Making Masterpiece

The Emmy Award-winning producer of PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery! reveals the secrets to Downton Abbey, Sherlock, and its other hit programs For more than twenty-five years and counting, Rebecca Eaton has presided over PBS’s Masterpiece Theatre, the longest running weekly prime time drama series in American history. From the runaway hits Upstairs, Downstairs and The Buccaneers, to the hugely popular Inspector Morse, Prime Suspect, and Poirot, Masterpiece Theatre and its sibling series Mystery! have been required viewing for fans of quality drama. Eaton interviews many of the writers, directors, producers, and other contributors and shares personal anecdotes—including photos taken with her own camera—about her decades-spanning career. She reveals what went on behind the scenes during such triumphs as Cranford and the multiple, highly-rated programs made from Jane Austen’s novels, as well as her aggressive campaign to attract younger viewers via social media and online streaming. Along the way she shares stories about actors and other luminaries such as Alistair Cooke, Maggie Smith, Diana Rigg, Benedict Cumberbatch and Daniel Radcliffe, whose first TV role was as the title character in David Copperfield. Readers will also get to know Eaton on a personal level. With a childhood steeped in theater, an affinity for nineteenth century novels and culture, and an “accidental apprenticeship” with the BBC, Eaton was practically born to lead the Masterpiece and Mystery! franchises. Making Masterpiece marks the first time the driving force behind the enduring flagship show reveals all.

“[An] anecdote-filled memoir . . . Rebecca Eaton looks back on 25 fascinating years at Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery!” —USA Today When Rebecca Eaton became the producer of Masterpiece Theatre in 1985, she hadn’t actually seen many of the episodes. Nor did she even like mystery novels, though she would be required to choose stories for Mystery! But the lifelong Anglophile seized her chance to make a mark in the budding public television system. Twenty-eight years later, Masterpiece is one of television’s hottest shows, and Eaton is responsible for its triumphant transition from the “quill-pen” era into the digital age. Filled with anecdotes about (and the occasional interview with) the unforgettable hosts, the inspired creators, and the many talented actors she’s worked with over the years, Making Masterpiece is a compulsively readable treat for any fan of these beloved and iconic programs.

Masterpiece In the Making In a world that loves imitation, strive to be the original you were created to be. Our culture says blend in, imitate me and follow the status quo. Being original can be challenging. YouTube stars and Insta-celebrities dictate everything from fashion, food, and cool logic. It's important to know that you are not alone. You are God's best work. He designed you to be a stunning work of art that represents the very image of God. If you long to be the masterpiece God created you to be and don't understand how to unveil your unique beauty, this is your book. Based on Ephesians 2:10, Hillsong Pastor Ruth Mitchell, incorporates practical wisdom and personal experience, to guide you on your personal exploration to help you uncover who God created you to be. Mitchell will challenge you with thought provoking personal questions, as she shares stories from her life and the lives of others. The teachings will help you understand you are His masterpiece- created to be a world changer.

Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) is one of the most beloved albums of all time. A sonically stunning exploration into dark themes of madness, death, anxiety, and alienation, it has sold a staggering 30 million copies worldwide, and continues to sell 250,000 copies a year. Besides being perhaps the most fully realized and elegant concept album ever recorded, The Dark Side of the Moon was also one of the most technically advanced LPs of its day. It has aged remarkably well and still sounds as contemporary and cutting edge as it did on the day it was released. A perfect blend of studio wizardry and fearless innovation, The Dark Side of the Moon is illuminated by John Harris's exploration of the band's fractured history, his narrative skill, and his deft exploration of the album's legacy, such as its massive influence on bands like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails. Drawing on original, new interviews with every member of the band-bassist and chief songwriter Roger Waters, guitarist Dave Gilmour, keyboardist Rick Wright, and drummer Nick Mason- The Dark Side of the Moon is a must-have for the millions of devoted fans who desire to know more about one of the most timeless, compelling, commercially successful, and mysterious albums ever made.

