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How does a spec script differ from a shooting script? What kind of fasteners should one use to bind a script? How did the term MOS come to mean without sound? You'll find the answers to these pressing questions and much more in David Trottier's eminently usable Screenwriter's Bible. The avuncular Trottier--a writer-producer, script consultant, and seminar leader--has written a friendly guide through the Hollywood morass. He touts it as six books in one: it's "a screenwriting primer, a screenwriting workbook, a formatting guide, a spec writing guide, a sales and marketing guide, [and] a resource guide."
Much of Trottier's advice is common sense: "Don't write anything that cannot appear on the screen"; to keep casting options open, don't make your physical descriptions too specific; "don't say Ron Howard is looking at the project if he is not." But there are things to know about Hollywood that are, well, quirkier. Don't write the title of your script on the front cover or side binding; present action sequences using the "stacking action" style; in query letters and scripts alike, avoid "big blocks of black ink." Trottier's guidance--from character development and revision to queries and pitches--is invaluable. Getting in the door can seem impossible, but it's not, necessarily. "If you write a script that features a character who has a clear and specific goal," says Trottier, "where there is strong opposition to that goal leading to a crisis and an emotionally satisfying ending, your script will automatically find itself in the upper five percent."
(By the way, MOS is said to have "originated with German director Eric von Stroheim, who would tell his crew, 'Ve'll shoot dis mid out sound'"). --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
The Screenwriter's Bible is six books in one. Book 1 -- A screenwriting primer that provides a concise presentation of screenwriting basics. Book 2 -- A workbook that walks the writer through the writing process, from nascent ideas through revisions. Book 3 -- A formatting guide that presents correct formats for both screenplays and TV scripts. Book 4 -- A spec writing guide that demonstrates today's spec style through sample scenes and analysis. Book 5 -- A sales and marketing guide that presents proven strategies to help you create a laser-sharp marketing plan. Book 6 -- A resource guide that provides addresses and contacts for industry organizations, schools, publications, support groups, services, contests, etc. Among its wealth of practical information are sample query letters, useful worksheets and checklists, hundreds of examples, sample scenes, and straightforward explanations of screenwriting fundamentals. The "Bible" was a featured selection of The Writer's Digest Book Club.
Customer Reviews:
warning.......2007-09-23
The book is full of good information butif in browsing it, you see the website www.clearstream.com and hope to find the promised additional help on line, forget it. That web site is owned by a German investment company (for the past year or so). I Googled David Trotter (author of the book) and found him not.
This does not negate the value of the info in the book itself.
Must have for screenwriters.......2007-09-21
IT gives you what you need to have a screenwriting foundation - especially the technical aspect.
Top reference for writing Spec Scripts.......2007-09-04
Well written, easy to follow with alot of good advise. This really opened my eyes to the world of Spec Scripts which focus on the story (stay away from giving camera angles - because for the most part its the story that studios want to buy, they already have a staff who will put in the camera angles - they just want the story!!!).
Spec Scripts are what gets your foot in the door (just the story in a format that is read by the Hollywood script readers - who then intern recommend it to the studio).
If you are serious about writting (novels, plays, movies, managa) this book shows you the basic format of Spec Scripts. Once you have completed a sub script you can turn it into anything e.g. novel, play, movie, manga).
Anyone considering screenwriting NEEDS this book........2007-08-05
Hey everyone, I've owned and read two editions of this book so far and it never fails to help inspire me or answer my questions. I highly recommend this book for the beginner. It starts with a primer on plot basically. It seeks to create a strong foundation because if you know nothing about plot structure and try to write a movie it will turn out either confusing or very boring. David really stresses the 3 act, 7 plot point structure that is the basic framework of creative writing. This can be repetitive, but he really wants to hammer it into your head.
The book also have a whole section on format. I have screenwriting software to do the format for me so I don't look at this as much as I used to, but it still comes in handy. I wrote my first screenplay in Word so this chapter really taught me a lot. Also, software or not, you need to know the basic framework of a spec script.
So, maybe this book doesn't have everything, but I have found this to be the only book I've ever used. Other books I've read on sreenwriting have had a lot of talking by the author. The author just keeps rambling on about things and not teaching me. David stays focused and keep you focused. This book's main purpose is to fill your head with facts. David also injects humor into his writing so you can stay entertained. In the formatting section he writes an amusing story of how he teaches a class in spec script format for example.
