Customer Reviews

Crafty Screenwriting: Writing Movies That Get Made

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I stumbled upon a website article by Alex Epstein where he was about to reveal what was needed to create a winning script, and was intrigued. I bought his book to find his answer - hook. I eagerly read on...

Only to find the same old information given in other screenwriting books, and often uninspired information (if you need this book to tell you how/where to find subject matter to write about, then give up the screenwriting game now). Overall, if I didn't have a clue where to begin as a screenwriter, this book might be useful. But be forewarned, Epstein does a lot of telling you what you should do, and very little of how to do it.

To his credit, Epstein's cynical voice makes for an entertaining read. Also, his section regarding the decoding of development execs notes was interesting.

If you have experience writing screenplays on any level higher than 101 and are looking for the smallest edge to help your work get noticed in a crowded marketplace, then you might not get a lot out of this book. If you are looking for some basic ideas on how to shore up your new found passion of screenwriting and make it more presentable, then this book might be for you.

This is good. Before you even write your first word, buy this and then read it.

I've been a professional writer (in advertising mind you) for ten years and have dabbled in screenplays many times - and I'm really over those `anyone can do this' kind of books (everyone can't).

This one tells it how it really is. What that means for you is that if you're SERIOUS about writing a screenplay that deserves to be made and use even some of the advice in the book - it'll be a better screenplay. (Might not get made, mind you, but it'll definitely increase your chances.)

Best advice in the book? Don't write a word until you've got a hook - and even then don't write a word until you've talked your story through again and again. Brilliant stuff. And funny too.

I've been writing screenplays for three years now and do I wish I had this book when I started! I've read Trottier, Field and Walter-all of whom are very informative. This book goes farther than any of them. Epstein delivers more current and common sense application of the art form than I was able to see from the afore-mentioned authors. The emphasis on "The Hook" is worth the price of the book alone. Epstein has the ability to force you to really focus on the most important aspect of writing a story that SELLS. As he says, "what good is a screenplay unless it gets produced?" From writing the very difficult query letter to formatting your story, this book covers too many things to list here. Check it out! I encourage all aspiring screenwriters to find this gem and absorb the information. You'll be glad you did.

Alex Epstein has written a book from the standpoint of a man who has been at both sides of the table - a scriptwriter and a development executive who spends time reading scripts. Using the experiences, he builds a solid, yet a very pleasant to read composition of succinct pieces of advice on how to write a screenplay that will get made.

Many people in the screenwriting biz seem to be in love with phrases. From writing gurus ("A good screenplay is a screenplay that doesn't waste our time", "Tell the story that has to be told") to folks who read and evaluate screenplays ("It's episodic", "We don't know enough about your hero"). The catch with all phrases is - they're not useful to a writer. This book goes beyond those common idioms, avoids clichés, and tells you EXACTLY what you need to know.

E.g. "Hook (a.k.a. High Concept)" - all around the Internet you can find a definition: "A premise that can be depicted in a sentence or two". But even such a structurally complex movie as "Magnolia" can be caught in one sentence; so again, the popular phrase is not telling us much. Going deeper from the evident confusion, Epstein successfully analyzes the entire "High Concept" problem by telling us what a good hook really is, why it is the most important part of the script, how to come up with a valid one, and finally - how to check out the quality of a chosen concept before you waste 6 months writing the script that won't get read, let alone get made.

Combining humor with practical examples, the author finds the best path to the essence of all critical screenplay elements (structure, point of view, pacing, dialogues...) and makes them clear and easily comprehensible.

Along with the abovementioned, the book shows an equally significant blueprint of the working principles of Hollywood selling&buying script system.

It's show business, folks. And in Alex Epstein's book, "Crafty Screenwriting" the emphasis is on the word business. As someone who has been a development executive, Epstein reminds writers of the bigger picture: a screenplay is just one element in a deal. The screenplay doesn't get made until a lot of other elements come together in a package that includes a producer, a director and the star and serious money. He urges the aspiring screenwriter to write his story with the goal of making it an effective selling tool, a catalyst to getting a deal done. Otherwise the chances of the script actually seeing the projector light in the darkness of a movie theater are slim to none.

And how to make the script an effective sales tool? First, says Epstein, it needs a great hook. A hook is the concept of the story in a nutshell that grabs attention and makes people want to know how it turns out. The marketing people come up with hooks called taglines to grab your attention when a movie is released. You need to come up with a hook to grab the attention of a Hollywood player to get the movie made.

Quite bluntly, Epstein says, "If your story does not have a hook, you are probably wasting your time writing the screenplay."

So, how to come up with a hook? Epstein offers some suggestions, but like everything else in the creative process, there is no sure-fire formula. After the hook he discusses the title - "Your title is the most important phrase in your entire script", the pitch, the query letter. At the end of the book is a chapter on getting an agent, getting copyright protetion for your work plus two appendices, one a sample option deal, the other a sample of screenplay pages properly formatted.

