While reading it section by section, it didn’t appear to zip along at the pace of his previous books, but that’s because it attaches you only to those parts that apply to you. Howzat?

Save The Cat – The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need – laid out the basics to help any new (or current) screenplay writer. His second book – Goes To The Movies – gave examples of how his screenplay structure worked in big name movies. The third book is all about being a screenplay writer – in real life.

Fortunately he takes you right to the heart of the main focus of problems you may have in writing your multi-million dollar screenplay. You’ll find out about the seven warning signs you might have a good idea and the five questions to keep your story’s spine straight.

Perhaps more important to some rather than others there’s also the 5 point finale to finish any story; this is the part that many people appear to have the greatest amount of problems with. We don’t all need bland obvious Hollywood endings, guys.

The style is still very easy reading, like you’re talking to a friend, a good friend. Judging by his website’s comment before and after he died, he was that friend to a lot of people.

Sadly, Blake Snyder’s death has taken away a great guru from the screenwriting world. He’s one of the few that has been there and got the t-shirt and then let us all know what he knew.

I found the start of the book hard going, but only because I didn’t have the problems that he was explaining away. Only when I reached the parts of greater interest, did the words finally hit me like a punch as I latched on to whatever move I could make next, which instantly sent me running to my desk to make some notes.

After all, the beauty of this type of book is that it might only take one paragraph from the whole book to change your latest screenplay and by action, perhaps your whole life.

Press release:

The RUNAWAYS Movie (starring Kristen Stewart & Dakota Fanning, produced by River Road Entertainment, and distributed by Apparition and Summit), In Theaters March 19, Was Based On This Book

LOS ANGELES, January, 2010: When Cherie Currie, the lead singer of 1970s teenage girl group The RUNAWAYS, sat down to write her personal memoir, NEON ANGEL: A Memoir of a Runaway (It Books/An Imprint of HarperCollins; On sale: March 16, 2010; $24.99; Hardcover) she never imagined the book would be made into a highly anticipated movie, starring some of Hollywood’s hottest actors.

Cherri Currie is the original lead singer of ’70s teenage, all-girl rock band The RUNAWAYS. At the tender age of 15, she joined the group, a talented group of girls who could play rock like no other female group before them. On the face of it, Currie’s is a cool story of girl empowerment and fame. But the truth is darker, as Currie and her band mates dealt with predatory men who were not necessarily looking out for their best interests. On the road, unsupervised for months at a time, she had to grow up fast and experience things that no teenaged girl should.

Cherie’s amazing resilience is inspiring. As band mate Joan Jett says in the book’s foreword: “Neon Angel is a chronicle of a remarkable journey, the story of a remarkable woman, who has an uncanny knack of reinventing herself from singer, to actor, to drug counselor, to physical trainer, to mom, to author, to painter, to chain saw carver. While excelling at every turn, Cherie has also exhibited an ironic flair for finding herself in dramatic situations.”

Writing NEON ANGEL itself, was a journey for Currie, and it took more than three decades before it was finally completed. Her story exposes the side of the music industry that fans never get to see. Chronicling the group’s rise to fame, the book recounts their ultimate demise, and Currie’s struggles with drugs, rape, violence and, ultimately, her fight to reclaim her life.

The girls, Currie with Joan Jett, and Lita Ford on guitar and Sandy West on drums, arrived on the Los Angeles music scene in 1975, belting out provocative teen rebellion songs such as “Cherry Bomb.” They quickly catapulted from playing small LA clubs to selling out major stadiums. With her signature Bowie-hair cut and fishnet stockings, Cherie lit up the stage, singing hits such as “Cherry Bomb,” “Queens of Noise,” and “Born to Be Bad.” Playing on Cherie’s name, JOAN Jett and Kim Fowley wrote the worldwide hit “Cherry Bomb” on the spot, for Cherie to audition for the band, one of the many compelling stories Currie tells in NEON ANGEL.

The RUNAWAYS were the first all-girl rock band to have hit songs, record platinum albums (at least 1,000,000 units sold), and tour internationally. But behind the scenes, NEON ANGEL is a story of five teen girls, RUNAWAYS, thrown into a decadent, high-pressure world. As Cherie chronicles the band’s rise from LA clubs to selling out their first US tour, she also weaves in a portrait of an amazing time in punk rock. The RUNAWAYS headlined shows with opening acts such as the Ramones, Van Halen, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Cheap Trick, and Blondie. They played at CBGBs, and got into the London punk scene and hung out with The Sex Pistols.

