About the Author

Steven Ascher is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker who has taught film at Harvard and MIT. He most recently directed the Emmy-nominated documentary Raising Renee.

Edward Pincuswas a director of many films, including The Axe in the Attic andOne Cut, One Life. Hetaught film courses at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and developed the MITFilm Section. He died in 2013.

Reviews

Praise for The Filmmaker’s Handbook

“Seminal.”—The New York Times

“Gold-standard technical reference book for filmmakers.”—Boston Globe

“The bible—updated.”—The Independent

“This is an essential book.”—Self-Reliant Filmmaking

“A good mentor provides a sounding-board and guidance as you struggle to solve a problem and enables you to become a better filmmaker. This book is a mentor you can count on for thoughtful advice from someone who’s “been there and done that.”  Creating a book that is comprehensive, readable and useful – that takes a gift. Don’t let the size intimidate you – The Filmmaker’s Handbook is worth adding to your bookshelf. Very nice work!”—Larry Jordan, Award-winning Producer, director and trainer

“You need this book. Billed as the authoritative guide to filmmaking from fundraising to distribution, the book achieves this in clear, accessible language using current up-to-date information. It's easy to see why this has become a standard text in many film schools. A gilt-edged investment for aspiring and beginning filmmakers and it would not be out of place in the libraries of experienced professionals either.”—James MacGregor, Netribution.co.uk

“This edition of the book is awesome. I don't know how you managed it. Such a mass of information so expertly organized and so clearly presented! Amazing.”—Alfred Guzzetti, Professor, Harvard University

“Anyone who is serious about learning the language and techniques of this art, whether amateur or professional, must have this comprehensive reference.”—Bookviews

“Speaking as a member of the  ‘figure it out yourself’ camp, I consider most ‘technical’ reference books to be nothing more than leisure reading. This one is worth its salt. Every page is relevant and fascinating. When I find a chapter that refers to something we've done, I realize that every mistake we made was covered, if only we'd thought to read up beforehand.”—Genericfilms.com

“I was thrilled to find your book, which is a gem. No matter what corner of the subject I poked into, looking for cogent explanations, the Handbook passed with flying colors. So please accept my admiration, appreciation and thanks.”—Pat Jackson, Associate Professor, San Francisco State University; Emmy-winning Supervising Sound Editor

"The updated 2020 edition of The Filmmaker’s Handbook uncovers the secrets to success in modern movie-making with insights into HD and digital formats. Whether you are a novice or a professional, this comprehensive guide guarantees takeaways for everyone."—The Straits Times