The Screenwriters Workbook Revised Edition
Posted by HDTV in eBooks Jul 2nd, 2009 | No CommentsThe Screenwriters Workbook Revised Edition
Screenplays, according to Field, are not so much written as they are built, and in this book he provides a clear explanation of what raw materials are needed to assemble the modern Hollywood movie script.In this cogently constructed workbook–one of the standards in the industry–Field elucidates the strict three-act structure of screenplays, talks about the nature of character, describes what plot points are and where they must fall, and provides exercises to help the screenwriter take an idea from the first germ of a concept, to outline, to rewritten script.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Great.
This is a great book if you want to know how to format screenplays and any other questions you might have about actually writing one. Great resource.
1 Star Field’s Failure
Once upon a time……
…. Syd Field would have been laughed at. But not today. In a time when ‘time’ takes too long and man is only interested in the skeleton of things, the appearance of things, Field’s approach is quite popular. Field is not helping man fix his story handicap (Hollywood) but only making it easier for more ignorant and uncreative ‘work’ (not art) to filter through and flood our pathetic ‘art’ industry. What Field is selling here is a step-by-step process for those who don’t have the foggiest clue on how to write a story - you know, those people who don’t even know where to begin. However, what is ironic is that it is obvious that Mr. Syd is one of those people. If you read this book carefully you’ll begin to notice that Field isn’t actually saying anything at all. I can actually sum up his advice for you: just free-associate everything into existence. If you want to know what is the essence of anything, please don’t ask that, because Sydster is only going to tell you to free-associate your problems away. “Trust in the system”. I guess true art doesn’t take talent but simply the proper scientific steps. Creativity doesn’t have anything to do with something inherent in the individual, it is simply the external process of efficiency that one taps into.
Furthermore, I found the book to be quite boring in that I had to make it through so much ‘fluff’ between key points in his theory (which isn’t completely his since everyone is writing on these same foundation points) . Fluff you say? Yes, fluff. If he isn’t writing out the story lines for every Hollywood film, reminiscing on ideas of his own that never made it, contradicting himself, or just talking about his own life experience - as if it is at all interesting - then he might be making a point. And what is his point class? Free-association! Yes, very good. If you want to read someone who has somewhat of a more profound understanding on the topics Field is trying to talk about, then I recommend Egri’s ‘The Art of Dramatic Writing’. Very helpful. Furthermore, Egri is capable of laying out what you as a writer needs to do in order; whereas Field didn’t seem to follow any logical order in his ’step-by-step’ workbook.
5 Stars Great advice
This is a great book. It’s not the first time I write a screenplay, but following Syd Fields advice took my scripts to a new level. It’s not only the advice, but the exercises makes you be disciplined with your ideas and that saves you time and head-aches. Some exercises are somehow inspirational and brings depth to your writing. You will not only look like a professional, but after practicing with this book, you will be one! Well worth purchase! Highly recommended!
3 Stars Helpful
Helpful for the novice writer but if you are more serious about it then don’t let this be your only guide.
5 Stars A Great Mother Daughter adventure
My daughter has decided she wants to be a writer. Her first attempt at a novel had way to many minor details. She’s a very visual person. I had taken a screenwriting course in college and thought of how she was automatically doing all the things I struggled to do “right”. This book is a great tool to help me help her develop her gift.
