If student filmmakers want to learn how to direct great films, then they should study great film directors. Studying a director close-up will encourage and motivate students of film and provide a role model for them to follow as they continue to mature their own creative artistic elements in filmmaking. In learning about a film director, it is important to analyze their personality, vision of cinema, directing style, creative artistic elements in film, as well as any other aspect of motion picture production that communicates their talents. With the goal of serving as a source of encouragement and valuable reference for beginning as well as seasoned film directors, "Techniques of the Film Masters" was written with that aim in mind.