Behind the numerous actors, producers and directors of photography in the film industry, there are the directors: skilled storytellers, skilled visionaries, glueing together the basis of the production. Among these examples are Hollywood's Martin Scorsese, Alfred Hitchcock, and Quentin Tarantino, highly respected icons appreciated and studied by those interested in the art of filmmaking. I, a hopeful amateur currently studying film, do not (and should not) expect to easily reach the ranks of such idols, let alone be fortunate enough to rub shoulders with them along the way. Hoping to one day bring my aptitude for storytelling into the world of film, I often find myself wondering, "Where would an aspiring filmmaker take his first steps in the field?" I've already read several books about filmmaking, like Lloyd Kaufman's Make Your Own Damn Movie guide or some how-to books on certain genres, but I still find myself wondering, "Where do I begin?" Looking for something that could help answer this question, something that encompassed the director's study and didn't cater so much to that "fame-hungry" crowd, I found this book: a much more in-depth step-by-step examination. than anything I had read before on the subject. On Film-Making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director by Alexander Mackendrick is quite an interesting read. Director of films such as Ladykillers and The Man in the White Suit, Mackendrick left Hollywood to devote himself to teaching at the California Institute of the Arts, where he taught until his death in 1993. Published in 2004 by Faber & Faber, edited by Paul Cronin , this book showcases Mackendrick's committed and prestigious teachings,...... middle of paper... understanding of the director's craft: the creative process of putting together these cinematic masterpieces. In addition to our textbook, for example - a basic overview of the general terms and ideas used to analyze a film - Mackendrick's On Film-Making would be a suitable companion text to use when analyzing films from different perspectives. For example, Mackendrick uses examples to break down a monologue from On the Waterfront; we could look at it from the viewer's point of view, what we think this example means or refers to in terms of a certain theme, or we could look at it from the director's point of view, how much was put into this example for the audience to form a theme for a 'analyses. Works Cited Mackendrick, Alexander, and Paul Cronin. On cinema: an introduction to the director's profession. New York: Faber and Faber, 2004. Print.