Until 2004 Simone was a Quality Management Consultant when he decided to pursue his childhood dream to become a filmmaker. He made a short film, Believer, which won the first prize at prestigious Milan International Film Festival. With the prize came a scholarship to the one year, fullimmersion filmmaking program at the Los Angeles Film School.

When Simone landed with his wife in Los Angeles on October 15, 2004, their plan was to consider the following twelve months as an amazing opportunity to experience a beloved foreign country. The challenges of a new language and a new way of living were already overwhelming, but when Simone received the recognition of his peers and the attention of his teachers, they knew they had to face bigger decisions. They knew that they would have to start all over. Now, ten years later, Simone doesn't dream of making movies anymore; he is a professional filmmaker with awards in several international festivals both as a screenwriter and as a director. Currently he develops new projects through his production company, SIBA MEDIA LLC, and teaches film as an adjunct professor at Santa Monica City College.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedications
Acknowledgments
Permissions
Introduction
Assignment
Chapter 1: SIGHT: Visual storytelling
Screen rectangle
One frame, one story
Assignment
Chapter 2: TOUCH: Production Design
Environmental Reflections
The outer world as a reflection of ourselves
The outer word as a deformed expression of our selves
Real space to touch
Assignment
Chapter 3: HEARING: Sound and Music
Sound Awareness
Music
Chapter 4: SMELL: Directing Actors
How to smell a lie (Bad performances)
Directing actors and directing beings
Inspiration for realistic blocking
Chapter 5: TASTE: Style exploration
Exploration and discovery
Ultimate taste: the end.
Chapter 6: VISION: Director's Inspiration
It's not magic, it's hard work
"Why?": The question that leads to all the answers
Chapter 7: DO OR DO NOT, THERE IS NO TRY
Technical stuff: know your brushes
Director's preparation
Director's Journal
Script Breakdown
Scene Checklist
How to communicate what you "sense"
Postproduction Notes: Editing, Sound and Music
Shooting procedure
A case study: Dead Poets Society
Conclusion
About the Author
Appendix A Movies references
Appendix B Books references