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')
Amazon.com
Aspiring screenwriters don't need another book on how to write a screenplay, says Karl Iglesias. What they need is a book on how to be a screenwriter. Voilà: The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters, featuring interviews with 14 screenwriters, arranged by subject. The result reads like a panel discussion, touching on such subjects as collaboration, schmoozing, discipline, Hollywood, and story pitching. The dream of winning a Hollywood jackpot has lured everyone and his gardener into the screenwriting game. Still, despite the unencouraging odds, "all you need to do is write a good script," says Scott Rosenberg (Beautiful Girls). Some of the book's best advice concerns one of the screenwriter's most formidable hurdles: getting a screenplay read. Submit it to film festivals and screenwriting competitions, or follow Tom Schulman's (Dead Poet's Society) advice and hire an entertainment attorney. After all, "most of them know a lot of agents." --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
A Must Read.......2007-05-14
This is a must read for anyone who aspires to be a screen writer. Any wannabe writer has their own personal favorite blogs, a blog that helps inspire, motivate and teach them. This book is almost a best of those blogs from successful writers whose movies they have written have actually BEEN PRODUCED.
The one main theme of this book is just write and write and write because you love writing and not because you want the Hollywood celebrity lifestyle. Great writing will open a lot of doors for one and most importantly, keep that door open.
In my opinion, I like to study and and read how successful writers from all genres got their first break, their work ethic and how most importantly they work through writer's block and rejection. Again, Karl Iglesias' book does that successfully.
The truth you need to hear before pursuing your dreams.......2006-04-10
I was lucky enough to meet Mr. Iglesias at the Screenwriting Expo. He knows his craft, he loves the business. And he's brutally honest in conveying the realistic odds of breaking into Hollywood. While no one ever says it's easy, he can tell you just how hard. This book is a must read for any aspiring screenwriter. Interviewing some of the greatest screenwriters, they all are forthcoming in telling their own tales of struggle, achievement, success, and most of them, frustration.
This book may be geared toward all screenwriters, however it succeeds in leaps and bounds, by telling the realistic truth any up-and-coming screenwriter needs to hear. Too often people are putting together a script hoping to win the lotttery, sell it for mid-six figures, and not taking the time to understand that the money should never be the motivating factor of writing any script. And if that's your only motivation, you'll never succeed in making your dream come true. This book reminds those of us that do it for a different reason, what that reason is. It's the love of writing. Anything else, any other reason, is simply a waste of time and energy.
Mr. Iglesias lays it out in plain view, through interview after interview, just how much of an uphill battle it is get someone to simply give your script a look, and even then, chances of your selling it are slim. Nicholas Kazan once spoke at a seminar. He told them to go turn in their registration forms and go home. He then told them that if any of them seriously entertained that advice, they would never make it. It's all about challenge and it's all about sacrifice. This book will help you realize how important both of those things are.
Yes, I am tired of reading old reviews on Screenwriting Books too........2006-03-06
I always find it frustrating when I go to Amazon and look at the reviews that are posted and find that they are at least 2 to 3 years old. So I decided to at least make a more up-to-date review.
First and foremost, this book is NOT a `How to Write a great Script' book. This book is about screenwriters and their knowledgeable insight on the practice we all know as Screenwriting. These established screenwriters ( Akiva Goldman: A Beautiful Mind, A Time to Kill, and the up coming The Da Vinci Code Steven E. de Souza: Die Hard, 48 Hours.) reference their past experience on what works, what does not work, and what habits you need to establish to have a successful career in the shark infested waters of Hollywood. Not sure how many hours you need to write day in day out? Thinking that you are the only one with a spouse and kids, fearing that you will not have enough time to write? Arrived at Hollywood lost with no plan of action on how to get your script read? Worried that you born yesterday and began sending inquiry letters to agents and producers? Fear of rejection (it is inevitable) from everyone? All these topics are discussed and more in this book.
This book is required reading for all serious screenwriters. I also suggest Breakfast with sharks by Michael Lent, The Art of Dramatic writing by Lajos Egri, Story by Robert Mckee, Making a good script Great by Linda Seger, and The Writer Got Screwed by Brooke A. Wharton.