The bulk of the book is devoted to discussing the nuts and bolts of writing: plot, characters, action, dialogue, etc. Along the way he tilts at a few windmills; one section is titled "The Myth of the Three-Act Structure."

Does Epstein have any new gems of insight about them that haven't been revealed in a dozen other books? Not really, but if I had to recommend books on the particular topics of character, action and dialogue, this book would make my short list. Because he discusses the tried and true clearly and succintly with occasional twists of thought and turns of phrase that cast the tried and true in a new light in this reader's mind. And throughout his discussion, he never loses sight of the goal: punching up the script to make it a more marketable property. As the subtitle of the book says: "Writing Movies That Get Made" -- not just written.

If you're interested in writing scripts as vessels in which to pour your heart, your soul, your unappreciated genius, the ultimate truth of being that only you comprehend -- this book isn't for you. But if you subscribe to the notion that screenwriting is a business as well as a craft, then this is a book you will profit from.

I'm an aspiring writer for movies. I ordered every book I could find. Crafty Screenwriting, was the only one I found as a tool. All the other books, jump around describing the pitfalls on using the tool. The others suggested not using it all all. Still others suggested how to sell it. Crafty Screenwriting,. was the only one that explained to me, in straightforward terms, how. I would highly suggest this book to anyone even remotely considering writing anything.

Chris Smith

Mr. Epstein has written the most practical screenwritng book I have ever read. And I"ve read all the so called 'top 15-20'. Plain language, to the point, no film school B. S. by gurus that can't write so they 'teach'.

Mr. Epstien has chucked some of the golden cookie-cutter rules in favor of "what works - works". (Maybe write a movie where the audience doesnt know what is going to happen next? What a novel concept!)

Mr. Epstien adresses underling story problems, not surface symtoms.

Wish more producers could do that. A writer's job would be so much easier.

I think this is a fabulous book. I've done some professional script coverage and I've also read almost every book on screenwriting available. After reading Alex Epstein's "Crafty Screenwriting," I couldn't help but wish that every writer of film or television scripts would heed his sound advice and avoid making the typical mistakes that annoy us readers and film fans. :-) The layout is straightforward and easy to navigate, his writing style accessible. It's just sensible advice and serves not only as a great introduction for a beginning writer, but also as a reminder to experienced writers who still lapse into some lazy writing behaviors at times. I highly recommend this book, no matter how many tomes you've read on the craft of writing. It's one I've now recommended to several friends.

Unlike some other how-to screenwriting authors out there, Epstein has the credits and the experience -- as a writer and a former development executive -- to back up his advice. As a reader, he knows what it's going to take to get past the seemingly impenetrable gates of Hollywood. As a writer, he knows how to approach screenwriting as something one does for a living -- a craft instead of an art (hence the dorky but appropriately suggestive title) -- without losing the joy of making up stories for a living.

At the core of "Crafty Screenwriting" is the concept that unless you are connected (e.g., Nicole Kidman's favorite cousin), you're going to need a great HOOK to get your screenplay read by someone who might pay for it. A hook is the concept of the picture, briefly stated. "What if a fisherman caught a mermaid?", for example, is the hook for "Splash." Although a good hook doesn't guarantee a good screenplay or a good film, it's the hook that's going to get your screenplay read. Epstein is such a firm believer in the importance of the hook that he has queried with nothing but a concept -- suggesting in his query letter that he already has the finished screenplay -- just to see how well the idea is received. Only then, after learning there is sufficient interest, does he sit down to write the piece. As strange as that sounds, "Crafty Screenwriting" thoughtfully and logically explains how useful that strategy might be.

There's plenty of steak here beyond the sizzle of Epstein's marketing concepts, touching on plot, character, dialogue, and all the essential elements of screenplay storytelling. If "Crafty Screenwriting" sounds too commercial for your taste, think about why you write screenplays. If all you want to do is tell stories on paper, screenplays are the wrong medium. Other than aspiring screenwriters, who sits down to read a screenplay for fun? If you're writing screenplays, you're doing it with the hope of seeing one or more of them on the big screen. Epstein's book is loaded with great advice on how to get your work closer to that goal.

This book is one of the easiest reading how-to books I've seen. It is clearly written and moves along at a speedy and efficient pace. The author makes the business very understandable for beginners like myself. He suggested a few websites that I have used as resources as well which have led to the submissions of my first query letters. He covers all the bases and sheds light on how tough the business is, how to expect rejection, and at the same time, not to give up or lose faith in a product you believe in. It's also nice to hear that rewrite, rewrite, rewrite is all a part of the brutal process. Just knowing that makes the hill climb a bit more palatable. This book should never be out of arms reach. It is a great reference you can rely on throughout the entire writing process. My suggestion? Buy stock in highlighting pens.