Cherie’s unique stage persona and fashion style has influenced many of the artists who came after, and that influence can be clearly seen in such very successful performers as Madonna and Lady Gaga.

With the help of multi-platinum hit songwriter and producer Kenny Laguna, Currie was able to have her book made into the feature film, The RUNAWAYS –starring Dakota Fanning (War of the Worlds, New Moon, The Secret Lives of Bees) as Currie, and Kristen Stewart (Twilight, New Moon, Into The Wild, Panic Room) playing Joan Jett. The RUNAWAYS also stars Oscar nominee Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) as manager Kim Fowley, and Oscar winner Tatum O’Neal as Cherie’s mother.

The RUNAWAYS movie is schedule hits theaters nationwide March 19, 2010.

About the author:
Cherie Currie rocketed to rock and roll stardom when she joined the RUNAWAYS at the young age of 15. She’s been described as “the lost daughter of Iggy Pop and Brigitte Bardot.” Shortly after the band’s demise, the rock star landed a coveted role in the Jodie Foster movie, Foxes, and later went on to appear in the films Wavelength with Robert Carradine, Parasite with Demi Moore, and Twilight Zone: The Movie, with Dan Aykroyd.

Currie is still performing, writing, and acting, and she continues to take on unorthodox endeavors. One of the most prominent chainsaw carvers in the world, she was rated No. 7 in the world for chainsaw competition in 2008.

Note: her original book, Neon Angel: The Cherie Currie Story (Paperback) by Cherie Currie and (Author), Neal Shusterman (Author) was released by PSS Adult (August 23, 1989.)

From the opening scene until the fade out you can see where they spent the $170 million budget. The explosions and the special effects now set the new standard of expectations. Anything less than those provided in this movie will be deemed less than acceptable. What was real and which were special effects left a blurred line. At times you didn’t know if the character was in the room or being projected there from elsewhere, such was the mix and match of real and false life.

The screenplay is a collaboration from Stuart Beattie, David Elliot and Paul Lovett from a story by Michael B Gordon, Stephen Summers (the director) and Stuart Beattie. All of this is taken without a need to bear any resemblance to the original comic book by Larry Hama. You don’t need to get out your original GI Joe or Action Man figures (was there an Action Girl?) ; this movie just goes where it wants and doesn‘t care whether it has logic or not. Often the good guys are fighting the bad guys and no-one except the screenplay writers (hopefully) have a clue as to who is who and what’s going on. Quite clearly it really doesn’t even matter. We don’t get time to bind with any of the characters although all the main line actors give their characters quality individual variation.

Despite all that I’ve read about Sienna Miller, her wonderful BBC class English accent bodes well against her rampaging and killing activity; she really doesn’t care who gets in her way, former boyfriends and current husband included. She may not match up to Michelle Pfeiffer or Halle Berry’s Catwoman leather close fitting suits, but she shows raw talent for winning any battle, alone or with (temporary) friends. Bruce Willis, in his John McClane days, wouldn’t mess with her. She does an excellent job matching a real force of evil with superior amusement and tongue in cheek expressions. The girl ‘done’ good. I’ll certainly watch out for more of her movies and ignore the press trash about her.

Marlon Wayans is the surprise star of the movie. His highly crafted lines of dialogue provide nearly all the movie’s laughs which arrive frequently and in abundance. The audience liked his jokes, cheering throughout. His comedic timing was brilliant.

So what’s the movie about? It doesn’t really matter. One man wants to rule the world, yet again. Usually you’d say ‘enter James Bond’ but their last effort was very poor and may have lost a large slice of their regular audience for the follow up to this GI Joe.

One point I found amusing; the chief baddie, Dr Who, (Christopher Eccleston) is an Englishman who gets to play with a Scottish accent, while the last Dr Who was played in English by a Scotsman. Perhaps they should have just swapped roles.

Don’t go looking for plot holes as you’ll find many and miss the point of this movie; high entertainment. You just need to sit back and let it ride over you.

4 stars****

Michael F Rudder’s first novel brings a breathtaking and exciting story set in the Caribbean, but potentially affecting almost the whole world. He sets small island government off against large world superpowers.

