Video Production Books

Within a few minutes of reading Inner Drives, I intinctively knew it was going to give me unlimited potential to improve my process forever, both in acting and screenwriting. That was over a year ago and I still read and reread it everyday. An old soul trapped inside me has been set free to create the art I need to show the world. If you have a burning desire to contribute stories that inspire caring, sharing, and growth--BUT ARE LOST AND FRUSTRATED-- Inner Drives will give you an amazing base to start working from. Pamela Jaye Smith's perceptions are like food for the brain and she's tailored the learning process to allow any reader's process to thrive in the mix.
If you're an actor lost in finding a process that works for you, this book will hone your imagination razor sharp and rescue your passion for the craft. Acting classes stress the importance of homework but what does that mean? Where do you start? What is homework? Does creating character biographies seem like guesswork? Do you say your lines a million times in your room hoping for magic to pop out? If so, I urge you to read and reread Inner Drives. Use it like a workbook and watch what starts coming out. Centering your characters using the Chakras will open up a whole new creative world you did not know existed.
If you're a screenwriter who's stuck staring at a blank page, take some time out and start reading Inner Drives. Soak up the Chakras centres, swim in the duality of Sliding Scales, and play with the Pairs of Centres. Feed your imagination to find out what motivates your characters and how you need to test them. Pamela Jaye Smith gives you a map to find the hidden treasures in your storytelling. Mythological archytypes resonate deep within the human chord allowing rich characters, both flawed and fantastic, to show up on the page.

Sean O'Brian,
Actor, Screenwriter
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1694574/

And I thought I knew about acting. You know nothing until you apply this book. You can forget the first two chapters. Go back and read them later for a "wow" crash course in philosophy. Just accept that the chakra system works as viable structure (and how) start at chapter three and apply to your craft. Ms. Smith knows her stuff. I get so excited with this stuff.

So many books on the acting craft never get down to the fact that you are an actor helping tell a story; a story that you tell with other people onstage and offstage. This book will show you you where you fit in to the ensemble and what you need to do so your character is true to life. Like Michael Shurtleff's "Audition," it takes a subjective art form, acting, and makes it objective. You get to view your work from outside yourself, and where to apply everything else you have learned. Not until now have I found anything that helped me do that. I have tried Inner Drives and am having a blast. You will be making choices that people will want to see and keep coming back to you for more. You will never read or act a script the same way again.

Plus, it's a damn good read about movies.

There are some basic principles to writing good characters into novels and dramas and with them the aspiring screenwriter or novelist can produce powerful, three-dimension figures. Inner Drives: How To Write & Create Characters Using The Eight Classic Centers Of Motivation surveys these principles from the world of mythology, using plenty of examples teamed with exercises to help writers structure characters, devise subplots, make logical connections and more. Chapters discuss 'inner drive centers', link art and writing to New Age concepts, and survey archetypes and classic examples.

I don't understand why the consensus rating is 5/5. I found this book extremely wordy and it reads like a history book. If you want dozens of pages on the historical aspects of (insert your favorite chakra here), then this book is for you. If you want to see the same movies quoted and re-quoted over and over as examples of (insert your favorite chakra here), then this book is for you. If your idea of fun is combing through over one hundred pages dripping with hippy-isms looking for the "meat" you can use, then this book is for you. However, if you want a book that gives you a fair amount of background on a subject, fresh movie examples, and then leaves you with concrete ideas and examples of how to leverage the content matter to improve your characters and stories, then this book is not for you.

Notice how many times I repeat "this book is for you" and you'll get the idea of how this books reads. I am disappointed, especially given the 5/5 rating. It's more a 2/5 in my opinion, I got almost nothing useful out of it.

Wow. This is a great screenwriting book -- but it's so much more. Not only does it give you a better understanding of character, but it gives you a better understanding of human nature!

Pamela Jaye Smith has written one of the most intelligent, thought-provoking, and in-depth explanations and explorations on the key motivational centers of human beings. You won't ust learn how to build better characters, you'll discover how to develop your own character. No kidding. This is not just a manual for better writing -- it's a manual for better living!

Buy it. Devour it. Apply it. And read it again...and again...

