GRAMMAR OF THE SHOT - have no doubt about it, this is a practitioner's handbook!
There's something very excellent and uncluttered about this text. Although it's a "grammar book", it doesn't come across stuffily. It's founded on practical know-how and it's derived from working with some important basic knowledge - how to communicate properly using moving visual images. The rules and applications of them are clear.
This is a requisite first step, for any filmmaker learning their trade, or teacher needing to refer students on.
And it's modularized - "chunky", in today's jargon. Compiled of logical, easy to digest pieces, which can be re-combined in various orders, to apply and make sense!
If you shoot to edit, you might consider this and GRAMMAR OF THE EDIT as a necessary pigeon-pair.Get more detail about Grammar of the Shot, Second Edition.
