Gaffers, Grips, and Best Boys: An Inside Look at Who Does What in the Making of a Motion...

A cable-TV producer who has worked as a journalist and filmmaker, Taub considers film production a collaborative act and attempts to convey ""an overall understanding of the entire filmmaking procedure''from initial idea to final marketing. Interviews with Hollywood artists and craftspeople guide the reader through key phases of the process: preproduction is illuminated by story analyst Joe Davis, entertainment attorney Frank Gruber, screenwriter Walter Newman; production is discussed by director John Carpenter, stuntman Conrad Palmisano, actor John Lithgow, director of photography Haskell Wexler, gaffer Gary Holt; and postproduction is explained by film editor Mark Warner, sound editor Frank Warner, publicity director Cheryl Boone-Isaacs. Although the author states that the purpose of this book is ``not to serve as an encyclopedia of job descriptions for people looking for movie careers,'' the array of information here is well-organized, comprehensive, detailed and of interest both to film students and cinema buffs. (December)