A Must Have For Aspriring Screenwriters.......2005-11-28
This is one of thost books that you absolutely must read if you are an aspiring screenwriter. It's a goldmine of quality information to help you go from being a decent or lousy writer to a great one. Fourteen of Hollywood's most successful screenwriters share their secrets and tips to writing and selling your scripts to Hollywood. It's like getting private lessons from the pro's. Don't pass this book up, it will make a big difference in your writing career.
A good "dip-in" book for the isolated writer.......2004-12-20
Think of this book this way: it's you having a cup of tea with a bunch of good and not-so-good (but working) screenplay writers. This is not a formula for greatness, but rather a list of suggestions and experiences that you can greatly benefit from if you are so inclined.
Don't be put off by the cover. This is a good book. The best thing about it is it creates a sense of community and exchange of knowledge in what is essentially an isolated (and some might argue isolating) occupation.
This is a "dip-in" book which I find useful and refer to often.
Amazon.com
How Not to Write a Screenplay is an invaluable addition to any aspiring screenwriter's shelf--and you'd best make the shelf within arm's reach of the computer. Author Dean Martin Flinn, an experienced script reader, details the common rookie mistakes that drive script readers crazy. Flinn makes no pretense of being able to teach anyone how to write the next Great American Film--or for that matter the next Stupid Summer Blockbuster. Instead he offers information that will help keep the novice screenwriter's opus from being immediately tossed on the trash pile (arguably a more valuable service). As Flinn says in his introduction, if you follow the advice in this book, "you may not write a particularly good screenplay, but you won't write a bad one." Flinn offers practical advice on formatting, such as the proper form for a slugline and where to set your margins, and more general rules of thumb on giving the actors room to interpret their roles and avoiding dictating camera angles to the director (who will ignore them anyway). The second half of the book deals with content, also in a remarkably pragmatic way--structure, pacing, plot resolution, and dialogue that really stink are all handily dealt with. Flinn illustrates almost all his points with excerpts from screenplays both good and bad (names have been changed to protect the guilty), giving the reader concrete examples of the difference between poorly and well-structured scenes. Not sucking is an unusual goal for a screenwriting manual, but any script reader will agree it is a noble one. --Ali Davis
Book Description
Finally, what may be the last screenwriting book a writer will ever need to buy!
Customer Reviews:
Almost Worthless.......2007-05-13
There are at least two valuable books on screenplay writing - this is not one of them. Once a writer has read David Trottier's "Screenwriter's Bible" and Robert McKee's "Story", it is obvious that "How Not to Write a Screenplay" is full of obvious points and platitudes that are almost worthless. Most of this book is excerpts from screenplays that blatenly seem to be there so the book has more pages. Don't waste money your money on Flinn's book.
Read this one - but not first........2007-03-12
I have several "How to" books on screenplay writing. If you do too, then you need this one. It tells you what you are doing wrong. I promise many more than one "Oop!" moment from this entertaining and easy to read work.
Entertaining overview of the things most new screenwriters do wrong.......2006-08-29
Flinn has a sense of humor. That is the first thing one notices while reading his book, and that's the one thing that makes it stand out.
"How NOT to Write a Screenplay" is a witty and entertaining tool for learning the DOs and DON'Ts of the screenwriting craft. Packed full of examples drawn from real and make-believe scripts, it can be a definite help to a writer new to the industry. Anyone who has ever read another of the many available books on script formatting will find his commentary amusing. For example:
"Don't use (CONTINUED) at the top and bottom of each page. You're wasting four lines. Anyone reading your screenplay who doesn't know he's supposed to turn the page is a numskull."
Or his comments regarding music suggestions:
"Leave the music track alone: 'THIS SHOULD BE AN UPBEAT SCENE WITH A GOOD MUSIC TRACK.' (Darn. The studio really wanted to use a bad music track.)"
The second half of the book, covering content and story development, provides similar information to that of books by more well-known authors such as Linda Seger or Syd Field, but offers that information encapsulated in smaller sections that make everything quite easy to relate to...sections such as "Suspense", "Believability", "Twists" and "Whammies".
