Video Production Books

A lot about the history of the premise in it's various guises occupies too much of the book. There's some useful information but I found it to be too little and not presented in a manner that I found to be useful. I think there are better ways to introduce such matters.It's a one time read and into the pile for me.

This is probably the best book on the essence of story that I have read thus far. It is clear and concise and offers easy practical steps to incorporate the Moral Premise into your script or novel. The book clears up the difference between Premise and Theme and expounds the importance of starting with Premise when writing your story.

Here's the fluff or filler: Chapters 2,4,6, and 7 are either redudant or excessive filler that could have been reduced to about 10 to 15 pages in total or at best omitted. These chapters were on the Theory section, but I felt did not add to the text, perhaps on just a superficial level.

The end of chapter exercises read like textbook summary questions. Williams also notes on a few occassions that he either does not have the time or space or it's not the scope of the book when briefly mentioning a number of topics, but has 20 BLANK pages throughout this book as section dividers. I would have liked better if he had either used those blank pages as either worksheet templates or better yet to expand on these topics that he mentions briefly in his book because of "so-called" lack of space:

Such as: Exploring all the film genres' moral values in conflict (mentioned in the book); going in more depth of other authors who point to the moral premise in their books; examples of advance applicaiton of arc plots in other screenplay structures; going in more depth of each of the Three Act Structural Parts.

He also mentions the Purchase Pyramid. Does anyone know what that is???

All in all, this is an excellent book and it does deliver what it has set forth to do. Every writer should read this book before they embark in their writing!

If you're looking for a book to help you write a truly significant screenplay, pick up this one. This book explains the "meat" of what makes a good story work: the moral premise, which, like Lajos Egri's premise, is a unifying, driving theme that helps the author decide what MUST be in the play or movie and what must be cut -- but with a moral dimension that will resonate with today's moviegoers.

Definitely check this book out: it's very accessible and a great read. I'll be coming back to it myself.

In THE MORAL PREMISE, Stanley Williams analyzes numerous contemporary films, creating an admirable companion to the analyses of stage plays in Lajos Egri's classic, THE ART OF DRAMATIC WRITING.

Williams explains the concept of moral premise first "academically" and later "practically": "Every one of the physical obstacles that the protagonist confronts is rooted in a single psychological, spiritual, or emotional obstacle....That single psychological obstacle is summed up by the Moral Premise--a statement of truth about the protagonist's psychological predicament."

The moral premise "is comprised of four parts: a virtue, a vice, desirable consequences (success), and undesirable consequences (defeat). These four parts can be used to create a statement that describes precisely what a movie is really about, on both physical and psychological levels. This is the formal structure of a Moral Premise: [Vice] leads to defeat, but [Virtue] leads to success" (p 60).

Throughout the book, Williams presents the moral premise as the subtext underlying numerous films such as:
* "BRAVEHEART: Compromise of liberty leads to tyranny, but dying for liberty leads to freedom";
* "AN OFFICER AND A GENTELMAN: Deceiving ourselves and others leads to despair and death, but truthfulness to ourselves and others leads to hope and life";
* "DIE HARD: Covetous hatred leads to death and destruction, but sacrificial love leads to life and celebration."

Do all films follow or even have a moral premise? No. Williams' contention is that the ones that win box office success do. Not convinced? Williams presents a formidable-looking mathematical equation (p. 164) from "Narrative Argument Validity and Film Popularity," his 600-page Ph. D. dissertation. Not to worry, he isn't just an academic. The bio-note on the book's jacket says "he's an internationally award-winning film-maker, writer, and instructor. During the past 30 years, he has produced, written, directed, shot, or edited over 400 projects."

The practical part explains eight steps to outline your screenplay.

1. Determine the controlling virtue.
2. Determine the controlling vice.
3. Determine the moral premise.
4. Determine the movie's genre.
5. Determine the protagonist's physical goal.
6. Determine the protagonist's physical obstacles.
7. Determine the major dramatic beats.
8. Sequence the dramatic beats.

This lucid book merits top priority on the aspiring screenwriter's study list.

