DragonSpell (Dragon Keepers Chronicles, Book 1) (Paperback)
by Donita K. Paul
ISBN: 1578568234

Price: USD 11.09
165 used & new available from USD 0.10

DragonSpell is our trailer project. We all love Donita K. Paul’s books, and this one is the first in a series, so it was a logical choice.

Our goal here is to pretend that DragonSpell is being made into a movie by us and to show what a trailer would look like if that were the case.

Although we are currently busy editing a seminar for Simply Charlotte Mason, we are half-working on our DragonSpell teaser. Stay tuned for posts on the shooting, on the props, and on the general progress of the project.

In the last post, I left you wondering what we’d be doing in November. We didn’t know ourselves, really.

That’s changed. We are now planning on shooting a trailer for one of our favorite books. This is something we’re really excited about. Perhaps we’ll post some photos from the shoot and let you guess which book!

Plus, while we’re all together in November, we plan on discussing another interesting idea. No details on that one yet, but maybe you’ll get to hear some later.

Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need (Paperback)
by Blake Snyder
ISBN: 1932907009

Price: USD 13.41
86 used & new available from USD 10.00

Summary

A successful screenwriter gives eight chapters of important pointers for writing your screenplay. The book is written from the perspective of marketing your script to a producer from page one.

The Good

Starting with the first chapter, where the reader defines the important “what is it?” about their script, the bulk of the book is designed to help you fix your story before you write FADE IN:

One chapter deals entirely with common screenwriter errors and how to fix them. The final chapter gives some brief pointers on selling your script to Hollywood when you’ve finished writing it.

Very clear and easy to read. Real-world analogies make more abstract concepts simple to grasp. And the last section of the book is a glossary of frequently used Hollywood slang surrounding screenwriting, which is useful for deciphering other materials later.

The Bad

A smattering of language. A few mildly inappropriate examples.

The author also seems to assume that you have viewed every movie he talks about.

Overall

Save the Cat is subtitled, “The last book on screenwriting you’ll ever need.” True? Not quite. While the book has certainly helped me to see where my current project could improve, it could have gone more in-depth on a few issues. The author himself mentions several important screenwriting books in the introduction. But for a good look at screenwriting from a marketing perspective, this is a keeper.

Making a Good Script Great (Paperback)
by Linda Seger
ISBN: 0573699216

Price: $0.01
126 used & new available from USD 0.10

Summary

Dr. Linda Seger, a professional script consultant, breaks down the three act structure. She tells you how to rewrite your good script and make it great. The first few chapters help you write the first draft.

The Good

Making a Good Script Great is very clear. There are lots of examples from real scripts, including large quotes from major blockbusters. If you haven’t seen them, you’ve probably heard of them.

Reading about rewriting your script gives you a good idea of what to watch for when writing to begin with. It was extremely helpful to me to know what problems I could avoid now with a little extra thought.

The Bad

Some of the scripts and movie story-lines quoted are not the cleanest in the world. Just be aware that you will encounter some language and a few non-graphic, non-detailed references to inappropriate “romance” scenes.

Overall

After I finished Making a Good Script Great, I looked at the story I’ve been working with and saw all sorts of new possibilities. Highly recommended.

Combat Mime Video 4 — Faking a Punch from Phantom Moose Films on Vimeo.

You can also watch the video on YouTube.

This is probably going to be the last video in this series, but stay tuned for more videos on other subjects coming soon.

I’m sure that you’ll want to check this book out now, so now is the time for me to mention that it is out of print. There are a few used copies available on Amazon, though.

You can also watch the video on YouTube.

We’ll be posting more videos soon, so stick around to learn more fight techniques.

I’m sure that you’ll want to check this book out now, so now is the time for me to mention that it is out of print. There are a few used copies available on Amazon, though.