Thursday, August 04, 2011

Book review – “The Craft of Screenwriting” by John Brady

Superb collection of interviews with some of the best screenwriters in the business: Neil Simon, Paddy Chayefsky, Robert Towne, William Goldman, Ernest Lehman, Paul Schrader. It was published in 1982, which means there’s some poignancy – Chayefsky died not that long after his interview, Simon has just produced his first film (a career that didn’t last), Towne was about to embark on Personal Best. Full of great tips and insights eg Towne – the only way to learn screenwriting is to see your work done; Chayefsky – when you get feedback from artists it’s about the work, not the art. Brady is a brilliant interviewer – he’s always prepared and he knows his stuff.

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