Reviews (1)

Classic, perfect for the Muppet enthusiast!
If you can get your hands on this book - DO SO!I grew up watching the Muppets and this book gave me the opportunity to dive back into my childhood and relive the fascination and excitement.I felt like I steppedbackstage and experienced every moment like I was there, listening andwatching what was going on.I believe this is because the book was writtenwhile the show was still in production, rather than years later.I learnedhow Miss Piggy became a karate expert as well as the Muppets anatomy andthe antics, conversations and work that went on behind the scenes.Even ifyou never read the book, it's filled with color and black and white photosthat are fun to look at! There's a picture of every guest star for 5seasons.Remember when Star Wars hosted the show?I highly recommend thisbook for those of you who wish to see the magic and phenomenon behind theMuppets Show. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bargain Books    2. Muppet Show (Television progra    3. Muppet Show (Television program)    4. Non-Classifiable   

Subjects:  1. Performing Arts    2. Performing Arts/Dance    3. Theater - Direction & Production    4. Theater - General    5. Theater - Stagecraft    6. Performing Arts / Theater / Stagecraft   

Reviews (5)

Multi Media Public Speaking Training
'Audience Centered' seems to be an obvious off-shoot of the teaching styles, that have become hyper-popular over the last decade or two, that claim to be 'Student Centered'. Is it just a buzz word, or is there something in it? As another reviewer points out, Audience Centered public speaking dates back at least as far back as Aristotle.
The Sixth and Ever Better Edition
You can't say that the audience-centered concept used in this book was pioneered by them. After all, in the first paragraph the authors give credit to Aristotle for defining the elements of speechmaking as 'of speaker, subject and person addresed - it is the last one, the herer, that determines the speaker's end and object.'
Good copy
I know that this is a teacher's edition but I presumed that because it was, it would have come with the DVD which is included in the student's addition. Other wise the book is exactly the same as the student's edition and was sealed as stated. Overall, I am pleased with the transaction. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Language    2. Language Arts & Disciplines    3. Oral communication    4. Performing Arts    5. Public Speaking    6. Theater - General    7. English    8. Performing Arts / Theater / General    9. Public speaking / elocution   

Reviews (54)

A must for Wicked lovers
I read the book and saw the Broadway Play recently, so I was dying to get my hands on the Grimmerie.I was not disappointed.The photos are fabulous and all the information is even better.If you want to know all the behind-the-scene tricks of the play, more about the characters in the play, and how it was adapted from the book, then you definately need this book.My favorite part is the script in the back of the book.As a teacher, I plan on using the story along with the music to teach my kids about personal strength, friendship, and the consequences of bullying.I LOVE this book!

The Grimmerie - Wicked (The Musical)
The Grimmerie is a must have for all Wicked fans. It is a GREAT collectible. This is a deal of a price! This was being sold for twice the amount at the shows. Buy it NOW.....you will be happy you did.

Wicked Fun!
Being a rather HUGE fan of Wicked, I have been anxious to purchase the grimmerie for some time. I have never seen the musical, however I listen to the CD religiously and have watched the play [...]. Today I finally got the book at 2.30, it is now 8.15, and I have read through it twice. The Grimmerie includes how the writers were able to write the script, the set designers, the wig and costume directors, as well as a chapter about the various cast members on playing their characters (it has the original cast, as well as members from the national tour and the cast that took over on Broadway).
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Subjects:  1. Librettos    2. Musicals    3. Performing Arts    4. Performing Arts/Dance    5. Play Production    6. Schwartz, Stephen.    7. Theater    8. Theater - Broadway & Musical Revue    9. Theater - Stagecraft    10. Wicked    11. Musical theatre    12. New York    13. Performing Arts / Broadway & Musical Revue   

Reviews (4)

No Spark in this book...
After watching one of their performances, I wanted to read this book to find out more about Cirque du Soleil but this book left me frustrated.
How much of The Spark is contrived?
I picked up this book at my library and as I read through it, found myself excited and inspired - at first.Then doubts began to creep in.Why was the narrator addressed as Frank (this was supposedly a first-person account by a sports agent named Frank Castle) when, on the book's coverit says "Created by Lyn Heward and written by John U. Bacon"?According to the inside-back cover of the dust jacket, Heward is "the former President and COO of Cirque du Soleil's Creative Content Division and is currently acting as executive producer for a variety of special projects."Bacon, is (same dust jacket inside-back cover) a veteran journalist and public speaker who's "won numerous writing awards and is the author of three books."Apparently this is his experience.But because this book chooses to give him a phony name, from here on in "Frank Castle" will be in quotation marks for your protection.
Great for managers in any type of business

