From the very first pitch to the final cut, an eye opening, opinionated, savvy and often irreverent insider's look at the clash of culture and cash in the movie business. Two of hollywood's major players come together to share their insights and anecdotes about the art and business of filmmaking in the twenty-first century. Inspired by the graduate course that they have taught at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Shoot Out is animated by observations from more than three decades in Hollywood.
As Peter Bart and Peter Guber follow the path from the "eureka" of the original idea until the denouement of its appearance on late-night television, the driving force behind the narrative is the ever-present "shoot out" - the standoffs and confrontations, entanglements and dilemmas as writers, directors, and producers, stars and agents vie to put forward their own - often conflicting - agendas in search for the Holy Grail. From the rise and fall of the studio system to the emergence of stars as entrepreneurs to the dynamic role of the independents, Shoot Out draws on a vision of the future as well as the repeated and often unheeded lessons of the past.