This book provides an excellent step by step approach to the rewrite process. No matter how good your script is, this will improve it or confirm that it is as good as you think it is.

I began studying screenwriting by taking Robert McKee's Story course back in '04. While it was a good introduction to the craft generally (maybe "academically" is a better word), Paul Chitlik's course in the UCLA extension program really got me started on the road to becoming a professional. Paul goes straight to the heart of the process from the very first session of class, and holds a true line to the end. I was fortunate to be a runner up in the UCLA Screenwriting Contest in 2007 with a story I wrote for his course, and did well in a few other contests, including Nicholl. Had I turned in the draft I've written recently using "Rewrite," I think I would have had a better shot at winning. If you want to be a screenwriter, and have a good story in you, Paul can help you get it on those hundred odd blank pages, and make it great in later drafts. Take his course. He's the guy.

The title of this book is "Rewrite" but save yourself a lot of work and read this book BEFORE you start your next script.

Paul Chitlik is an amazing instructor at UCLA (under his tutelage, my second screenplay ever went on to win the prestigious UCLA Professional Screenwriting Contest) and he has distilled his teachings into this concise yet comprehensive book.

This book is a "must have" for any screenwriter. I have a feeling that I'll be rereading it every time I finish a rough draft.

As a screenwriter and a professional editor and writing coach, I highly recommend this book. It has already helped me personally in a quick turnaround re-write I needed to do. The book provides clear guidance while not prescribing formulaic cliches. The examples are excellent and the information invaluable. Chiltlik strikes a balanced tone of the work required in rewriting and the humor required in getting oneself to do the work. A true gem of a book.

At the paltry price of a paperback, Paul Chitlik's REWRITE guides you, step-by-step, to revise your screenplay with the attention of an experienced script doctor. The book's tone is amiably authoritative -- the author has many years' experience teaching MFA workshops in screenwriting. Here are samples of the "To Do" items, chapter-by-chapter.

1. Clarifying Story and Structure for Impact. "To Do: Briefly outline your story in terms of seven points" (p 11): Ordinary Life; Inciting Incident; End of Act One; Midpoint or Turning Point; The Low Point; The Final Challenge; The Return to (the Now-Changed-Forever) Normal Life. Next "To Do" is to write a beatsheet or list of the scenes in your screenplay. The appendix presents an excellent example of a 67-item beatsheet with subheadings corresponding to the seven points.

2. The Powerful Protagonist. "Write your premise now. Do not tell the story, only the idea of the truth you want to prove." Does your protagonist help prove your premise? If not, adjust his profile. Ten more "To Do" items include the protagonist's apparent goal, what the goal changes to at the midpoint, and the personality flaw.

3. The Worthy Antagonist. "Write one line saying what your antagonist wants" (p 43).

4. Ensuring Dynamic Scenes. "Go through your beatsheet and examine each scene for conflict. Write what, exactly, is the conflict of each scene under your description of the scene. If there is no conflict, there is no scene. Sometimes you'll need to group several beats to make a whole scene, so not every beat will have conflict" (p 47).

5. Making Descriptions Leap Off the Page. "Go through the descriptive paragraphs in your screenplay and see if you can take out all the adverbs and as many adjectives and nouns as possible. Shorten your sentences. Shorten your paragraphs" (p 61). "To Do. Find a scene that is heavy in dialogue and try to express it completely in action and description" (p 62).

6. Life Support for Your Protagonist. "Go through your story an identify the supporting characters who are most important. Beef up their screen presence by giving them a quirk of some sort. Make them stand out. Have the quirk relate to their personality or function regarding your protagonist or your antagonist" (p 67).

7. Paring It Down. "Choose a ten-page excerpt from your script that you think is pretty tight already. Now cut a page from it. Use any tricks you can think of, but get it down to nine pages" (p 72). Chitlik presents an example from his own screenwriting: an 11-page excerpt pared down to 9 pages.

8. Where Am I? The "To Do" item asks you to complete the suggested Script Status Report on your rewrite.

9. The Right Look. The "To Do" items include standard formatting, correcting grammatical errors, and culling out camera directions.