-- C J Singh

I read an interview with Stanley Williams wherein he claimed his concept of a moral premise would provide a more dynamic story for both screen AND fiction writers. Game as I am for a lesson in how to improve my writing, I purchased THE MORAL PREMISE and afforded it the opportunity to wow me.

The result? WOW!

This book is fantastic. THE MORAL PREMISE doesn't advocate a religious or moral lifestyle for the writer who would apply the ideas therein. What it does push, however, is the idea that the truly great stories have at its core a moral premise, a statement that amounts to nothing more than a conflict of two opposing values. It can be as simple as, "Bigotry leads to injustice, but equality leads to justice." You then structure your story around this one premise, with every character playing to either end of the spectrum. The end result is a bigger sense of purpose instilled in your story that will move your audience in ways that most books/movies don't accomplish.

That's just the nutshell version of the technique; trust me when I say it's much more layered. And yet, it's not difficult to grasp or execute; I've already applied it to my stories with phenomenal results. Williams does front load the book with theory, as most writing books do, but his theory proves to be riveting as he constantly fuses it with practical application. Probably more important is that he backs up his findings by analyzing a ton of movies. In this way, you learn that much quicker how to correctly incorporate a moral premise into your story. I give THE MORAL PREMISE 10 stars, and highly recommend it if you want to take your story to the next level.

As other reviews have more than aptly addressed the novel content of the book, the merit of the writing and, honestly, the unabashed and probably slightly biased love for Pixar, I think the only thing that I can add is my thoughts on the how the story of Pixar affected my own perspective and motivation as a artist and filmmaker. With each chapter that I read, I find that I am more inspired and motivated to push my own self further. It is the author's ability to communicate, in quite simple and, perhaps, slightly mundane descriptions, the passion and motivation of the likes of Ed Catmull and John Lasseter. The fact that there is no need for dramatization or exaggeration in this story of the evolution of this particular animation studio is merit unto itself. It is truly intriguing to know the steps, the missteps and the sheer luck that combined to make Pixar a possibility...a wondrous possibility to be sure. Though I admire Pixar, know that this book is not a series of simple pictures or short anecdotes to be easily digested like some "art of" books. It is detailed and biographical and likely, sometimes, offers a bit too much info for a casual reader. Overall, I find it a good book for artists in the industry as well as business folk who enjoy reading case studies on the evolution of successful businesses.

Being a stockholder of Pixar and Disney, and a San Francisco Bay Area resident... I have read many stories over the years [regarding Pixar] in our local newspapers, and it was great to be able to acquire more in depth details about the rise of Pixar from this book.

My company is in a related field so we have an inherent interest in Pixar and Disney, and the various bay area power personalities that run these two companies.

Over the years The Disney Company had moved away from the ideals that Uncle Walt set in place... and we feel that the merging of key creative people Like John Lassiter may help bring them back to Walt's original path.

2D animation will never thrive like it did in the past, but with a little care and attention to "how things used to be" I feel that Mr. Lassiter and his team will be able to get Disney back on the right track.

Pixar had a tough past (mostly financial) to deal with, and we understand that because my company is essentially in the same position, as we struggle to leave our mark... This book really helped by showing that tenacity and "stick-to-it" qualities are key factors when you have ideals that you believe it.

If you have innovative ideas that you believe in strongly... this book will help you hang in there. It demonstrates that good things do happen to good people. I highly recommend this one for your collection.

Just got this in the mail today - have only just skimmed it and read parts here and there, but it looks like a great book. The chapters "Making it Fly 1 &2" really caught my interest.

I'm giving this review four stars - mainly because of Amazon and the USPS, the book was shipped to me in one of the flimsy mail pouches and it sustained damage during shipping. The top of the book looks like it was jammed in a machine and the cover binding was crushed to the point of breaking. Add to that the dust cover was really wrinkled from being in such a flimsy package. I know some people might complain that this ain't a good reason to deduct a star from the review - but I see this review in part covering the whole experience of getting this book to add to my collection/library - including the purchase and shipping.