While the book doesn't teach you how to write the perfect screenplay, it does cover many of the practical details. Its strength isn't in storycraft but rather in addressing all the little details screenwriters tend to forget or abuse. Though some of the information is repetitive, there are plenty of examples and excerpts from screenplays -- some good, most bad, and some you may even recognize. Flinn's advice coupled with the many examples can help you avoid the pitfalls so many screenwriters encounter.
Excellent workbook.......2006-08-07
So happy I purchased this before starting my screenplay so I didn't have to do endless edits.
As a reader of many bad screenplays Mr. Flinn certainly knows the pitfalls that will keep a screenplay from even being finished. excellent workbook.
Barbara Gilmer
Okay, Okay.......2006-08-05
This is a book that could have been a long article, or two. But those article would have been interesting. I found the book getting very repetitive in the last half, when we started getting the same material over and over again. But the notions is good: that you need short scenes, with a whammy.
Average customer rating:
- Good information
- Good to read, you will not waste time.
- A smooth, decent guide
- Same ol' song and dance
- good book. too much information in one book.
|
Screenwriting for Dummies
Laura Schellhardt
Manufacturer: For Dummies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Screenplays
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Screenwriting
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Television
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
Rhetoric
| Words & Language
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Writing
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Entertainment Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Reference Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Amazon Upgrade
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Entertainment
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Literature & Fiction
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Reference
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
For Dummies
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Arts & Photography
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Entertainment
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Literature & Fiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Reference
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Filmmaking for Dummies
-
How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make
-
The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script
-
How to Write a Movie in 21 Days
-
The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider's Secrets from Hollywood's Top Writers
ASIN: 0764554867 |
Book Description
Includes all the essentials for writing a screenplay, from crafting dialogue to marketing a script
Packed with easy-to-understand guidelines and writing projects, Screenwriting For Dummies makes film writing accessible to novices and helps more experienced writers improve their scripts. This engaging guide walks readers through the essential elements of every good screenplay, from character development, to creating a story, to writing compelling dialogue, to adopting a screenplay from a different source. It also includes all the specific formatting details that go into writing a visual screenplay from scripting character introductions, to writing the camera into the script, to creating a cinematic collage. In addition, Screenwriting For Dummies covers the important task of selling a screenplay, including tips for getting a spec script into the proper marketing format, protecting intellectual property rights, and securing an agent.
Customer Reviews:
Good information.......2007-10-02
This book is full of helpful information in screenwriting. It is easy to understand and a go to if you get stuck in the middle of writing. I recommend this to all screenwriters.
Good to read, you will not waste time........2007-08-28
This was my second book about screenwriting. thats mean I had a good background of screenwriting when i decided to buy and read it.
For starters this is an excellent book to know every detail. some informations repeated in other chapters but u can skip if u understood them.
Too detailed and direct too! just as the title said.
the most thing i liked in this book is the "Formatting a Screenply". the book well organized and that is why i gave this book 4 stars. if its organized why some informations repeated in other chapters?
if this is the style of for dummies series, you can ignore my words about repeating.
A smooth, decent guide.......2007-07-22
If you're just starting out, this is a decent guide. There are other books which cover the basics like The Bare Bones Book of Screenwriting that are more simple, clear and precise. Overall Screenwriting for Dummies does its job.
Same ol' song and dance.......2007-04-10
A friend of mine bought this book and shouldn't have. Laura Schellhardt isn't a seasoned pro at screenwriting, she is a TEACHER. Not a good one at that.
Yes, the book is informative, but it doesn't say anything different that any other book does, other than the Screenwriter's Bible by David Trottier. Trottier is a professional writer with numerous credits under his belt. So my advice is to "Schell" out an extra dollar so you can buy the Screenwriter's Bible and just leave Screenwriting for Dummies alone.
good book. too much information in one book........2006-06-01
I bought it 1 month ago and I haven't finished it yet. it's more of a reference book. I refer to it quite a bit. her writing has flow and easy to understand. I personally don't like "dummies" series but this one is good.
I wish she had a CD with it for search and indexing. this book has lots of information, I orginally planned to finish it in a week and I am still reading it.