10. Finishing: The "To Do" item is to go back and rewrite. How many rewrites? "A professional writer might revise a script 30 times.... In fact, a script isn't done until the final cut is made, an it goes into wide release. Even then some writers would like to do more" (p 111).

An eminent script doctor in paperback, Chitlik's REWRITE merits five shining stars.

-- C J Singh

This was a very good read, masterfully told and researched. This is the only book that tells the COMPLETE history of indie movies. Highly recommended.

This book blew me away. I love the way it covers the whole spectrum of indie film, not just "art" but "exploitation" as well. The story of how these films came to be against great odds makes for great reading. I learned something knew on every page. Highly recommended for fans of non-Hollywood films.

This was a great read. Very well-written. It covered more than any other film book. I especially liked the exploitation stuff and how it mixed with art films: the yin and yang of indie cinema.

This is the best book ever written on independent film. I wish I could give it move than 5 stars, because Celluloid Mavericks is a pure pleasure to read: witty, informative and always extremely entertaining. No other book comes close to its breadth and detail, especially in regards to the previously uncharted territory between 1896 and 1960. This is my all-time favorite film book, well deserving of its many raves reviews.

from the New York Press 3-29-2000 - copyright Matt Zoller Seitz

Merritt's book covers a century's worth of off-center cinema, including 1890s nickelodeons, 1940s chitlin-circuit black films, Sam Fuller's genre-busting work in the 50s and 60s, blaxploitation and hardcore porn in the 70s and the Sundance wave of the 80s and 90s. The central idea of free spirits bucking the system unifies waht might have been a too-broad historical text, and Merritt's tart wit enlivens the fact-packed narrative. His prose isn't merely amusing; it's lovingly polished, a real pleasure to read. He's honest enough to admit that most 70s blaxploitation films were garbabe, "rarely as much fun as their posters or soundtracks." He coins a wonderful new phrase to describe the hillbilly flicks that flooded rural drive-ins around the same time: "Whitezploitation." He describes Tom Laughlin's "Billy Jack" as a movie about pacifists who "come to worship a man of violence," and declares, "the real hoot is seeing the messiah take off his boots and kick the grins off rednecks."

This isn't one of those fuzzy, ruminative books where the author writes whatever strikes his fancy and crams it into a bulging thematic suitcase after the fact. The preface carefully defines "independent" to mean any movie "financed and produced completely autonomous of all studios," and "semi-indie" as a movie that received studio funding at some point. The definitions cast certain well-known American films in a fresh light. I didn't know, for example, that the Oscar-winning "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" didn't get a dime's worth of funding from any studio.

Chapter to chapter and page for page, "Celluloid Mavericks" is an indespensable book, as entertaining as it is informed.

It took me a second to adjust my antenna to this latest work by IMP. Television of the 1950's appeared in black & white, but this EXCELLENT true crime collection of that decade appeared to me in black and blue highlights, underscored by copious amounts of blood red.

Reaching to the archives of collected TRUE stories from police magazines of the time, this book presents the cream of the crop.

A must have for fans of the 1950's and true crime!!!

Two things are evident in IMP's newest volume of mid 20th century carnage:
Mr. Jacobs, in selecting the cases for this collection, proves without a shadow of a dought that sociopathic killers are not a modern day phenomenon, and, their senseless and hateful crimes are as gripping and powerful today as they were years ago when the first drop of innocent blood was shed. Those without a strong constitution proceed with caution.

A good book with many intriguing and terrifying police cases. I loved the `50s no-nonsense approach to police work... breakout the roitguns, set up the roadblocks and round up the sex offender. A welcomed change from the many CSI inspired true crime books.

Meet, up close and personal, a legion of menacing rogue males. They will steal to support a drifter's lifestyle. They will rape to defile virtue and kill just for kicks. While robbing a house, one of them came in contacted with a 2-year-old boy, who he gleefully strangled to prevent his cries of pain and terror. When caught, he told the detectives "I always wanted to kill somebody" but had no reason why he stripped naked the boy's body. He is just one of the lowest scum the 1950's had to offer.

This book would have been grim reading if wasn't for an army of police officers and law enforcement professionals, who, dedicated to the principles of justice, sent these misfits to the morgue or the electric chair; a perfect ending for most of these stories.