It has lots good information about how the Pixar company developed over the years. sometime, it seems lost main stream. overall, it is still a good book to read.

I don't expect anyone to believe this, but I have to get it off my chest. Price's book gives credit to John Lasseter's wife for creating the character of Jessie in Toy Story 2. Nothing could be further from the truth. I wrote the second draft of TS2 as an independent contractor at Pixar for three months when Ralph Guggenheim was the producer and Ash Brannon was the sole director. Ken Mitchroney was a story artist on the project and the person who had recommended me to try to fix the ungodly mess that was the first draft. He had suggested the film have a cowgirl, and I agreed.

Ken did preliminary character sketches, one of which was quite similar to the final character (and modeled on his redheaded wife). The final design was done by Jill Colton, also uncredited. I created Jessie on the page -- she was named and partially modeled after my friend Jessie Horsting, former West Coast Editor of Fantastic Films Magazine -- along with most of the film structure as it currently exists (the major exception being the third act, which I was much less involved with).

Not only did Lasseter's wife not have a thing to do with the movie, Lasseter didn't have much to do with it either. I never saw him once during my time at the production (and his taking co-credit for, and accepting awards on behalf of, the movie was a factor in Ash Brannon [SURF'S UP] leaving Pixar as well). After I left Disney showed up with their army of useless middle management, fired everybody, replaced them with their corporate flunkies, and let the project languish for another year. Rita Hsiao wrote a credited version, yet as far as I know what she did was stick post-its under storyboards. But, you know, she worked for Disney and was credited with Mulan. Woo hoo.

Finally Lasseter threw Andy Stanton at the project, the smartest thing he could have done. He made changes I wish I'd thought of and gave it a strong third act. Of Rita Hsiao's influence on the script I can't imagine a trace. Yet when story credit was handed out, Disney (yes, Disney; nobody actually involved with the picture determined story credit, and as a result people who literally did not write a word on the project got equal or higher billing, along with, quelle surprise, the aforementioned Ms. Hsiao) did not credit my script. If anything, I created Jessie and the Woody's Roundup scenes.

Ken Mitchroney designed the character of Zurg as well. Ken was a friend of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and has done a ton of Rat Finks and Hotrod/Tiki designs. Hey, what a surprise: Zurg is really a Tiki head! Look at him again. Ken also conceived, storyboarded, and pretty much created the traffic cone scene. He's the voice of Zurg on the ride at Disneyland.

Does Prices' book go even mention us? It is to laugh. This is just another book-length press release in which the writer nods his fannish head excitedly and scribbles on a legal pad while essentially acting as a mouthpiece for someone who is more than happy to take credit for the considerable work of others far more creative than he will ever be. It happily abandons any attempt at research and jumps on the bus of easily digestible corporate myth. Do you seriously think John Lasseter co-directed Toy Story 2? If you folks saw the pile of bodies those cute li'l characters stand on -- well, I have no doubt you'd still pony up your $12 and pack the theaters.

You never hear about this stuff because writers are afraid they won't work in this industry again. I, on the other hand, have nightmares that I will. Maybe this will help prevent that.

Is Price's book worthless because I didn't get credit? No, that's not the axe I'm grinding here. It's worthless because it's essentially a souvenir, a piece of memorabilia created, by proxy, by its subject matter. And I'm mad about it even now because I get to see paper towels and toy store aisles and coupon ads chock full of stuff that came out of my head (without any credit or compensation beyond a weekly salary -- and try finding a lawyer who will take on Disney), and continually witness people fed this lying corporate pablum, and here's yet another example by a lazy fanboy who doesn't bother to go beyond the same self-serving sources. It ain't so, folks.

As a professional actor and director, I have read many books on playing Shakespeare, as well as books on Shakespearean theory and criticism. Some of these books were excellent, some poor. Mr. Harold's book is excellent. Harold offers a practical guide, full of insights and tricks I had never read or though of before. Through a conversational style, he guides the reader through many techniques and secrets of pentamter, prose, etc., and the result is clear. Using a non-academic writing style, Harold is readable and engaging. A fresh, exciting book for any performer.

