Product Details

• Directors: Jerry Weissman
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Video Arts
• DVD Release Date: August 5, 2005
• Run Time: 83 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000A13B96
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #160,907 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Interactive" it's not--yet fascinating and helpful, August 21, 2005

By 

David E. Rogers (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Line of Fire: An Interactive Guide to Handling Tough Questions (DVD)

There are two things you should know before reading this review:

(1) I spent ten years producing custom interactive instructional CD-ROMs for Fortune 500 companies.

(2) I loved Jerry Weissman's book of the same name (see my review on its Amazon listing page.)

With that out of the way, this DVD is a fine addendum to "In The Line of Fire" (the book), showcasing many of the examples showcased within it. Indeed, this is by far the video's key strength. The step-by-step analyses of famous political debates and press conferences are not only fascinating but downright entertaining--thus undergirding Weissman's lessons and making them more memorable.

A second strength is Weissman himself. His relaxed presence on camera, outstanding delivery and enthusiasm are engaging and captivating. And the production values are excellent.

Yet the DVD falls short in several ways. First, the outstanding content of the book is given short shrift, and each DVD chapter is peppered with referrals to the book for more information. This is fine if you own the book, but if not I imagine it would be maddening.

Second, the interactivity in this "interactive guide" consists only of pausing your DVD from time to time to answer questions. This is something that could have been done on VHS and thus fails to take advantage of the power of the DVD format. So much more could have been done--tough question simulations, practice exercises with conditional branching that allow viewers to see the results of chosen responses, more real-life examples for viewers to analyze, and tutorials on preparing for challenging meetings.

Third, I was frustrated by the exclusion of some potentially powerful video examples. Weissman's valiant attempt to describe a hilarious Bob Newhart vignette falls flat without the clip itself. A single still picture is offered to illustrate the famous 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debates while video clips are readily available online. And the heavy reliance on political examples (while vivid) seems odd for a DVD aimed at corporate presenters.

In short, this DVD tries to do too much with too little. A better approach would have been to thoroughly integrate the DVD with the book, producing and selling them as a coordinated package rather than separately.

Even so, if you own and love the book, you'll want this DVD on your shelf. Despite its shortcomings, it provides a useful and enjoyable recap of Weissman's brilliant strategies.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great footage to learn how to field those tough questions: get it ALONG with the book, September 13, 2005

By 

Manny Hernandez "@askmanny" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: In the Line of Fire: An Interactive Guide to Handling Tough Questions (DVD)

I recently finished reading the companion book for this DVD. I must say they truly complement each other. Since the topic they deal with is that of handling tough questions, it is VERY important to be able to see the masters at it, along with those who make mistakes, in action. This is where this DVD does an incredible job: it presents the viewer with the footage for all the examples presented in the book, as they took place and with Mr. Weissman interjecting as the different speakers do their thing, pointing out the details and things you should be on the lookout for.

Is the DVD interactive? It's fairly linear, except for the moments you are asked to stop and consider what is about to happen (what response you think the speaker gave). So I guess you could say it is interactive to a certain extent. However, the real value of the DVD lies in the footage, more than anything else. It's not a substitute to the book, which it obviously quotes and refers to. Don't think this is like the audiovisual equivalent to the book, and try to view the DVD to skip the reading: if you do this, you will miss much. The two complement each other wonderfully. My recommendation is: get both and enjoy their combined power.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A spell-binding series of lessons, August 24, 2005

By 

Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Line of Fire: An Interactive Guide to Handling Tough Questions (DVD)

Jerry Weissman shows why he's a master presenter: this short DVD held my interest through every lesson. Weissman uses clips from media shows and press conferences to make his point: evasive answers won't work. Take control. Use techniques like Topspin, Plan B and WIFFY.

Weissman himself is a great role model: he knows how to hold an audience with no props or drama, just his very ordinary face wearing a suit, sharing massive amouonts of information.

As someone who's done quite a bit of speaking, I feel I can always learn -- and his answers are right on. I will recommend this DVD to my own clients and ezine list.

Three quibbles keep me from suggesting a full 5-star rating. First, in a stand-alone DVD, Weissman keeps promoting his book. Folks who pay full price should never feel they're hearing a commercial, however mild.
(Anyway, most viewers will have enough to learn even if they never buy the book.)

Second, some points could be made more dramatically. For some chapters, we just hear Weissman; others include film clips. Weissman could have asked some friends or clients to role-play examples.

Finally, as Weissman points out, most of us can't follow in the footsteps of the role model he presents, General Schwartzkopf. So why are all his examples drawn from politics? And why choose two former generals as great examples? Audiences bring unique expectations when they realize they're hearing fromm a 4-star general.

I would have liked to see clips (or at least role-plays) of corporate speakers: managers leading a meeting, interviewees answering tough questions, sales reps handling objections.

But Line of Fire is still one of the best training DVD's I've seen and I have no qualms about recommending it to anyone who wants to develop sharper communication skills, whether the flame comes from a blazing bonfire or a cigarette lighter.