I haven't bought it for actually writing a script but for a project I am working on.
probably the best I've seen so for.
cheers
Book Description
With the average payment for a screenplay over $100,000, every writer knows that screenwriting is where the money is. In this guide, successful screenwriter and teacher Cynthia Whitcomb shares her extensive knowledge on writing for the screen. This book will teach you her proven techniques, including how to:
• test an idea for its commercial potential
• plan a compelling script
• write great openings and endings
• create characters that grow and evolve
• revise and hone your script to attract Hollywood agents and producers
Includes lists of the best movies to study—and why!
Cynthia Whitcomb has sold more than 70 feature-length screenplays, 25 of which have been filmed. She has made millions of dollars for her work, and her scripts have won and been nominated for many awards, including the Emmy Award, Cable Ace Award, Edgar Allan Poe Award, Humanitas Award, and Writers Guild of America Awards. Her students have also gone on to write successful box-office hits. She has taught screenwriting for many years, including seven at the acclaimed UCLA Film School.
Whitcomb's commercial success and teaching experience make this an essential resource for anyone who wants to write winning scripts for Hollywood.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Book!.......2007-04-04
I'm writing my first screenplay and found this book to be invaluable. Worth its weight in gold.
The best!.......2007-03-14
I've read other screenplay books, watched videos and this book is the best! Not just telling you what to do but with real world suggestions. She rewrites movie endings for you so you can see how a good movie could have been a great movie. She shows you mediocre dialogue and rewrites it so it's great movie dialogue.
It's a great book for novelists too. Creating crisp believable dialogue, creating conflicted characters, pacing. It's all here.
She is direct and like a great movie, gets to the real issues fast.
Read it Thrice.......2006-10-08
"A Brief History of Time" for scriptwriters.
Compressing novel-length stories into an interesting 90-120 minutes, is a big part of the art.
Whitcomb puts a huge quantity of important information into very few pages.
She writes with simple words in short sentences, yet the content is astonishingly information rich.
And spot on.
A rare talent seen only in the very gifted.
There are books on scriptwriting that run to 500+ pages that are quite good. J. Michael Straczynski's works come immediately to mind.
However you can re-read this book 5 times in fewer minutes than it takes to read any of those longer books once. With repetition, you'll surely retain much more of what you read.
Recommended. Highly.
Finally, somebody who knows what they're talking about!.......2006-07-04
Whenever I am about to buy a 'how to write' book, I first look at the bio to see what the writer has actually done. Just about every 'how-to' is written by a 'haven't-done-much.' Cynthia Whitcomb's professional experience is far and away the most.
Not to say other books don't have sound advice, but I sensed a depth here that was lacking elsewhere. I attribute that to her experience.
BTW, I'm a published prose writer, and I recommend this book for prose writers, since a lot of what she says translates over to the written page. It wouldn't hurt novelists to structure plots and develop scenes with as much craft and skill as screenwriters do.
Writer's Guide to Writing Your Screenplay.......2006-03-06
As an old writer who is new to the field of screemwriting, I have found the industry full of mystery when attempting to write a screenplay. Cynthia's book takes away a lot of the confusion and worry by succinctly explaining terms, giving multiple clear-cut examples, and laying out the entire process so that rookies can learn the basics, and experienced writers can get a quick review from an entertaining source. I am sincerely hoping Cynthia plans to write a similar book in the future with regards to publishing hints!
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
Roger Ebert has been writing film reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times for nearly forty years. And during those four decades, his wide knowledge, keen judgment, prodigious energy, and sharp sense of humor have made him America’s most celebrated film critic. He was the first such critic to win a Pulitzer Prize—one of just three film critics ever to receive that honor—and the only one to have a star dedicated to him on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His groundbreaking hit TV show, At the Movies, meanwhile, has made “two thumbs up” one of the most coveted hallmarks in the entire industry.
No critic alive has reviewed more movies than Roger Ebert, and yet his essential writings have never been collected in a single volume—until now. With Awake in the Dark, both fans and film buffs can finally bask in the best of Ebert’s work. The reviews, interviews, and essays collected here present a picture of this indispensable critic’s numerous contributions to the cinema and cinephilia. From The Godfather to GoodFellas, from Cries and Whispers to Crash, the reviews in Awake in the Dark span some of the most exceptional periods in film history, from the dramatic rise of rebel Hollywood and the heyday of the auteur, to the triumph of blockbuster films such as Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, to the indie revolution that is still with us today.