When taking into consideration the level of crime that is reported day after day in the news, I am left to wonder if things are "getting worse."

After reading Hoodlums, HopHeads & Hepcats, I feel fairly confident that while crime is probably reported more today, the criminal element has always existed in the shadows, ready to STEAL what they want, and MURDER anyone in their way!

From the case files of this book, readers will be shocked to read the exploits of the pot-smoking juvenile who killed for loose change, the acid-throwing maniac who was intent on blinding a journalist, and even a "misguided human missile" that killed a 22-month old child for the thrill of it.

If you have the strength to look into the heart of darkness, take a glimpse at this work of criminal reality from the 1950's...

This is a grate and very useful book. It is very clear and understandable, it have many actually information about movie business which I cant find anywhere else!

I bought this book because I'm getting involved in the movie making business (my expertise is mainly from a product development background). Even though a film can be viewed as a product I needed to understand the complex market in which I'm getting into.

"Marketing to Moviegoers" is an incredible way to get insight on all aspects of the film marketing process: from creative ad campaigns, test screenings, media buying strategies, product placement, merchandising and getting to know the distribution strategies for both big studios and independents.

Rather than a how-to manual, Robert Marich compiles numerous examples and case studies, in an enticing and easy to read format (using indsutry charts and graphics), that allowed me to understand what to expect when producing, promoting and distributing my film in a few days.

I think this book, with its broad coverage of the movie industry and its practices is a great compliment to "The Complete Independent Movie Marketing Handbook", because the latter focuses more on step-by-step recommendations on how to get your movie packaged and sold.

As London bureau chief of The Hollywood Reporter, I covered the whole range of movie marketing strategies, from bad to brilliant. Bob Marich gives those who market movies and those with an interest in the film business a great inside look at how it's done, from market research to promotions and publicity to distribution. He covers major studio releases, movies distributed by indies, and foreign-language films. This is a great read for anyone who cares about how movies reach the ticket buying public.

This book is a must-read for any aspiring or practicing film marketer -- even marketers of non-entertainment products can learn a few tricks here. Thoroughly researched and logically presented with a liberal use of tables, "Marketing to Moviegoers" leaves no stone unturned in its elucidation of the whys and hows of selling a movie to the public. It delves into everything from concept testing and surveys to trailers and projection equipment and even the special challenges posed by foreign-language films. Should be required reading at all film schools.

I have written on films for a decade for VARIETY and have subsequently free-lanced for other publications. I found "Marketing for Moviegoers" a highly comprehensive account of marketing in the industry, of films winding their way to hoped for profitability employing multiple strategies through multimedia and ever expanding technologies. Even the most seasoned professionals in marketing will want to compare notes with this book's wealth of information and anecdotal material. It is definitely a must for neophyte filmmakers or those aspiring to that calling so that they will know exactly what they are getting into.
As the book gives a thorough rundown of the fields of marketing research, media advertising, promotional tie-ins, merchandising, publicity and distribution it carefully notes the opportunities and pitfalls of assorted game plans. Chronicles of standard industry practices are interlaced with boom or bust investment tales. It is especially skillful in coping with the constant changes of new technologies. On the subject of the Internet, for example, the various advances and retreats, strategies and counter strategies are duly recorded.
"Marketing for Moviegoers" bolsters its points with numerous charts and examples of recent movies. While this book's primary appeal will be to those in the trade its inside story of the intense media battle for consumers' dollars should have the attention of some just plain moviegoers.

as film student, this text is very inspirational and i keep going back to it for motivation. i read the whole book through the moment i turned the first page. this is a great inspirational book for anyone who is interested in studying or working in film.

This is, hands down, the best collection of advice -from the world's best directors- that I've ever laid my hands on. I came away from each of the interviews feeling illuminated and motivated to tackle my next directing job.

If you want to read something that is actually helpful, rather than some long-winded, boring 'how-to' book (which, let's face it, are almost always terrible) then this is the book to pick up. It is loaded with practical advice, articulated by very intelligent and respected individuals.

Want to know how Woody Allen shoots his films? He sums it up in about two paragraphs! Want to know what lenses Cronenberg shoots with? Well, he tells you! Whether you agree with the techniques of each of these directors, it is fascinating to hear them describe their unique approach.