When it comes to the more advanced writer, you probably don't need this book, but if you are looking for a refresher course then you need look nowhere else. But what is really good about his approach is that it is focused on you, the spec script writer. He doesn't want to cloud your head with unnecessary camera direction and specials effects- things that the spec writer has no control over. All this happens after the script is sold. It's your job to tell a story using as much detail and action as possible. Don't get caught in the dialog trap- movies are mostly visual.
When you have finished your work and need help marketing it, there is a section of the book devoted to this difficult step. This is the only book on screenwriting I have found useful. Most self-help books I get no use out of. I dig this out whenever I start a new screenwriting project. I do hope to find a more advanced book written in a style like this however, as I have moved past the meat and potatoes stuff.
One of the Best.......2007-08-02
If you are just starting off as screenwriter and can only afford one book, this is the one. It is organized like a classroom workbook. Personally, I learn better with this type of structure.
Book Description
This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz Veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!
Customer Reviews:
re-name the book.......2007-10-03
The book should've been named "How to take the joy out of screenwriting."
Although Blake Snyder is at the top of the screenwriting industry (he has had two spec scripts that have been made into movies), it is fortunate that he wasn't born during the Renaissance and wound up teaching artists how to precisely paint.
Perhaps everything he states in the book may be the absolute gospel in Hollywood (ala Syd Field/Robert McKee at al), but Blake Snyder believes all screenplays must be severely structured:
- The script must have precisely 40 scenes for some unknown reason
- the theme of the script must be made by page 5
- the catalyst (a life-changing event) must occur precisely on page 12
- the hero finally making the decision to act must be on page 25 (end of act one)
- the B story of a script must begin around page 30
- there must be an identifiable midpoint (exactly on page 55 of a 110-page script) where the hero peaks or the world collapses all around the hero or vice-a-versa
- the hero's "All is lost" scene must be on page 75
- and so on.
True, he reveals previously unknown industry secrets such as all scripts must have a terrific logline, a great title, a likeable hero (thus the title of the book), and must have conflict.
On the plus side, the book is certainly well organized and extremely well written. Is it worth shelling out 3 bucks on E-bay? Check your public library.
Ignore the Haters; they didn't get it.......2007-10-03
If you think this book is just for family-film-oriented writers, you missed the big picture. Blake Snyder has hit the ball way, way, way, WAY out of the park with this one. Take the analytical tools he provides and unleash them on any mainstream movie from any genre from JAWS and SAW to E.T. and BACK TO THE FUTURE. I guarantee that the ones that follow his structure most closely are the ones that not only struck a chord with viewers, but laughed all the way to the bank.
Want to write a nice indy flick that you and your twenty closest friends can watch in someone's basement? Ignore Blake Snyder. Want to write a loud, crash-and-bang, content-missing movie people will forget in five years except to laugh? Ignore Blake Snyder. Want a movie you won't be able to pitch in five HOURS, let alone the five minutes you'll really have? Ignore Blake Snyder.
But if you want to write/direct/produce a film that satisfies on every level from the superficial to the sublime, then this is the book for you.
I never had a single offer on my work until I followed his advice.
SAVE THE CAT. Live it. Love it. Learn from it. Buy extra copies, 'cause if you're smart, you'll wear out the first one.
simple good advice and nothing more.......2007-09-30
This book contains alot of good advice for screenplay writing. however, the book is really aimed towards making "family films". all the movies he references are family films, and sometimes his own. It is a good book to get yourself in the right mindset for writing a screenplay but you can't rely on it to much or you might find yourself writing really dumb kids movies like "Blank Check". The process he gives you is very formulaic and his approach is more toward making money. but overall good read and good information. and who knows, maybe if you follow his advice to the point you could sell a screenplay to Spielberg for a million dollars too!
Friends close, Enemies closer.......2007-09-29
This IS a book about writing incredibly formulaic screenplays period. For my likes and dislikes, I would refer to Blake's movie ideas as groaners. That said, I find this book to be INCREDIBLY HELPFUL, amazing, on laying out that Hollywood 'movie' formula. It's great for creating structure. I'm not expecting this book to make me a more intersting storyteller. But I've worked with a number of hugely successful film producers / directors, and for the most part, they comletely rely on formula. Now, it's YOUR job to make that intersting. It's your job to know HOW breaking that formula makes your idea work better. It's all really valuable information. Do other books cover this same subject? Probably. But since I don't want to waste too much of my time reading screenplay books, I found this one to give me exactly what I needed. And I'll make it interesting.
Fun Learning.......2007-09-13
The kind of book I wanted to read and write at the same time. Fun, very informative, inspiring and helpful. I've already ordered some as a gift for other writer-friends.