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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business Life - Inspirational    3. Circus    4. Creative ability    5. Creativity    6. Imagination    7. Leadership    8. Personal Growth - Success    9. Self-Help    10. Business & Economics / General    11. Business & Management   

Reviews (1)

Wonderful Book!
A must-have book.Informative and excellently written.Gives all the information you want on Public speaking. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Language    3. Language Arts & Disciplines    4. Performing Arts    5. Public speaking    6. Speech    7. Theater - General    8. Language Arts & Disciplines / Speech    9. Language teaching & learning material & coursework    10. Phonetics, phonology, prosody (speech)   

Editorial Review

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Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (29)

Great technical information, very useful resource
This book covers everything you need from the technical aspects of setting up shots and planning your action.It uses storyboards as an effective teaching device to convey the basic and some more advanced concepts and does a better job than most of explaining the 180 degree rule.Negative reviews of this book state that it is too focused on the technical aspects of filmmaking and not as much on the people skills needed, which is true, but can a book really teach you how to talk to people?A great addition to any filmmaking library but would need resources for the non-technical aspects of film.You could make a great looking film based just on what is in this book, but it might not be the most thrilling.The writer does a good job of focusing on the work and not in telling his own stories.

Visualizing
This book is the only one I have found that goes extremely in depth into shot composition. Great book. However, if you are looking for a book that will take you step by step into how to acctually produce the movie, this isnt what you are looking for. This book is all about properly translating your vision to the screen, what works and what doesnt. Overall, this book was an amazing resource.

WHY???
Why is it that in all of these film books there is such a huge focus on storyboards? That's what a third of this book covers. I should point out that many directors, including the two greatest directors of all time, Elia Kazan and Stanley Kubrick, as well as Woody Allen, Bernardo Bertolluci, Sydney Pollack, and many more do NOT storyboard their shots. Even Welles, later in his career, admitted to making up his mind on the set, and Hitchcock, famously known for storyboards, only storyboarded the BIG shots, not the entire film. I just wish these books wouldn't focus so much on pre-visualization when many major directors DONT PRE-VISUALIZE AT ALL. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Film & Video - Direction & Production    3. Handbooks, manuals, etc    4. Motion Picture Directing And Producing    5. Motion pictures    6. Performing Arts    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Production and direction    9. Television - Direction & Production    10. Video recordings    11. Approved List/Classroom Adoption    12. First World War, 1914-1918    13. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    14. Non-Classifiable    15. Performing Arts / Film / Direction & Production    16. Performing Arts/Television - Direction & Production    17. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    18. Second World War, 1939-1945    19. Special kinds of photography   

Reviews (7)

Steinway,a place, its people, the piano
Mr. Barron writes a great story.Other books have catalogued the Steinway history, and even how the piano works, but this innovative story adds life to what might otherwise be just an organized mass of metal and wood. The piano has a personality! In the narrative, the reader follows the construction of a single concert grand piano, but in the process we learn so much more by exploring many of the individuals involved in its building, the Steinway family and the workmen who lovingly bend the wood, glue the keys, and make the piano sing. Mr. Barron has not only written a great history of Steinway and the pianos they build, but created a fascinating story of its people. Its a great read for even the non-piano lovers among us. I couldn't put it down from start to finish. (The schematic drawings in the back - the new and the old, are particularly fascinating!)

PIANO OR PEOPLE
While I enjoyed this book, it is really much more about people than pianos, and the "common man" at that.Picturesque as they might be,many details about the workers' personal lives could have been spared.For those of us who play pianos but have never taken one apart, a labeled schematic would have been very helpful in understanding the text.

The Piano as a Person
My husband and I enjoyed this book greatly and have found others have enjoyed it as much, if not more.10 days ago as I lay in Intensive Care I ended up discussing the book with the fellow in the Intensive Care bed next to mine.I doubt either of us will ever again find a book that let us take our minds off our intensive pains for that half hour disucssion.
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Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Construction    3. History    4. History & Criticism - General    5. Methods & Materials    6. Music/Songbooks    7. Musical Instruments - Construction And Repair    8. Musical Instruments - Piano    9. New York    10. New York (State)    11. Piano makers    12. Steinway piano    13. United States - State & Local - Middle Atlantic    14. Performing Arts / General   

