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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Do not develop a parasocial relationship with the writer challenge level impossible (this guy is my grandpa now)
I have worked in the Entertainment Business, in particular the development business for many years and currently read and evaluate scripts for a living. I had heard a lot about this book from colleagues and thought I would give it a read, and thought it was one of the more clear and concise screenplay books out there with clear examples of strong movie ideas and an approach to not only write but hopefully sell your screenplay. It's a no-nonsense approach that anyone can follow and hopefully budding screenwriters will pick this book up and use this advice, because it is good advice.
A clear and concise summary on how to write yet another, standard screenplay. And I was wondering why so many movies or books watch/read the same these days. The book is strongly focused on writing as a craft - like making shoes or cheese, or baking bagels. Which does explain a lot about screenwriting or writing industry and the market this industry supplies. No, I would not be able to write even half the things the author has written. But even so, I suspect that even if one practices the tips within the book by a rule, unless the person is very talented, they will hardly go very far. The market is competitive and you have to be able to do more than average thing to get published these days. Perhaps that's the reason so many newer books I pick up contain the elements of weird. The tips themselves are quite good though: thinking about the structure, characters, audience, knowing one's aims and goals as an author, studying examples of movies one likes. There are even exercises at the end if each chapter. Which is nice. What I did not like, though, was that hyperfocus on "let's bake another something using the formula" - I've read a few books too many by Dan Brown (I read 4 and they were all the same) and saw a few Hollywood movies too many. Perhaps that's why I don't watch them any more.
I also suspect the gentleman knows more tricks than he has betrayed.
I also suspect the gentleman knows more tricks than he has betrayed.
To preface, I had to read this for a class and so my opinion of the book may have been biased from the start simply because I didn’t willingly choose to read this.
While this might be helpful for learning the basics of storytelling and screenwriting, the author’s condescending attitude is infuriating and this book often feels like more of an excuse for him to brag about how great he is than an outlet for actual advice. He often refers to the Disney movie Blank Check as his credentials, and if you look up any review of that movie on YouTube you’ll find out why I stopped trusting this guy as soon as he dropped that title.
While this might be helpful for learning the basics of storytelling and screenwriting, the author’s condescending attitude is infuriating and this book often feels like more of an excuse for him to brag about how great he is than an outlet for actual advice. He often refers to the Disney movie Blank Check as his credentials, and if you look up any review of that movie on YouTube you’ll find out why I stopped trusting this guy as soon as he dropped that title.
informative
fast-paced
it certainly taught me a lot things about screenwriting and the structure of film, a medium i have come to really love over the past few years, but idk! it was very clear to me from the start that the author had a holier than thou attitude about the whole process, so having that condescending tone pervade the entire work made it grow on my nerves very rapidly. you can teach me without having to shove it in my face every second that you know more than i do!
informative
sad
fast-paced
informative
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
informative
medium-paced
It's a classic so you feel like you have to read it... but it's also a bit of a memoir and is very of its era and perspective. The actual explanation of "saving the cat" is a great lesson though, and was the one bit I'll remember to take into my writing. I read this as an audiobook on my daily commute though so I couldn't take notes and as such a lot of it is in one ear and out the other. Only the cat part stuck.
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