Diablo Archive
Posted by HDTV in eBooks Jul 2nd, 2009 | No Comments
Since the beginning of time, the angelic hosts of the High Heavens and the demonic hordes of the Burning Hells have been locked in a struggle for the fate of all Creation. That war has now come to the mortal realm…and neither Man nor Demon nor Angel will be left unscathed….LEGACY OF BLOOD: Norrec Vizharan has become a living nightmare. While on a quest for magical treasure, he discovers an artifact beyond his wildest dreams: the ancient armor of Bartuc, the legendary Warrior of Blood. But the mysterious armor is cursed, channeling a malevolent power into Norrec’s tortured soul. Pursued by demons who covet the dark armor for their own purposes, Norrec must overcome a bloodlust he can scarcely control and learn the truth about his terrifying curse before he is lost to darkness forever.THE BLACK ROAD: Darrick Lang is coming home. Years ago he left the town of Bramwell to walk the wide world as a champion of the realm. But Bramwell is not as he left it. Something dark and terrifying has ensnared the townsfolk, something very old and very patient, tangling innocents in a web of malice and profaning the very earth itself. Now that same power calls to Darrick…and his only hope may be to walk the same perilous path of damnation.THE KINGDOM OF SHADOW: Legend speaks of a long-dead city known as Ureh, thought by many to have been a gateway to the High Heavens. It is said that every two thousand years, Ureh is reborn and all its lost riches are revealed to those brave enough to seek them out. Now the Vizjerai sorcerer Quov Tsin has come to witness Ureh’s rebirth for himself with Kentril Dumon and his band of mercenaries in tow. But what awaits them is like nothing they imagined.DEMONSBANE: What was to have been a victorious last stand against a demonic invasion of Blackmarch has instead become a massacre. Only Siggard remains, a warrior unable to remember the final hours of the battle. As he hunts the demon lord who butchered everything dear to him, Siggard pieces together the truth of that terrible battle…and finds that his nightmare is only beginning.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars A nice compilation at a good price
This is a paperback compilation of 4 books from the Diablo universe. For those of you who have not played the Diablo games, these books are pretty much D&D like stories with emphasis on demons and magic.
I enjoyed this book overall, but I was mildly disappointed that there were not more references made to the games. A cameo from one of the games’ characters ,here and there, would have been nice. Still, it is well written with good detail .
5 Stars Diablo strikes yet again!
An excellent (and cheap) compilation for all of us Diablo fans out there. Easy reading, able to make you forget about the time and simply lose yourself in wonderful world made by Blizzard folks. Worth every cent and my sincere recommendation for purchase!
5 Stars Decent Sword and Sorcery with the “Diablo” name
I very much enjoy that they combined the first few books into one book greatly saving cost to the consumer. I wish they had done that before I had already bought the first 2 books. I’m currently reading the 3rd book in the series, so far it’s decently written but rarely connects to the Diablo universe. Book one gives you background information on Bartuc (a minor miniboss in D2) and has a necromancer in it. Book 2 mentions the prime evils. Book 3 mentions the prime evils and has a necromancer in it. I would have enjoyed it tied in a bit more, but regardless it’s fun reading if you like sword and sorcery.
5 Stars Excellent Book
Very nice book. Good writing.
As a blizzard fan, i must say i loved it.
4 Stars Back to the roots
This is a great book to really bring Diablo fans back to the roots of the Diablo world. There is enough reference to the game to help the gamer tie the story into what they know, but enough difference to make it believeable that the story could have happened outside the boundaries of the game. One of the best collection of fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. Casual reference to the Sin Wars help the reader tie in later books and really round out the story for the reader. Definitely written for avid fans only, but worth the time and money if you qualify as an avid fan.
This Business of Television
Posted by HDTV in eBooks Jul 1st, 2009 | No Comments
Broad in scope and rich in detail, This Business of Television is an invaluable sourcebook for producers, writers, broadcasters, network executives, and other television professionals. The essential reference for anyone working in the television or video industries, it is a comprehensive guide to the inner workings of the business, examining how television programming is financed, produced, and distributed; how FCC regulations and federal law shape the form and content of broadcast, cable, and satellite television; and how producers, networks, cable companies, and local stations work together to create or acquire programming.
This Business of Television includes 50 chapters and three useful appendices: legal documents and forms; concise boilerplate contract forms for the most common business transactions in television; and a list of useful industry contacts and addresses. The legal documents and the ready-to-use contract forms are included on an enclosed disc, so they can be easily accessed for home use.
Part 1 covers distribution; Parts 2 and 3 explain FCC and federal regulations, as well as legal concepts such as copyright, the right of privacy, libel and slander, and the protection of society; Part 4 discusses program production and financing; Part 5 examines audience measurement and advertising; Part 6 explains contract basis, legal entities, and tax issues; and Part 7 offers an overview of the television industries in countries around the world.
All of the chapters have been revised and completely updated in this second edition, in addition to brand new chapters on religious television, home shopping, satellite TV, and the every more important international marketplace.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars An excellent resource
This book (textbook) is an excellent resource for just about everything in TV. The disk included is a great utility to have for printing out your own contracts. I only with this book could be updated, say, every two years.