Reviews (6)

excellent resource
Even while reading this book I was able to pitch an idea for an event and documentary project, my first, and gain acceptance for the project. The concepts are helpful as well as practical. Sell your kids to buy this book
There is little in written text that summarise the worth of this book. I was so moved by its detailed and incisive content and direction that I sold my kids to afford the time and space, the peace required to absorb the rivetting content. FIVE STARS, excellent, excellent, excellent.
This book is a masterful resource for any filmmaker regardless of their expertise.Read more

Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Cinema/Film: Book    3. Documentary films    4. Educational And Documentary Films    5. Film & Video - General    6. General    7. Performing Arts    8. Production and direction    9. Films, cinema   

Reviews (10)

An incredible introduction to film.
Gianetti continues to produce the ultimate in introductory film texts.He seemlessly introduces us to the history of cinema while teaching us everything we need to know to fully understand film.After finishing this text you will no longer look at films the same way.
Giannetti's cash cow?
I'm with reviewer Robert Jordan on this one.I've taught film courses and used Giannetti's book.It is strongest on film analysis -- mise en scene, lighting, movement, etc.It is less strong in other areas, like the sociology (ideology?) of film.I haven't seen the current edition, but have been annoyed in the past by the general lack of real revision in new editions of the book.Indeed, most of the text stays the same, only the film examples are updated.Maybe this appeals to students who like to see their recent faves in a textbook but -- as the other review notes -- this hardly warrants the expense of a new book (now over $70!).In past editions, I have also been especially disappointed in Giannetti's section on lesbians and gays in film.This is an exploding field -- from Randy Shilts' book The Celluloid Closet (which Gianetti cites but gives little evidence of having read) to queer cinema and theory.For several editions running, Giannetti's attention to this area carried the long-outmoded title "Gay Liberation" (not used among gay people for decades) and never ventured much in the way of cultural deconstruction.I'm scheduled to teach a film course next term and will undoubtedly look at Giannetti's text again, but sure do hope to find something else.Since I teach at a community college of cash-strapped students, I'll also be looking at something less expensive.

Review of 10th edition
Hey, wanna make a bunch of money? Let's write a college text book! We've got a captive audience that has no choice but to buy our book. Then every two or three years we can release a new edition and eliminate that nasty habit students have of reselling used text books they no longer need. Too much work, you say? Okay, let's just slap a different picture on the cover and release the old edition again! Can't quite picture it? Need an example to emulate? Try this one:Read more

Subjects:  1. Cinema/Film: Book    2. Cinematography    3. Film & Video - General    4. Film Theory    5. Motion pictures    6. Performing Arts    7. Pop Arts / Pop Culture    8. Theater - General    9. Film theory & criticism    10. Performing Arts / Theater / General   

Reviews (26)

"It is no part of salvation that you should use me!"
Arthur Miller's masterful play explores the consequences of greed, envy, vengeance, extremism, and hypocrisy run amok. It is set in Salem during the infamous witch trials, but could easily translate to other times in history (Robespierre's reign of terror during the French revolution, McCarthy's Communist hearings, etc.). Miller shows how the witch trials took flight and gathered speed and power until they nearly consumed the whole of Salem. He also shows how the officials in charge refused to hear evidence contrary to their purpose so as not to lose face publicly by standing down. Through the story of John and Elizabeth Proctor, a couple caught in the center of the firestorm, the tragedy of the trials is made abundantly clear. In a futile attempt to save his wife from the machinations of Abigail Williams (the young girl Proctor had had an affair with, and who kicks off the accusations with her friends to get Elizabeth Proctor out of the way so that she can be with John), Proctor fights the system by challenging the court to see the motives behind the accusations. His attempts to bring reason into madness are met with the insistence that if he is not with them, he is against them (which should sound eerily familiar to anyone with a television set). After Proctor himself has been accused of colluding with the Devil and sentenced to death the officials in charge become determined to use him to validate their holy terror. If Proctor, a popular and well-liked man in town, were to lie and give them a confession that he had conspired with Satan it would legitimize all of the hangings that went on in the public eye. Giving a false confession would save Proctor from hanging and allow him to live to see the birth of the child Elizabeth is carrying -- but can he go through with it? Miller's multilayered play is a classic for the ages -- a truly timeless work of drama that is every bit as relevant today as it was when it was first produced in 1953 (at the height of the McCarthy hearings), and which will most likely prove relevant in another fifty years as well. That is a sad statement for humanity, but a credit to Miller for his perceptive eye and his courage to capture it so eloquently. Perhaps with the example set forth in "The Crucible" we can learn from the past, and not be doomed to repeat it.

