in film. An extraordinary career. An unforgettable story — from noted lecturer, teacher, and bestselling author Syd Field.

What makes a great movie great? ... An actor legendary? ... A screenplay extraordinary or just ordinary?

Syd Field has spent a lifetime seeking answers to these questions. His bestselling books on the art and craft of screenwriting have become the film industry’s gold standard.

Now Syd Field tells his own remarkable story, sharing the insight and experience gleaned from an extraordinary career. Using classic movies from the past and present — from Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane to Andy and Larry Wachowski’s The Matrix — Field provides a guided tour of the basic elements common to all great films.

Learn what makes La Grande Illusion a groundbreaking, timeless classic ... how Casablanca teaches one of the most important elements of creating memorable characters for the screen ... why Pulp Fiction might be one of the most influential films of our time.

Discover the legendary filmmakers, films, and stars who shaped Field’s understanding of the medium.... Meet Jean Renoir, the great French director who steered his young Berkeley protégé away from medicine into film.... Watch a dazzling young Francis Ford Coppola as he directs his thesis film at UCLA.... Spend an amazing summer with Sam Peckinpah as he shares the screenwriting techniques behind his classic western The Wild Bunch.

Rich in anecdote and insight, Going to the Movies will both entertain and inform, deepening every moviegoer’s appreciation of the magic behind the silver screen.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Animation Development by David B. Levy

2009-09-08T00:30:00-05:00

Animation Development From Pitch to Production
Written by David B. Levy

Whether a novice curious about the cartoon production process, a visual arts student who has not yet experienced that big break, or a seasoned professional looking for valuable insight, Animation Development is the go-to guide for creating the perfect pitch. David Levy has been through every aspect of the pitching process--preparation, hope, rejection, success--and now he wraps up his valuable experience to deliver this comprehensive guide on the industry and process. Animation Development will help readers discover how to tap into their creativity to develop something personal yet universal, push projects through collaborations and partnerships, set up pitch meetings, get legal representation and agents, and manage the emotional roller-coaster common to the pitching and development process.

Random House New Releases - Performing Arts - Between November 25, 2008 and December 25, 2009.

The Futurist by Rebecca Keegan

The Futurist The Life and Films of James CameronWritten by Rebecca Keegan

The Futurist by Rebecca Keegan

The Futurist The Life and Films of James CameronWritten by Rebecca Keegan

How to Write a Selling Screenplay by Christopher Keane

How to Write a Selling Screenplay Written by Christopher Keane

Free for All by Joseph Papp

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever ToldWritten by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Free for All by Joseph Papp

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever ToldWritten by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Somebody by Stefan Kanfer

Somebody The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon BrandoWritten by Stefan Kanfer

The As It Happens Files by Mary Lou Finlay

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain NutsWritten by Mary Lou Finlay

The As It Happens Files by Mary Lou Finlay

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain NutsWritten by Mary Lou Finlay

Robert Altman by Mitchell Zuckoff

Robert Altman The Oral BiographyWritten by Mitchell Zuckoff

Robert Altman by Various

Robert Altman The Oral BiographyWritten by Mitchell Zuckoff Read by Various

Robert Altman by Various

Robert Altman The Oral BiographyWritten by Mitchell Zuckoff Read by Various

Robert Altman by Mitchell Zuckoff

Robert Altman Written by Mitchell Zuckoff

Robert Altman by Various

Robert Altman The Oral BiographyWritten by Mitchell Zuckoff Read by Various

Acting as a Business by Brian O'Neil

Acting as a Business Strategies for SuccessWritten by Brian O'Neil

Four Screenplays by Syd Field

Four Screenplays Studies in the American ScreenplayWritten by Syd Field

The Second City Unscripted by Mike Thomas

The Second City Unscripted Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy TheaterWritten by Mike Thomas

The Second City Unscripted by Mike Thomas

The Second City Unscripted Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy TheaterWritten by Mike Thomas

Acting in Young Hollywood by Frederick Levy

Acting in Young Hollywood A Career Guide for Kids, Teens, and Adults Who Play Young TooWritten by Frederick Levy

Going to the Movies by Syd Field

Going to the Movies A Personal Journey Through Four Decades of Modern FilmWritten by Syd Field

Animation Development by David B. Levy

Animation Development From Pitch to ProductionWritten by David B. Levy

The Futurist The Life and Films of James Cameron
Written by Rebecca Keegan

The Futurist The Life and Films of James Cameron
Written by Rebecca Keegan

How to Write a Selling Screenplay
Written by Christopher Keane

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told
Written by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Free for All Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told
Written by Kenneth Turan and Joseph Papp

Somebody The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando
Written by Stefan Kanfer

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain Nuts
Written by Mary Lou Finlay

The As It Happens Files Radio That May Contain Nuts
Written by Mary Lou Finlay

Robert Altman The Oral Biography
Written by Mitchell Zuckoff

Robert Altman The Oral Biography
Written by Mitchell Zuckoff
Read by Various

Robert Altman The Oral Biography
Written by Mitchell Zuckoff
Read by Various

Robert Altman
Written by Mitchell Zuckoff

Robert Altman The Oral Biography
Written by Mitchell Zuckoff
Read by Various

Acting as a Business Strategies for Success
Written by Brian O'Neil

Four Screenplays Studies in the American Screenplay
Written by Syd Field

The Second City Unscripted Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy Theater
Written by Mike Thomas

The Second City Unscripted Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy Theater
Written by Mike Thomas

Acting in Young Hollywood A Career Guide for Kids, Teens, and Adults Who Play Young Too
Written by Frederick Levy

Going to the Movies A Personal Journey Through Four Decades of Modern Film
Written by Syd Field

Animation Development From Pitch to Production
Written by David B. Levy