Legendary cigar-puffing Hollywood wheeler-dealer talent agent Harry Fleck, the original high concept man himself, gets in hot water when his wife intercepts a love letter from his young development executive girlfriend. (3m/4f) Three scenes, two simple sets. 45 min. (Not for young audiences)

Steven Spielberg once said, "I like ideas, especially movie ideas, that you can hold in your hand. If a person can tell me the idea in twenty-five words or less, it's going to make a pretty good movie." Spielberg's comment embodies the essence of the high concept film, which can be condensed into one simple sentence that inspires marketing campaigns, lures audiences, and separates success from failure at the box office. This pioneering study explores the development and dominance of the high concept movie within commercial Hollywood filmmaking since the late 1970s. Justin Wyatt describes how box office success, always important in Hollywood, became paramount in the era in which major film studios passed into the hands of media conglomerates concerned more with the economics of filmmaking than aesthetics. In particular, he shows how high concept films became fully integrated with their marketing, so that a single phrase ("Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...") could sell the movie to studio executives and provide copy for massive advertising campaigns; a single image or a theme song could instantly remind potential audience members of the movie, and tie-in merchandise could generate millions of dollars in additional income.

A filmmaker, visionary, and entrepreneur, George Lucas has not only changed the way we experience film and filmmaking, but also revolutionized film industry practices and standards. George Lucas, on an economic, aesthetic, and cultural level, has contributed more than any other individual to the shaping of the New Hollywood and is one of the most important figures in film history. His contribution to the film industry and our culture can be defined as the "Lucas Effect." Until now Lucas' work has been studied categorically. That is, popular books have been written that focus specifically on his life, his marketing skills, his films, his fans, or his various business accomplishments and practices. This is the first book to weave these threads together into a cohesive, rigorous study that illustrates the far reaching impact and importance of his creative genius. This book is important not only for film academics, students of film criticism and theory, popular culture scholars, and film devotees, but also for industry power brokers, Lucas fans and anyone who is interested in the work, life, and legacy of one of film's most important visionaries, George Lucas.

Screenplay: Building Story Through Character is designed to help screenwriters turn simple or intricate ideas into exciting, multidimensional film narratives with fully-realized characters. Based on Jule Selbo’s unique 11-step structure for building story through characters, the book teaches budding screenwriters the skills to focus and shape their ideas, turning them into stories filled with character development, strong plot elements based on obstacles and conflicts, and multifaceted emotional arcs. Using examples and analysis from classic and contemporary films across a range of genres, from The Godfather to Guardians of the Galaxy, Selbo’s Screenplay takes students inside the scriptwriting process, providing a broad overview for both beginners and seasoned writers alike. The book is rounded out with discussion questions, writing exercises, a guide to the business of screenwriting, in-depth film breakdowns, and a glossary of screenwriting terms.

A Level Media Studies is a comprehensive guide to the subject content of AS and A Level Media Studies, across all examining boards. It is specifically designed to meet the needs of both students and teachers with an accessible writing style, helpful notes on key theories and theorists and a range of learning exercises. The book’s overall approach is gradual immersion, assuming no prior knowledge of the subject. Starting with an overview of the discipline, the book moves on to develop increasingly sophisticated ideas whilst repeatedly reinforcing the basic principles of media studies. Each component of media studies is illustrated with practical examples and guided exercises that demonstrate the application of theories and concepts. In addition, numerous case studies offer examples of media studies in practice. Working through these examples, students will acquire the skill set and confidence to tackle the analysis of media products and the discussion of media issues to the standard required at A Level. The focus is on contemporary media, but there is also full acknowledgement of historical precedents, as well as the significance of social, cultural, political and economic contexts. With its clear structure and integrative approach, A Level Media Studies is the ideal introductory resource for students and teachers.

A comprehensive overview of the film industry in Hollywood today, Contemporary Hollywood Cinema brings together leading international cinema scholars to explore the technology, institutions, film makers and movies of contemporary American film making.

WHEN YOU DECIDE TO WRITE A BOOK SERIES, YOU MUST BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING. BUT WHERE TO START? Instead of staring at a blank page, setting up a disorganized corkboard, arranging and re-arranging sticky notes, or ordering and re-ordering index cards, there’s a better way. FOOLPROOF! STORY WEAVING: Your Essential Guide for Writing a Blockbuster Series shows you how to develop either a standalone novel or a series of interconnected novels. By using several methods and suggestions, including story weaving bibles and storyboards, you control the process and not the other way around. The story weaving method works especially well for two (2) kinds of series: · a sequential series in which the end of each book finishes with a cliffhanger · an ongoing series where each book begins with a problem and ends with a satisfying conclusion By applying logical approaches that take you from the initial concept to a final draft, you’ll complete your books faster and more efficiently than either panstering or plotting ever could. Your story will unfold naturally. The secret? You don’t have to be a panster or a plotter. You can be both at the same time. No longer will you have to wait for inspiration to strike. When following preparatory exercises, you can let your mind speedily and confidently guide you from the beginning to the end. In FOOLPROOF! STORY WEAVING, you’ll learn about these subjects and more. · The differences among episodic, running, or grouped series · Types of fiction—from mainstream to high-concept—and how they work or don’t work for a book series · Basic story structures that will take you from a blank page to a successful series · Story elements that influence how the narrative unfolds in each book and for the full duration of a series · Why character archetypes are the building blocks of all stories With FOOLPROOF! STORY WEAVING: Your Essential Guide for Writing a Blockbuster Series, you’ll also learn about storytelling, bestselling genres, world building, and archetypes. Do you want to write a book series that can make your writing career? Then don’t delay. Pick up your copy right this minute and start weaving your story!

What does it take to make a great motion picture? What do we even mean by cinematic greatness? What is more important: movie awards, critical acclaim, or box office success? Who has the biggest impact: the writer, the director, or the actors? Scientific research has provided some provocative answers. This review of cinematic creativity and aesthetics is confined to scientific studies carried out by a multidisciplinary group of researchers. Do great films receive both shiny trophies and five stars? Chapter 2 concentrates on movie awards, including the Oscars and Golden Globes, and how those awards relate to critical acclaim. How do the dramatic awards compare with the visual, technical, and music awards? Chapter 3 studies more closely how these awards cluster together and which of these clusters best predict cinematic success. How does box office compare with critical evaluations and movie awards? Chapter 4 adds a new consideration, namely the film's financial performance. The following four chapters focus on specific contributions to a film's impact: Chapter 5 covers the script (including writers), Chapter 6 the director (or "auteur"), Chapter 7 the actors (especially gender differences), and Chapter 8 the music (both scores and songs). Chapter 9 addresses the question of whether the same cinematic factors that make some films great also make other films bad: Are bombs the exact opposite of masterpieces? The book closes with an epilogue on future directions in scientific studies of cinematic creativity and aesthetics. What do researchers need to do if we want a complete understanding of what it takes to create a powerful cinematic experience? This volume will be invaluable to anyone interested in film, including any aficionado who is open to a scientific approach, and researchers in the areas of creativity, aesthetics, and cultural economics. The reported research comes from many disciplines, including psychology, sociology, economics, management, marketing, communications, journalism, broadcasting, history, musicology, and statistics.

Gun buff, movie critic and bestselling author of Dirty White Boys, Stephen Hunter takes aim at 13 years of violence on the big screen, hitting the highlights and the lowlifes, the thrills, the chills, and the kills, with deadly precision, explosive prose and devastating good humor.