Media : Television

Good interviewing is the key to good reporting and good stories. It's a difficult skill to acquire and it can be stressful - but you can learn how to approach a total stranger and elicit information on a topic about which you know nothing. In this clearly-written guide, experienced journalists Gail Sedorkin and Judy McGregor show you step by step how to manage the interview process. They explain how to prepare, and what to do when you don't have time to prepare. They outline the difference between 'soft' and 'hard' interviews, and show how to make the most of any interview situation. more...

Price: $7.50

The ultimate insider's guide to writing and pitching winning television scripts Written by two TV veterans who have written and produced some of the most popular programs of the last ten years, Successful Television Writing is the ultimate insider's guide for anyone who's ever watched television and thought, "I could do that!" more...

Price: $15.95

Animation covers everything from Tex Avery’s split-second slapstick and The Simpsons’ knowing digs at pop culture, to Hayao Miyasaki’s strong-willed heroines and Yuri Norstein’s delicately rendered folktales. Often dismissed by the uninitiated as ‘kid’s stuff’, any detailed look at animation reveals a technically complex, sophisticated and endlessly inventive medium. Intended both as a guide and an introduction to this fascinating field, the Pocket Essential Animation examines and celebrates this genre in its many forms. It explores the careers, techniques and key films of many of the major animators. It begins with pioneers such as Winsor McCay, the Fleischer brothers and Walt Disney when the ‘House of Mouse’ was only a twinkle in his eye. Then brings you right up to date with Nick Park’s claymation and the slick CGI comedies of John Lasseter’s Pixar studio. In between, it takes in the innovations of Norman McLaren, the sexual obsessions of Bob Godfrey and the agit-prop surrealism of Jan Švankmajer. Kid’s stuff, indeed. more...

Price: $7.99

The first-ever in-depth look at one of the greatest business stories of our time A true heavyweight in the star-studded world of media entertainment, Robert Johnson, the creator of Black Entertainment Television (BET), turned a revolutionary idea and a $15,000 personal loan into a multibillion-dollar empire. As one of the richest black men in America as well as its first black billionaire, Johnson’s success with BET has been a social examination into both race and capitalism with his many detractors holding him to a higher standard of cultural responsibility from which his competitors are exempt. Engaging and informative, The Billion Dollar BET skillfully examines Johnson’s humble origins, his dogged and inspired climb to the top, and his often controversial tenure at the helm of one of the most influential media outlets in the country. This book takes readers on a fascinating journey, beginning with Johnson’s days in rural Illinois, his graduate life at Princeton University, and his role as a cable industry lobbyist on Capitol Hill. TheBillion Dollar BET also details how Johnson courted media titans such as John Malone and Sumner Redstone and convinced them to play vital roles in BET’s success. Readers will also learn how BET quickly spread across the country and took on far greater social significance than even Johnson ever imagined. Filled with revealing anecdotes and never-reported details of Johnson’s life, his business philosophy, and the world inside BET, this story will teach readers even more about business, race, and themselves. Brett Pulley (New York, NY) is a Senior Editor at Forbes magazine, where he writes primarily about the media and entertainment industries. He has authored several cover stories including the 2001 Forbes 400 on Robert Johnson. Prior to joining Forbes, he covered economic development, politics, and was a national correspondent for nearly five years at the NewYork Times . He also spent five years as a correspondent at The WallStreet Journa l, where he wrote extensively on business and race. more...

Price: $24.95

A description of error control coding and digital modulation techniques used in digital television. This book illustrates the relevant elements from the expansive theory of channel coding to how the transmission environment dictates the choice of error control coding and digital modulation schemes. more...

Price: $159.00