There is no movie musical more fun than Singin' in the Rain, and few that remain as fresh over the years. . . . It is a transcendent experience, and no one who loves movies can afford to miss it.—Roger Ebert America's most popular film critic is hardly alone in singing the praises of Singin' in the Rain. This quintessential American film-made in Hollywood's Golden Age, showcasing the genius of Gene Kelly, and featuring what Ebert calls "the most joyous musical sequence ever filmed"-has inspired love and admiration from fellow critics, film scholars, and movie buffs worldwide for more than half a century. Indeed, its reputation continues to grow: the American Film Institute now ranks it number 1 on its list of the Greatest Movie Musicals of All Time and number 5 on its list of the Greatest American Films of All Time. Echoing the enthusiasm of the film's most devoted fans, Earl Hess and Pratibha Dabholkar embrace and illuminate both the film and its reputation. Combining lucid prose with meticulous scholarship, they provide for the first time the complete inside story of how this classic movie was made, marketed, and received. They re-create the actual movie-making experience, on the set and behind the scenes, and chronicle every step in production from original concept through casting, scripting, rehearsals, filming, scoring, and editing. They then trace its distribution, critical reception, and enduring reputation. The book is brimming with human interest, bursting with anecdotes and quotes by and about the film's stars and makers. Here are Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor at the top of their form, along with Debbie Reynolds and Cyd Charisse in their breakthrough roles. Here, too, are fascinating tidbits-about censorship troubles, continuity flaws, stunt doubles for Kelly, voice doubles for cast members, the dubbing of taps, and genealogy of all the songs. Hess and Dabholkar also provide in-depth analyses of each of the major song-and-dance performances, including details of everything from the dynamics of "Gotta Dance!" to the physical challenges of the remarkable title number. Based on exhaustive research in oral histories, studio production records, letters, memoirs, and interviews, their book is factually impeccable, compulsively readable, and indispensable for anyone who loves movies at their absolute best.

What makes a work of art a masterpiece? Discover the answers in the fascinating stories of how these artworks came to be and the circumstances of their long-lasting impact on the world. Beginning with Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, we travel through time and a range of styles and stories – including theft, scandal, artistic reputation, politics and power – to Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, challenging the idea of what a masterpiece can be, and arriving in the twenty-first century with Amy Sherald’s portrait of Michelle Obama, a modern-day masterpiece still to be tested by time. Each artwork has a tale that reveals making a masterpiece often involves much more than just a demonstration of artistic skill: their path to fame is only fully disclosed by looking beyond what the eye can see. Rather than trying to describe the elements of greatness, Making a Masterpiece takes account of the circumstances outside the frame that contribute to the perception of greatness and reveals that the journey from the easel to popular acclaim can be as compelling as the masterpiece itself. Featuring: Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci Judith Beheading Holofernes, Artemisia Gentileschi Girl with a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer Under the Wave off Kanagawa, Katsushika Hokusai Fifteen Sunflowers, Vincent van Gogh Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (Woman in Gold, Gustav Klimt American Gothic, Grant Wood Guernica, Pablo Picasso Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, Frida Kahlo Campbell’s Soup Cans, Andy Warhol Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, Amy Sherald Discover the stories of how, why and what makes a masterpiece in this compelling and comprehensive title.