Customer Reviews:
Do you really want to write screenplays?.......2007-10-02
If so, you will love this book. As someone who reads all the books I can on screenwriting over and over as I write, I find this book invaluable. What separates it from the others? The chapters on subplots and scenes really help. I also have found Rob Tobin's book, John Truby's course, Kate Wright's book, Blake Snyder's book, Michael Hauge and Chris Vogler's DVD/books instruction to be helpful. These books don't just tell you to reveal character and move the story forward; they show you how.
Kind of boring, but good information.......2007-06-27
Linda Seger teaches or taught script writing at some school somewhere. She loves to tell you this in her book. I don't think she actually ever wrote any movies in her life that I can tell. According to the Internet Movie Database she was listed under Miscellaneous Crew in the "Never Ending Story II: The Next Chapter". Not exactly a block buster. So I think she should work a little harder on her craft. My guess is that she has made more money teaching and writing about movies than actually writing a movie. She is listed as script consultant in some random movies I've never heard of. Probably worth the $3 I paid used but not much more. Here's a tip for the author. Go write a movie we've heard of and then write a book.
Polish Your Hollywood Star.......2006-09-22
Reading a screenwriting book by Dr. Linda Seger is like taking a hundred meetings with Hollywood's best writers and directors, and listening in as Seger helps them mold their stories and scripts into a hit. Seger's experiences are vast, and she's generous with her advice, which is smart, visual, commercial, and practical. If you do what she says, your chances at selling and getting your screenplay made are tremendously magnified. Making a Good Script Great, for instance, is one of those books that every screenwriter should read (again-and-again) before starting the next project. A good screenplay is complex and sophisticated, but must read simply, easily, and enjoyably. The task is a multifaceted, intense, and long-suffering. Seger, however, provides the chisels and rouges to take your diamond in the rough, sharpen its edges, and polish its faces, until your script gleams and sparkles like a Hollywood star.
Linda's writing was helpful in the writing of my own book on screenwriting published by Michael Wiese Productions -- THE MORAL PREMISE: Harnessing Virtue and Vice for Box Office Success.
Helpful.......2006-02-21
This book offers some good insight. This 'is' about "Making a Good Script Great" as the title says, so it's not for someone looking for a starting guide. For those people, I would reccomend "Lew Hunters Screenwriting 101."
I must warn, that the book references 'Witness' allot. So if you haven't seen it, see it. And see Ghostbusters too!
Overall though, this guide is one of the few that actually delivers, and is a quick and easy read.
-Matt
the publisher doesn't want to deal with you.......2005-08-18
The book is good, but the publisher is a horror for educators to deal with. (ex: requests for desk copies are met with a reply that amounts to 'buzz off')
Average customer rating:
- GREAT FOR THE ASPIRING COMIC WRITER!
- Why didn't some body think of this sooner?
- Cool, helpful, worth the read
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Panel One: Comic Book Scripts by Top Writers
Kurt Busiek ,
Neil Gaiman ,
Nat Gertler ,
Dwayne McDuffie ,
Trina Robbins ,
Greg Rucka ,
Jeff Smith ,
Kevin Smith , and
Marv Wolfman
Manufacturer: About Comics
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Similar Items:
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Alan Moore's Writing For Comics Volume 1
-
Writers on Comics Scriptwriting, Vol. 1
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Panel Two: More Comic Book Scripts By Top Writers
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Writers on Comics Scriptwriting, Vol. 2
-
The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics
ASIN: 0971633800 |
Book Description
Contains annotations, plots, interviews, and scripts by many of comics' hottest writers, including Kurt Busiek, Neil Gaiman, Greg Rucka, Kevin Smith, Jeff Smith, Marv Wolfman, and more.
Customer Reviews:
GREAT FOR THE ASPIRING COMIC WRITER!.......2003-05-28
This is a great text that takes you through the creative process of several unique writing styles. The variety of script and drawings from a host of authors, really made this book encouraging to the aspiring comic writer. I'm looking forward to getting Panel Two when it comes out.
Why didn't some body think of this sooner?.......2002-05-07
It seems like such an obvious good idea.
It's a wonderful glimpse into the creative process.
Just received it last night, and I'm already half through it. I haven't done that since I was eleven and got Stan Lee's How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. Not that this book has any similarity to that one. This is not a how to book. Its a more intimate, than any instructional book. Its a similar difference in experience to watching a biography to reading someones private correspondence. The presentation adds to the feeling as well.
Better than seeing pencils, better than watching a demo, or hearing someone try to explain the creative process. You actually see it and are part of it because this is what the artist sees, while he is in the process.
As a comic book fan for years and creative hopeful (which I believe is a large part of the intended audience), I hope this is first in a long line.
