What I Really Want To Do Is Direct (Red Dress Ink Novels) [Paperback]

Yvonne Collins (Author), Sandy Rideout (Author)

Book Description

Series: Red Dress Ink Novels | Publication Date: December 1, 2005

Roxanne Hastings has wanted to be a director ever since she started storyboarding home movies and demanding that her teacher recast her grade-school play…

Even though working her way up the ranks of a film crew has been slow and sometimes grueling, Rox has made it to assistant cinematographer. It's quite a coup, but what she really wants to do is direct.

Rox is convinced that a coveted B-list action movie is going to bring the big break she needs, until a friend's promising screenplay seems ripe for the making and she offers Rox the best seat in the house: the director's chair. Given the chance to call the shots, Rox does what any right-minded wannabe filmmaker would do. She says yes. To both projects. (And the one guy she knows she shouldn't have.)

Can Rox juggle two lives? Either way, it'll be an award-winning performance!

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Collins and Rideout's first novel, Speechless (2004), featured beleaguered speechwriter Libby McIsaac. She is back in their second outing, albeit playing second fiddle to her best friend, Roxanne Hastings, a cinematographer who longs to direct. She is hard at work on Illegal Alien, a B movie with fading stars who still manage to be divas. Roxanne is hoping that if she impresses the lecherous British director, she'll land a cinematographer job on his next film, and that he'll consider buying the rights to The Lobby, a script she has optioned and hopes to direct. But when Roxanne's rival, a spoiled daughter of Hollywood, gets the plum second-unit job she was angling for, Roxanne turns to another project: directing a script Libby penned called The Counterfeit Wedding. She is also trying to fight her attraction to fellow cinematographer Damon, whom she once hooked up with. Filled with details about the ins and outs of moviemaking, Collins and Rideout's novel offers a uniquely production-oriented movie setting as well as a charming story. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Red Dress Ink; 1ST edition (December 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373895410
• ISBN-13: 978-0373895410
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,889,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific insightful character study, November 30, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What I Really Want To Do Is Direct (Red Dress Ink Novels) (Paperback)

In Toronto, though one of the lowest in the film-making hierarchy as a camera focus grunt, Roxanne Hasting dreams as she has for two decades since she was thirteen of directing her own movie one day. Still she knows she must pay her dues and so goes about her grunt work of insuring the camera focuses on the actors.

During a break from her job, a miracle happens as Rox is given the opportunity to direct a short The Lobby, a screenplay written by her best friend Libby. However, Rox quickly finds the duel roles as director and cinematographer overwhelming and her experiences lacking for either job. Still she will go 24/7 to insure she swims not sinks as this is a once in a lifetime chance. A second time may not be forthcoming if she fails this chance at achieving her dream and that of Libby's.

Rox's dream serves as an allegory that achieving worthy Big Hairy Audacious Goals means hard work that can interfere with other objectives especially in one's personal life, but if it is that important one will set priorities accordingly. Rox (and Libby) brings humor and eccentricity to the story as the wannabe director gives up much to accomplish her goal although some of the thorny folks she works with make even a dreamer question the price. This is a terrific insightful character study encouraging individuals to follow your dream.

Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Fun Read, April 7, 2008

By 

S. Rowell (Far Rockaway, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What I Really Want To Do Is Direct (Red Dress Ink Novels) (Paperback)

This book was informative (I didn't know much about how movies are shot) and it was incredibly funny, moving and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me laugh out loud at times and when you're sitting on a NYC subway, people look at you strangely when you laugh out loud and no one is talking to you.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great chick lit, April 5, 2006

By 

IRRS (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What I Really Want To Do Is Direct (Red Dress Ink Novels) (Paperback)

WIRWTDID is from the team of Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout and it is
hilarious. I will also admit to not knowing what a focus puller is but by the end
of this book, I know that job plus a whole lot more about the behind the
scenes parts of movie making. But fair warning: since this is a chick lit style
book, Roxanne has to wait until almost the end of the book to get her man.
It's fast paced, it's funny and it's well worth hunting down.