Anatomy of a Screenplay: Writing the American Screenplay from Character Structure to Convergence

by Dan Decker, Dan Decker, Dan Decker, et al.

Book Overview

With clear logic and accessible language, Anatomy of a Screenplay goes beyond the rigid-rule and subjecive approaches to screenwriting to show a flexible and accurate way of understanding a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 096657320X
• ISBN13: 9780966573206
• Release Date: November 1998
• Publisher: Dan Deker Books
• Length: 201 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Separation of Writer and Book.

First, as this is a section for book reviews, I would rate this book 4 of 5 stars. This is the first book I've read that simply states that the character is the basis for great movies and not plot. It's the character's story, personality, and decisions. Creating the story through plot results in *thinking* you have a better story than you do. If this isn't evident in a first draft, it is very obvious in rewrites. Adding twists/turns/wrinkles to plot makes a movie seem forced. Adding dimension to characters makes the story seems real. Strong characters attract the talent that gets movies made.'Anatomy of a Screenplay' is straightforward. It's not beautifully written (hence my 4-of-5 star book review). Though it teaches structure, it would be erroneous to read it as one way to write a movie. The book starts with the basics and moves on from there. If you're writing cookie-cutter scripts because of this book, you read it wrong... I would rate Dan Decker and his screenwriting organization 5 of 5 stars... No collection of books is going to teach someone enough to write a professional screenplay, play basketball, play jazz, or be a doctor. You need to learn...If you are looking into screenwriting, I recommend this book. It may be more technical and dry than some other books. There is a lot of information, and the straightforward writing allows this information not to get cluttered in flowery language...

Solid as Stone

As a member of the film industry, I found the principles in Dan's book to be right on. They do not limit the screenwriter but give a firm "backbone" on which individual creativity can be expanded. Dan offers solid advice for filmmakers entering the business.

great look into character development

Dan Decker has written the only screenplay book I know of that deals with what makes a charactor. The needs and wants. He also deals with the roots of what makes a good story that people will want to see.

One of the two best screenwriting books I've ever read.

If you want a practical, "how to" book that treats the reader with respect and assumes a high level of intelligence this is it. More in depth than other screenwriting books on the market. The other book of quality I would look at is "The Writer's Journey" by Vogler.

Brilliant and concise - A must read for new screen writers.

This is a book about the fundamental CRAFT of writing a screenplay. Outlining, structure, character relationships, story points, log lines, format. I had the good fortune of taking one Dan Decker's classes in screenwriting, it was an invaluable experience. This is everything one needs to get started... that is, if they are SERIOUS about writing a successful screenplay!K.E. Cole