Introducing the reader to definitions of the founding concepts in film studies, this guide covers such ideas as authorship and genre, technological impacts and the rise of digital cinema, social influences and notions of the avant-garde, and cinema's emergence as a major art form that reflects and shapes the world. In concise and clear sections, it explores how major works--from the classic French realist "La Regle de Jeu" to the dazzling animation of Norman McLaren and the memorial documentary of "Shoah"--were conceived, developed, and produced, and eventually received by the public, critics, and film history. Offering a concise overview of a vast and compelling subject, it is a resource for both the film enthusiast and the film student.

James Clarke is the author of Pocket Essentials: George Lucas and The Pocket Essentials: Steven Spielberg as well as The Virgin Film Guide: Coppola and The Virgin Film Guide: War Films. His work has been published by the British Film Institute, Empire, and the Guardian.