The Barbados government changes its boundaries to extend their fishing facilities at exactly the same time as a new island is discovered, just inside their new territory.

The island has strange energy powers which set the original two super powers, the United States and Russia, and the new highest populations, India and China, wanting to seek and control the new island. The first people on the scene raise the French flag while Trinidad & Tobago want a slice of the action as it’s so close to their borders. The Pope appears to be on holiday there at the same time; he’s busy trying to change the world’s acceptance of sacred views!

The detailed involvement of spies from the assorted countries makes me wonder if Michael doesn’t know more about that subject than he’s prepared to say.

The political bickering takes a step back when two nuclear submarines crash into each other and then onto the island. The whole world needs to work together, under the guidance of Barbados, to solve the impending nuclear disaster.

You can feel Michael’s previous experience as a radio and television presenter and producer come through to present a vivid picture of life in the Caribbean, especially Barbados. This is combined with his political experience to show us the inside working of small government up against the large powers who like to get what they say, but sometimes the tiny islands stand up for themselves. Sometimes the large countries need to listen.

This book should be made into a movie, of that there is no doubt. It would involve as many diverse country locations as most Bond films, but be based around the Caribbean, especially Barbados, one of the most beautiful locations in the world. The action and dialogue is tense and heated. Perhaps he should start writing the screenplay now.

I believe I’ll go and contact the writer and sign up the movie rights options…

5 stars*****

You recognize it’s a gigantic creature when you pick up the book, all 728 pages.

I wouldn’t normally pick up a book so large for fear of wearing my hands out holding this object, but in this case, it was worth turning every page.

Some people live ordinary lives and others people live like Joe Eszterhas and what a life he’s lived. From his early years in a post world war refugee camp, to growing up a Hungarian in America to becoming the world’s top paid screenplay writer.

In between he nearly went down the life in jail route, but steered away just in time.

He appears to have a lot of time for his first wife even though he admits to treating her so poorly. He clearly has so much love for his second wife that he’s a changed man.

He pulls no punches telling us what growing up was like and the relationship with his father, while good in the younger years, became the barrier of his life.

He gives punches all over Hollywood as he realises that while he tries to stay outside of the Hollywood animal instincts, he becomes one of them. He joins in their games and explains why the rest of the world, outside of Hollywood, should stay where you are if you don’t want to get into a life of lies, untruths and bewilderment. In fullness of time it’s easy to see why Hollywood didn’t want Joe; he stood up to the suits.

Joe has given consistent proof of his ability to write and he was well paid for it. He took on the top studios and told them what he expected, and often got it. They stabbed him in the back when they could, but he expected it.

He has given us several first class screenplays which have been made into movies while several other gems remain hidden away in studio desks, never to see the light of day.

It’s good to see that Joe stood by his upbringing; if you treat him well, he treats you well, but if you cross him don’t ever expect to stay on his Christmas card list.

His book couldn’t be cut; I would guess there’s much more he didn’t tell us, like how so many struggling screenplay writers have to accept low thousands, even hundreds for their work, when he made millions. How they can’t fight back because they haven’t enough food in the fridge this week.

The book covers his life, fights, wins and problems in graphic detail, with bar room language to match. I can only guess it must all be the truth and cleared by his lawyers as he names the names, often without holding back telling us what occurred. Sharon Stone must still be a friend…

His life story will, surely, be made into a movie at some stage; but will he write the screenplay?

In a recent article we looked at what the top earning screenplay writers achieve for top script sales, including some which don’t get made into movies. Now we can see whether you’d be better off moving your writing skills in to the world of novels.

Forbes magazine has just unveiled its top list of novel writers and their pay scale information.

The top ten novelists on their list of the best-paid authors pulled in a combined $563 million between June 1, 2007, and June 1, 2008, thanks to large advances, imposing sales and movie adaptations. About JK Rowling “Over on the big screen, her Potter franchise has already generated $4.5bn at the worldwide box office – and she still has three more flicks to come” so perhaps it’s best to write novels and have them turned into movies – if you can get the writing gig after your novel has been optioned to a producer or studio.