The extraordinary interviews gathered in Awake in the Dark capture Ebert engaging not only some of the most influential directors of our time—Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Robert Altman, Werner Herzog, and Ingmar Bergman—but also some of the silver screen’s most respected and dynamic personalities, including actors as diverse as Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Warren Beatty, and Meryl Streep. Ebert’s remarkable essays play a significant part in Awake in the Dark as well. The book contains some of Ebert’s most admired pieces, among them a moving appreciation of John Cassavetes and a loving tribute to the virtues of black-and-white films.
If Pauline Kael and Andrew Sarris were godmother and godfather to the movie generation, then Ebert is its voice from within—a writer whose exceptional intelligence and daily bursts of insight and enthusiasm have shaped the way we think about the movies. Awake in the Dark, therefore, will be a treasure trove not just for fans of this seminal critic, but for anyone desiring a fascinating and compulsively readable chronicle of film since the late 1960s.
Customer Reviews:
Awake in the Dark : Roger Ebert.......2007-09-09
Finished the book in just under two days - he's my favorite author on cinema and this one didn't disappoint!
Pleasurable prose from one of America's great underappreciated treasures.......2007-07-27
You know, there's a very good reason Roger Ebert won a Pulitzer. The man is an amazing writer. If you enjoy the pure pleasure of reading, and have a passion for the movies, you would be hard-pressed to find a better book than this to read.
The book is mostly a collection of writings by Ebert over the last several decades. There's some interviews with famous film folk, a collection of essays on subjects such as colorization, digital vs film, the need for a viable "adults only" rating, a few movie reviews, a discussion on the past, present and future of film review, and, most importantly, a serious love of the movies that comes through on every page.
I confess I am somewhat biased. Until I began reading Roger Ebert's fine website, I'd never heard of films such as M - Criterion Collection (Special Edition), Nosferatu, The Third Man - Criterion Collection (2-Disc Edition), or The Grapes of Wrath (I knew about the novel, of course). I'd also never had any real interst in, or appreciation for, movies such as Dark City (New Line Platinum Series), "The Bride of Frankenstein", Citizen Kane, or The Adventures of Robin Hood (Two-Disc Special Edition).
Fool that I was.
Now thanks largely to Roger Ebert I've began to really develop a love and passion for movies in ways I never thought that I would. Just looking over my recent purchases on Amazon, I see things like Babette's Feast, Russian Ark: The Masterworks Edition, All About Eve, All Quiet on the Western Front (Universal Cinema Classics), the "Godfather" films, and many others. Roger Ebert really opened my eyes to the glory of film, and helped me to understand why something like "Sunrise", is a glorious movie and something like "White Chicks" is not (hint: the abscence of anyone named Wayans helps).
I cannot recommend this book enough. If you like movies, buy it. If you like reading good writing, buy it. If you even think you might like this book, buy it! You'll be doing yourself a favor.
Let Roger help you love the movies.......2007-05-14
Not only does Ebert thoughtfully review movies, he writes so well that each essay is a pleasure to read whether we saw or will see the movie or not. These are reviews of his "best" movies for almost thirty years, as well as an explanation of how he came to be exclusively a movie reviewer. Funny, literate, and informative.
A great writer writing about what he loves.......2007-04-16
Roger Ebert loves movies, and he is a wonderful writer. He can reveal the essence of a movie with a poet;s touch, and he can point out some elements of the great mystery that draws us to an actor we might love, but not know why (thinking of his piece on Tom Hanks).
In one of the last reviewed movies in the book, "Crash" his writing helped me understand why a movie that seemed to rely so much on the most unlikely of fates, really deserved to be seen as a great movie. In the review of "Million Dollar Baby" which precedes "Crash", he shines a light on the heart of a movie that touched my heart, and does so with such simple and elegant precision.
