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[Book] Considered by
many a sacred tome on screenwriting, Syd Field
kicks it old school to show us how it's done.
While his III-Act approach may turn off
art-house writers - it's crucial to embrace
story arc & resolution, in order to
deviate. Great for all Writers, Actors, &
Directors.
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[Book] Blake Snyder is
the Dr. Robert Langdon of the screenwriting
world, 'cause it seems he's cracked "The Da
Vinci Code". He's the Jay-Z with money-making
blueprints. You wanna sell your script or
reinvent genres? Start with his emotional,
primal backbone & let 'er rip.
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[Book] Viki King holds
your hand while you birth your screenplay in 21
days. Seriously - it's doable. Did I finish my
first script in 21 days? Uh, no. Try a year. No
worries; this book will help you set goals
& show you how to defeat your worst enemy -
yourself.
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[Book] William Akers
holds your script for hostage - at gunpoint.
Don't worry, he means well! This may be the
best bootcamp you can put your script through.
If you follow his lead - your work will smell
like roses (or at least not suck as much.)
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[Book] Denny Martin
Flinn wants you to learn from 1000's of chumps.
He's seen it all and splays out amateur foibles
for your benefit and delight. His advice
accompanies snippets of fantastic and horrible
scripts to drive it home. Do it.
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[Book] This l'il ditty
is an accessible jaunt into great principles.
Alexis Niki gives you 101 taut screenwriting
tips around 2 pages each so you can finish it
at your leisure. These brisk maxims keep your
story on track - for the new & seasoned
writer alike.
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[Book] While Judaic or
Protestant theology may not be your 'bag', the
influence of spirituality upon Hollywood
projects cannot be denied. This ripe history
lesson also doubles as a pragmatic approach to
exploring the wondrous cosmos without drowning
in sap.
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[Book] EVERY - ARTIST
- SHALL - READ - THINE - TEXT. Don't screw
yourself over. Peter Jason Riley does a fine
job explaining common tax write-offs for
artists using laymans terms, and keeps things
light. Once you start making money - you'll
need this book.
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[Book] Ah - the
nebulous art of film funding... Where does it
come from? Why should I bother? I'm a just a
dark & mysterious artist - why trouble
myself with business matters? Well, if you're
going to film it yourself, you BECOME a
business - that's why.
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[Film] Full of
sardonic wit & sharp performances - this
gem of a feature is (according to Director Jake
Kasdan) an accurate portrayal of the chaos of
pilot season, & the true colors of network
television. Required viewing for any Writer,
Director or Actor...
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[Film] Michel Gondry +
Charlie Kaufman = Dy-no-mite! Who else can
assemble a love story about couples erasing
memories of each other? The bliss here is the
memory loss is not a gimmick - it truly does
alter, guide & influence the plot. I'm
smitten.
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[Film] Ready for a
mind$%#@? If the terrific ensemble cast doesn't
reel you in, the self-aware story
within-a-story will leave your mind chewing the
limits of sanity & scriptwriting structure
for days... Soak it up & let it simmer - if
you're a kiddie, look elsewhere...
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[Podcast] Creative
Screenwriting Magazine is priceless -
literally! It's free! You have no reason NOT to
listen to it! You'll learn volumes listening to
published writers: how they broke in, their
writing process, their battles - it's
wonderful.
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[Podcast] Apple's
"Set-To-Screen" series is a well-produced
overview of the key members of a film
production, and details precisely what those
people get paid for. Baz Luhrmann walks us
through movie magic; highly recommended,
especially for those new to film sets.
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[Software] Montage is
the reigning champ to help you compose your
opus. Need to minimize distractions? Try the
'Full Screen' mode. How about smart searches
based on custom tags? This little Macintosh gem
keeps it simple and elegant - get it!
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[Software] The Hit
List for Mac by Potion Factory is my preferred
method for outlining. Why? Because I can easily
type in scenes, drag to rearrange, & add
check boxes (I use it for proofreading
checklists as well!) Gravy on top? It syncs
with the iPhone. I know. It's frickin'
amazing.
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[Software] Trip Cubby
is an amazing mileage-tracking application for
an iPhone / iPod Touch. As most artists know,
mileage is usually one of biggest deductions we
can claim for taxes, & this great little
log replaces that crappy paper stuffed in your
glove box. Get it!
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[Film Seminar] Michael
Ray Brown has a ton of film credits under his
belt; allow him to spackle your screenplay's
holes through this seminar. My favorite part
about the DVD is that he gives you principles,
& backs each recommendation up with a real
example. True that.
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[Book] On deck...
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[Book] On deck...
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[Book] On deck...
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[Magazine] On
deck...