Great job, thanks Mr. Gertler.
Cool, helpful, worth the read.......2002-04-04
One thing that's bugged me in my various efforts at writing a comic book script is that no reference I checked seemed to agree as to what format is right. As this book explains, that's because there IS no "right" or "wrong" format, just different ways to do it.
Every script in this volume shows you something. Gaiman's reads like a personal note to the artist, Wolfman shows how plot-first can work, McDuffie shows you how to work in a recap, Kevin Smith shows a more movie-script style of writing and Kurt Busiek's entry... heck, when I read the original comic book I thought it was one of the greatest comic book stories I ever read, but the script for "The Nearness of You" just made it all the more powerful.
If you want to try to write comics, you could do a lot worse than picking up this book.
Book Description
Explains the processes of developing, pitching, and submitting stories. The book includes such unique information as a 10-point checklist for a completed script, the eight most common reasons why a script can be rejected, what really happens to a script once it's submitted, how to navigate within the industry, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful for screenwriters at the start of their career.......2007-05-19
An industry veteran of 25 years, Kathie Fong Yoneda is both a story analyst at Paramount and a script consultant. Her background as a development executive gives her an excellent perspective for helping screenwriters can break down the gates to Hollywood. And this book aims to do just that.
The book is divided into four major parts: working on the script, meetings and pitches, submissions and relationships. It is a very clearly structured guide to the do's and don'ts for writers looking for their breakthrough (hint: the first step is to WRITE A GREAT SCRIPT!).
Yonada includes advice on how to behave towards executives, how to find an agent, the special vocabulary used in Hollywood, how to start a writers group, even how to prepare for a conference. All of this is written in a clear manner, making the book a very useful reference.
The downside to this is that most of this information is out there already. If you read screenwriting magazines and keep up with recent books on the business side of screenwriting, there will be very little here you don't know already. Moreover, the book is very "pro-system" -- there is no criticism of the way things are done, and the advice is very much "mainstream" common knowledge.
I don't think this book has very much to offer veteran writers who are already well acquainted with the vagaries of getting their scripts through the Hollywood maze. For writers who are starting out, however, the book will serve very well to inform them about the basics of getting your script sold to Hollywood.
The Best Book You will Ever Read About selling your sscreenplay.......2006-09-13
After writing my first screenplay, I was stuck on how to sell it. I have ran my own business for over tens years and have a natural flare for marketing - thinking that selling a script would be commonsense WRONG! After reading The Script Selling Game I was blown away by the fantastic real life tips and jargon given. It's motivated me more than ever to see my projects on the silver screen. IF YOU ARE SERIOUS ABOUT breaking into Hollywood - You MUST BUY THIS BOOK! It's easy-to-read and only an insider would know how to write it's contents.
Something For Everyone!.......2006-09-05
I loved this little book! Not only was it a quick read, but it was also filled with a variety of solidly helpful information for new and experienced screenwriters. I found the "10 Point Checklist for Completed Scripts", the "Big Eight" and the section on pitching particularly useful and now put the information to use on every project. The book is certainly worth more than you pay for it!!
Duane Kulikowsky.......2005-10-10
The book never forgot who was reading it. If you are at a point in your career where you need guidance in what to do and what's important, this book offers you that. Kathie Yoneda, I feel, just got the balance right between fact, figures and emotion. Kathie actually cares.
If it's Tuesday, it must be Warner Brothers...........2005-08-13
The Script-Selling Game is your "Biedecker's", your "Fodor's", or your "Lonely Planet" guide to the exotic, exciting, sometimes confusing, sometimes dangerous yet ultimately rewarding territory of Hollywood Script Sales.
Kathie Fong Yoneda has not only explored this territory, she has actually carved out, tamed, and settled a lot of it in her years as a studio executive. Her expertise in the special jargon, the specific tools, and the appropriate approaches will help you craft an effective presentation of your unique creative project, be it a feature film, a TV series, or any other media production.
Read Kathie's book. Smile, frown, gasp.... Yes, Hollywood can be just as she says. It's a closed world unless you have an interpreter and a guidebook. Thank goodness hers is accessible, informative, specific, and comforting. Well then, follow her guidelines, learn to speak the language, do the currency exchange from creativity-to-commerciality, and watch the barriers go down and the doors open up for you.
Book Description
From concept to character, from opening scene to finished script..
Here are easily understood guidelines to make film-writing accessible to novices and to help practiced writers improve their scripts. Syd Field pinpoints the structural and stylistic elements essential to every good screenplay. He presents a step-by-step, comprehensive technique for writing the script that will succeed.