It is easy to think of Mr. Ebert giving a thumbs up sign, doing battle with one of his guest hosts, or trying to find some way to indicate how much better than that a movie might be by using a series of adjectives or modifiers. Sometimes this has seemed silly, and inaccurate. For my wife and I, an unmodified "Two thumbs up" these days is as likely to reveal a mild stinker as something worthwhile and entertaining. Yet, I appreciate that he even writes an essay about another writer who decries such kinds of "criticisms and rating systems", doing so elegantly and non-defensively.
Yet when you read these reviews and interviews and let yourself be touched by them you can feel the author's joy and appreciation of the movies as well as his great understanding of this art form. That he is able to do this with a complete lack of pretense allowed me to fully appreciate the stand he has carved for himself as falling between the critic's movie critic and the people's movie critic.
If this were the last major work that Mr. Ebert creates in his life, he has performed a great service to those of us fortunate to pick this book up and read it. Thank you Roger Ebert. Two Thumbs pointing to the stars!
Unveiling Roger Ebert.......2006-11-10
When you think of Roger Ebert you think of "movie critic". However, this book introduces us to the depth of this man's love of the cinema and his ability to understand it. The book covers forty years of reviews, essays and interviews. For the film lover it will be an exciting journey back to the darken theaters of yesterday, and to the present blockbusters. His engaging style of interviewing is tops. A great reference book..... highly recommended!
Book Description
Making a movie may be part art and part science, but it's 100 percent business.
In this comprehensive and accessible guide, Kelly Charles Crabb shares the information necessary to understand the legal and financial challenges involved in getting a film from story to the silver screen and beyond.
Drawing on over twenty years of experience in the entertainment industry, as both lawyer and producer, Crabb reveals his insider's knowledge on:
- Understanding copyright and intellectual property law
- Obtaining financial backing
- Selecting and hiring the key players
- Overseeing the filming
- Locking in the theatrical, home video, and TV distribution
- Understanding merchandise licensing
and everything else you need to know to make a serious run at producing and exploiting a movie. Offering hands-on illustrations from actual movie contracts to show how the basic deals for each of the many stages are assembled, the author explains in plain and simple terms what the contracts contain and why. It gives the big picture and the finer points of movie making -- from concept to raking in the last dollar after the film is completed.
While it may not transform you into a lawyer or an industry accountant -- and that's not what you want anyway -- it will take you through all the business and legal principles you need to know to be a successful and knowledgeable professional producer.
Download Description
"Making a movie may be part art and part science, but it's 100 percent business. In this comprehensive and accessible guide, Kelly Charles Crabb shares the information necessary to understand the legal and financial challenges involved in getting a film from story to the silver screen and beyond. Drawing on over twenty years of experience in the entertainment industry, as both lawyer and producer, Crabb reveals his insider's knowledge on: Understanding copyright and intellectual property law Obtaining financial backing Selecting and hiring the key players Overseeing the filming Locking in the theatrical, home video, and TV distribution Understanding merchandise licensing and everything else you need to know to make a serious run at producing and exploiting a movie. Offering hands-on illustrations from actual movie contracts to show how the basic deals for each of the many stages are assembled, the author explains in plain and simple terms what the contracts contain and why. It gives the big picture and the finer points of movie making -- from concept to raking in the last dollar after the film is completed. While it may not transform you into a lawyer or an industry accountant -- and that's not what you want anyway -- it will take you through all the business and legal principles you need to know to be a successful and knowledgeable professional producer. "
Customer Reviews:
A must-read.......2006-09-12
This is arguably one of the best contemporary books on the market that addresses the legal and financial aspects of producing a feature film. While the book does go quite heavily into the legalese producers must consider, it's still accessible enough for the novice producer or filmmaking enthusiast to walk away with a weighty respect for the intricate behind-the-camera activity that occurs in regard to film development, production, and distribution.
p.s. this is not a publisher's ghost plug for the book, but a straight-forward review from an independently-minded reader.
