How to Build a Great Screenplay: A Master Class in Storytelling for Film

by David Howard

Book Overview

Acclaimed USC screenwriting teacher David Howard has guided hundreds of students to careers in writing for film and television. Drawing on decades of practical experience and savvy, How to Build a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031235262X
• ISBN13: 9780312352622
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 5.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Is it possible to build a great screenplay with this book?

I have read enough to say: This book is not wordy. A reviewer was complaining that David Howard used way too many words to make his points. In my opinion, every word counts. Screeenwriting is a tough craft, you don't need to go far to find huge mistakes in movies, in their storytelling. So excuse David Howard! But he is damn right to make some points very very clear! Pros -The author is the founding director of a screenwriting program. This is a heavy pro in my opinion. There are actually people out there paying big bucks to study screenwriting in fancy name universities. So, you get to learn from the source at a quite less expensive manner. -There is a commercial approach in this book rather than an artisitic one. The so called "artists" are much more interested in self expression and don't really care about the audience (funnily and paradoxically enough they still can't get over critics and the cold reception for their "work"). In this book, David Howard wants you to write an exciting story, to express yourself BUT, at the same time he keeps telling you about how vital it is to make your story accessible and exciting to the audience. In fact, one of the most important aspect this book treats from cover to cover is that of audience connection, identification and satisfaction. -The author knows pretty well that screenwriting is about making decision after decision, after decision. His whole book address hundred if not thousands of questions you should consider when writing your story. -This book touches on some more "secret" or "esoteric" subjects that many books don't. Like the secuencing method used by some of the finest film schools. Also, if you are looking for the single most important aspect in storytelling you need to master to be extremelly successfull. Well, I'm glad to tell you the author writes about it. Cons -Although this book has been described "as close to an entire writing program" and others have said that the book feels like a textbook, the reallity is that this is far from being a textbook. The information compares to a master class in the sense that it is indeed encyclopedic and thorough. But the way it is presented is far from a live class or a master program. I would highly suggest the author to read one very impressive how-to book that could immensely improve his book and turn it into a master CLASS. I'm talking about "The Natural Way to Draw" -which has been reviewed as the best how to book written not just in drawing but in any subject. Basically the approach in that book is a bit opposite to "How to build a screenplay". In that book you actually have to complete countles after countless excercises. David Howard's book is lacking in that: EXCERCISES. Excercises that show the student how and when to work, how and when to build, how to learn to build stories! He does say you need to find out this or that about protagonist, world, antagonist, etc. But I think he needs to make more emphasis on the creativ

For SERIOUS Aspiring Screenwriters ONLY

If you think of screenwriting as the latest get rich quick scheme, then forget this book and go buy yourself a lotto ticket, at least the odds are better...However, if you are serious about cementing a screenwriting career, then you can't go wrong with this book. True, it's over 400 pages, and at points he does seem to repeat himself BUT the information on structure, character arc, and dramatic conflict in general is priceless. The reason this book seems to turn people off is because it doesn't dumb screenwriting down. Contrary to popular opinion, screenwriting is hard work and the only way to get good is to put the time in to learn it. If you really want to make it, try this book.

Good book.

This book covers a lot of info; however, it seems as if some of it could be wittled away and the core of the book would still be intact. Also it seems to reference his other book way to much.

This is THE Screenwriting Book, bar none.

This book is a 2 semester, graduate course in screenplay writing. It is the best in print. To cover so much material in a single book is amazing, and a first. Supplement it with "Advanced Writing" by Wells Draughon, "Writing a Great Movie," by Jeff Kitchen, and "Screenwriting" by Paul Gulino, and you have everything you need to write a superb screenplay. "How to Build a Great Screenplay" can stand on its own. The others will help you control your story to get every bit of energy into making a taut story. But the breadth of Howard's book stands head-and-shoulders above everything else in print. An amazing book. Thank you, David Howard. A superb book!