1939 was a great year for films. And many consider the ‘70s the golden era of filmmaking. But 1962?

Authors Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan make the case for 1962 in their book, Cinema '62: The Greatest Year at the Movies and they may have a point. Lawrence of Arabia, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Manchurian Candidate, The Longest Day, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and more. John Huston, John Ford, Howard Hawks and other great directors from an earlier era were still helming films.

Recently the book was the basis for a virtual multi-media extravaganza: "Cinema '62 a Go Go!" which delved into the cultural context of when these films were made. The event, put on by Vitagraph Films 360, included some film history along with vintage cocktail demos, musical interludes and politics of the era.

A TO Z GUIDE TO FILM TERMS IS BEST IN FIELD
by Susan Royal

Over the years I've read a number of directories of filmmaking terminology, but the most comprehensive and useful I've ever come across is A to Z Guide to Film Terms by Tim Moshansky (First Wave Publishing).

The entries are highly informative, many going beyond a basic explanation to include the derivation, as with the following definition for "gaffer":

The person in charge of all electrical and lighting requirements on set. This name comes from the early days of theatre in Britain, when all of the lighting was provided by candles. The lighting person would use a long stick called a gaff to light all the candles, and was therefore called a "gaffer." His son, whom he would teach the trade, was called the "best boy."

For more info, go to: www.filmterms.com

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: "The Dialogue: Learning from the Masters"

By Susan Royal

Mike De Luca knows a thing or two about screenwriting. While head of production at New Line, he developed such hits as The Mask, Dumb and Dumber, Boogie Nights, Se7en, Wag the Dog, Magnolia and The Wedding Singer. As an independent producer he has two films out this year – 21 and the upcoming The Love Guru starring Mike Myers.

Jay A. Fernandez has been an entertainment journalist since 1996. Most recently he wrote the highly regarded "Scriptland" column for the Los Angeles Times before being hired away by The Hollywood Reporter.

Both De Luca and Fernandez host "The Dialogue: Learning from the Masters" – a DVD series featuring 27 of today's most successful screenwriters. In these 70 to 90-minute interviews, top writers share their personal experience and insight into both the process of screenwriting and of navigating one's way through the film industry. The combination of screenwriters of this caliber being interviewed by hosts this knowledgeable makes for a must-see mentoring experience for all aspiring writers.

The series was created by Aleks Horvat, who also created the Hollywood Creative Directory and owns theOffice (a popular creative workspace for writers in Santa Monica), along with his partner, personal manager Larry Shuman.

For more info, go to: www.thedialogueseries.com