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Summary: FILM THREAT WEEKLY REVIEW
Review: "Finally, someone wrote a book about screenwriting the right way. Secrets of Screenplay Structure is the best book on screenwriting ever! Indispensible and a must-have!" Chris Gore, Editor-in-Chief, Film Threat Weekly.
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Summary: Done Deal's Review by Jason Antebi
Review: "If you were stuck on a deserted island with a typewriter, and with what you think is a great story, this is the one book you'll want with you. You can read all the Syd Field books you want, but "Secrets of Screenplay Structure is the one that will get your screenplay sold." -Excerpt from Jason Antebi's review on ScriptSales.com (Done Deal)
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Summary: A Must for Every Coffeehouse Bookhound!
Review: "Secrets" should be in every coffeehouse in the country. Starbucks, are you listening? For everyone with a screenplay in their head, looking for some direction, this is a smart, easy-to-read guide to plot and character development. Familiar films set the stage for every chapter. You "see" what the author is talking about because you've seen these films. Even if you never expect to write the next big feature hit, read it for the Appendix; "What Should I Rent Tonight?". Guaranteed to boost your coolness IQ!
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Summary: SAVE YOUR MONEY.
Review: All of the material in this book has been said before, and said better, in Linda Seger's and Chris Vogler's books. Though this author tried to distinguish her text by going into extreme detail when describing examples, the result is too academic to be of any practical use. When talking story structure, it's all about the forest, not the trees.
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Summary: Not just another book on Screenwriting.
Review: Along comes a another book on screenwriting, and what do you know, it does have new things to say and better ways of saying the old things. Clear points, great example films, laying out not a formula but points to consider when looking for the best way to tell a story. As a writer, I know that not all stories will make good or great screen stories. Cowgill's book tells you why. Screenplays need characters who are active to bring a story to life. Structure is the way you understand a characters actions in drama, so that a story has meaning. I especially liked Cowgill's chapter on theme. No one says it better explaining why theme plays such a big part in determining the greatness of a film. And how many films today leave you feeling eh? For many it's because no one focused on what the story was ultimately about for the characters, and so it has no meaning for us. She has many great points, all well-said and important. Do yourself a favor, buy this book. Not only will it help you write a better screenplay, it'll help you get more out of the films you see.
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Summary: You don't have to be a screenwriter to appreciate this book!
Review: Anyone who appreciates great films will love this book. It gives you insight into how great films are put together, and what really makes one. This book starts at the beginning, yet it doesn't feel like it's written for the beginner. It covers a variety of topics, including nonlinear and ensemble films -- which I, frankly, haven't seen covered in any other screenwriting book, at least not in this depth. This book uses a limited number of films to study, so examples can be viewed, and I loved each film she used. I'd forgotten what terrific films Quiz Show, Risky Business and Tootsie were, and now have a greater appreciation of them. I can't say enough good things about this book. It makes you want to sit down and write your great screenplay, yet also lets you know just how much of a collaborative process it really is to get there.
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Summary: An excellent unique approach -- Best home-study course ever!
Review: As a professional screenwriter with over a dozen produced feature length credits, I'd like to compliment Ms. Cowgill on creating the best home-study course on screenwriting available. Anyone with access to a video store (to rent the referenced popular films) and this informative, engaging text can proceed step-by-step, adding one or more films at a time as instructed, toward unlocking the "Secrets of Screenplay Structure". Each chapter adds new films to view, highlights a subject appropriate to those films (Chinatown - plotting; It Happened One Night - dialogue; Tootsie - subplots; etc.) and augments the current discussion by referring back to previously chosen films. The build from chapter to chapter and film to film flows beautifully to complete a comprehensive view of the whole picture of screenwriting. Without qualification, I recommend this book to beginners and professionals alike.
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Summary: Move Over, Syd, Linda, Robert et al...
Review: As a twenty year veteran of the television movie screenwriting wars, I love this book. The basic approach is to examine the structure of a number of generally well regarded and famous movies and see what makes them tick. The intention is to help writers construct believable, unpredictable and exciting plots and characters. The book is also a fascinating introduction to the real world of filmmaking, since it deals with production changes that are often made to "finished" shooting scripts. I guarantee you'll see these movies in a whole new way, even famous old titles like CASABLANCA and CITIZEN KANE, no matter how many other "similar" books on screenwriting you've read. WITNESS is obviously one of Linda Cowgill's favorite films, and it gets a detailed going over. The writers Earl Wallace and William Kelly wrote a great script. Linda J tells us how and why. (Ironically, the way she breaks down the structure of a movie script comes very close to the seven act structure of a television movie. Needless to say, she provides a lot more rationale for this than the need for commercial breaks!) A more brilliant analyst would be hard to find, and she doesn't shy away from dealing with fine movies that may seem to violate her own rules; QUIZ SHOW and ANNIE HALL, for example (I'd like to see her tackle KING KONG next!). She obviously has the qualifications of a writer and teacher in a higher degree than most of her contemporaries (and seniors), and seems to me a great deal more stimulating.
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Summary: Clear, Well Written and Accessible
Review: First off, it is important to watch the films in the order presented in the book. Each chapter builds upon the previous ones in a very logical and intuitive fashion. I watched each film, read the screenplays I could get my hands on, then read the corresponding chapter. Occasionally, I rewatched the film afterwards. This is a lengthy process, but it was well worth it. I felt like I was attending my own personal film school! A short round up chapter at the end would have been welcome, but I suppose it wasn't really necessary. I did enjoy the 'What should I rent tonight?' appendix, and the bibliography provides somewhere for the reader to go.
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Summary: Fantastic! I highly recommend this book!
Review: First off, it is important to watch the films in the order presented in the book. Each chapter builds upon the previous ones in a very logical and intuitive fashion. I watched each film, read the screenplays I could get my hands on, then read the corresponding chapter. Occasionally, I rewatched the film afterwards. This is a lengthy process, but it was well worth it. I felt like I was attending my own personal film school! A short round up chapter at the end would have been welcome, but I suppose it wasn't really necessary. I did enjoy the 'What should I rent tonight?' appendix, and the bibliography provides somewhere for the reader to go.
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