Tribute to a master: Edward Bass on the genius of Alfred Hitchcock

Edward Bass has had the opportunity to work with a number of directors in his several years in the film industry. He refuses to take favorites, but he lifts his hat to Sir Alfred Hitchcock, considered as one of the most legendary filmmakers in movie history.

From Edward Bass

Alfred Hitchcock was an English director and producer, recognized as the man who revolutionized the suspense-thriller genre. He has over 50 titles credited to his name, including the classic films Psycho, Notorious, Frenzy, and Family Plot, among others. Britain’s Daily Telegraph calls him the “greatest filmmaker” in the British Isles, with his work changing the shape of modern international cinema.

From Edward Bass

For Edward Bass, one of Hitchcock’s most remarkable aspects was his precision—a trait honed through actual practice. At a young age, Hitchcock was a prolific writer, contributing short fictional pieces to The Henley Telegraph. He joined the film industry as an illustrator of title cards, and soon he learned editing, scripting and art direction. With hard work and dedication, he eventually landed a directorial job for highly-acclaimed movies that earned him recognition first in Britain, and then in Hollywood.

From Edward Bass

Alfred Hitchcock was known for his brilliance in cinematography, and for his excellent use of cinematic devices to capture the emotions of his audience. For one, he popularized shots that imitated the movements of the human eye, allowing him to increase the viewers’ involvement in the movie. He also used plot decoys called MacGuffins to create a variety of effects, an influence seen even in works by George Lucas and Quentin Tarantino.

Modern filmmakers like Edward Bass look up to Alfred Hitchcock for his genius, and for showing audiences that a movie is more about the art and the craft, than it is about the stars. Check out Mr. Bass’ works at www.edwardbassfilms.com.