Becoming Film Literate: The Art and Craft of Motion Pictures

"This book has merit as an introduction to the science and language of cinema."
–PublishersWeekly.com

"To introduce students to the basic tools of cinema, LoBrutto (editing, production design and cinema studies, School of Visual Arts) uses 50 landmark films as illustrations of concepts such as production design, cinematography, sound, narrative structure and genres. Readers learn about film authorship, for example, in a discussion of Citizen Kane and multiplot narrative in a chapter on Nashville. LoBrutto includes a glossary and suggestions for further viewing or reading."
–
Reference & Research Book News/Art Book News Annual

“By embracing a range of filmmakers from Dreyer to Brakhage, LoBrutto's survey contributes to the argument that creating canons is one of the most vital tasks in today's world cinephilia.”–Robert Koehler, film critic (Variety, CinemaScope magazine)

“This book has merit as an introduction to the science and language of cinema.”–PublishersWeekly.com

“To introduce students to the basic tools of cinema, LoBrutto (editing, production design and cinema studies, School of Visual Arts) uses 50 landmark films as illustrations of concepts such as production design, cinematography, sound, narrative structure and genres. Readers learn about film authorship, for example, in a discussion of "Citizen Kane" and multiplot narrative in a chapter on "Nashville." LoBrutto includes a glossary and suggestions for further viewing or reading.”–Reference & Research Book News/Art Book News Annual

“Vincent LoBrutto, already distinguished as an oral historian and biographer, has now written a book that for students and professors alike should become a definitive guide to film appreciation. Becoming Film Literate, shrewdly structured as a series of thoughtful essays on favorite works, is at once a primer and a master class for anyone aspiring to become a film know-it-all.”–Patrick McGilligan, author of Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light