Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect

Rating:
Summary: The best book available for anyone writing short scripts.
Review: As a student filmmaker at Florida State University's School of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts, I have been exposed to numerous books written for the young screenwriter. No other book I have read both focuses entirely on the short screenplay and includes several complete examples of successful student scripts (all of them award-winning, including a recent Student Academy Award). Taking it a step further, the actual films described in the book are available as a supplement, so that students can compare the written word to what was actually captured during production-- fascinating! And unique. Claudia Johnson, a Screenwriter-in-Residence at FSU's film school, includes a clear and focused plan for the young writer that guides them through the creation of five films-- taken directly from the syllabus of her classes at FSU. Johnson's ideas and methods have been tested and have evolved over years of professional and teaching experience, and her words are among the most articulate and inspirational I have read in any book on film. Both informal and sincere, witty and focused, "Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect" will undoubtedly connect with thousands of students eager to learn the art of screenwriting. Claudia Johnson has been an unbelievable teacher to me during my journey through film school, and I am confident that her book will be the same to many more.

Rating:
Summary: The best book available for anyone writing short scripts.
Review: As a student filmmaker at Florida State University's School of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts, I have been exposed to numerous books written for the young screenwriter. No other book I have read both focuses entirely on the short screenplay and includes several complete examples of successful student scripts (all of them award-winning, including a recent Student Academy Award). Taking it a step further, the actual films described in the book are available as a supplement, so that students can compare the written word to what was actually captured during production-- fascinating! And unique. Claudia Johnson, a Screenwriter-in-Residence at FSU's film school, includes a clear and focused plan for the young writer that guides them through the creation of five films-- taken directly from the syllabus of her classes at FSU. Johnson's ideas and methods have been tested and have evolved over years of professional and teaching experience, and her words are among the most articulate and inspirational I have read in any book on film. Both informal and sincere, witty and focused, "Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect" will undoubtedly connect with thousands of students eager to learn the art of screenwriting. Claudia Johnson has been an unbelievable teacher to me during my journey through film school, and I am confident that her book will be the same to many more.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a real gem.
Review: I stumbled on it recently when I was at the Samuel French bookstore on Sunset Blvd. In the heart of Hell-A (oops, scratch that - L.A. has no heart!) Anyway, there are tons of screenwriting books in that store. Tons. But I happened to pick this one up and start reading the Introduction. Very insightful. So I bought it (should've bought it here, though - it's cheaper), and I ended up devouring it pretty damn quickly. The writing is terrific - very conversational, accessible, smart, and at times bust-a-gut funny. But most impressive, the author sheds light on the importance of "connection" in the storytelling process. It made me think back about how many times in writing classes CONFLICT CONFLICT CONFLICT had been shoved down my throat. Okay, okay, I got it already! But, she points out, it's only half the story (the yin to the yang, or ya know, vice-versa...) - as she goes on to wonderfully illustrate and illuminate. Also, the sample student scripts are great additions. I especially got a big laugh out of "The Making of 'Killer Kite.'" I may have to spring for the companion video just to see how that film turned out.

Yeah, yeah, the book has "short screenplays" in the title, but the points she makes are applicable to scripts of any length. You can bet that even this jaded L.A. feature film writer will be incorporating a lot of her insights in his own creative process.

I'm looking forward to any follow-ups from this author, because she's finally brought something new - and important -- to the endless discussions (and how-to books) on screenwriting.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a real gem.
Review: I stumbled on it recently when I was at the Samuel French bookstore on Sunset Blvd. In the heart of Hell-A (oops, scratch that - L.A. has no heart!) Anyway, there are tons of screenwriting books in that store. Tons. But I happened to pick this one up and start reading the Introduction. Very insightful. So I bought it (should've bought it here, though - it's cheaper), and I ended up devouring it pretty damn quickly. The writing is terrific - very conversational, accessible, smart, and at times bust-a-gut funny. But most impressive, the author sheds light on the importance of "connection" in the storytelling process. It made me think back about how many times in writing classes CONFLICT CONFLICT CONFLICT had been shoved down my throat. Okay, okay, I got it already! But, she points out, it's only half the story (the yin to the yang, or ya know, vice-versa...) - as she goes on to wonderfully illustrate and illuminate. Also, the sample student scripts are great additions. I especially got a big laugh out of "The Making of 'Killer Kite.'" I may have to spring for the companion video just to see how that film turned out.

Yeah, yeah, the book has "short screenplays" in the title, but the points she makes are applicable to scripts of any length. You can bet that even this jaded L.A. feature film writer will be incorporating a lot of her insights in his own creative process.

I'm looking forward to any follow-ups from this author, because she's finally brought something new - and important -- to the endless discussions (and how-to books) on screenwriting.

Rating:
Summary: the rosetta stone for a new writer
Review: there are hundreds if not thousands of books which claim that they are the one key to unlocking the door to becoming a successful screenwriter. as a wannabe myself, i have purchased and read far too many of these books. ms. johnson's book is the real mccoy. i gained so many insights into the process in each chapter. following her suggestions, i realized that i was making the act of putting ideas on to paper much more complicated than it needed to be. the upshot being that i was finally able to finish several projects that were graying with age and these projects are now sitting with the people who can turn my words from my pages and put them up on to the screen. thank you ms. johnson

Rating:
Summary: the rosetta stone for a new writer
Review: there are hundreds if not thousands of books which claim that they are the one key to unlocking the door to becoming a successful screenwriter. as a wannabe myself, i have purchased and read far too many of these books. ms. johnson's book is the real mccoy. i gained so many insights into the process in each chapter. following her suggestions, i realized that i was making the act of putting ideas on to paper much more complicated than it needed to be. the upshot being that i was finally able to finish several projects that were graying with age and these projects are now sitting with the people who can turn my words from my pages and put them up on to the screen. thank you ms. johnson

Rating:
Summary: What a Great Screenwriting Coach!
Review: This wonderful little book is for you, the student of screenwriting. How do I know? I had the good fortune of being in Dr. Claudia Hunter Johnson's screenwriting class at Florida State University. We used the methods described in her book and they work! If you are disciplined enough to follow her process, you will amaze yourself. You will begin with Le Menu (your very own personal autobiography) and finish with a well-crafted script. Although you will not have her direct feedback, you will have the benefit of a script coach who has helped launch a thousand careers. Tom.

Rating:
Summary: What a Great Screenwriting Coach!
Review: This wonderful little book is for you, the student of screenwriting. How do I know? I had the good fortune of being in Dr. Claudia Hunter Johnson's screenwriting class at Florida State University. We used the methods described in her book and they work! If you are disciplined enough to follow her process, you will amaze yourself. You will begin with Le Menu (your very own personal autobiography) and finish with a well-crafted script. Although you will not have her direct feedback, you will have the benefit of a script coach who has helped launch a thousand careers. Tom.

Rating:
Summary: Crafting Short Screenplays that Connect
Review: What I liked most about this book was its conversational style. Very down-to-earth, but it maintains a sense of professionalism as well. Claudia really knows what she's talking about - not only book knowledge, but also life experience. Of course, that isn't all there is to like about this book. Her insights are well-thought-out and well-defined. It's good to see something in the genre that doesn't focus on Conflict as the sole driving force in the narrative form. And, finally, on a practical level, I believe the book is well-ordered and well put together. And the length of the chapters is inviting, rather than daunting. You can read a chapter easily in one sitting; because so much of the learning process is not *reading*, but *doing*, I feel that the brief chapters allow much more time to get to the 'doing' portion of learning, the really meaningful stuff. In short, I wish all text-books were this accessible and enjoyable.