What he doesn't know, until now, is that during the same period he was also developing a Stage IV cancer that has now spread to vital organs.

Shooting and Cutting: A Survivor's Guide to Filmmaking and Other Diseases alternates between the journey of Stephen's life-changing treatment, his renewed sense of purpose in current work projects and war-stories from twenty years of filmmaking. The style is honest, humorous and, most of all, entertaining. The narratives intertwine with pace, twists, turns and as many cliffhangers as possible.

As an account of life on the edge, the book is full of unexpected detail and emotional nuance.