The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting, 3rd Edition
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting, 3rd Edition
- ISBN13: 9781592577552
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Now updated and revised…includes a CD-ROM!
Here is an updated and revised edition of the practical and popular guide to realizing the dream of succeeding as a screenwriter. Insider Skip Press gives novice screenwriters a cook’s tour of the industry, then leads them through the process of picking a winning idea, structuring and writing a screenplay, and packaging the final script for sale.
• Includes a CD-ROM packed with sample screenplays, Hollywood contact information, screenwriting software demos, and more
• Chapters on writing for television, including a sample TV script segment
• A new chapter on sources for screenplays and movies, including how Asian films are acquired and adapted
“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting” is a phenomenal overview of the increasingly popular field of screenwriting, and it is written with care, compassion, and expertise by Skip Press. Like his earlier book, “Writer’s Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors and Screenwriting Agents,” this volume is chock-full of helpful advice, thoughtful analysis, and best of all, LOTS of website resources that would take hours to find on your own. Like the very best books, it will inspire you, as it has me, and I know that the screenplay I’m writing now will be better as a result of my having read this book.
If your budget is limited, buy this book, along with Robert McKee’s “Story” and Christopher Vogler’s “The Writer’s Journey.” You’ll be well-equipped to begin your own journey with these fine volumes.
Five stars!
Rating: 5 / 5
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting, 3rd Edition
What I want to know is, who is the complete idiot of the title? The author or me? After reading THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO SCREENWRITING, I’m not sure. It is not a complete guide, that’s for sure. The author introduces a variety of components and considerations but explores none in depth.
The strengths of the book: before he gets to what and how goes on paper, Press insists that the reader go back to storytelling boot camp and read Aristotle’s POETICS and Joseph Campbell’s HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES. He also recommends a number of other resources, including books, websites, organizations and software that can prove helpful.
The weaknesses: the reader whose mission is to learn correct formatting will be frustrated to find that such nuts and bolts information does not really get underway until half way into the book, and should be warned that it is merely an introduction, not exhaustive. While suggesting that there are many ways to offend Hollywood with how a script is formatted or bound, Press waffles on exact rules. Most of his reasoning and support evidence come from half invoked anecdotes that are vague enough to keep him out of the YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO EAT LUNCH IN THIS TOWN AGAIN fire. When he does name names, the stories are very old news, even to those who do not watch “Entertainment Tonight!” In the format of the Complete Idiot’s series, the pages are littered with sidebars that distract from the text without providing much more than the author’s usual “I know a guy” stories. Typos are a presence.
So, this is what I know as a result of reading this book: my idea is right on, but I am too old, live too far from Hollywood, and don’t know anyone there to make it count. I still have no specifics on what Press has scripted that has made it to the big screen. I do know he has written other books on the topic because he promotes them shamelessly.
Rating: 3 / 5
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting, 3rd Edition
I’ve been an agent for many years and have read a great many books on screenwriting. Some offer sound advice, and some don’t. This one is at best basic, at worse really really bad. I have no idea who Skip Press is, but it’s pretty obvious most of what he’s gathered here can be found elsewhere–and written better. One to “skip” over.
Rating: 1 / 5
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting, 3rd Edition
Beginning screenwriters… this is a must!
A wonderful piece of information at your fingertips. Skip provides the most important details needed to start, sell or just simply write a script for fun.
The book contains side-notes from Skip himself, providing helpful information on what to do and not to do in Hollywood.
If you’re a novice or an expert, The Complete Idiots Guide to Screenwriting should sit in your office.
Rating: 5 / 5
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting, 3rd Edition
Have you ever wondered what a screenwriter is and how one writes for the screen?
Prior to my reading this book I had no idea how a screenwriter went about practicing his craft. In all honesty the only knowledge I had of screenwriters is their name flashing on either a movie screen or a television screen. Who are these writers, what do they do, how do they write for the screen? All of these questions are very effectively dealt with in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting authored by Skip Press.
Skip Press may not be a household name, however, he has had extensive experience in many forms of media such as radio, television, screen, stage, CD and the World Wide Web. He was also a Silver Medal Winner at the New York International Film Festival.
The guide is written in a crisp clear style that cuts away all of the fat and gets right down to the fundamental elements of effective screen writing.
As soon as you open the book you are presented with a tear out reference card outlining the ten mistakes made by the novice screenwriter: lack of knowledge of the history of drama and filmmaking, how does Hollywood work, ignorance of Hollywood tradition, not writing from derivative material, not understanding core demographics of movie going audiences, screen plays that are not properly formatted, misunderstanding concepts of conflict of sex and violence, ignorance of the Hollywood vocabulary, ignorance of screenplay structure and failure to rewrite until it is acceptable.
With these ten topics or building blocks in mind the author, as he states, “endeavours to furnish the reader with a blueprint in order to build a cinematic world.” In other words, if you are going to write a screenplay, here are the materials needed in order that it will be read and accepted and eventually may perhaps thrill us all.
The topics are divided into five distinct sections: the evolution of storytelling, what to write, how to write the screenplay, post-script possibilities and it’s all in the details.
Each chapter is preceded with a short outline indicating exactly what the author intends to convey to the reader. This is followed by the actual explanation of each of the concepts and ending with a resumé the author calls “the least you need to know.”
For example, if you refer to the history of screenwriting section we are presented with a brief synopsis of what the Greeks, Romans, Christians and Italians contributed and why it is very important to understand their contributions. We are then presented with a more in depth study of these contributions and finally what we should try to remember when we are using the information in our screenwriting.
To liven up the information and as an added feature there are sidebars sprinkled throughout each chapter giving us various tips and interesting Hollywood tidbits. For example,” Chekhov believed that if you had a gun hanging over a fireplace, the gun should be used during the play. If it is not used, don’t write it in. Such attention to detail goes a long way in writing screenplays.”
No doubt the book is meant as an instructive manual for the aspiring screenwriter. However, it will also prove very useful for those of us who wish to have a better understanding as to how the movies are written and accepted by the producers and directors.
(…)
Rating: 5 / 5
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Screenwriting, 3rd Edition