I will always reference this book before tackling a film project...

Great stuff. Gives a lot of info on each director. For example; Sidney Pollack was an acting coach before he became a director.
This book is filled with insight, knowledge and terrific stories all from the top directors of our time.

This book is great and has a wealth of insightful conversation with some amazing directors but my one complaint is that the bulk of the book is framed too similarly. While the directors all have their unique take and insights, Tirard essentially asks them all the same questions which leads to repetition over the bulk of the book. In no way am I saying not to purchase this book but I'm simply criticizing it's redundancy.

This is exactly what a moviemakers master class should be. It asks technical and artistic questions to some of the greatest directors of all time.

If you want to hear why Tim Burton likes wide lenses, which contemporary directors Scorsese admires and why, Jean Pierre Jeunet's theory of camera movement, David Lynch's "secret dolly move", John Woo's method of shooting and cutting scenes to music, The Coen brothers writing process, Lars Von Trier's take on the rules of Dogme 95, Jean-Luc Goddard's theory of filmmaking out of desire vs. need, then this book is your ticket.

This is a goldmine of knowledge. There are no fluff interviews here; only the best filmmakers in the world relating solid technical advice and tried and true shooting strategies developed from years of experience.

Newer thought that I would be considering working on a feature film, but reading and viewing Jason great material just gave me the feeling that I also could do it.

Books like this promise a lot but I have to say that Jason has done an excellent job of condensing the complex task of movie making into concise and accurate descriptions of each discipline. I've experienced quite a bit in the film business over 30 years and time and again as I read this book I kept saying "Oh yes, that's true." It is also a great reference for those noodly details one needs from time to time like proper script format. There is no need to hunt through your library for the answer, script format is right here on page 27. The other good thing about Jason's breakdown is the responsibility associated with film making regarding money,permissions, safety and insurance. I cringe when I think back on how we made 16mm indie films back in the 70s. In some cases we were lucky to be alive afterward much less sued! The Power Filmmaking Kit is terrific primer for those who wish to make a movie in the classic tradition for very little money.

Mark Sawicki
Motion Picture Effects Cameraman/Actor and Author.

I am currently a successful stunt woman in the entertainment business and have worked on many big budget films. I bought Jason's book because it laid out step by step everything I needed to do to start and finish my own film. I have found all the behind the camera details very helpful and they have saved me a lot of time in pre-production. His specific layout of what needs to happen when has been a life saver. Being a stunt performer and always in front of the camera has taught me some, but this book has filled in ALL of the blanks.

Author Jason Tomaric has written, directed and distributed several minor independent features which is a laudable feat. Yet, Tomaric has surprisingly little to say about the filmmaking process. Sure, there's a lot of information here, but nothing you couldn't get anywhere else. Even the skimpy material on his own productions generally amounts to one thought--"Need something for free? Just ask!" What makes similar books like the Complete Guide to Low-Budget filmmaking (Josh Becker) or Make Your Own Damn Movie! (Lloyd Kaufman) interesting is the authors' willingness to share their personal views and stories of their triumphs and failures. Other books like The DV Rebel's Guide (Stu Maschwitz) and Digital Filmmaking (Mike Figgis) are authored by highly-regarded professionals who describe how low-budget technology potentially transforms mainstream filmmaking processes. Tomaric, on the other hand, has very little that he wants to express opting instead for a "wide as an ocean but shallow as a water basin" approach. The result is a paint-by-numbers text that reads less like a book and more like a reasonably executed career move.

I was so frustrated with the lack of practical filmmaking instruction that I took two years out of my life to write and illustrate "The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide", so I speak from the heart when I say that Jason Tomaric's "Power Filmmaking Kit" is a rare wonder of practicality, conciseness, and valuable filmmaking wisdom.

There are two ways you learn the things in a solid practical film book like this:

1) the hard way- by doing it and learning from your mistakes (fine if you've got the time and the money) or

2) by being smart enough to study and learn from a book like this how to stretch your time and money and get better results.