5 Stars Stolen 3 times… This book is hot!!!
This book is so hot that it’s been stolen from my office library 3 times. I’m on my 4th purchase of this book. I felt like I could have an intellegent conversation about any aspect of the television business after using this book. It is my main resource for getting quick answers that are easy to understand. This is required reading for those getting started and a great resource for those that have been in the industry a while. It also includes a computer disk containing forms such as U.S. Copyright registration and others found in the book that you can import to your word processor.
Ron Hebert
Producer
2002 Emmy Awards - Pacific Southwest Chapter
5 Stars The Best Television Book Ever
When I was in film school there was a lot of film history and film theory, and no one talked about television often enough for us to learn anything worth while about it. I now work as a television director, and it was this book that taught me the "business" aspects of the industry. Without this book I would probably be out of work or directing the local news someplace like Lima, Ohio.
5 Stars Imagine the Future, Study the Past
This Business of Television is a landmark volume in our practice (micro-economic forecasting for the entertainment industry). Here are the top three reasons why.
Reason # 3: it is incredible that guys of this stature would take the time to compile such an essential and complete perspective of the television business. Goodenough, a seasoned entertainment lawyer, law professor, and a scholar pioneering the study of law and evolutionary biology, brings the structure and rigor, while Blumenthal, a prolific TV, multimedia, and online entertainment producer and businessman brings the been-there-done-that street savvy.
Reason # 2: it is, after all, the business that pays for the content (the subscriber, pay-per-view, advertising, syndication, and the latest, e-commerce revenue models) and the content that drives the migration to new technology (streaming media webcasting and video-on-demand, interactive TV, and wireless). The clear understanding of the financial systems supporting television and video entertainment offered by Oliver and Howard in this book facilitates the modeling of future monetary transactions.
Reason # 1: video programming spread from broadcast to cable and then to satellite in one generation. The last decade found it spreading to the PC via CD-ROM, DVD, and broadband Internet. In the future it will be found on our cell phones, wristwatches, car seat backs, and refrigerators. There will be innovations in business arrangements along the way, but those who cannot converse in the language of economics will be doomed.
5 Stars Good guide for industry knowledge
I work in TV. I own a copy of this book and bought another for a new employee so she could come up to speed on the industry. Highly recommended.
Creating Web Pages For Dummies
Posted by HDTV in eBooks Jul 1st, 2009 | No CommentsCreating Web Pages For Dummies
Ideal for novices, Creating Web Pages for Dummies starts off with discussion of some key design topics and shows the way to publishing well designed Web sites. The authors have you writing HTML and getting a feel for the basic process by the third chapter. Once you’re hooked, they show you how to build a home page in a single day and offer advice on how to get online with an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
The book gradually gets more serious in scope, presenting sites for business use and implementing graphics and multimedia. It shows you how easy it is to publish photos, to implement sound and video clips, and introduces hot technologies like Java, ActiveX and XML.
Finally, the guide introduces you to various authoring tools, browsers, and the special considerations of publishing for WebTV. In the usual Dummies style, the author offers 10 dos and 10 don’ts for Web publishing. The book wraps up with appendices of ISPs, a guide to HTML tags, and a CD-ROM with tools and an excellent set of links for useful Web resources. –Stephen W. Plain
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A Good Place to Start
This is a great book for the person just getting started in thinking about putting up a web site.
The basic concept here is to use a fairly minimal amount of HTML, which he teaches you, and then one of the hosting services such as GeoCities, Google or AOL to get your site up and running. All in all, he presents an excellent description of what you need to think about, what technologies you need to understand, and the various tools that are available to assist in the construction of the site.
The intent of this book is to enable to get a site up and running, fairly quickly (He says in a day, I think he is a bit optimistic, plan on a weekend, maybe even a three day weekend.) but only after having thought a lot about the various aspects.
Then in chapter 18 he talks just aenough about things like JavaScript, database connectivity, cascading style sheets and more to let you know that you’ve barely scratched the surface.
An excellent place to get started.
5 Stars Great reference book
Thanks for the quick responce in the product, received what I needed for less
3 Stars This is for someone who does not want to purchase any software over 20 bucks. It leans heavily on Yahoo.
I was hoping for something that would help me get started on building my own site. This book is for someone who just wants any site, and is looking for someone else to do for them.
