I recently bought a canon60D, a tripod, and 2 lenses and hope to make it as a writer/director. I have a few screen writing books that are helping me formulate script ideas so now I'm hoping someone here can suggest books (preferably in e-book format) that give a nuts and bolts look of how to take a script and put it on screen.

I understand there is no set in stone method to directing and that to copy the same tired formula out of a book is exactly why 99% of films nowadays are so cookie cutter and boring. However, I've never directed before and don't know where to start so I'm going to use the books I read as general guideline to jump off from not a step by step copy paste job. Also any books that specifically refer to using the canon60D or DSLR's in general to direct would be nice.

Thanks in advance.

Read "Save the cat" and download celtx (free screenwriting software)

For a different twist on things try:

Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema by David Sonnenschein

It focuses, if you'll pardon the pun, on the most overlooked aspect of filmmaking. There are lots of other books pertaining to sound FX, Foley and audio technique, but the Sonnenschein book is about the esthetic, artistic and psycho-acoustic aspects of sound and its impact upon an audience.

"Sound is half of the experience."

Master Shots
Directing, Shot by Shot

To the OP,

I'm sorry to say but you're a bit off the track. Directing has nothing to do with "tired formulas". Good directing is required whether you're doing a tired formula or something original.

Now stories, yes, there are cookie cutter stories and, yes, you want to avoid those.

Additionally, directing has very little to do with the type of camera you have.

I have not found a really great "A" book on directing because basically directing involves set-in-stone rules you can't break (that often) and still have an audience for your film. Beyond that, there is vision -- vision is different for every filmmaker and it is difficult convey this subject in mere words in a book.

If there is only one thing you take from this post on directing, it's COVERAGE!

A list of filmmaking books reviewed: http://www.lexiecannes.com/id16.html

Good luck.

1. Directing Actors by Judith Weston
2. Making Movies by Sydney Lumet (I'm just starting out to read it)
3. On Directing Film by David Mamet

Go to your local library and you'll be amaze on how many filmmaking books you'll see. Plus, they're free! So spend a few hours in the library and feed your brain with knowledge that's actually helpful! I don't like reading myself, but if it's a filmmaking book, I'm hooked! =))

Also check out books on business management and communication. Alot of what you will do as a director is basically managing people and resources.

'How Not to Make a Short Film'

'Filmmaking for Dummies' (no joke, this is an excellent reference book)

Also check out books on business management and communication. Alot of what you will do as a director is basically managing people and resources.

Good point. Read 'How to Win Friends and Influence People.'

Watch a lot of great movies, classically great movies, try to understand what worked and what didn't and why they did what they did.

Also any books that specifically refer to using the canon60D or DSLR's in general to direct would be nice.

In general directing doesn't really have anything to do with the camera you are shooting with, so I wouldn't worry about finding directing books that have to do with DSLRs.

And I'll second wheatgrinder's suggestion (I assume he's referring to the same book) - "Film Directing Shot By Shot"
by Steven Katz. It's an excellent discussion of the process of planning a shoot beforehand via storyboarding, and covers many of the standard setups for things like dialogue scenes.

+1000 on Judith Weston's "Directing Actors". Nothing about camerawork, but what it is about is simply invaluable IMO.