The Top 10 Best-Paid Authors for the year:

1st JK Rowling – £300m
2nd James Patterson – $50m
3rd Stephen King – $45m
4th Tom Clancy – $35m
5th Danielle Steel – $30m
=6th John Grisham – $25m
=6th Dean Koontz – $25m
8th Ken Follett – $20m
9th Janet Evanovich – $17m
10th Nicholas Sparks – $16m

Many screenplay writers have thought about turning their screenplay into a novel, but then the thought of moving into another arena concerns a number of writers. However, it appears that it might well be worth the effort after all.

It’s all about numbers (after skill, talent, motivation and perseverance) – Ms Rowling has her name on over 375 million books, Stephen King also tops 350 million sales, James Patterson over 150 million. Twenty of Danielle Steel’s books have been turned into television movies.

I’ll spend some time looking at the major differences between a screenplay and a novel and share the article when it’s ready.

Now where’s that software programme that automatically turns a 90 page screenplay into a 450 page novel?

5 stars*****

There’s a substantial difference between wanting to write a superior screenplay that you would like to write and a killer screenplay that you want to win the academy award. If you follow Blake Snyder’s rules you’ll be on target for your academy award rather than the screenplay you really sought to write.

Blake shows us the rules for writing the blistering screenplay; the script that will be set up with a structure that matches exactly what Hollywood is looking forward for, down to the very page where vital action must occur. You (and your script) will need major surgery if you don’t have the ‘all is lost’ moment on page 75! Dare you move it to page 74 or 76? According to Blake you’ll put it exactly where he says otherwise Hollywood and studio executives will turn to page 75 and if they fail to see your ‘all is lost’ moment, your screenplay may be heading for the trash can. Can you cope with such detail as a screenwriter?

If you want to write a full flowing masterpiece and it doesn’t matter to you if it can get made, if you want to break all the rules; then it’s best you know all the rules first, so you know which ones to break and where.

Blake has had great success as a screenplay writer, seen his screenplays as movies, so his opinion does count. He has also sold a high number of scripts that have yet to be turned into films, so he must know what he’s talking about, but his opinion is just an opinion and as is the way with opinions, others will disagree. They’ll say he’s too structured in his approach, but he agrees with that thought. His structures are what Hollywood business studios want; it’s the type of script they’ll buy.

Blake suggests you spend a lot of time getting your logline ready first. You should make it so good that once heard, you’ll just need to see the script.

Next he talks through genre. He’s created ten different named genres, but the way he takes you through them, you know he’s right. He leaves little room for disagreement. If you know your logline and your genre inside out (watch movies in your genre!) you’re well on the way to organising your plan.

Blake takes us through the necessary planning of your hero. Where he’s been, where he’s going. What he has to go through to get there. You’ll need to know your hero through your logline.

Now if you think you’re ready to write your script Blake will tell you otherwise. Now is the time to really plan your movie into his specific 15 ‘beats’ which provides the structure of your screenplay, explaining how it can be cast on your storyboard. His software matches the beats and storyboard exactly – we’ll review it and post it here.

Blake expertly shows us how a major movie exactly matches his ‘beats’ planning. His second book (Save the Cat Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter’s Guide to Every Story Ever Told) takes fifty movies and breaks them all down to his perfect 15 beat arrangement. We’ll review that later and let you know what we think.

Finally you get to write your script and it’s here that this book also guides you though the problems you may come across and how to solve those issues.

It’s a wonderful, friendly read. He comes across as your friend, but don’t mess with his views, because he’s right!

You’ll either love or loathe Save The Cat. I suggest you give it a read if you want to write your academy winner. If you just want to write your movie for pleasure and not necessarily to gain a hit, the book is still a great read because it shows you all the rules you’ll need to break, and you might just prove Blake Snyder wrong.

Our rating 3 stars***
I really wanted to like this book, it gets such enthusiastic reviews from many commentators. However, as hard as I tried, it didn’t really do it for me in the way I expected. I wanted to find out about film and movie making.

I felt like I was in a history lesson at University. I had to wade through page after page of film history when I only wanted to find out how to make a short film, which I though was the point of the book. Clifford’s view appears to be that to make a short film you need to know what happened in the days long gone. I wanted to find out what I needed to do today.

It’s not the only book to describe the whole process of making a short film, but it does include an excellent set of links around the internet and even if some may have been removed by the time you get there, there’s enough on offer to be of real value.

Clifford’s ‘Eight point guide to making short films’ in the script section is wonderful; exact and succinct, exactly as I expected the whole book to be.