As a professional actor and director, I have read many books on playing Shakespeare, as well as books on Shakespearean theory and criticism. Some of these books were excellent, some poor. Mr. Harold's book is excellent. Harold offers a practical guide, full of insights and tricks I had never read or though of before. Through a conversational style, he guides the reader through many techniques and secrets of pentamter, prose, etc., and the result is clear. Using a non-academic writing style, Harold is readable and engaging. A fresh, exciting book for any performer.

I read this book over Christmas, and found it more than helpful. The author makes Shakespeare so clear, and so easy for the actor, I wonder why someone didn't write this book earlier. I am not a professional actor, but this book makes me want to play Shakespeare more than ever before. First-rate, simple, and brilliant

As an actor and director, I have found Madd Harold's book indispensable for the past two years. I love the muscularity of the discipline he calls for - it frees the artist in me, and I've seen it happen when others in my company have employed Harold's techniques. Bravo!

Contains a lot of practical, down-to-earth advice about playing Shakespeare. Acting Shakespeare is frequently feared. This book shows how to act Shakespeare well and how to avoid many of the common pitfalls. Very practical, sensible advice from someone who obviously knows what he is talking about; no academic discussions here, just practical advice on how to actually PLAY Shakespeare as he should be played! Definitely recommended.

My viewpoint on software books is predicated on my lack of schooling in computer software; with that in mind you know I'm hard to please, especially with a big program like Encore to work with. Howell's book is a general introduction to Encore, and as such misses the point. For example, my interest in Encore revolves about Manual Slide Shows---and Howell doesn't even mention this technique. Apparently I have reached the point in my working with Encore that I need more specific information, which I suspect many others working with Encore also need. In the above context two much better books areThe Focal Easy Guide to Adobe ® Encore DVD 2.0 (The Focal Easy Guide), and the Adobe Encore DVD 2.0 User Guide, which ships with Encore and isn't sold as a stand alone text, for whatever reason. I have a collection of 6 Encore instruction books and I would put Howell's book below the above referenced books.

What I would like to see is some sort of technical "cook book", wherein a person could look at experienced people's favorite routines and comments.

I'm dutch. No good books in dutch hence the US language. I'm a novice to DVD authoring and I needed to jump start my knowledge.
I could understand this WITHOUT the software in front of me. It doesn't get easier. It saves a lot of time and prevents you from making those early mistakes. Big bang for a (cheap, vs euro) buck

I regret buying this book. The cover has a big sticky stating see his website for updates to Encore 1.5, but there is nothing there. I am following the first tutorial in chapter 4, and page 108, step 12 says "choose menu>new menu..... keep the black background for now.... Well my menu is not black, but is an NTSC_Radiant Menu with 6 chapter buttons already on it.It apppears Encore version 1.5 differs from 1.0 in this regard. In addition Tutorial.mpg length in time doesn't match what is depicted in the book, consequently GOP's occur at different times. MPEG requires Chapter points to be at GOP's. I find this misleading in that it doesn't follow his directives. I thought I could just do the tutorials and whizz bang be done, but this book is more trouble than it's worth. I wasted my money

I've already done some very basic authoring in Encore and wanted to add motion menus to my repertoire. I also wanted to learn more about encoding for DVD and how Encore integrates with Photoshop and After Effects. While I haven't read any other books on the topic, I think this book is a great starting place.

I do agree that there's some confusion where Encore 1.5 is concerned, however that didn't stop me from enjoying/using the book. I found that by reading the whole book from front to back I was able to easily follow along and correct any minor discrepancies that came along. I also agree with the reviewer who said that the updated material was not on the website. The author does provide tutorials on the site and they may be more up to date, but he never provides any correction to the published content, at least not that I could find. This was not a deal breaker for me, but absolutely could cause a headache for someone with little or no experience with Adobe products. (When I first started using Encore, I had the same problem with the default menu too.)

