This book is an excellent take on the art of directing films. Mark Travis is an amazing teacher of &#34;the big picture&#34; of filmmaking. He's a great teacher too, and I would highly recommend attending one of his directing workshops if he comes to your town. <br/> <br/>I'm tempted to start a new &#34;shelf&#34; called &#34;using&#34; because I've been not only reading this book but also using it in the pre-production and production of a film I'm shooting this summer. The book has been tremendously helpful in terms of casting, re-writing, rehearsing, and general organization and collaboration with cast and crew.