<div><b>A priceless examination of the filmmaker's craft, from the renowned director of Sweet Smell of Success</b><br><br>After more than twenty years in the film industry as a screenwriter, storyboard editor, and director of memorable films such as <i>The Ladykillers</i>, Alexander Mackendrick turned his back on Hollywood and began a new career as the Dean of one of the country's most demanding and influential film schools. His absolute devotion to the craft of filmmaking served as a powerful impetus to students at the California Institute for the Arts for almost twenty five years, with a teaching style that included prodigious notes, neatly crafted storyboards, and handouts containing excerpts of works by Kierkegaard, Aristotle, and others. At the core of Mackendrick's lessons lay a deceptively simple goal: to teach aspiring filmmakers how to structure and write the stories they want to tell, while using the devices particular to the medium of film to tell their stories effectively. <br><br>In this impressive volume, edited by Paul Cronin, the myriad materials that made Mackendrick's reputation as an instructor are collected for the first time, offering a chance for professionals as well as students to discover a methodology of filmmaking that is challenging yet refreshing in its clarity. Meticulously illustrated and drawing on examples from such classic films as <i>North by Northwest</i>,<i> Citizen Kane</i>, and <i>Touch of Evil,</i> Mackendrick's elegant lessons are sure to provide inspiration for a new generation of filmmakers. <br></div>