Check out the Story Department. Has loads of good content on script writing and the like including this excellent one titled, 11 Laws of Great StoryTelling. A fine quick read that is just as applicable to the really small screen as it is to the big one.

A book that gave me a good idea of the dynamics audience perspective as well an excellent overview of cinema history and film from non-english speaking countries was the History of Narrative Film. It was very interesting to read about the first days of film where the camera was considered a static eye or audience member sitting in a seat at a performance. It was such a big deal to actually move the camera or to cut an action scene into different views. Totally foriegn ideas at the time. It also does a good job of moving through the evolution of the language of film from Russian montage to the Welles and deep focus/long shot to the French New Wave. It is very extensive (at least in the first half century - modern movies have simple summaries). I found it very enjoyable but it is large and more in the vein of a textbook. I ended up reading it while reading the 5 C's which was a fine co-read.

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but I can't quite remember where, so forgive me if I'm repeating myself.

I recently read 'Grammar Of The Shot' and 'Grammar Of The Edit' (both by Roy Thompson and Christopher J. Bowen). The first one was pretty good at giving me a broad outline of the concepts (and 'grammar') used in modern film-making. Much of it I was aware of in a vague way, but reading it and having it spelled out to me helped solidify the concepts and make me more focussed while making my own films.

The second one was OK, though it seemed to spend a few too many pages summarising the first book. But it certainly contained some valuable information on editing that, again, I was vaguely aware of, but not thinking of consciously (if that makes any sense).

Now that I know "the rules", I still happily break them, though I do it consciously now, and usually with reason, rather than by mistake (rules are made to be broken, after all!) I also see them being broken in many, many other machinima flicks (and real films, as well). Not that anyone is doing the wrong thing, but they stand out to me more. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not, to be honest. lol

Anyway, I think knowing more of "the craft" will help me develop my movies into something a little more polished. May not make them into brilliant masterpieces, but maybe smooth out some of the rough edges.

:cool:

https://marketplace.reallusion.com/iclone/author/biggstrek

I am perusing the various websites about script writing and I actually bought the e-book by the UK writer Phil Gladwin (to have a non-US perspective) and after a while it gets confusing. It also doesn't really give me what I am looking for.  So I analysed my uneasiness and realized that to me it is a lot like investment advice: follow these steps to become wealthy / make it in Hollywood.  But since I am the one making the film, I think I am looking for something else. It is like in music: are you the composer writing the notes or are you actually making the music? 

Regardless, of course, this is a very interesting thread and many useful resources have already been brought forward.  I will be taking a short course in Narrative Filmmaking in about a week and this discussion has helped me formulate a number of questions.

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Great book reviews and thoughts! I have got to check them out soon. Learning by doing (what I have been doing mostly) can only take one so far.