Customer Reviews

Writing Scripts Hollywood Will Love

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Ms. Herbert paints what I believe is a realistic picture of what any screenwriter will find himself/herself up against in the world of motion pictures. Having a great story is one thing, getting it sold (or even read) by someone is hard work.

Ms. Herbert's book covers the script development and review process more than most books. She doesn't delve quite so much into story development, act structure etc. that you would expect to find in standard screenwriting books. This gives her book a refreshing edge because it looks at the industry rather than the art of script writing.

Having said that, however, the writer does come across as a little too negative. By the end of the first couple of chapters, it's quite obvious that Hollywood is a tough place to break into and it will be hard work to do so, but she keeps beating it into the reader so that, by the time, you've reach the halfway mark you want to say "HEY! I'VE GOT IT. OKAY!". I'm also a little unsure about some of her suggested methods for getting a script into the hands of a producer or director (dressing up as a pizza delivery person and delivering it) or her seemingly strong belief that you can't break into the movie industry unless you live in California (preferably in LA).

Nontheless, there are some good parts of the book that make it worth reading (hence the 4 stars). Ms. Herbert does have a unique insiders perspective (she was a scripts reviewer and teaches screenwriting) so it's worth paying attention.

So the writer had an entry-level position back in the 80s reading scripts. As evidenced in the book, this hardly qualifies her as an expert on what 'Hollywood will love'.

Just because someone watches movies, doesn't mean they know how make one. This is a classic example of 'Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach.' Only, Katherine Herbert Atwell fails at both.

Herbert's book was helpful in every creative area imaginable. She included step-by-step process so that your script won't be recognized as an amatuer. The book also contains many interesting bits of information about actors, writers, and the hollywood process. A definite MUST for anyone interested in screenwritring.