Screenwriting Behind Enemy Lines: Lessons from Inside the Studio Gates

by John Schimmel

A very pragmatic look at what “they” are looking for combined with techniques for delivering that. Includes “Tales from the Trenches,” lessons from various sets and development situations to illustrate the points being made, from one of the legendary production and development executives.

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Alina Yasnaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful. I took copious notes.

[Lily Mulholland · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insider's guide to what makes a screenplay tick, this is a great contrast and companion piece to Robert McKee's epic (and at times difficult to comprehend) 'Story'. Schimmel speaks from a studio exec's perspective and provides the reader with some excellent insights in addition to practical exercises designed to improve every screenplay and reduce their chances of ending up in 'development hell'. This is well worth a read and its enthusiasm almost makes up for the sloppy proofreading and material that was clearly intended for his MFA course students but was missed during editing (which is pretty ironic given his complaints about writers who don't proof their work properly!)

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative book. Well worth the read if you are planning to write a drama screenplay.