2024 the best films of 21st century review

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The 21st Century Screenplay is the much-expanded successor to the author's Scriptwriting Updated. Many books in one, it offers a comprehensive, highly practical manual of screenwriting from the classic to the avant-garde, from The African Queen and Tootsie, to 21 Grams, Pulp Fiction, Memento and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Whether you want to write short films, features, adaptations, genre films, ensemble films, blockbusters or art house movies, this book takes you all the way from choosing the brilliant idea to plotting, writing and rewriting. Featuring a range of insider survival tips on time-effective writing, creativity under pressure and rising to the challenge of international competition, The 21st Century Screenplay is essential reading for newcomer and veteran alike.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Silman-James Press (February 11, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 490 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1935247034
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1935247036
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.4 x 8.9 inches
Reviewer: A reader in RI
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: If you only buy one "how to" book, buy this one!
Review: Like the other reviewer, I am shocked that more people have not posted 5 star reviews for this book. It is far and away the best. Just look at her table of contents and read a sample chapter and you'll see for yourself. She does not just provide checklists of what should be in a good screenplay, she provides incisive analyses and examples that help you understand how to write and rewrite your own screenplay. She also devotes many chapters to explaining non-linear plot structures. I discovered her book when I googled this topic. I wish I had discovered this book a lot earlier. I would not have wasted my money on more highly touted, but far less useful books, e.g., Save the Cat, Your Screenplay Sucks, etc. Aronson covers ideas from other good how-to writers, e.g., The Writer's Journey by Chris Vogler. Check out Aronson's website. She is a fantastic teacher!

Reviewer: Orlando James
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Insights not found elsewhere
Review: I’ve read a dozen really fantastic screenwriting books in the last year. This one is also pretty good in general. However, where it really stands apart is the incredibly detailed look at nonlinear and multiple protagonist structures, which I have not seen in any other books.I happened across this book when I was googling info because I realized the story I’m working on should be told as an ensemble piece and realizing I didn’t really know how to structure it. This book offers that info and much more. The other structures are not needed for my current project, but I read about them anyway out of curiosity. It really helped me understand some of the movie examples she provides a lot better and see the structure I don’t think I could have figured out on my own. It also inspired me to look back at these structures when I’m looking for new ways to tell a story that may not be working as a classic linear story.

Reviewer: SM
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: GREAT BOOK
Review: As a screenwriter, I can guarantee that this book is the best guide that there is. Nothing else to say, just buy it.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A screenplay scholar with heart by Olabisi C Sanusi
Review: After reading tons of reviews of other screenwriting how-to books, I've finally found a book by an author who understands the nuances that make a great story, and offers practical methods to help a writer reach that goal. What really makes Ms. Aronson's book so refreshing is that she seems to have a great respect for ALL types of storytelling, and has taken the time to explain several story structures and how to write each of them in the best way possible. That certainly doesn't mean the task of writing a great screenplay is easy (she makes this point quite clear). Still, with Ms. Aronson's guidance and technical expertise, the finished product and the experience getting there, will be very rewarding.

Reviewer: MLT
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Rough lessons here, but honest and detailed.
Review: I've been reading and rereading this for about a month and I can honestly say this is the most complete book on screenwriting I've ever seen. Aronson doesn't pull any punches, doesn't make it seem easy, doesn't overcomplicate things. What she does do is provide an honest, sometimes brutal explanation of what is needed, what is often omitted, what is done wrong, and what you can do to fix it. This is not a book for someone seeking affirmation about their talent, hoping to find a shortcut to success as a screenwriter, or unable to accept criticism. But it is a book for the serious screenwriter to use to polish their craft.

Reviewer: Lolita
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Brilliant if you are looking to write a screenplay beyond ...
Review: Brilliant if you are looking to write a screenplay beyond the classic three-act Hollywood formula. l am so tired of screenwriting books that seem to be targeted at young men wanting to write action thrillers. As a female screenwriter, I find this book refreshing, fascinating and smart.

Reviewer: Denise E.
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: With this book, you'll never write another bad flashback sequence...
Review: This book is incredibly dry, but if you want your screenplay to have better structure, organization and a reason for flashing back, you'll read it.What this book won't tell you: How to format, how to develop characters, or how to sell your screenplay. What it will do is explain when and how to use structure in various ways to create more interesting stories.After a lengthy explanation of the writer's terminology. the 21st Century Screenplay delves headlong into the art of advanced storytelling for film. Samples of both good and bad uses of complex structure are introduced and analyzed.

Reviewer: Charleston Zack
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The best single screenwriting book
Review: She goes beyond all the " do X on page Y" books to why and when to use and not use the previous structure books. She looks at most structure systems and the hero cycle, analyzes what is good and bad about each. Structure has a place, but she demonstrates that it is not a single structure for all screenplays. Plus she has a lot of very good data I have seen nowhere else. If you want to write screen plays, you need to read this book

Reviewer: Lionel Abeillon-Kaplan
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Les récits non linéaires ne font pas l'objet de beaucoup de livres. Celui-ci est donc une exception notable. Livre rare par son sujet. En revanche les chapitres dédiés au récit en trois actes auraient pu être retirés ou faire l'objet d'un autre livre.

Reviewer: Sherlock-Fan
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Hochkomplexe Dramaturgiekonzepte für Filme und Serien der heutigen Zeit. Scharf analysierte Spielfilme ergänzen die Theorie.

Reviewer: Shop2shop
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Can't praise enough! What an amazing book!every sentence written makes sense.Very fluid and to the point.Great analytics on screenplay/ script writing!

Reviewer: Sunara Fernando
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Have been reading and rereading this and would highly recommend.

Reviewer: giordano
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I am a professional screenwriter and in my career I went through many books concerning the craft of storytelling. This is unique in its genre: all the classic books (Syd Field, Chris Vogler, Linda Seger, Robert MacKee, Dara Marks, John Truby) are based on the traditional structure (3 acts model or a single protagonist who embarks on an emotional/physical journey and undertakes a change). This is incorporates those books in the first part, being a useful recap of the basics. But he moves on: for what I know this is the only book that deals systematically with the new forms of storytelling like non-linear and multi-protagonist stories. He doesn't restrict the field of investigation to the classic movies but takes the theory on the next level and analyses in a clever way movies such as Memento, Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, 21 Grams and Amores Perros (where the reference films of the others movies were still "The QUeen of Africa" or "Tootsie". This book keeps the promises which is stated in the title: it is indeed a comprehensive guide to the 21st century screenplay. It's so wonderful cause it's not a prescriptive book which lists a series of dos and donts: it has a really open and fresh approach and helps you to understand better which form suits better your story. Moreover it contains a useful last section where it gives you some vital insights on how to write a screenplay (dwelling on dialogues, subtext and constructions of scenes). Usually the other books deal extensively with the construction of the story but say nothing about how to write a script in a visual compelling way with revealing witty dialogues. This book does so! If you're a screenwriter you should have it as a reference book on your desk! Buy it and you'll do a favour to yourself.