The awful price of "extremism in the pursuit of liberty"

An extraordinary play -- about McCathy"s witchhunt
My wife and I first read this play about 35 years ago and we saw it performed (separately)in lackluster productions.
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Subjects:  1. American    2. Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775    3. Drama    4. General    5. History    6. Massachusetts    7. Miller, Arthur - Plays & Criticism    8. Plays    9. Plays / Drama    10. Salem    11. Salem (Mass.)    12. Witchcraft    13. Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (23)

Evolution

To thine own self be true ...
William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is arguably the most famous play ever written in the English language; presenting the world with questions and characters that have been the subject of thespian and scholarly debate ever since the Prince of Denmark's first appearance on the stage of London's Globe Theatre. Probably written and first performed in 1601 (estimates vary between 1600 and 1602), the play draws on Saxo Grammaticus's late 12th/early 13th century chronicle "Gesta Danorum," which includes a popular legend with a similar plot centering around a prince named Amleth; as well as several more contemporaneous sources, primarily Francois de Belleforest's "Histoires Tragiques, Extraicts des Oeuvres Italiennes de Bandel" (1559-1580), which expands on the story told in the "Gesta Danorum," and a lost play known as the "Ur-Hamlet" (i.e., original "Hamlet"), sometimes also attributed to Shakespeare, but equally likely written by a different author a few decades earlier. Another work frequently cited in this context is 16th century playwright Thomas Kyd's "Spanish Tragedie."
I love the play Hamlet!
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet
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Subjects:  1. 1564-1616    2. 1564-1616.    3. Classics    4. Drama    5. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    6. Fiction    7. Hamlet    8. Hamlet (Legendary character)    9. Literature: Classics    10. Plays / Drama    11. Shakespeare    12. Shakespeare, William,    13. Drama / General   

Reviews (3)

Fare Book- Nasty Price
The book is very basic (almost superficial) but covers most of the important ground well enough. However, it has two major draw-backs: It was great.
Book was great.It was used but in good condition.It arrived in only a couple days.

Great resource book for debaters!
This book is an excellent resource for both high school and college debaters in both the policy and value areas.I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Critical thinking    2. Debate And Forensics    3. Debates and debating    4. Decision making    5. General    6. Language    7. Language Arts & Disciplines    8. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    9. Persuasion (Rhetoric)    10. Public Speaking    11. Reasoning    12. Speech    13. Discourse analysis    14. Philosophy / General    15. Rhetoric   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Computers - General Information    4. Finance    5. Information Technology    6. Internet    7. Knowledge management    8. Media & the Law    9. Personal Finance - General    10. Personal information management    11. Law / Media & the Law    12. Law | Technology and Telecoms Law    13. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    14. Social theory   

Reviews (7)

A Film-Maker's Dream
I am a film-maker out of Ohio.I used to use Tom Savini's Bizarro, Grande Illusions 1, Grande Illusions 2, and Dick Smith's Do-It-Yourself guides....BUT, after meeting Tom Savini and learning that he considers this book his "bible", I checked it out for myself.WOW!This is the book to get for anyone interested in stage make-up or special effects makeup.It IS a little pricey, but for the information and detail, it cannot be beat.I consider this a companion to the ones listed above.Get em all if you can, but make sure you OWN this one!!!!!

Meridith
This is the bible of stage make-up. It has wonderful step-by-step pictures so you see the process. I loved the fact that there was no flowery language to complicate learning. It caters to the beginner and the professional. If you are serious about learning the trade, this is the investment to make. This was a recommended book for me in college and it helped give me an edge over my classmates. If you don't know where to start, or would like to brush up on your technique, this is a great resource.

New, but not improved.
While this book remains a "bible" in its field, my students complain about the price and the lack of color demonstrations.I was hoping the Ninth Edition of this book would have more color photos spread throughout the chapters, but the format has remained very much the same, with many of the same demonstrations and photo descriptions.The new chapters for film and television are a breath of fresh air and I applaud the new techniques aditions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Performing Arts    2. Performing Arts/Dance    3. Theater - General    4. Theater - Stagecraft    5. Theatrical Makeup    6. Performing Arts / Theater / General    7. Theatre, drama    8. Wardrobe & makeup   

Reviews (6)

The recipient loved it
I bought this as a gift for a friend who helped a great deal with my wedding, advising me of dress styles, hair styles, fashion from this era, dances, music, food, and everything in between, as well as arranging all the flowers for the wedding!She was a godsend!When I gave her the book, her jaw dropped and she was so excited to get it... she said she had been wanting it forever.As I consider her quite knowledgeable about the subject matter of this book, and as it came highly recommended by her, I would say that it's a great book to have if this is something you are interested in as a serious hobby or more.

