Preview
  • John Badham on Directing

  • Notes from the Sets of Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, and More
  • By: John Badham
  • Narrated by: John Badham
  • Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (339 ratings)

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John Badham on Directing

By: John Badham
Narrated by: John Badham
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Publisher's summary

Veteran director John Badham explains the elements of action and suspense and dissects the essentials of any good scene from any genre. Badham's list of "12 Questions You Must Ask Before Stepping on Set" is an absolute must in any filmmaker’s toolbox. Whether actor, director, cinematographer, production designer, or any other creative, Badham gives you the tools to deconstruct and solve scenes that either don’t work or need sharpening. Continuing the work begun in his best-selling book I'll Be in My Trailer, Badham shares more insights into working with difficult actors, rehearsal techniques, and getting the best performance from your cast.

©2013 John Badham (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
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Editorial reviews

Aspiring young directors will find a plethora of practical advice and behind-the-scenes anecdotes in prolific film and TV director John Badham's insightful book.

Badham's inviting, spirited performance of his own work guides the listener through these detailed and often entertaining accounts about extracting the best performances from actors, handling adversity on sets, and establishing healthy, collaborative relationships with casts and crews.

Film buffs or anyone with a fleeting interest in craft of directing will find this to be a must-listen.

What listeners say about John Badham on Directing

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Mr Badham is a great teacher!

As a fan of John Badham the filmmaker since the 1980s, I greatly enjoyed to discover that he is also a wonderful, informative teacher with a nice sense of humor. This book is a must for any aspiring filmmaker, but not just for wannabe directors. There are also some great important lessons here for screenwriters by a guy who has seen it all!

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Loved it

A great guide and refresher for directors and wannabees. Got something for screenwriters, actors and editors too.

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One of the best audiobook Filmmaking and Directing

One of the best audiobook Filmmaking and Directing by Legendary Director John Badham. Every movie he directed is so good to watch. loved it.

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Great film book for ambitious people.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

As opposed to many film books out there, this one takes speaks to the reader as if the reader will some day make it to Hollywood.

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Recommended for anyone involved w/ film and video.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Helpful and practical.

What other book might you compare John Badham on Directing to and why?

David Mamet's On Directing.

What about John Badham’s performance did you like?

Well delivered, pleasant voice of experience.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

How to work with actors.

Any additional comments?

A sage voice of wisdom.

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A Must!

John's insight is invaluable! While most filmmaking books are done by people who have only made a single unknown film, John's experience allows him to speak depths about how to direct and what makes a good director successful

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Fun, Informative, and Relevant

Great book by John Badham. Plenty of incredible tips, lots of wisdom, and awesome references. Passionate, exciting, and easy to understand.

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AMAZING!!!

This book is a gem!! I’m making this my go to Directing reference read before I do any film!! Highly recommended to any director, actor, producer that’s wants to learn from a highly successful, down to earth director!

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This book is fantastic.

John has such great insight and wisdom. Anyone who is looking for nuggets of great information on working with talent and crew should download this. His reading is fun, dynamatic and full if passion.

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Real Tactics From An A List Director

John Badham was a powerhouse director back in the late 70's and through the 80's. He directed John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, Roy Schieder and Malcom McDowell in Blue Thunder, Ally Sheedy in Short Circuit, Goldie Hawn and Mel Gibson in Bird on a Wire, Bridgette Fonda in Point of No Return, and a ton of other movies. The man knows something about working with actors.

And, he's still working! He directs TV on shows like Supernatural, Arrow, 12 Monkeys, Nikita, and several other series.

This book is about the director working with his actors, and it is packed full of interesting ideas, tactics, and strategy for managing the psychology of others.

This is a must read (listen) for anyone wanting to be a real movie director.

It is read by the author, himself, John Badham.

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