Welcome to another installment of Inside the Author’s Studio, where we give you a peek into the minds and studios of your favorite Workman authors.
Today, to celebrate the release of his new book–and just in time for two events notorious for inspiring sucky video (graduations and weddings)–we venture into the studio of Steve Stockman, author of How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck. Let’s hope he can save us all.
Recent book you loved/learned from
Loved City of Lost Girls by Declan Hughes/learned from The Information by James Gleick/always recommend The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
Favorite bookstore
I’m glad you asked. I’m having a contest to figure that out right now. It all revolves around shelf display for my new book…. But while that contest is underway, I’ll give a shout out to our great local book store Village Books in Pacific Palisades, CA.
Hidden talent
Would you call forgery a talent or a craft? Hmmmm. I’m also a pretty good cook.
Bookmark, dog-ear, or virtuality?
Dog-ear if it’s mine and my wife is unlikely to read it, else bookmark.
Book you are most ashamed never to have read
I took a course in college called “Proust, Joyce and Faulkner.” Read all the Faulkner. Skipped all but one of the Proust with no regrets whatsoever. Still sorry I never read past page 20 of Ulysses. And still have an incomplete in the course. I think the professor retired this year.
Most frequent form of writerly procrastination
My real job.
Favorite childhood book
Follow My Leader by James Garfield
Alternate ambition (i.e. If you weren’t a writer, you’d be…)
I’m a director, but what I’ve always really wanted to do is act.
Your perfect meal
A giant loaf of hot Greek-Italian bread from the Columbus Bakery in Syracuse, NY, and some awesome cheese.
Big dream
A line of “….That Doesn’t Suck” books. That I don’t have to write, but that I still get checks for. Not sure if this is a “dream” or a “fantasy.”
Super power of choice
Immortality probably has its downsides, but I don’t think I’d notice them for the first few hundred years.
What viral video do you wish you had shot?
I’m very fond of “Where the Hell is Matt?” I like its spirit. I talked about it in the book (page 114) and did a blog post about it here: What in the Hell is Unity?
For those of us hitting the air conditioning hard this summer, what are your recommendations for the top 5 films to line up in the ol’ Netflix queue?
I got to do my top 100 or so titles in the back of the book, which was a blast. So from that list, here are 5 good summer flicks from that list that you may never have seen, or forgotten and need to see again:
-Animal House (1978) School’s out. Really out. The father of raunchy R-rated pics like The Hangover.
-Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) For the 4th of July: A fast-moving catchy musical that time travels you back to America’s 20th century war efforts.
-The Empire Strikes Back (1980) The best, by far, of the six Star Wars movies. If you haven’t seen it lately or shown it to your kids, do it!
-The Sixth Sense (1999) An intelligent horror movie that will scare the hell out of you and make you cry? Yep. A must-see even if you know the surprise ending already.
-Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) and Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) Tarantino again. Why aren’t there more female action heroes? This should be a trend. I count this as one film.
What Workman book would you like to receive as compensation for your involvement?
I still haven’t got around to reading Water for Elephants. And I promise it won’t be like Ulysses.
—
Steve Stockman is a writer and director of commercials, short films, music videos, and TV shows–and the author of How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck.
No Comments