Spike Lee's Gotta Have It: A Look At The Making Of The Film

I begin this blog after reading Spike Lee’s excellent book Spike Lee’s Gotta Have It, which explores the making of Lee’s first feature, She’s Gotta Have It.

I’m a big fan of books where directors detail their process during the making of a film. Anything that talks about the making of a film are something that I try to get my hands on to read.

The Book

The book details the trials and tribulations of Lee’s journey to get the film made – from the initial seed of an idea, through the writing of the screenplay and the eventual shoot and post-production work. But that’s just where the real fun starts, as a large part of the book is devoted to distribution and securing funding for the film.

Here’s a great quote from Spike’s book:

“Don’t think that because you haven’t heard from me for a while that I went to sleep. I am still here, like a spirit roaming the night. Thirsty, hungry, seldom stopping to rest.”****– Spike Lee

Other Filmmaking Books

There are, of course, lots of other filmmaking books out there. There are also plenty of non-filmmaking books that might help our filmmaking.

Here are some books by filmmakers that talk about the making of their films:
Rebel Without a Cause – Robert Rodriquez
Lynch on Lynch – David Lynch
Moviemakers’ Master Class: Private Lessons From The World’s Foremost Directors – Laurent Tirard
Something Like An Autobiography – Akira Kurosawa
Notes on the Cinematographer – Robert Bresson
The Architecture of Vision: Writings and Interviews on Cinema – Michelangelo Antonioni
On Directing Film – David Mamet
Making Movies – Sidney Lumet
The Magic Lantern: An Autobiography – Ingmar Bergman
The Films in My Life – Francois Truffaut
Let me know below in the comments if you think I’ve missed out any great filmmakers on filmmaking books. Thanks for reading!

Ready to learn about more Film History & Film Movements?

Ready to learn about some other Film Movements or Film History?

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Z: The Essential Breakdown

Barton Fink: How It Works and Why It Hits

Judgment at Nuremberg: A Complete Guide

Deep Cover: The Essential Breakdown

Pixote: Context, Themes, and Style

Irreversible: Themes, Meaning, and Legacy

Paisan: The Craft Behind the Story

In the Name of the Father: A Guide to Watching It Like a Critic

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