All in all I found this to be an excellent "missing manual" for Encore. I've referred back to it several times for a quick answer and was able to find exactly the information I was looking for quickly and easily. I think the book it thorough enough to take you from zero to making a killer DVD without a problem. My two cents... If you want to learn Photoshop, Premier or After Effects, buy a book on that topic. If you want to learn about authoring a DVD with Encore and how to make it play with those other programs, this is the one for you. Thumbs up.

As a reasonably experienced DVD author, I just wanted to get up to speed quickly and see how Encore relates to the DVD spec. I have been trying to get a handle on button highlights and how to use them creatively. Understanding what they are and how to use them with motion video has taken my projects to a new level. The book was already worth the money, 350 pages, and a DVD with an hour of free advanced video tutorials is included. The advanced topics and integration principles alone make this a solid purchase. Highly Recommended!!

I try to read only filmmaking books that actually have real world advice and this one does. Simple, to the point and still very interesting. A great read that lays out the nuts and bolts of the best way to approach the low budget filmmaking world. Inspiring as well!

Just when you think it can't be done, John Gaspard comes along and proves you wrong. All of us scared, penniless, aspiring filmmakers can take comfort in the knowledge that all those household names who came before us started out scared and penniless too. With a breezy, unpretentious style, Gaspard introduces us to an array of shoestring auteurs recounting their experiences on the fringes of Hollywood. It's like an all-night gab fest hosted by your favorite college professor.

How low-budget can you go?

Pretty low, or so you'll discover in FAST CHEAP & UNDER CONTROL. You'll also learn how some very good films were made on a shoestring. For everyone who wants to make art without breaking the bank, John Gasper's book is worth every penny.

All film makers have eyes that are bigger than their budgets. That's OK for Spielberg and Scorcese, but Credit Card Filmmakers need this guide to rein in their appetites and make films that don't run away from them.
This simple and sensible book injects reality into the process and helps any filmmaker prevent their film from becoming a money pit. Lessons like those in this book are cheap at ten times the price.

John Gaspard's FAST CHEAP & UNDER CONTROL tells how to stretch production dollars, handle tight budget constraints, and get the most from personnel and props to create a memorable film production. Lessons from low-budget mavericks serve as foundations for duplicating success, with descriptions covering everything from dealing with written scripts and hidden improvisation potentials to previewing results and achieving memorable films even when poor. An outstanding recommendation and a 'must' for any serious film library holding, promising lasting lending value.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The life of Mel Brooks has been a scattered affair with Sid Caesar highs and Robin Hood lows. In between has been a rogues gallery of memorable screen characters from Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) in The Producers to Madeline Kahn's unforgettable Lili von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles with many others along the way including the best film work Dom DeLuise has ever done. This book delves into them all, including Brooks himself, perhaps his best character of all.
It's a page turner and includes an illuminating look at one of Hollywood's strangest marriages, that of Brooks to the incredible Anne Bancroft. (Whe he told his mother he was marrying an Italian Catholic divorcee, he couldn't hear her reply as her head was in the oven.) Brooks comes across as an egomaniacal funnyman who's always wanted to make people laugh on his own terms. There was a time when his name was movie gold and it's still golden if a bit tarnished by his stage musical of his biggest success The Producers, a low point in tastelessness even for Mel.

Mel Brooks has had an incredible career in television, films, and theater. James Robert Parish's book puts it all in perspective. Believe it or not, there have been many setbacks and failures in the life and career of a man most of us think of as hugely successful. Parish, who has written many fine Hollywood biographies, does an excellent job of telling the story of Brooks' life, extensively covering the personal and professional. It's an interesting, entertaining book that also includes a nifty section detailing Brooks' entertainment credits. I particularly enjoyed the behind-the-scenes information about the making of Young Frankenstein as well as the gossip concerning his improbable marriage with Anne Bancroft.

He is properly appreciative of Brooks' most wonderful work, but not indifferent to his creative slumps (also known as the eighties). I agree with most of his assertions, but wish he'd credited them more specifically.

Especially since, having no original interviews with his subject, he relies on previously published works. To such an extent I couldn't help but feel a collection of interviews with the hardly press-shy humorist might have served just as well or better for his fans.

