I’ve gotten a lot of requests for book recommendations on filmmaking. I’ve read a lot of them over the years, some bad, some good, some great. Here’s a list of the top 6 books I think you’ll find useful.
Get the Filmmaking books mentioned HERE
Books in the recommended list are amazon affiliate links.
Everyone has their own methods for brainstorming ideas but there are a few methods and techniques for brainstorming that are well worth exploring. One of the most effective methods is to establish a routine. As they say “inspiration tends to catch you while you’re working”. We cover this technique and more in the discussion.
Storytelling is a muscle and just like any other muscle it must be worked. Breaking down other films is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to work that storytelling muscle.
If you’re new to filmmaking and screenwriting, you should breakdown as many movies as you can. Every film is a text book. Even the “bad” ones.
If you’re learning how to write a script you may have asked yourself. “Do you really need Story Structure?” There seem to be two main arguments. One side screams: Screenplay structure leads to formulaic stories. Don’t waste time learning structure. While the other side screams: Poor screenplay structure leads to slack paceing and stories that lack focus. Let’s discuss the pros and Cons of using structure in your script.
Dealing with writer’s block can be a royal pain. We’ve all had a run in with the “Blank Page”. If you haven’t experienced it yet, you will if you keep writing long enough. It’s a natural condition. We discuss some screenwriting tips to overcome it.
Many people find the notion of a theme confusing and even abstract. Let’s start off with the generally accepted definition of what a theme is and work our way up from there. We discuss examples of themes,the difference between a theme and a subject, and ways to find a theme.
Themes can also be an extremely helpful tool in the writing process once you understand how to use them.
For filmmakers and Screenwriters. We discuss one of the most popular questions. What makes a good story? If you ask 20 different people this question you’ll get 20 different answers.
the reality is, just because you have an idea for a story doesn’t necessarily make it a story worth telling. There are certain time-tested ingredients that should be present in a story to make it engaging for an audience.
