Cut to the Chase: Writing Feature Films with the Pros at UCLA Extension Writers' Program

I learn hands on. Over the course of the past five years, I have read many books on screenwriting, but none were as complete or as supportive as this. It is great to have so many common sense ways of writing a screenplay in one book. As another reviewer said, I think the book benefits from a different author for each chapter. If you've read a lot of screenwriting how-tos some of this book will not be new to you. What is new is the supportive way certain chapters are written. Quentin Peeples' chapter on rewriting is worth the price of the book alone. This is one of those few screenwritings books I feel like I can benefit from because you almost feel like you have that extra guidance while reading this.Interestingly, many recent films are dissected unlike most screewriting how-to books which mention the same titles over and over again.If you're new to screenwriting, you will find Cut to the Chase very helpful. If you're not, and need some motivating, you may still find this helpful and get a little chuckle from the ego-stroking (hey, it's Hollywood.)I am in UCLA Extensions' Writers Program, but have yet to take a screenwriting class. Affter devouring this book, I know which UCLA Extension screenwriting professors I will take screenwriting classes with in the future. I look forward to working with this and some of the folks who wrote Cut to the Chase.

Okay, I'm biased. I wrote Chapter 12, which (besides a copyediting error in the FIRST DAMN SENTENCE) is pretty brilliant, if I do say so myself.But what blew me away, from a teaching perspective, was how good all the OTHER chapters were.Look: screenwriting isn't like practicing law, or engineering. There is no set plan. There is very little formula, despite what many books have said -- when a story formula does emerge, it's copied and quickly grows stale for the audience. So having a bunch of different produced screenwriters attack the craft from different angles, you get a book that's greater than the sum of its parts.Think of it as the Blind Folks examining the Elephant. All of us get a piece of it right -- but if you read the whole thing, you might just be able to see the Elephant itself. This doesn't mean your screenplay will sell, but it does mean you'll have a greater understanding of how to tell a story well.And that remains the only formula to creative writing: a good story, well told.

I wish I found this book sooner in my screenwriting process! Every page counts!

I purchased the Kindle version of this book, which has its own strong points for layout. First off, this is a comprehensive book about the craft of screenwriting from beginning in the conceptual stage through the rewrite process, and finally an actual map that shows how a script gets sold.Subject matter experts write each chapter. This works well for few reasons. First, having several authors submit expands the experience base far beyond what any single author could offer. Second, the editing which sews these chapters together is fantastic. Often, multiple submission books seem jarring as they move from author to author. Not so with "Cut to the Chase," these chapters link together smoothly if read in order and stand-alone if read by skipping to a specific stage of screen writing. Third, and I think this is the advantage of the Kindle version, if the reader skips to a middle chapter, like Chapter 6 - Outlining, there are links to the concepts referenced in earlier chapters."Cut to the Chase" gets five stars for being easy to read and informative.

This is an assigned text as I am taking an Extension screenwriting course myself, and I have to say...WOW! This book is amazing and I'm only through the first three chapters. I've read a handful of other screenwriting "guide books" but this one is just awesome. It's great to have a compilation of insights from various accomplished screenwriters, each offering their own take on things and still offering similar advice as well. It's also great to know they came from the very place I'm headed! This is definitely recommended to anyone interested in screenwriting. It's pretty light and easy to read, but full of information and how-to's that you could apply to almost any style of writing.

A recommended reading. A book written by builder of UCLA Extension writers’ program lives up to author’s reputation.

A fun read. There is so much to know about the film business. These are lessons from the classroom, and I was surprised at how good and easy to read this book is. It is not a dry tome whatsoever.Recommended for your library. I enjoyed it very much, and I have probably 50 books on filmmaking, distributing, and screenwriting.

great guide book! I would recommend to anyone with no clue on how to start BUT- Don't take this as the one and only way to write a screenplay. It is a creative field and you have to do your proper research, read a lot about writing and creating, there are many many ways to go about it.