Admittedly, Mel Brooks is an acquired taste, because so much of his humor is of the "hit or miss" variety. (Confessed: I'm a Brooks fan - but he can occasionally "miss" even me.) Parish has turned out another one of his excellent books with this biography of funmeister Brooks. Mel's path to fame is an interesting one, and Parish tracks it well. He's one of the rare Hollywood writers - and more experienced ones, too - who doesn't delve into sensationalism in his books. Parish writes "biography" and relates stories, all in an informative, easy to read manner. This is an enoyable read from beginning to end. I was particularly intrigued with the "love story" aspect to Mel's life: namely, the romance and marriage of Brooks and Bancroft. Over the years, aside from their marriage being mentioned in the press, very little has been written about it. Parish does an encellent job of detailing it. Brooks didn't participate in the writing the book, but he should be very pleased with how it turned out. Parish does a superb job with this book on Mel's life. A most enjoyable book about one of the funniest men in the latter half of the twentieth-century.

While Parish appears to have done some research (a lengthy bibliography is included), he apparently did little more than read books/articles/reviews and listen to DVD commentaries. The result is an OK clip job that could have been much more---for example, why no interviews with Brooks' living colleagues? And hardly any mention is made of Brooks' three children from his first marriage, although several pages are devoted to his son from his marriage to Anne Bancroft.

The writing is workmanlike at best and at times much less than that (e.g., Sid Caesar is referred to as "powerfully built" on multiple occasions in the space of several pages). And some of the facts are wrong---for instance, Parish writes that the stage version of "The Producers" tried out in Detroit prior to Broadway---the tryout was in Chicago.

Brooks, a major creative force in American humor, deserves better.

James Whale made one great film, "The Bride Of Frankenstein", and a number of other very good ones, like "The Invisible Man". This is a thorough and sympathetic biography of the director and of the social climate that allowed gay filmmakers like Whale to prosper in Hollywood under a cloak of mandatory discretion. Drawing on good solid research, including interviews with many people who knew and worked with Whale, the book also incorporates a balanced assessement of Whale's artistic achievement.

When I saw the movie "Gods And Monsters," I was intrigued enough to look for the book that it was based upon. I felt betrayed, however, when I found out that it was a fictionalized version of James Whale's life. Then I found James Curtis's biography.

Mr. Curtis neither demonizes nor deifies his subject. What he presents is a solid biography of a director who is all but forgotten today. He clearly shows that some of the flops such as The Road Back were butchered by timid executives and the German government and were not the fault of James Whale.

James Whale came to Hollywood at just the right time, when filmmaking was "by the seat of your pants." Filmmakers, like him were literally making it up as they went. Unfortunately, he became not only the victim of his own success (Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, The Old Dark House and The Invisible Man), but a victim of the Hays office and the Production Code Administration as well as interfering studio heads. He retired at the relatively young age of 52 and slid into obscurity.

James Curtis provides a well rounded, honest view of James Whale, both publicly and privately (such as showing us that James Whale was openly gay without dwelling on that fact to the point of being lurid.) He also provides just enough film history and citations of the predictable ordeals and problems of Hollywood in the early years to get an idea of what James Whale had to face. This should be a `must read' for all film students (and many directors.)

Written with detail, candor and insight, this seems to be the definitive biography of the interesting and eccentric film director. A highly readable account of the man and his movies.

I bought and read this biography after seeing the film "Gods and Monsters" and reading the novel Father of Frankenstein. I've always been a fan of Hollywood stories--especially from the thirties and forties--and this book gave me tons of interesting information. Whale was quite a character, and I'm glad I got to know him better through this excellent biography.

After seeing the film "Gods and Monsters" I was anxious to read a biography of James Whale. This book by James Curtis certainly fits the bill of a complete biography of its subject. Mr. Curtis was a close friend of David Lewis, who lived with James Whale for several years and saw to it after the director's death that his memory lived on.

