On Directing - 2nd Edition

John Badham, acclaimed director of Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, and Short Circuit, reveals more of the technical secrets behind great action and suspense films. Particularly valuable is the Director's Survival Guide to Episodic Television, featuring fascinating new techniques from top directors of TV and streaming content.

Action and suspense pictures have almost always been made by "seat of the pants" filmmakers. Crafting their stories from gut instinct and intuition, their innate talent often leads them to exciting results. Badham examines and explains the elements of action and suspense that are needed to make a great film, spotlighting the universal elements exemplary scenes across all film genres possess and giving readers valuable directing and acting tools.

This edition features a brand new section. "A Director's Survival Guide to Episodic Television" explores the political danger zones faced in the ever-expanding worlds of streaming, cable, and network television. Badham has created a much-needed first-aid kit for all directors; the newly expanded list of "14 Must-Ask Questions Before Rehearsal" is an essential addition to any filmmaker's toolbox.

Intended for actors, directors, cinematographers, production designers, or other creatives, here are the tools to deconstruct and understand your scenes.

Continuing the work begun in Badham's bestselling I'll Be In My Trailer, he shares more insights from talented directors on working with difficult actors, finding the best rehearsal techniques, and getting the best performance from any actor, whether novice or pro.