After fifteen years in this business, I still found plenty of valuable tidbits, forms, and practical wisdom in Jason's book and the jam-packed DVD lessons to make it more than worth the cover price. I only wish I had access to a book like this back in my film school days.

Yet another big shot in the DV Revolution. Well done, Jason.

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT LEGENDARY FILM MAKER ROGER CORMAN. HE IS KNOWN FOR MAKING FILMS AS QUICK AND CHEAP AS HE COULD. MANY OF THESE ARE CULT FAVORITES SUCH AS LITTLE SHOP, GIANT LEECHES AND MANY MORE. I HAVE SPENT MANY A FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY AFTERNOON WATCHING THESE "CLASSICS". ROGER CORMAN IS KNOWN FOR MAKING CHEAP BUT INTERESTING AND SOMETIMES HILARIOUS B MOVIES. THE BOOK GOES BEHIND THE SCENES AS THE AUTHOR INTERVIEWS MANY FORMER EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE WORKED FOR CORMAN AND HAVE INTERJECTED THEIR VIEWS AND OPINIONS ON CORMAN. ROGER IS ALSO KNOWN FOR GIVING MANY STARS THEIR START. CORMAN IS ALSO A COMPLEX GUY WHO CAN BE VERY GENEROUS AND CAN ALSO BE AS CHEAP AS THEY COME. SOMETIMES MOOD BUT ALWAYS LOOKING TO MAKE ANOTHER MOVIE. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK AND I RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL FANS OF KING OF THE B'S AND WHO APPRECIATE BRILLIANCE ON A BUDGET.

Wow! Talk about switching personalities! This amazing biographer can emit the style of the person she is writing about to really give you a flavor of the personality. And of course, she spent time working for him, so you are privy to more of a view. Written somewhat bruskly like Roger's personality, you really gain insight into his life and what made him the person he is. Contrast this book with Beverly's biography of Ron Howard and you see some of the exceptional talent of this lady. A great read!

(...)

Gray's biography--fun as it is-- is more than a story about a man who is arguably one of Hollywood's most idiosyncratic moguls. It is a chronicle that parallels that of The Great Depression, World War II, the growth of the film industry and Los Angeles itself. We meet again celebrities we haven't thought about in years like the adorable dimpled Jon Davison, the memorable Vincent Price and even run across pop culture icons like Frank Gorshin.

Occasionally this book is burdened with glitz-town detail that only a dedicated film buff might adore but these moments are rare. Like a super hero, Corman--now 75 and still going--is resilient because he is multi-faceted. The same can be said for screenwriter cum UCLA instructor and journalist Beverly Gray. The two seem admirably paired in that way. Gray uses her many experiences and talents to tell the story of a man of many parts.
(...)

This fascinating "biography" is really a savvy "how to" book that belongs on the shelf of every screenwriter, aspiring producer, director, and development executive -- and everyone else who loves films and craves to know the secrets of Hollywood's most colorful mogul.

I found it fun to read as a realistic "behind the scenes" glimpse of what it takes to be a profitable mogul, such as the way Corman hired young cheap "promising" talent instead of going for experience. Directors fresh out of film school reading this book, for example, can get a good feel for the mindset and financial situation of producers they interview with. Screenwriters will learn how Corman and team (Gray had been his development executive) managed to write and produce so many successful films quickly.

Few books reveal the inner machinations of a successful producer so intimately. Gray, a screenwriting teacher at UCLA, has done a spectacular job of showcasing the life story of an intruiging man through more than eighty interviews and via her own experience.

I have to agree with the other five-star reviews. "Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers" is the best book on the subject, the subject being the most unique American studio head in film history.

Beverly Gray really paints a nuanced picture of Corman and never panders to the fans, the haters, or her old boss Corman himself. Though it's impossible to pull back the curtains entirely and see into a man's soul, Gray seems to have at least pulled back one side, giving us as much a glimpse as is possible without telepathy.

Storywise, Corman is, as always, fascinating, and Gray's perfectly detailed retelling of his story is the best yet written.

Writers are lucky to have this book available - it provides them with much specific & essential guidance on their quest for perfection and success. And it makes things easier for us - film company executives - as well, because dealing with writers who have been enlightened by this book saves us time, compared to dealing with those who choose the shaky road of "trial & error". Thus this book is invaluable to both Writers and Executives. [...]

