Grammar of the Film Language by Daniel Arijon is an evergreen text for learning the technical ins and outs of what directors, cinematographers, and editors go through to get their ideas on screen.

I read this book hoping to learn the technical language for composing scenes in motion pictures. I thought it would help, considering many image and video-generating AIs have better outputs when the user describes the scene rather than explaining it.

I've always looked at pictures from the point of view of the viewer, but thanks to this book, I'm expanding my view and now view a picture from a bird's-eye view. This helps in spacing and positioning the objects on stage, so to speak.

I found this quote to be a great reminder that any creative activity, such as pottery, singing, and even film, can be elevated from a craft to an art:

Knowledge of the laws of film language gives us technique, and technique is one of the filmmaker's most precious assets. It serves us constantly to sustain our work even when the most essential element, imagination, fails us. If we rely on technique and dispense with imagination, we become mechanical. If we rely on imagination alone and ignore technique, our work will be chaotic. We must know our film medium and respect craftsmanship.

This is the only way to make a transition from a competent craftsman to an artist.