For
most teens, trying to get them to write is like trying to
pull teeth from a live, pissed-off piranha. Get them brainstorming
about movie ideas, however, and it's a whole different thing.
Screenwriting for Teens guides the reader through
the fundamentals of screenwriting: plot structure, character
development, genres, style, etc. Each chapter is only two
pages long, and includes examples from popular movies and
television shows, helpful websites, and brainstorming activities
to develop the concept discussed in the chapter. The great
thing about this book is that you don’t have to be
a teen to find this book informative.
Comprehension
Screenwriting for Teens is very easy to follow. It is broken down into 100 two-page chapters, and while the sequence of chapters does not necessarily follow a specific pattern, topics move logically from one to the other. Much like in the actual writing process, different aspects flow into each other: plot development is related to characterization which is related to conflict, which is related to… well, you get the idea. It assumes that the reader doesn’t have any previous knowledge of the screenwriting process, but goes through and explains the various aspects in an easy-to-understand way.
Depth
of Information
This book is a good introduction to the world of screenwriting. For the creative writer who has written stories (but no screenplays) or for a reader who is interested in learning more about the basics of writing for film, this is an excellent book. It conveys the important essentials of screenwriting, and how it differs from conventional story writing.
One
of the things that best conveys the concepts covered in
each chapter are the "Look and Learn" examples.
Taking examples from well-known films such as Lethal
Weapon, the Incredibles, Casablanca, and Die-Hard,
Hamlett illustrates how these concepts are conveyed and
why they are effective. Also included in the “Look
and Learn” section are helpful websites for things
like script formatting, treatments, etc. Together, these
resources give the reader additional information into the
screenwriting process.
Interest
Level
Because of the short chapters, this book is very easy to read; the concepts covered in each chapter are brief but succinct and informative. You can pick it up and start reading just about anywhere, and skip around to different parts as needed. Additionally, the references to popular, well-known films to illustrate the different concepts help the reader to follow along. (To prove this point, just try reading a book that uses examples of obscure foreign films; it’s almost impossible to follow, because you have no point of reference for them!)
Reusability
This is a book that you will definitely be reading again, especially if you’re interested in screenwriting. The concepts covered in this book are ones that are essential to writing for film, and, unlike many screenwriting books, you won’t have to slog through pages of esoteric instruction if you need to review certain things. This book will be a good reference manual that will be relevant and helpful for years to come.
Value
vs. Cost
For about $20, you can take a beginner's course for screenwriting,
complete with helpful brainstorming activities that you
can do by yourself or with friends. The information and
resources in Screenwriting for Teens, together with
its reusability, makes this a very good book to invest in.
Overall
Comment
Screenwriting for Teens is not just for teens; anyone interested
in learning more about screenwriting will find this helpful,
whether you’re fifteen or fifty. It's format makes
it easy to read, while relevant examples and helpful resources
aid in comprehension, and will make this book one you can
continue to use long after the initial reading. This would
also be an excellent as a textbook for a high school screenwriting
class.
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Comprehension |
9.0 |
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Depth
of Information |
8.0 |
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Interest
Level |
8.5 |
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Reusability |
8.5 |
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Value
vs. Cost |
8.5 |
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Overall
Score |
8.5
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