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April 14, 2004

Film Story Books

In Keeping with Terry's books on Film production, I'd like to offer up my $.02 on books that deal with what Citizen Wumpus feels is the most important aspect of film creation: Story. Creating a great story, one that moves an audience and sweeps them up in its drama and passion is what separates a good movie from a timeless one. Each member in Citizen Wumpus firmly believes that if we have a great story, that speaks to the audience, that identifies with an audience, each one of our subsequent steps (directing, mixing, editing) will be that much stronger, because we'll know what we want to convey. The following are 2 books that I feel are great for any aspiring screenwriter to read. Believe me, there are lots of other great books out there (I didn't mention Syd Field or Linda Seger, for example). But I happen to really resonate with these two books, and they're great starting points. So, without further ado...

Story:Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting
- By Robert Mckee

Probably the single most important book for Citizen Wumpus members. I know for a fact that Terry, myself, Avish, and Craig have read this book, and refer to it all the time. This book is not about giving you a formula to make a Hollywood story. Rather, it talks about the underlying dramatic and structural foundations that make a great story. By reading this, you'll become very aware of the impact your screenplays have on the audience, and how to most efficiently "carry them away" into the world that you've created. Highly Recommended.

The Writer's Journey - By Chris Vogler
This book is based upon Joseph Campbell's book, The Hero With A Thousand Faces (which really should be the third entry here). The two books are based upon the theory of Jungian archetypes, and says that basically, all movies involve characters which assume the roles of these archetypes, and that the hero undergoes a journey in which he interacts with these characters, and performs almost ritual actions to succeed in his adventures. I love this book, because it really focuses on what motivates and drives particular characters that we create, and drive and desire are what makes characters memorable. Another Highly recommended book.