-Why are the first ten pages of your script crucially important?
- How do you collaborate successfully with someone else?
-How do you adapt a novel, a play, or an article into a screenplay?
-How do you market your script?
Customer Reviews:
The Bible.......2007-09-29
If it didn't restate the same elements over and over I think this book would be about thirty pages long, but that aside it really is a fantastic resource. Something has to be said for those teachers who explain things in such a way that you believe you knew it all along (even though you didn't). I believe this is a must for not only screenwriters, but filmmakers in general. The basics can only make us stronger.
Hollywood of the 80s.......2007-08-17
I liked this book. Coupled with Syd Field's Screenwriter's Workbook, I managed to write a first draft of a screenplay. I've never been able to complete a play or screenplay before reading these books! This book gives you the background of screenplays and writing, plus his theory of what makes a good Hollywood screenplay. The workbook gives you a step by step process of writing one.
One drawback is that this book was written in the 80's. Sometimes it sounds so dated. The other drawback is it only explains one type of screenplay, the standard Hollywood 3-act narrative.
Overall, this book was a great help in writing a readable well structured screenplay.
As good as a screenwriters bible.......2007-07-15
If you are looking for a text on formats, this is not the book.
Fields presents a thinking man's guide to screen writing. He writes in an honest style that presents thoughtful ways to compose a screenplay based on experience and knowledge.
He talks about several concepts making up a screenplay and what and why the elements of it are. He teaches the value of preparation and research prior to putting pencil to paper. The defining and detailed examination of the three act paradigm of a screenplay are defined and re-examined throughout the book, adding up to a good grasp of the concept.
Used as a textbook in my class, it was extremely useful and helpful to us beginning students.
Mixed Feelings.......2007-07-12
To sum up my opinion of the book in a short sentence: it's not the most amazing book ever, but I don't regret having read it. The good side of it is that the three act structure and all sound like a good plan to start working on a script. It does help a tonload to be able to cover so much ground in such a short time and with such big lines. I won't deny that. The card system is quite nice too, but you don't need 300 pages to learn that.
The thing that struck me the most was how redundant Field could get. Seriously, there are entire blocks of sentences that you will read over and over again. At first I thought that sounded really bad... I mean, if you're a famous script-writer and all, your writing should reflect that. So I was confused. Then, and I don't know if that saves it or not, I figured that the repetition was perhaps not so bad, since it kept hammering the same basic things in your mind, and since that helps to remember. It's a bit like a class, I guess.
I'm not saying that Field can't write, however, I think he merely opted for a personal style, oral if you want, and I don't think it's any fair to criticise too much on this aspect as other critics did. He's not writing a novel, he's writing about screenplay and he's talking to you.
I didn't buy this because I wanted to write a movie, I was curious about the script as a form of writing. Now I feel secure enough to consider writing a whole movie even though I never intended to, and that's pretty cool, I have to admit.
On the flip side, I have my doubts about Syd Field. Now, maybe I'm a dumb person, but I wasn't able to find a single movie written by him. And he doesn't mention any of his own scripts! He mentions those of others, oh yes, that he does, but I can't recall him mentioning one of his own personal scripts. (My bad and apologies if he did and I didn't see or forgot.)
Syd Field hated "Pulp Fiction" when he first saw it. That's bad. I mean, if you can't see right off that "Pulp Fiction" is a great movie, moreover, as a specialist of films, then I worry. I saw it years ago when I was a teen and it struck me as special even though I was no film specialist. So I don't know. It seems that Field eventually liked it when he was able to put it in his 3 act structure, by dividing the stories as units onto themselves. Fine, but do you need that to enjoy a movie or think it's great? No. In fact, if you are rendered unable to enjoy a movie because of that, then it majorly worries me.
As to the 3-act theory itself, I think it's a great tool to use for structure and for the writing of a movie, but I wouldn't base everything on it more than that. See, I think anything has a beginning, middle, and end, and that you can find those 3 things anywhere. It's too vague to be really meaningful, although it can be useful. I see it as something like construction lines in drawing: you use them, but then you erase them. And I think that's also how Field sees it; he doesn't think of his "paradigm" as impossibly rigid.
Other thing that worried me about Field is that he claims to write biographies for his characters that encompass their parents, grandparents, and, yes, past lives. Alright, that can always give you cool ideas that you'd not think of if it hadn't been for the character's past life as a fisherman in Antarctica, but that sounds far-fetched.
There are other things in Field's style that antagonised me from the beginning. Cliché zen analogies and such didn't do much to make like the text, and repeating the same things without backing them up doesn't convince more.