Mr. Curtis gives us a lot of detail about James Whale's life and I sometimes found myself skimming a bit, particularly in the beginning of his career as an actor. We get a lot of information about the films Mr. Whale directed, including the story behind the fascinating effects in The Invisible Man. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs spread through the book and is well written, particularly when Mr. Curtis speaks of James Whale in his years of retirement. The book is a must for fans of the Frankenstein movies and people interested in Universal Pictures but for the person who knows James Whale only thought his horror films, this book with bring a much needed perspective on his life. I found myself wanting to see the James Whale films as I was reading, including Show Boat and his lesser known films. In sum, this is an interesting portrait of who James Whale was and what Hollywood was like in the 1930s.

This book outlines different psychological theories put together by some of the big names in psychology (Freud, Jung, Adler) and some lesser-known ones as well to help screenwriters add psychological depth to their characters (and plot as well).

As I read this book, I found I was able to apply most of the theories to one script I'm working on. It seems to me that all these different theories enable screenwriters to approach their characters from several different ways. So now the question becomes "Which theory can I use?" as opposed to "Which one must I use?". Very helpful indeed.

I'm going to preface this by saying that I am not into screenwriting books at all. I find most of them to be too warm & fuzzy and touchy-feely. This book however, was one that I seriously got into.

That being said, I used to wonder how to apply the many theories and concepts that I learned in Psychology 101 to my scripts... well this book showed me how to do that and much, much more. Basically, the author takes several phychologists such as Freud, Jung, May, Adler & Erikson and relates their theories directly to characters and plots in scripts. By introducing and giving a general overview of a specific theory and then referencing movie plots and characters to demonstrate and exemplify that theory you will see clearly how to relate basic psychology to your script while creating interesting characters and story lines.


The book is not complicated at all and you don't need to have taken a Psychology course to understand what he is writing about. He forgoes all the hardcore drivel that is often associated with Psychology and gets right to the essence of the theory or concept in laymans terms. He does an excellent job with this and the reviews and breakdowns at the end of each chapter will allow this book to be an excellent reference as you write your scripts. The book is well organized and upon completion of the book, I can say that I will use this book as my primary reference tool when I write my next script.

Even if you don't write scripts or intend use this book as a reference tool, it will provide fantastic insight into independent & Hollywood movies, their character creation and plot devices.

If you want to relay on the materials represented on this book to write a psychology driven drama, I think i wouldn't work. Book is all about psychology which I'm fascinated about so much, I liked the chapter dedicated to Josef Campbell. But again, it's only a reference, It can't give your characters depth and feeling that is necessary to write a powerful screenplay. Read it, if you have time, and put it back on your shelf, maybe someday through life's experiences you discover that some parts of the book are valid in real life, and most of it are just theories
written on paper.

I am not a fan of story development software, I prefer pad and pen and some good reference books. This is a great reference book if you develop complex characters. You aren't going to create a "Hannibal Lecter" character with story development software, but you may with this book. Get a good screenwriting software package (I use Movie Magic) and shop for some quality reference books instead of forking out hundreds on story development software. That's how I write, and of course that is my opinion... I have two Videographer Awards and an Aegis Award and am looking forward to bigger honors with the help of this book and others! :-) I also have a novel on Amazon...

The strength of this book is its ability to present theories of psychology in a concise, constructive way. Reading Indick while writing a screenplay will give you constant reminders of what good stories have to come down to, character psychology. As a key to watching and understanding movies and their characters -- let alone a discussion of psychology -- this book is more limited, but for writers looking for quick, practical help it's invaluable.

This is a performed audio play, not just read by one voice. It is very easy to follow along, and distinguish the different characters.

The quality of this recording is excellent and the performers give very skillful interpretations. Fiennes and Miles are particularly effective as the "star crossed lovers".

Before I listened to this play, I had read the Folgers Shakespeare Library version. I believe that helped me enjoy the play much more.
I am not going to review the play, only this audio version.
The music set the mood of the scenes, and the sound effects brought the landscape to life in my imagination. The cast acted out the parts superbly! The only complaint I have is, When Romeo says, "He jest at scares that never felt a wound," I didn't feel he conveyed enough emotion on that part. After all, in the previous scene, or the same scene depending on how you interpret the scenes, MERCUTIO was mocking his love for Rosaline harshly.
If you are not familiar with the play I highly recommend reading it first, that will make it easier to follow.