As an aspiring screenwriter, Mr. Hauge's title offered me a "guaranteed way" to get my screenplay read. Needless to say, this title sold me immediately. I finished reading it in one evening, and highlighter in hand, I went back and reread it again. It now closely resembles one of my college textbooks. I can't wait to implement Mr. Hauge's tips and suggestions as I enter the world of pitch fests, contests, and (hopefully) pitch meetings. When that time comes, I know I'll be well prepared and ready-to-go.

Don't even think about pitching your script without reading this book!

Michael Hauge has been to more pitch fests and conferences than just about any screenwriting teacher/consultant out there -- and he knows exactly what it takes to break through that glazed look in the Producer's eyes and make them take notice of your story.

As a professional screenwriter, I, too, have been to a lot of pitches (And as a professional script consultant, I've heard even more). And I thought I had my formula down. But I found Michael's specific techniques in this book to be really insightful and inspiring -- and I've already changed my approach because of it!

In his honest, witty, and authoritative style, Michael walks you through every step of the process, from clarifying your story's major turning points, knowing what to put in (and more importantly what to leave out) of the pitch, to how to create an instant connection with the one you're pitching to...and leave them wanting more.

Before you pitch your next story, whether over the phone or in person, read this book -- twice -- and let it guide you to creating the pitch-perfect plan for pitching your next script.

In the meantime, Stay Inspired -- and Keep Writing!

Derek Rydall
Founder, [...]

Written by expert screenwriting coach Michael Hauge, who has consulted on projects for Warners, Disney, Columbia, New Line, CBS, and Lifetime among many others, Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way To Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read is a no-nonsense guide for novice to veteran novel writers and screenwriters to get noticed. Written in plain terms, Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds covers the 10 key components of a commercial story, how to design a strong pitch, targeting the right buyer, securing opportunities to pitch, what steps to take next if a potential buyer says yes or no, and much more. A no-nonsense "how-to" guide filled with industry tips, tricks, techniques and etiquette guidelines, and an absolute "must-have" for any writer trying to break into the business.

I attended 2 of Michael's seminars at Screenwriting Expo '06 and this book contains the same "special" quality of Michael's in-person class: He wants you to succeed. The book is an Instruction Manual for understanding, crafting and marketing your story. The material is digestible for beginners, valuable for all levels of writing, simple and thorough. There is a nice balance of "Do" and "Don't" advice. The "Executives on Pitching" Section provides confirmation and flavor to the meaty material that precedes it. This book is not simply a compilation of quotes and buzzwords. Michael has command of his craft and endeavors with the heart of a mentor to infuse it in his readers. 2 thumbs up :)

I paid for expedited shipping of this book and received it two days earlier than I expected. The book was in perfect condition. I definitely recommend this seller!

If you are looking for a book with a little bit of insight into the creation of the Corpse Bride film, this is good choice. Nice selection of production pictures and concept artwork with a good description of the processes involved.

The book covers puppet making, music creation and a small scale time line of concept to film.

TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE: AN INVITATION TO THE WEDDING is the lush movie book accompaniment to tie into the release of TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE, and includes a foreword by Burton, details on his film, storyboards, his drawings, and more. It arrived too late for more timely holiday mention but the movie is certain to be a hit for many months and any viewer or would-be viewer will continue to find TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE an excellent guide to the movie.

I bought this book several months ago in a local bookstore. The photos and images in the book attracted my attention almost immediately, although at that time I've only heard of the film but haven't watched it. Like other behind-the-scenes books, it shows how they produced the film in every detail, from beginning to end. I especially like the concept sketches and the black humor. The production process also provides a good reference to the making of stop-motion animation, which makes this book unique. If you like the the film or stop-motion animation, I believe this book won't disappoint you.

I am a student of the great art of stop-motion-animation. For those interested in this pioneering addition to the art form or just interested in what it takes to write plan and pull off a feature length animation this is a great book. Lots of colot photos, concept sketches and digital concept art as well as the writing itself tells a lot about what it took to pull it all together. Well worth it to own as a reference and the coffee table.