Also, and maybe I'm dumb, but I would have started the book with the form of script-writing. That's the first thing you look at when you consider writing a script! That's what I bought the book for, originally. Very little of the book is consecrated to that, and it's among the final chapters.
So what's the result of my reading this book? Well, I feel like I could start working on an actual movie script right now, and that alone isn't so bad, but I don't know that another book couldn't have done the same. The read itself wasn't too bad, although the redundancy can get seriously annoying. I also felt like the chapters weren't properly delimited, like you'd talk of a topic in this chapter and 4 chapters further, you find yourself reading about the same thing again.
I would recommend that to anyone who's interesting in scrip-writing, but be careful. It does give you a good basis for working up the spine of a script, and that's what the book was written for, so even though I gave it only 3 stars, I'd still recommend it (for lack of a better, since I never read anything else on script-writing).
Repetitious and Ramblings.......2007-05-28
I bought this book on a recomendation and appeared to be the best on the shelf. Syd Field has a very irritating writing style that is filled with convoluted ramblings and repeats himself quite often. There is a difference between driving a point home and repeating yourself and Syd appears to have used the copy/paste method as every page or so he states the same thing over and over and over again using the same wording. At first it seemed like he was just trying to drive a point home but after reading about 30 pages and having read the same sentance about 40 times it just got frustrating.
With that said, there is some great information in this book but you have to fight through it. The great information may be worth it in the end but really, he needs an editor/publisher that will stand up and tell him that it needs to be fixed.
This really can be a great book and is packed with useful info - but I have docked the rating because you have to force read and deal with near constant repetition.
Book Description
Now learning non-Roman-alphabet languages is as easy as A-B-C!
Readers wanting to learn the basics of reading and writing a new language that employs script will find all they need in the Teach Yourself Beginner's Script series. Each book includes a step-by-step introduction to reading and writing in a new language as well as tips and practice exercises to build learners' skills. Thanks to the experts at Teach Yourself, script will no longer be all "Greek" to language learners--unless of course, it is Greek script! Teach Yourself Beginner's Script series books feature:
- Origins of the language
- A systematic approach to mastering the script
- Lots of "hands-on" exercises and activities
- Practical examples from real-life situations
Customer Reviews:
Decent book for absolute beginners in Russian, but BAD TITLE.......2007-06-07
This might be fine for someone who wanted practice in reading the Russian alphabet. However, I made the mistake of taking the title literally. I can read (or at least sound out) Russian books, but I have trouble reading or writing cursive Russian, which often looks quite different from the printed font. There is hardly any material on handwriting the language.
oustanding and simple to use.......2007-05-10
Excellent starter book to learn from.. Have used more than anything else to learn to speak short conversations with older russian patients. Able to communicate much more than I thought. The only thing that I can sayy negative about book is that I wish the print was a little bigger, as, I have poor sight and the print is kind of small. Great content!!!!!
Great little book.......2007-04-05
I am taking a beginning Russian class and have found this book to be very helpful in preparing me for the initial classes. I would have been lost without it.
The Russian alphabet can be offputting however, after only a couple of days with this text, I was able to read in Russian and often even understood what I was reading. Of course, this book is only helpful if you spend time with it but that's not hard because it's well written and well organized. I highly recommend it.
Needs the physical writing process.......2007-03-12
I just purchased this book today, and now wish I'd spent more time thumbing through it in the book store. From the title, I assumed that it would teach how to read and write the Russian (Cyrillic) alphabet. I have a hard time memorizing something by just looking at it, so I wanted a book that concentrated on how to write the alphabet as well. Although this book does include a section on Cyrillic cursive, I did not feel comfortable writing either Cyrillic block letters or cursive based on the information in this book. There is no stroke order or direction given, so the reader is left to guess how to replicate the given character.
Other than that, this is a cute little book, well priced, that will get you through reading the Cyrillic alphabet and some beginning vocabulary.
Wonderful and Simple.......2007-03-03
I was delighted with this book, and thrilled at how quickly I picked up the skill of reading Russian typed print. I was even more impressed when I used the book to teach my hisband in 10 minutes the rudaments of the Russian Alphabet and he can now point out the letters to me. All from 10 minutes of study.
Short simple lessons with excercises at the end of the chapters and each chapter builds on the previous one. Highly recomended book.
