Crafty Screenwriting: Writing Movies That Get Made

by Alex Epstein

Book Overview

The most innovative and creative screenwriting book yet, from an author who knows first-hand what it takes to get a movie made.

Based on an award-winning website hailed as "smart enough for professional screenwriters and accessible enough for aspiring screenwriters", Crafty Screenwriting is the first book not only to offer a successful screenwriter's tricks of the trade, but to explain what development executives really mean...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805069925
• ISBN13: 9780805069921
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Finally - no film school theory

Mr. Epstein has written the most practical screenwritng book I have ever read. And I"ve read all the so called 'top 15-20'. Plain language, to the point, no film school B. S. by gurus that can't write so they 'teach'. Mr. Epstien has chucked some of the golden cookie-cutter rules in favor of "what works - works". (Maybe write a movie where the audience doesnt know what is going to happen next? What a novel concept!) Mr. Epstien adresses underling story problems, not surface symtoms. Wish more producers could do that. A writer's job would be so much easier.

Crafty Screenwriting takes you farther

I've been writing screenplays for three years now and do I wish I had this book when I started! I've read Trottier, Field and Walter-all of whom are very informative. This book goes farther than any of them. Epstein delivers more current and common sense application of the art form than I was able to see from the afore-mentioned authors. The emphasis on "The Hook" is worth the price of the book alone. Epstein has the ability to force you to really focus on the most important aspect of writing a story that SELLS. As he says, "what good is a screenplay unless it gets produced?" From writing the very difficult query letter to formatting your story, this book covers too many things to list here. Check it out! I encourage all aspiring screenwriters to find this gem and absorb the information. You'll be glad you did.

At Last...

This is good. Before you even write your first word, buy this and then read it. I've been a professional writer (in advertising mind you) for ten years and have dabbled in screenplays many times - and I'm really over those `anyone can do this' kind of books (everyone can't). This one tells it how it really is. What that means for you is that if you're SERIOUS about writing a screenplay that deserves to be made and use even some of the advice in the book - it'll be a better screenplay. (Might not get made, mind you, but it'll definitely increase your chances.) Best advice in the book? Don't write a word until you've got a hook - and even then don't write a word until you've talked your story through again and again. Brilliant stuff. And funny too.

A Must For Any Screenwriter!

I'm an aspiring writer for movies. I ordered every book I could find. Crafty Screenwriting, was the only one I found as a tool. All the other books, jump around describing the pitfalls on using the tool. The others suggested not using it all all. Still others suggested how to sell it. Crafty Screenwriting,. was the only one that explained to me, in straightforward terms, how. I would highly suggest this book to anyone even remotely considering writing anything. Chris Smith

Demystifying!

Alex Epstein has written a book from the standpoint of a man who has been at both sides of the table - a scriptwriter and a development executive who spends time reading scripts. Using the experiences, he builds a solid, yet a very pleasant to read composition of succinct pieces of advice on how to write a screenplay that will get made.Many people in the screenwriting biz seem to be in love with phrases. From writing gurus ("A good screenplay is a screenplay that doesn't waste our time", "Tell the story that has to be told") to folks who read and evaluate screenplays ("It's episodic", "We don't know enough about your hero"). The catch with all phrases is - they're not useful to a writer. This book goes beyond those common idioms, avoids clichés, and tells you EXACTLY what you need to know. E.g. "Hook (a.k.a. High Concept)" - all around the Internet you can find a definition: "A premise that can be depicted in a sentence or two". But even such a structurally complex movie as "Magnolia" can be caught in one sentence; so again, the popular phrase is not telling us much. Going deeper from the evident confusion, Epstein successfully analyzes the entire "High Concept" problem by telling us what a good hook really is, why it is the most important part of the script, how to come up with a valid one, and finally - how to check out the quality of a chosen concept before you waste 6 months writing the script that won't get read, let alone get made.Combining humor with practical examples, the author finds the best path to the essence of all critical screenplay elements (structure, point of view, pacing, dialogues...) and makes them clear and easily comprehensible. Along with the abovementioned, the book shows an equally significant blueprint of the working principles of Hollywood selling & buying script system.