Talking about moving into the unknown—moving out from the comfort zone—the showstopper is usually fear. I’ve learned since I was very young that, if I face that fear, I will find that fear is unreal, and it will subside. The fear is just like a shadow… a reflection of my own negative judgment, my own condemnation to myself… my lack of faith. When I was kid, I loved swimming. I loved being in the water. Not only for the coldness of the water, but also for the sense of freedom it conveys. Under the water, I felt so free. There’s no other noise—just myself alone…. I was an introvert kid, so, naturally, I enjoyed being alone in silence under water. It gave me peaceful feeling. But one day, my younger brother accidentally almost drowned me. He was practicing, and for some reasons, he suddenly panicked. He tried to get anything he could hold on to—which, that time, happened to be me, who was swimming next to him. He pushed me down so he could get up. But I wasn’t prepared. I was in shock. And I lost control. My panic didn’t help. All the water went inside through my nose and mouth. I couldn’t breathe. More water comes in when I tried to. Everything went dark. Luckily, my brother’s swimming coach saw it and he pulled me up. But since then, I had my own fear of water. I can still swim in the pool, but I could not love nor enjoy it as I did before the incident. This fear stopped me from swimming in the sea, in which the fear multiplied since I can’t see the bottom of it. It made me feel insecure. It made me feel that I would definitely drown. But I knew that this fear stopped me from growing. So, one day, I decided to face it. I went to Padang Bai, Bali, alone. I took certification of open water dive. I could easily learn all the theories. But when the test in the sea was starting… Well, it was the toughest. When the test first began, I got that cold feeling started to cripple up. I could feel my palms started to sweat although the water was cold. My heart picked up a pace, and that cold feeling transformed into anxiety. I remembered my drowning incident so vividly. That time, I could only feel the waves and the terror. I could feel the echo of that terror. Terror of losing my breath, of inhaling lots of water, of swallowing them… the coldness and the darkness I saw as I drowned…. But I convinced myself to relax. I told myself that I had my instructor there, and she would not let me drown. I reminded myself and got my mind to focus on the reason why I was there in the first place: to face my fear. So be it. As I jumped into the water, I felt that the anxiety was still there. I could feel my breath was racing fast as my heart picked up the pace. But when I started to see all the beautiful corals, fishes, and nudibranches, I forgot my fear. The fear just went away, evaporated… washed by the sea. I used to love climbing the rose apple tree at my parent’s house in Bandung. But during one of those climbs, a branch that I stepped on broke, and I almost fell down. Like me and swimming, this accident developed fear in me—fear of height. But the lesson I learnt from my scuba diving experience encouraged me to face my fear of height, so I went on to learn sky diving. The first time I was about to jump from the plane, I felt that my heart stopped beating for a while, but it was too late to back-off. I could only move forward and jump off. For seconds after I jumped, my breathing stopped. I felt as if half of my soul decided to stay on the plane. But the next second, I began to feel that sense of freedom. I could fly. Free from the fear. I have wings! It was an awesome feeling. I got addicted to sky diving. Something I never would’ve imagined before. As I developed as a person, more fears came to me. Nowadays, I’m still left trying to face the fear of being vulnerable to other human beings. I’m a very private person, and it’s very hard for me to share my personal experiences with others—not even to my best friends or family. Even in my darkest moments, I still find it hard to share with others, no matter how close our relationship is. Adding up to that, I feel like I can only find my strength only by contemplating all on my own. The fact that today I write my personal experiences here is something that I couldn’t imagine I would do before. I never had the confidence to become vulnerable. I’ve never had any experience in writing. But I want to face my fear of being vulnerable. By writing this book, I learn to become comfortable of being vulnerable. What finally triggered me to write this book was my kind-hearted friends who had been encouraging me to share my experiences in overcoming a challenge—a challenge that goes by the name “cancer”. They encouraged me to share the hope with others who are in the midst of challenges as well—whatever challenges they have in life. While I was inspired to face my fear of being vulnerable, what eventually moved me was the people who reached out to me, asking me to share the hope I experienced. And as I shared it to them, I could see that little twinkle in their eyes. It was such a blissful moment. I feel so blessed, and my faith to God is strengthened. Another friend, who I’ve never met before but also encouraged me to start sharing, is Gwen. She lives in Philippines, and she coincidentally read my story from the hospital in China. She contacted me through Facebook Messenger. Gwen told me that my story had inspired her to never give up in her battle with cancer. All of them have inspired and encouraged me to start writing and sharing. By beating my fear of being vulnerable, I could share hope with many more people out there. Therefore, I’m willing to become vulnerable, if it could help others to win their battles. I didn’t do this in vain. I’m not better than anyone. I just wanted to share because I have received so much love and abundance of blessings—so many and so much, that I can’t possibly keep it for myself alone. I need to share it with others, so others could also see and feel all the love and blessings God has bestowed upon us. I want people to experience His miracles, to never give up in realizing the masterpiece in them. This book is not my tool to preach my beliefs, and I don’t expect people to accept all my perspectives. I simply hope that my stories could at least help to provoke the mind to seek the truth, to seek our true self that will help us to experience God. Most of us today (myself included) knows only of “false truth”, believing and following as what is dictated by society, whereas it is not always necessarily the truth. Most of the time, it only introduces us to insecurity, making us superficial. We agree with society because we’re insecure to be different, afraid to be rejected. But once we try to seek the truth—our true self—we will see the hope. We are all a work of art, working our ways to become a masterpiece. Life is a vessel to realize the masterpiece in us. Not only the opportunities; the challenges as well. Challenges in life are not tragedy, not a condemnation; they are blessings. The challenges are there to help us realize the masterpiece in us. They’re a tool to bring out the best in us, turning our ordinary selves to become extra-ordinary. We learn and grow to become the best version of us through all the challenges we face. I hope this book can turn to be a blessing for the people who read it. Result from the book sold later on will be 100% donated to those in needs after deducted by the publisher fee, if any. Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu. May all beings be happy. May all my thoughts, words and actions contribute in some way to the happiness of all beings.

"The Making of a Masterpiece" is a fresh, exciting and unique look at one of the world's most popular books. Based on several years of investigation and over 70 interviews, including material from a recently discovered scrapbook of one of Margaret Mitchell's relatives, Author Sally Rains reveals for the first time that Mitchell certainly based scenes from her book, and characters in her book, on real events and real people.

Life happens. Every event that takes place in your life, every person you have ever met, every circumstance you have lived through has a place in your puzzle of life. Before you were born, God had created a beautiful masterpiece. It is filled with color, happiness, laughter and tears. It is filled with struggles as well as sweet triumphs. It is filled with every experience in your life, both good and bad. As you move through your life, the pieces of your puzzle are set one at a time. Each one is essential and relevant. When completed, your puzzle will finally make sense. You will be able to recognize how each piece has brought you to where you are today. Each piece fits, in some way, to help bring you to a place where God wants you to be. When something happens that is unbearable and you cannot find a reason for it, sometimes it is Gods own steadying hand that helps set the piece into place. Build your puzzle with confidence, one piece at a time, and know your masterpiece was created by the Master Himself, piece by important piece.