**Will not teach HOW to write the Script**
Book Description
The art. The craft. The business. Animation Writing and Development takes students and animation professionals alike through the process of creating original characters, developing a television series, feature, or multimedia project, and writing professional premises, outlines and scripts. It covers the process of developing presentation bibles and pitching original projects as well as ideas for episodes of shows already on the air. Animation Writing and Development includes chapters on animation history, on child development (writing for kids), and on storyboarding. It gives advice on marketing and finding work in the industry. It provides exercises for students as well as checklists for professionals polishing their craft. This is a guide to becoming a good writer as well as a successful one.
* Filled with writing exercises that will challenge your writing limits
* Understand inspiration, idea gathering, and story development
* Tips on how to write for kids and why certain stories appeal to different ages
* The how and why of dialogue-what works, and what doesn't
Customer Reviews:
Animation writing and Development From script to development to pitch.......2007-08-23
An excellent book that covers all aspects of writing for animation, and I do mean ALL aspects. Nothing is left out. Jean Ann Wright really knows her stuff. And buying the book from Amazon was easy and painless. That's why I use them and why I will continue to use them.
Too much information.......2006-09-22
The book covers tons and tons of topics, which is good for a person with no background in animation writing. But the topics written about, from dialogue to outlining, come with no context, no examples to back up what the author is talking about. Wright writes "Keep your characters consistent. They must be true to their core traits and to what has made them who they are." An example from a current or classic cartoon is direly needed. This happens throughout the book. Under the subheading Conflict Can Reveal Information in the dialogue chapter, she writes "conflict in dialogue...is a good way to get information out and keep it interesting." How? Once again this book screams for examples.
The book trys to explain every thing and any thing about animation. A daunting task. But in the process, every thing seems trite. The chapter on writing features, aka movies, is skimmed, and after reading it, will not make your more apt at writing animation films. Scriptwriting for film is different, in many aspects, from tv animation, and in this book it's made to sound that it's the same.
Overall the book is informative, but for someone who grew up with Scooby Doo, He-Man, Thundercats and saw every Disney film and could write endless thesis on Scooby Doo's tremendous appetite, this book lacks substance.
Typical "Mainstream" book........2006-08-08
This book is abit of a bore and turnoff with all it tips and trixs to create scripts that will please the "buyer". It is colored with a tone of a moral panic that is typical for experts that clame to know what people want and don't want. I think it is safe to say that if the creators of "South Park" or "The Simpson" would have read this book and followed it, thoose series would have never been made - maybe not even Bambi with its horrid shooting of bambis mother?
It also deals with animation at its simplest blocks, it tries to show the steps to a finished product - poorly. It does contain a good hint here and there but as a hole it is a complete waist of time, and a poor candidate for a book to understand the teqnical aspects of animation. If you have some basic knowleadge of character, animation and storyboarding and want to learn how to write for animation, buy books about writing instead.
>RS
Animation Writing and Development : From Script Development .......2005-03-10
Jean Ann Wright's "Animation Writing and Development : From Script Development to Pitch", is a comprehensive and well written book, on the subject.
I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in writing for animation.
Wow!.......2005-03-07
Every industry has its own special requirements. This book "Animation Writing and Development" by Jean Ann Wright should be titled "A Manual for the Working World of Animation". There are not many books that give all the working aspects of a creative vocation. Wow! What to do, how to do it, and still nurture creative desires! Being a college art instructor, all my classes will know about the existence of this fine work. B. McInerney
Book Description
Writers have to understand and develop the elements that make a great script before writing the script itself. Halperin demonstrates how treatments can be effective, taking writers through the entire process in a variety of genres including originals, adaptations, movies-of-the-week, miniseries, sitcoms and soap operas.
Customer Reviews:
Let its title not fool you!.......2006-11-27
When I am writing a script, I use about 80% of the time making a good treatment, since it is what will allow you to have everything well-tied when the proper screenwriting comes at the final stage. This book will not teach you to write a good treatment. In 90 pages, it deals about general issues of screenwriting, such as adaptations, story development and structure, but never in a deep way. It just generalises in its treatment recommendations, never giving clear rules, goals or advice. Furthermore, half of it talks about TV issues, which are far from filmmaking ones. The remaining 80 pages are just a filler: interviews, a sample treatment and references on movies cited. There is still not a good book about treatments out there.
How to Sell Your Script -- Then Write It!.......2006-05-26
Writing a solid treatment is something rarely -- if ever -- taught in writing courses. This is a great disadvantage for screenwriters, because having the ability to write a compelling treatment could make the difference between getting your foot in the door -- or getting the door closed in your face.
At the very least, mastering this writing form can help writers flesh out their material and pitch it to prospective buyers BEFORE they write the script, allowing them to get feedback and make changes to a 10-15 page document versus a 100-120 page one.