This is a terrific recording. My son's teacher recommended he buy this to listen while he read the written words. It made Shakespeare so much more accessible.

It's worth the price just to hear an unabridged version. Capulet is wonderful. The friar is the best ever. Juliet is understandable but has the passion in her voice of a person who's been there a few times too many. But Romeo...a one-emotion three-hour agony to listen to. I've taught teens for thirty years; they don't languish in one emotion. If wallowing were an art form, Fiennes would be the grand master. He obviously doesn't remember how it was long ago when he was a teen.

I am a professional TV writer and a fan of Ms. Seger's books. I've learned something from each and most from this one. Here, she brings together all of her insights from her other books and much more besides. Her wisdom and understanding of film/tv writing has no peer.

I didn't finish the book, I couldn't push past the graphically written scenes and foul language, however, what I read seemed well written. If you're considering writing a graphic or explicit screenplay or script then it may by your cup of tea. It's just.....couldn't script writers leave something to our readers/watchers imaginations? Anyway, not my style.

There are perhaps a handful of people in the vast motion picture industry who know more about what makes a script work, and not work, than Dr. Linda Seger. But I don't know who they are.

In her new book, AND THE BEST SCREENPLAY GOES TO... Learning from the Winners - Sideways, Shakespeare in Love, Crash, Dr. Seger breaks down these top notch scripts intro myriad categories: the directing process, theme, nuance, story structuring, rewriting, etc., as they specifically pertain to the three scripts she uses. What an advantage: to see how the points can actually be applied. Theory and practice in abundance.

Reading AND THE BEST SCREENPLAY GOES TO... made me realize how much, as writers, we truly are responsible for -- if we are provided with the awareness of the opportunities themselves. Dr. Seger does just that. Her book opened so many roads into making my script better I needed teams of horses to keep me away from my script until I finished this masterful book.

An added bonus, and a big one, is her voice. Dr. Seger makes it seem as if we're sitting in a room together. Reading AND THE BEST SCREENPLAY GOES TO... has already led to many improvements in my own work, and I know the best are yet to come.

This book is like going to screenwriting camp with some of the world's top screenwriters ... all while staying in the comfort of your own home.

The book is actually like two books in one: Insightful commentary by Dr. Seger on three Academy Award-winning screenplays ("Crash," "Sideways," and "Shakespeare in Love") .... followed by in-depth interviews with the screenwriters themselves.

Who hasn't always wanted to know where Marc Norman stopped and Tom Stoppard started on "Shakespeare in Love"? Or the true genesis of "Sideways" as it made its (sorry) sideways journey through Hollywood? Or how Paul Haggis successfully navigated multiple story-lines in "Crash"? The answers are all here.

This book is a must-have for anyone serious about the art of the screenplay.

Linda Seger, screenwriting guru and author of the seminal Making A Good Script Great, gives you a nice head start on the process in her latest book And The Best Screenplay Goes To..., which examines in detail the biology of three Oscar-winning scripts: Sideways, Shakespeare In Love, and Crash.

Each film is subjected to a minute analysis, broken down into specific categories relevant to the particular story involved. The analysis is followed by 10 study questions to get you thinking. Then you'll find interviews with each of writers of the scripts, and finally, there's a story beats breakdown on each, with setups, turning points, and climaxes all clearly noted.

The real strength of this book is how each movie is investigated in a different way. They're such different movies, and they present different challenges to the analyst. Seger takes all this into account, and doesn't try to cookie-cutter them with any sort of canned metrics. Each gets a custom treatment, keyed to the movie's specific personality.

Screenwriters will get their fill of tips and gambits here, not only from Seger but from the writers themselves, from their discussions of their own processes. You'll get lots of ideas on your approach to story and how to go about realizing your vision.

This book can also be read as work of critical analysis with background included...appealing to movie lovers everywhere!