Screenwriting In a Nutshell

Name: Screenwriting In a Nutshell
Author: Paul L. Friedman
ISBN: 978-1450546829

by Paul L. Friedman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2012

A valuable guide presented in an entertaining, practical format and filled with the humor and insight of an industry veteran.

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An entertaining, practical how-to guide on the art of writing screenplays for television and movies.

Debut author and former adjunct professor Friedman (University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts) presents the fundamental principles of screenplay writing in a breezy, engaging primer that will appeal to students and experienced writers alike. Written in an easy-to-read, whimsical style with dozens of illustrations, useful quotations and references to movie scripts, Friedman’s guide takes delight in making the craft of writing fun. Insightful nuggets of wisdom pop from pages covering topics such as “The Structure of Screenplays,” “A Checklist Before You Choose a Story for a Movie,” “How to Create Great Characters,” “How to Write Good Dialogue” and “Plots.” Friedman’s years of experience in the movie industry and in teaching screenwriting are evident in succinct, often illustrated suggestions to compress time, add tension and “toss in something unexpected.” For instance, one illustrated example features an unaware man walking to his mailbox that houses a live snake. Friedman emphasizes that the core of drama is conflict, and he teaches the key elements of creating a good story by developing and resolving conflict through plotting, action and character development. Also, he explains the frameworks, such as the three-act structure, that typically produce successful screenplays. He goes on to addresses other, more complex topics like turning points, climaxes, flashbacks, subtext, camera directions and denouements. Several checklists will help writers get started, as will tips on how to format a screenplay. At the end, Friedman suggests which genres sell best and how to market a screenplay. Illustrations by artist Nelson Dewey are funny and incisive, functioning like a storyboard to help emphasize the author’s basic points and keep the text from being overly dry or academic.

A valuable guide presented in an entertaining, practical format and filled with the humor and insight of an industry veteran.

Pub Date: May 15, 2012

ISBN: 978-1450546829

Page Count: 276

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: March 6, 2013

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.