Best book on the business of filmmaking.......2006-01-02
This book will definitely help anyone with a script or movie from getting taken to the cleaners by a producer or distribution company. In addition, A man I highly admire, Jerry Molen, wrote the foreword for this book. This book assisted me in getting my last movie, The Indie Pendant, made. And, you should look for me to be talking about it on my new radio show, The Indie Film Hour, coming in 2006 on World Talk Radio.com. www.vdefilms.com
Book Description
Independent filmmakers by nature are creative individuals whose primary tools are their imaginations and ingenuity. They are cinematic storytellers. While some independent films take the film festivals by storm—distribution deals, sales to video outlets and cable television—others fall short. Luck and timing play roles in most success stories, but many independent filmmakers have taken the next step: They have carved out a clear-cut plan of action—a business plan—for their projects and careers, analyzing them for what they truly are: businesses.
This work helps to connect the creative process and the business side of independent filmmaking by providing a practical guide for assembling a business plan that filmmakers can present to producers and potential investors. A sample business plan and interviews with independent filmmakers and industry executives are included.
Customer Reviews:
It's all in the plan..........2007-06-18
This book has two sections: the first outlines the requirements of a business plan, and the second is a sample business plan, with the intention that you copy it and fill in the blanks.
The first section is very helpful in giving you an overview of what is expected in a business plan, and why. Most crucially, it gets you thinking about your investor and what they are looking for from the deal. Many projects that reach the business-plan stage fail because they to not acknowledge the business element of filmmaking, but focus on the artistic merits of the project. In reading the first section, you'll gain a good understanding of the steps to present your project to an investor. A slight weakness of this is the presumption that you'll have an army of entertainment lawyers to complete the funding process. This is advisable, but not always the case.
The second section, however, is where the book falls short. Reading through the business plan, it is laborious in its repetition - while there is a need to restate some facts or intentions, this plan goes overboard. It is also quite poorly structured: for example, half the plan is an overview of the filmmaking process that assumes your investor knows nothing about film. This information should be in an appendix - an investor should not have to wade through 20 pages of this before reaching the numbers and projections they're really interested in.
In summary, this is a good guide to the realities of presenting your project to investors, but it doesn't deliver as well on that promise as it could. Still a worthwhile read and a useful addition to any low- to mid-level filmmaker's bookshelf.
excellent reading for the about-to-be-indie-producer .......2006-12-19
The first thing you notice when you read Mr. Campisi's book is how well written it is. As a writer myself that means I will inherently respect this author and truly absorb what I am reading. Now, I must be honest, this is the kind of book that has always intimidated me, that I tend to shy away from - for I'm not exactly what one would call a natural with regard to matters of finance (as is my screenwriting partner who 'gets' this stuff quite easily). So it was rather pleasing to read this book and actually comprehend what Mr. Campisi was saying. He informs the reader without being condescending. He instructs without being pedantic. The second thing you notice is the warmth and humor: the book is actually fun to read. The cold, complex and harsh worlds of finance and Hollywood are anything but inviting and amusing yet Mr. Campisi manages to embroider his sage advice and interviews with charm and an eloquence that confidantly invites the reader in and says, "Hey, learn from me... I went through this too, you can do this... if you want... if you work hard... IF you are willing to take the time to learn and dispense with the pretense and attitude that will surely drive investors away." My writing partner and I recently decided we wish to produce our first project. We might not have made that choice to produce ourselves were it not for becoming familiar with this well-organized, smartly written book and its knowledgeable author. This is recommended reading for any first time indie film producer who dares to dream, who dares to ponder swimming in those frigid, uncharted waters of the industry. Don't be afraid to jump in - this book is a terrific vessel to get you ashore. The Sample Indie Business Plan alone is worth the money.
from soup to nuts.......2006-12-17
Infused with real-world examples and humor and just a little Hollywood edge, Campisi takes you through (from a to z) how to prepare a business plan for investors that even a film-world neophyte can understand and learn from. It's not easy to have your pie-in-the-sky ideas shot down, if you were thinking in vague terms of what a business plan should be. But over and over enthusiasm for the indie newbee and a you-can-do-this attitude make rolling up your sleeves to do the hard work you need to do to wade into the choppy waters film finance, not as hard as you think. I'm using it like a bible right now,as I step into those choppy waters myself and need to catch that Campisi life-preserver he throws into the current now and then. Watery metaphors aside, I highly recommend this book. Besides the appendix rocks with a distilation of the book into a business plan - its worth it to work your way through the book, just for the appendix.