Reviewing a few short films and then including the relevant scripts is a great idea. You can find the films mentioned on ‘Youtube’ so completing a full circle look at the making and the result can be seen, enjoyed and analysed. The fact that this promotes his short film, Grete May, is a good marketing ploy. You should note that around one third of the book concentrates on the short film interviews and scripts.

The information in the book will help you get your short film made. If it’s the only book you get on this subject, then as long as you enjoy a lot of history, you’ll be able to get from A-Z. I read it over a couple of weeks rather than a couple of days. I expected to then go back over the best parts to reiterate what I’d need to do to make the short film, but I hesitate because I might have to get stuck in times past again.

It’s not that I don’t like or want to know about the times gone by, but if I did, I’ve have purchased a different book. This is no longer the only ‘bible’ on the subject as I found Nathan Parker’s ‘Short Films … how to make and distribute them’ a much better read and more informative, but Clifford Thurlow’s book has links and information you can’t do without, so I guess you need both books.

Our rating 5 stars*****

If you only choose one book on being a screenplay writer, then this should be your choice.

This is the book that takes you through the various parts of writing your screenplay, how to complete it, who to get it to and lays out all of your business resources exactly where you want them in enough detail, but not needing a Harvard degree to understand them.

This isn’t the book you need if you want to write a screenplay that will sell for a million dollars, because it isn’t a writer’s bible on structure, methodology etc. This book gives you the basics in all areas. It informs and lets you do the hard work of actually writing a script without being bogged down in 22 point structures or 7 point analysis.

First and foremost it tells you that script must be hot, not average, not good, but the best it can be. Less is not good enough.

Planning your script, scene assembly, characters, scene writing and then dialogue takes first timers through the initial stages required.

A good section on copyright is followed by marketing your script, because without marketing, it’s a collection of typed papers.

You’ll learn about the movie game and how to start a networking file with good advice the whole time.

The life of a screenwriter is important; how do you manage your life while writing?

The section on rejection is most useful; it will happen. Be there and deal with it.

The resources guide is a good starting point, but I guess (not!) that the writer really wants you to go to his website and use his facilities – and why not; they’re great.

It teaches you all you need to know to get going and if that isn’t enough for you, then the accompanying CD (make sure you get it if you’re buying this book second hand) provides plenty of extras to guide you further. The format guide is most useful, the blank pages for story planning should be used often instead of blindly going at it without preparation; but some writing is better than procrastination.

There are sections about writing letters; pitching your screenplay and the possible deals you may be offered.

I like the part that helps you watch out for the scam artists, producers and directors!

This book is as good as Elliot Grove’s other titled ‘Lo to No Budget Filmmaking’. Have the two and you’ll have all you need to write, sell, make the movie and watch the profits come rolling in.

Buy it from kamera.com
4 stars****

This book is so good for the short film maker, that it should be kept handy at all stages of the short film creation. You’ll need to make notes and refer to it time and time again.

It really does take you through all the stages of making a short film. So much so, that it also manages to treat you accordingly, whatever your budget. It assumes you’re new to making short films.

If you are new to this style of film making, then your mind will need to be at full attention to wade through the sections on choosing cameras, lenses and filters and lighting, which film to shoot with and what type of video you’ll use.

If you’re able to be the producer and can hire your own director of photography then those sections just listed will be able to almost pass you by. A little knowledge is most helpful.

The sections about pre-production and casting are a joy to read and explain the details in nice easy language.

Sound quality is often lacking on short films; this book tackles the problems head on. Don’t scrimp on value here is the message.

The editing is good for knowledge and obviously your own choice of software will reflect which way you take this. Again, a good budget will aid successful choices.

If your budget is low, you may well be arranging the soundtrack yourself, but you’ll need to beware of the master and screening formats dissected in this read.

The distribution methods are taken apart well here and should leave you with choices of your (almost) last stages of finishing your film and then getting your film seen.

The best is saved for last: included in the book is a DVD of five short films made on different films stocks, on different subjects and of different lengths. You then get to read interviews with the directors of those films and see how they did what they did and why.

Finally, some templates on the DVD via your computer will get you started.

The only section lacking is about raising the finance to make your short film. You need that to get started, but once you know the budget you’d like, you might want to look over specific finance raising books.

It’s an excellent book and achieves our 4* rating for its easy read (mostly) its in depth knowledge and giving you a total overview with which you can use your budget.