Recommended Reading for Screenwriters

A list of texts that are worthwhile for every screenwriter to be familiar with. I've done my best to categorize them according to specifics fields (ie, writing, production, etc.).


Filmmaking

Jolliffe, Genevieve and Jones, Chris, The Guerilla Filmmakers Handbook

If you get one book, make it this one. Huge, heavy, indispensable. This goes through every step of the process in the form of interviews with people who actually do those jobs. Fun to read, distilling a wealth of experience and guided by authors who are focused on making very small, very inexpensive movies.

Maschwitz, Stu, The DV Rebel's Guide

Maschwitz is the founder of the FX house The Orphanage and the maker of extremely cheap DV movies with ridiculously high production value. The book is focused on shoestring digital effects work.

Gaspard, John. Fast, Cheap and In Control

Great war stories from a wide range of filmmakers working without a monetary net.


Writing

Ackerman, Hal. Write Screenplays That Sell

In a world of good screenwriting books, this one really stands out.

Seger, Linda, Making a Good Script Great, 2nd Ed

Many people view this as a rewriting book, but it can be used as a writing partner for the first draft.

Gaspard, John. Fast, Cheap and Written that Way

More great anecdotal lessons from screenwriters sharing their adventures and techniques in the low budget world.


Craft

Hitchcock, Alfred & Truffaut, Francois, Hitchcock/Truffaut.

Entertaining and illuminating exploration of a master's creative processes. Best if you can accompany it with DVDs of the films.

Murch, Walter, In the Blink of an Eye, 2nd Ed

Oscar-winning film editor and sound designer (and Final Cut Pro user) Murch is a renaissance man and it shows in this slim, elegant gem of a book about editing.

Mascelli, Joseph V. The Five C's of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques

A venerable book that is a remarkably clear primer on basic film-language. If you know nothing and memorize this, you won't go wrong.


Acting

Weston, Judith, Directing Actors

An extraordinarily valuable book about how actors work and how to work with actors. Designed for film directors, but equally essential for producers and anyone who wants to understand the most elusive, public and misunderstood job on the set.

Comey, Jeremiah, The Art of Film Acting

Idiosyncratic examination of film acting, by an actor, for actors.


Financing

Wiese, Michael , Film & Video Financing

Hugely comprehensive. Start here.

Cones, John W. , 43 Ways to Finance Your Feature Film

A technical, comprehensive book covering every imaginable finance arrangement. Hard-core money stuff.

Levison, Louise, Filmmakers and Financing: Business Plans for Independents, Fifth Ed


Production and Scheduling

The two books below are similar, but Goodell comes from a production standpoint, while Halloran focuses on entertainment law.

Goodell, Gregory, Independent Feature Film Production

Straightforward, encyclopedic rundown of the whole process, start to finish. A bit dated, but there is a wealth of “how it works” and standard practices in here, conveyed with great clarity.

Erickson, Halloran and Tulchin. Independent Film Producer's Survival Guide: A Business and Legal Sourcebook

Great book full of agreements, standard forms, sample deals, and an entire chapter on what “profit” means.

Simon, Deke and Wiese, Michael. Film and Video Budgets

An updated industry standard that walks you through every line item on a selection of presented budgets.

Singleton, Ralph. Film Scheduling

The book is eleven years old, but the considerations that control scheduling are basically unchanging. The entire book walks you through scheduling the movie “The Conversation.”


Distribution

Anderson, John & Kim, Laura. I Wake Up Screening

After you've made the movie, then what? Festival and distribution insight and case studies by two of the best in the business.

Hall, Phil. Independent Film Distribution

A great overview on the current state (2006) of independent film distribution.


The Big Picture

Vachon, Christine. A Killer Life

What it's really like for one of the best indie producers.

Kaufman, Lloyd. Make Your Own Damn Movie

Edgy tales from the front line of Troma Entertainment's camp-sleaze empire. Warning: Has as much swearing as the average film set.

Biskind, Peter. Down and Dirty Pictures

The appalling history of the behind the scenes machinations that built American indie film. An essential cautionary tale about art and commerce.

Suber, Howard. The Power of Film

An examination of the audience's psychological relationship with movies. If you're looking for the subtleties that make a movie last for decades, Suber's spent decades trying to figure it out.