On Screen Directing

With On Screen Directing, renowned filmmaker Edward Dmytryk distills a lifetime of experience as a director into a dozen short essays on the craft of directing, spanning every stage of the filmmaking process, from screenwriting, preproduction, and casting to set design, postproduction, and promotion.

Originally published in 1984, this reissue of Dmytryk’s classic directing book includes a new critical introduction by Bette Gordon and Eric Mendelsohn, as well as chapter lessons, discussion questions, and exercises.

Edward Dmytryk (1908-1999) was an Oscar-nominated American filmmaker, educator, and writer. Over an acclaimed forty-year filmmaking career, Dmytryk directed over fifty award-winning films, including Crossfire (1947), The Caine Mutiny (1954), Raintree County (1957), and The Young Lions (1958). Entering academic in the 1970s, Dmytryk lectured on both film and directing, first at the University of Texas at Austin and later at the University of Southern California. He is the author of several classic books on the art of filmmaking, including On Film Editing, On Screen Directing, On Screen Writing, On Screen Acting, and Cinema: Concept & Practice, all published by Focal Press/Routledge.

Bette Gordon (contributor) is a director and independent filmmaker best known for Variety, a beautifully seductive film about voyeurism and pornography. Handsome Harry features a stellar ensemble cast including Steve Buscemi, Aidan Quinn, Campbell Scott, and Jamey Sheridan. Her most recent film, The Drowning, a psychological thriller with Julia Stiles, is streaming on Netflix. Gordon’s films have been shown at international festivals including Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, Tribeca, and Toronto. She is currently a Professor of Professional Practice (Film Directing) at Columbia University.

Eric Mendelsohn’s (contributor) feature film Judy Berlin premiered at Cannes, won Best Director at Sundance, Best Film at The Hamptons, and was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards. His short, Through An Open Window, premiered at Sundance and Cannes. His film 3 Backyards garnered Sundance’s Best Director award, making Eric the only person to win the award twice. He’s the co-writer and producer of Love After Love, starring Andie MacDowell and Chris O’Dowd, and the recipient of Columbia University’s Presidential Award for Outstanding Teaching.