5 Stars A great start if you are making your own website
Even though I am a bit above average in computer knowledge i found this book very helpful with making my web page.
I found it to be a great reference
1 Star At Least The Title Is Right!
This was my first “for Dummies” book purchase and it will be the last (unfortunately, I also purchased “Web Sites for Dummies” at the same time. A How-To book this not….you get no step-by-step instructions, what you do get is a lot of information that is generally available on the internet with a dose of new-age you can do anything you want if you try………well, at least the title is right……….only a DUMMY would buy this book.
Diablo The Sin War 3 The Veiled Prophet Bk 3
Posted by HDTV in eBooks Jul 1st, 2009 | No CommentsDiablo The Sin War 3 The Veiled Prophet Bk 3
Since the beginning of time, the angelic forces of the High Heavens and the demonic hordes of the Burning Hells have been locked in the Eternal Conflict for the fate of all Creation. That struggle has now spilled over into Sanctuary — the world of men. Determined to win mankind over to their respective causes, the forces of good and evil wage a secret war for mortal souls. This is the tale of the Sin War — the conflict that would forever change the destiny of man.The demon-backed Triune has fallen. All that now stands in Uldyssian’s path to freeing humanity is the Cathedral of Light and its charismatic leader the Prophet. But the Prophet is actually the renegade angel Inarius, who sees the world he created as his uncontested domain. Facing a cunning foe that would just as readily see Sanctuary destroyed than let it slip from his grasp, Uldyssian is blind to the others who would possess his world. Both the Burning Hells and the High Heavens now know of Sanctuary…and their warring hosts of demons and angels will stop at nothing to claim it.An original tale of swords, sorcery, and timeless struggle based on the bestselling, award-winning M-rated computer game from Blizzard Entertainment. Intended for mature readers.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Nice BOOk
The third book of the serie and the third book that i have the chance to read about diablo.Love , drama, and lots of action scenes this book repeat the sucess of the other two books.Totally awesome!!!
5 Stars Diablo, Angels and Humans battle it out - Interesting 
As the 3rd book of the series it gave us exactly what we wanted, a huge build up and an epic finish. I dont want to go into too much detail but if you have read the first two books you HAVE to get this one.
The ending will really get you thinking, i loved it!
5 Stars Knaak really likes necromancers!
A fitting end to the series and an awesome backstory to the game. If you have an very good and active imagination, reading this book can give you shivers! It is higher in gore compared to the first two but you certainly wont be able to put this book down.
This book was far better than the 2nd in my opinion… It really nice to see the main protogonist mature. I actually found him less annoying in this book comapred the first two. It seems like Knaak really has a facination with necromancers! Trust me its true, I’ve read his other books on Diablo and they always have a witty necro in them. Not that I’m complaining as I myself play Diablo2 using a necro.
I hope he writes more on the main character (Zayl and Humbart) from the other books (Moon of the spider & Kingdom of Shadow)
Peter
5 Stars Knaak prefers a balance…
I just finished this book last week. After reading the first two, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this story. The part that really interested me was the theological aspects that were greatly intertwined within the story, especially the part of the Nephilim (Edyrem). I must say that I did not predict this ending to the story, I sort of suspected it because of the story-line in the video games, but I had no idea it would be like this.
This conclusion is much more profound and far more action packed than the previous two. There is still a fair degree of intrigue, especially when they’re in Khejan, so Knaak keeps that writing style up pretty consistently.
I was honestly half expecting him to play up more of the religious end and draw more from historical theology, such as he did with Angels. He sort of included the hierarchical structure of Heaven with the Angiris council at the end, but I half expected a true form of a Seraph to show up.
The part I most enjoyed in this series was the development of the Necromancer character. My philosophies identified most with Trag’oul and his teachings, so I really got into that character. The way this tale is written it seems the author also seems to agree the most with that philosophy. I was also surprised to see the author take this stance in a widley read series. He essentially teaches that any extreme of good or evil is a very bad thing and only results in a circular war with no real victor. Considering how much this country, the U.S., takes it’s politically correct diatribes, I’m surprised there weren’t any outspoken people towards this. At least I haven’t encountered any, yet. I suppose the demographic of people reading Diablo don’t really pertain to such extremists. But the extremists tend to get into everything these days and there seems to be an obvious split, which can probably be reconicled with balance.
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