The best place to start for Elizabethan Costuming
This is one of the best books ever written on the subject of Elizabethan Costuming.It mainly contains all of the details of Queen Elizabeth I wardrobe but it has unique points in the society that surrounded the dresses.This book helps to explain the Gloriana image that became so popular and it helps us to understand all the little details that went into the dress of the period.Detailing costumes using portraits and explaining how the fashion progressed makes this book a must for anyone interested in Renaissance Faires and the nobility.The only drawback is that very very few of the portraits and pictures are in color.I think a total of about 7 are in color the rest is in black and white. The only way to make this book more appealing and usable would be to put all of the portraits and pictures in color, but that would make the book even more expensive.After this must have book the 2nd on the shelf should be a J. Hunniset book (the lady who did all the costuming for Elizabeth R and The Six Wives of Henry the VIII produced by BBC).Next, any Janet Arnold book.Last, would be the Norris book:Tudor Costuming and Fashion (although most of this book is very outdated it is nice to look at).All of these are must haves and will make a well rounded library.Dispite the high price of the book it is worth posessing.Enjoy.

Such An Amazing Resource!
For the historical costumer focused on 16th century clothing, this is the "bible" hands down.Big, expensive, and filled with the usual detail that is the hallmark of Janet Arnold, this is one very worthwhile investment for the serious costumer. This book has one tiny drawback, in that it focuses entirely on women's fashion in the 16th century as viewed through the wardrobe accounts of Queen Elizabeth I and some of her contemporaries.Therefore, it has nothing to say on the topic of men's clothing, which is an unfortunately neglected aspect of 16th century research.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1533-1603    2. 16th century    3. Clothing    4. Costume    5. Crafts & Hobbies    6. Design - Textile & Costume    7. Elizabeth    8. Europe - Great Britain - General    9. Great Britain    10. History    11. Hobbies/Crafts    12. Performing Arts    13. Queen of England,    14. Reference    15. Sewing    16. Sources    17. Theater - Stagecraft    18. British & Irish history: c 1500 to c 1700    19. Fashion design    20. Social history    21. United Kingdom, Great Britain    22. c 1600 to c 1700   

Reviews (10)

Bravo - a classy job in honor of a classy man
This is definitely not your typical cut and paste job - it is a classy, well-written, interesting photo/guide/memoir to probably the greatest film star of all time.Is there anyone even CLOSE to Cary Grant working as an actor in Hollywood today (and please don't say "George Clooney")? Grant's remarkable, disciplined, yet seemingly casual, attention to his appearance went deeper than just mere vanity. He was about class, about being a gentleman, about portraying to the world the kind of grace and style this more sordid world today clearly needs. The author has written a lively, interesting account of his life, the development of that style, and tips for the public, that cut deeper than most books of this type. Grant's upbringing was far different than the man he later became - and he literally "created" himself in lasting, memorable film roles, and, later, as the epitome of class, grace, and style. The photos are candid, the writing is sharp and probing, and the tips are timeless. It's a book worth owning, while the man himself, Cary Grant, is worth emulating. It's amazing - and somewhat sad - to think that American cinema once had the likes of Grant, Hepburn, and Astaire gracing our screens. How much we miss not only their style, but their talent and grace. This book reminds us of what he had - and how we might attempt to achieve it for ourselves. Bravo!

AH CARY
Now this guy had style.You could tell that he liked clothes and that he cared that he looked stylish and turned out, jesus could the stars of today take some cues from Cary.This is a wonderful book, that really does Grant justice, Mr. Torregrossa infuses the book with his love for Mr. Grant's style and elan.The images of Grant are beautifully persented and you are reminded of why Cary Grant is considered on of the most handsome men to ever grace film.He is someone that got better looking with age, he was definitely more handsome at 40 then he was at twenty, and that is why he was so saught after as a leading man, almost until the day he died...at 82!!..Highly recommended, Archie Leach would have been proud.

Highly Recommended
Richard Torregrossa did an amazing job on this book. Not only is the writing exceptional, the pictures are breathtaking. I highly recommend this book. It will make a great gift for the holidays. Congratulations Mr Torregrossa on a job well done! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1904-1986    2. Acting    3. Acting & Auditioning    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography And Autobiography    8. Biography/Autobiography    9. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    10. Grant, Cary,    11. Motion picture actors and actresses    12. United States    13. Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts   

Reviews (1)

Excellent source for an introdcut