There are few books on this very important topic, and Michael Halperin has written one that belongs in every writers library. If you don't understand what a treatment is for, how it is used, or how to create one, you will after reading this book.
And if you plan on writing for TV, this book is a must. With it's many examples of how to write treatments for TV -- episodic and long-form, it will cut your learning curve in half!
Very, very thin.......2003-09-16
Not much here to help novices and certainly not for anyone with the vaguest idea of how scripts "work." Very skimpy with examples. There's so much "nuts-and-bolts" knowledge that's necessary to create a good script or treatment, and this book provides little of it.
Short on Substance.......2002-08-11
This one suffers the flaw common to how-to books on writing: it's short on models. Plenty of TALK about how to write a treatment, but most writers know that the best instruction comes from an assortment of professionally polished examples. If you want to be a journalist, read the NY Times. If you want to write killer treatments, read some killer treatments.
Book Description
Why is TV writing different from any other kind of writing? How will writing a spec script open doors? What do I have to do to get a job writing for TV? Writing for television is a business. And, like any business, there are proven strategies for success. In this unique hands-on guide, television writer and producer Ellen Sandler shares the trade secrets she learned while writing for hit shows like Everybody Loves Raymond and Coach. She offers concrete advice on everything from finding a story to getting hired on a current series.
Filled with easy-to-implement exercises and practical wisdom, this ingenious how-to handbook outlines the steps for becoming a professional TV writer, starting with a winning script. Sandler explains the difference between “selling” and “telling,” form and formula, theme and plot.
Discover:
• A technique for breaking down a show style so you’re as close to being in the writing room as you can get without actually having a job there
• The 3 elements for that essential Concept Line that you must have
in order to create a story with passion and consequence
• Mining the 7 Deadly Sins for fresh and original story lines
• Sample scripts from hit shows
• In-depth graphs, script breakdown charts, vital checkpoints
along the way, and much, much more!
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-07-12
This is by far the BEST TV writing book I've ever read and I have nearly all of them. Sandler doesn't just tell you the steps necessary to write a fantastic spec script, like all these kinds of books do, she guides you through the creative process of mining story material for it. And she tells you how to fashion subject matter that has the most emotional meaning for you, the author--which is the benchmark of great writing. It was a concept that until now, that no matter how many books I read, or how many harsh notes from execs I received on all my previous specs (or so I thought, now I FULLY understand their notes!) that I didn't grasp until now. TV Writer's Workbook, has provided the creative lightbulb I needed to get me out of my sucky spec script darkness. Highly recommended!
Fast delivery.......2007-07-08
This book was in excellent condition and arrived quickly. What more is there to say.
Wonderful Workbook.......2007-06-19
This book is not only entertaining and an easy, quick read, it is filled with what i would consider industry secrets. It is also very inspiring as far as realizing that there are people out there to help you who understand you as a writer as it seems Ellen Sandler does. It's one thing to give people advice and tricks of the trade on how they come up with great stories and how scripts are developed and created, it's a beautiful thing and she does it amazingly well, but it's PRICELESS to give introverted writer types tips and tricks to networking, where to go, what to do, what to be open to, etc. It's filled with some of the best idea's that have ever been suggested to me. I created a direction and a plan for myself after reading it and that is worth a lot more than what I paid for this book. If you want to write and make money by doing so, buy this and use the exercises and her suggestions! We should all thank Ellen Sandler for being kind enough to spend her time creating a book that can help newer writers such as this.
great sitcom advice.......2007-06-12
This book provides valid inside info for improving your sitcom script whether you are a pro or a beginner. Highly recommended.
Something For Everyone..........2007-04-19
Having written for television myself, I know it's never an easy task. Ellen Sandler breaks it down to the basics. Ellen's book is insightful, entertaining and covers the details every writer needs to know such as how to create intriguing dialogue, strong character development and an engaging storyline. But it's her unique ability to take you through the process from getting an agent, to writing on staff, to pitching that one in a million idea that sets her apart. So, whether you're a newbie to the biz or a veteran writer, I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Books:
- The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script
- The Search for the Manchurian Candidate: The CIA and Mind Control
- The Society of the Spectacle
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Companion
- The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God
- The Wizard of Oz: The Official 50th Anniversary Pictorial History
- The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions
- Three Screenplays By Edward Burns
- Timothy Leary: Outside Looking In: Appreciations, Castigations, and Reminiscences by Ram Dass, Andrew Weil, Allen Ginsberg, Winona Ryder, William Burroughs, ... Huston Smith, Hunter S. Thompson, and Others
- Untouchable: A Biography of Robert DeNiro
Books Index
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