“ I always wondered how we did all of this. Jon’s book explains it perfectly.”
—Gordon Willis, Cinematographer, The Godfather I, II, III, Annie Hall, All the President’s Men

“A rare book on film: both accessible and highly informed, it brings together what I have been thinking about movies for twenty years. An excellent way to begin one’s movie education.”
—Paul Schrader, Screenwriter, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Director, Cat People, Mishima

" Through thoughtful examination of the filmmaker’s art, Jon Boorstin enhances our sense of enjoyment and appreciation of the results.”
—Robert Redford

“ Refreshing straightforward and laced with sharp insights concerning plot, documentary, realism, editing, the relationship between film and television, and lots more.”
—Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Boorstin mesmerizes us with behind-the-scenes filmmaking phenomena that make movie buffs of us all…. The fabulous illustrations, ranging from movie stills to frame-by-frame artists’ renderings, contribute mightily to this magnificent ‘voyeuristic’ journey.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“Concise and accessible…. The volume’s strength is not film criticism but rather its author’s ability to dissect effectively film vernacular for layman and professional alike.”
—Variety

The first question that filmmakers ask themselves isn’t, “Is this brilliant?” But, “Does this work?”

Making Movies Work, a fascinating and accessible guide for both filmmakers and serious film fans, is about how filmmakers think about film.

To this end, the author identifies three ways in which we, both filmmakers and audience, watch movies. Then, through practical examples, he demonstrates how, at any given moment, the way we watch dictates its own rules of time and space and demands its own set of film techniques to address them.

Jon Boorstin is a writer for both films and television and a filmmaker who has made award-winning documentaries, including the Oscar-nominated Exploratorium. He was the associate producer of All the President’s Men and writer/producer of Dream Lover.