Extremely disappointed.......2006-10-24
I was extremely disappointed in this book. It told me nothing I didn't already know and nothing that isn't available in numerous other books of the same subject matter. Considering the nearly $ 40 price, I thought I was getting a definitive book on the subject matter and I would hardly call it that. Oh but the cover is beautiful. Smart marketing.
Essential.......2005-08-13
Gabe's book "The Independent filmmaker's Guide to Writing a Business Plan for Investors" is a must for any indie film company. While many books exist on the subject, Gabe's is able to package complex information into an easily digestible format for all readers. The book understands the changes taking place in the film industry.
Anyone not using this book will have to work harder to find the critical information needed to be a success is this competitive industry.
Dennis Baker
Mindsplinters Films
Book Description
** COMPLETELY UNAUTHORIZED **
In this eclectic anthology of essays, former cast member Jewel Staite, "Kaylee," philosopher Lyle Zynda, sex therapist Joy Davidson, and noted science fiction and fantasy authors Mercedes Lackey, David Gerrold, and Lawrence Watt-Evans contribute to a clever and insightful analysis of the short-lived cult hit Firefly. From What went wrong with the pilot? to What's right about Reavers? and how the correspondence between the show's creator Joss Whedon and the network executives might have actually played out, the writers interrogate the show's complexity and speculate about what might have been if the show Firefly had not been cancelled.
Customer Reviews:
They always take off the best shows!!.......2007-08-11
This was a great and inventive TV show...too bad they didn't see fit to give it another chance. The movie was wonderful...check out the DVD's for the movie and series!! You'll find them here on Amazon...
Keeping Firefly alive.......2007-05-15
Good reading material for a fresh outlook on a series that should still be in existance.
Lost without Firefly? You need this book!.......2007-05-13
This is not just a puff piece.
There are serious critiscms of aspects of the Firefly 'verse in this book. But for the intelligent discerning reader, this is just what you've been looking for--people who love Firefly but are willing to critically discuss it. You may not agree with the authors of the various essays but you will share their loss and enjoy their intelligent commentary on the show.
Not for Everybody.......2007-02-07
This book is great for those who wanted to dig a little deeper into the short-lived cult show, Firefly. It's primarily made up of brief essays based on the show by various writers. Some of the essays range from thought-provoking ("Who Killed Firefly?") to humorous ("Firefly vs. The Tick") to quite useful ("Unofficial Glossary of Firefly Chinese").
A few of the contributing writers seem to miss the point of the show, but it's sometimes worth hearing their point-of-view regardless.
So basically, the book works for those fans who rewatch the episodes for fun and would like to get another fix but definitely not for the uninitiated.
'Joss' Fine!.......2007-02-02
If you really loved the series, then you HAVE to get this book! It gives you several different views of the characters, plots, history and imangination of this stunning and highly entertaining show. I bought it for my brother, but I ended up keeping it for myself!
Books:
- Marching to the Drums: Eyewitness Accounts of War from the Charge of the Light Brigade to the Siege of Ladysmith
- Mr. Skin's Skincyclopedia: The A-to-Z Guide to Finding Your Favorite Actresses Naked
- Noel Coward: A Biography of No L Coward
- One Fine Day the Rabbi Bought a Cross
- Propeller One-Way Night Coach: A Story
- Radical Forgiveness, Making Room for the Miracle, 2nd Edition
- Rip It!: How to Deconstruct and Reconstruct the Clothes of Your Dreams
- Robert Shaw: More Than a Life
- Rotten School #11: Punk'd and Skunked (Rotten School)
- Running with Scissors: A Memoir
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor
- History: Fiction or Science
- Doing Business with the Republic of Cyprus
- Hamas: Political Thought and Practice
- History: Fiction or Science
- Invisible Man
- Ill Nature: Rants and Reflections on Humanity and Other Animals
- Measuring Visitor Expenditure for Inbound Tourism
- Data Mining Solutions: Methods and Tools for Solving Real-World Problems
- PROFITING IN AMERICA'S MULTICULTURAL MARKETPLACE
Creating Unforgettable Characters
Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting
Art Of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives
Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting
