Secrets of the Screen Trade: From Concept to Sale [Paperback]

Allen B. Ury (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1580650600 | ISBN-13: 978-1580650601 | Publication Date: December 1, 2004 | Edition: 1st

Ury covers ground from developing a marketable screenplay, to creating viable villains, to writing effective set pieces, to how to please professional readers and studio execs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 225 pages
• Publisher: Lone Eagle; 1st edition (December 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580650600
• ISBN-13: 978-1580650601
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,935,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wittily written and highly recommended overview, April 14, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Screen Trade: From Concept to Sale (Paperback)

Successful author and screenwriter Allen B. Ury presents Secrets Of The Screen Trade: From Concept To Sale, a practical guide to not only creating a screenplay that is coherent and salable, but also how to get it sold without getting ripped off. Writing tips, tricks, and techniques include a sample of overused premises to avoid (such as mysteries where the protagonist is the murderer), ten screenplay writing rules and when to break them (the first act should not occupy more than a quarter of the screenplay, unless there are so many funny jokes/action-packed events that the story is not dragging), and all too common errors to avoid, such as writing "at last he understands" in the screenplay description - the sure mark of an amateur, since "understanding" is an internal emotion and a screenplay must focus on external facets that a director can work with. Secrets Of The Screen Trade goes on to give the reader the basic low-down on submitting scripts, a process that has changed little in fifty years, and sharply warns writers not to be taken in by scam artists - such as agents who charge a flat rate instead of a sales commision, or internet sites that pretend they're doing you a favor by promoting your work online, when no serious film producer browses websites for his next movie script. A wittily written and highly recommended overview for anyone interested in the screenwriting trade.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the Publisher, February 11, 2005

By 

Book Reviewer (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Screen Trade: From Concept to Sale (Paperback)

What You Really Need to Know to Write, Sell and Survive as a Hollywood
Screenwriter.

Everyone in the industry -- from the just-hired "D-girl" to the
most powerful mogul -- is by now familiar with "the three-act paradigm" and
knows its rules and structure. Having sold screenplays to major studios and
read hundreds of others, Ury has developed his own set of rules and
guidelines for today's screenplays. Ury covers everything from developing a
marketable screenplay, to creating viable villains, to writing effective set
pieces, to how to please professional readers and studio execs. Most
importantly, Ury's advice is a no-nonsense analysis of the latest techniques
that will help you craft your own first-rate screenplays that sell.

The book is divided into four sections:
* Concepts in Writing and Storytelling
* Mechanics of Writing
* Secrets of Great Selling Scripts
* How to Pitch and Sell your Screenplay.

Whether you are a seasoned pro or a novice, Secrets of the Screen Trade will
help you improve your writing: You'll learn how to create truly
unforgettable characters, develop better structure for all movie genres, and
get the inside track to selling your screenplay to Hollywood.

Allen B. Ury is a staff writer for Fade In magazine. He has more than
fifteen books to his credit as well as scores of magazine articles. As a
screenwriter, he has sold several projects to major film studios,
including Disney and New Line Cinema. He has analyzed and written
coverage for well over 500 screenplays.

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Text for Screenplay Writers!, October 3, 2009

By 

James B. Saunders (Astoria, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Secrets of the Screen Trade: From Concept to Sale (Paperback)

I'm embarrassed to admit that my unfortunate hobby is buying and reading the "How to" books on writing and selling screenplays. I've bought and read a lot of them. Most of them are good; and I get something out of each one, at least enough information and ideas to justify the cost. Mr. Ury's book is a good one, and a little bit better than most.

JAMES B. SAUNDERS