BOFFO!: HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE BLOCKBUSTER AND FEAR THE BOMB

BOFFO!: HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE BLOCKBUSTER AND FEAR THE BOMB
Average customer rating:

A 'must' for any film director, producer, or Hollywood wannabe.

Mini "making of" documentaries

A real grab-bag

BOFFO!: HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE BLOCKBUSTER AND FEAR THE BOMB
Peter Bart
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1401352162

Book Description

The formula for Hollywood success has long baffled even its greatest visionaries. For every blockbuster there are countless flops. Directors, producers, and actors who achieve great success with one film often suffer abject humiliation on the next. After all, George Lucas may have created the Star Wars franchise, but he also created Howard the Duck. Now Peter Bart, the editor-in-chief of Variety, co-host of Sunday Morning Shootout, and the former studio executive whose hits include The Godfather and Rosemary's Baby, presents a fascinating look at the hits that sizzle and the flops that fizzle.In Boffo, Peter Bart reveals the backlot secrets behind the biggest hits and misses in both film and television: how movies with the biggest stars and budgets turned out to be bombs and how unknowns with no studio support overcame great adversity to make cinematic history. In so doing, Bart tells the history of pop culture itself. He looks at the mega successes of today, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy to the CSI phenomenon, the smashes of the past including Easy Rider, American Graffiti, and All in the Family, as well as the progenitor of all blockbusters, Birth of a Nation. Bart offers his signature straight-shooting analysis of the silk purses and the sows' ears of the entertainment world.

Customer Reviews:

A 'must' for any film director, producer, or Hollywood wannabe........2006-10-15

BOFFO! HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE BLOCKBUSTER AND FEAR THE BOMB comes from the editor-in-chief of Variety and co-host of AMC's Sunday Morning Shootout, and provides a vivid, experienced look at Hollywood, using nearly thirty hits from film, TV and theatre to examine the making of blockbusters and the lessons they hold for any would-be hit maker. From budget concerns to anticipating changes in audience tastes, BOFFO covers pitfalls as well as successes and is a 'must' for any film director, producer, or Hollywood wannabe.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Mini "making of" documentaries.......2006-08-22

Think of each of these essays as half hour VH1 specials on "The Making of . . ." a series of unexpected and unlikely hits. It seems hard to believe that all of the films, TV shows, plays, and personalities here (CSI, All in the Family, The Godfather, Lord of the Rings, Oprah, Cats, and more) - things that are American media icons - were once turned down, cut back, and, once they were finally allowed to begin, had so many chips stacked against them (organized crime wasn't so sure they wanted anyone making THE GODFATHER), that it's a miracle any of them saw the light of day. Andrew Lloyd Webber was about to pull the plug on CATS a week before it opened. How each of these productions and people eventually made it to the top makes for fascinating reading.

A real grab-bag.......2006-06-12

Peter Bart admits that the book is a grab-bag of essays on blockbuster movies, TV series and stage shows. I found it entertaining enough, but I'm not sure I got much out of it. He basically presents the history of a couple of dozen shows, several of which have already been chronicled in longer, more informative books (Casablanca, I Love Lucy, King Kong, etc.). This book is not unlike a Reader's Digest version of famous show business stories. I did find one item that I think is a mistake. In his "I Love Lucy" chapter, he writes that William Frawley and Lucille Ball hated each other. I've never read that before. I think he meant to write that Vivian Vance and Frawley hated each other.

Average customer rating:

the hunt is on
Fair but could have been much better
Somebody is seriously hunting down Logan to kill him dead

Ultimate X-Men Vol. 7: Blockbuster
Brian Michael Bendis , and David Finch
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

X-Men | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0785112197

Book Description

Collecting Ultimate X-Men #34-39.

Customer Reviews:

the hunt is on.......2004-04-25

i thoguht that the story in this graphic novel was exceptionally good. it starts out in a bar with logan eating and a women walks in acting she is like a fan of him and the x-men. when she leaves the diner he is in takes heavy fire and he is seriously wounded. he then goes to the house of peter parker and hides there until he is healed. he learns that people from weapon x are looking to kill him with new equipment. there are also appearences by spider-man and daredevil. the artwork in this novel is also very good and there are some funny parts to the story. this one probably has the most action and wolverine dies, don't worry he comes back like a page later.

Fair but could have been much better.......2004-04-07

it was a fair story story though from the cover i expected more daredevil than the little we seen, he never even gets to do more than throw his stick a couple of times, spidey kind of leaves before the end of the story too.

at least for once bendis didn't skip the action, in fact it's pretty much nothing but action from the third page where wolvie gets blasted.

spidey is played a little too dumb here i think, yeah i know he's a rookie but DD or wolvie are having to get him out of harms way a lot and he does not listen well.

fair read and I have skipped the rest of the ultimate x-men since i don't care a bit about them after having read the first 26 issues and dropping the book, seeing them coem in near the end showed me why, oh well i still have the trades coming out of the older claremont x-men to fall back on :

Somebody is seriously hunting down Logan to kill him dead.......2004-03-22

Wow. There have been lots of changes in the Ultimate version of the Marvel Universe, but one constant has been the back story on Wolverine. He remains a mutant with extraordinary healing capabilities and claws popping out of his hands whose skeleton has been coated with the unbreakable metal adamantium by a covert military group called Weapon X. In the process of creating the ultimate living weapon they also wiped clean his memory. Once known as Logan he is now called Wolverine and has been trying to be a member of the X-Men.

But now two things have happened. First, Professor X has discovered a wedding ring that belonged to Wolverine in the government's Weapon X files. The ring bears the inscription: "To James, with all my love." This leads us to wonder if James is Wolverine's real name and who was he married to? Second, since his feelings for Jean Grey led him to leave Cyclops behind on a mission to die, he has left Charles Xavier's school. When "Ultimate X-Men Volume 7: Blockbuster" begins Wolverine is just trying to enjoy a cup of coffee and a sandwich. That is before a hail of automatic gunfire rips him to shreds.

"Blockbuster" collects together issues #34-39 of "Ultimate X-Men," written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by David Finch. The story arc follows the pursuit of Wolverine by a strange strike force armed with sophisticated military technology that includes a way of tracking Logan and adamantium bullets. Unwilling to ask the X-Men for help after the initial assault Logan ends up hiding out in the basement of none other than Peter Parker. When the battle moves to Hell's Kitchen that means not only Spider-Man but now Daredevil is also involved in Wolverine's problems. Eventually Nick Fury and Shield as well as Professor X and the X-Men become involved as some more clues regarding Logan's past are revealed.

Throughout this storyline Bendis and Finch take full advantage of Wolverine's powers of recuperation to really put him through the wringer. This is especially true of Chapter 3, that begins with Logan being driven through a series of buildings by a rocket and reaches a crescendo when he has an up close and personal encounter with the psychotic blonde heading the team that is trying to kill him. She clearly knows who he is but Logan has no memory of her whatsoever and if you think this might be the woman who gave him that wedding ring you will not be alone.

Although this is a very personal storyline in terms of Wolverine there are significant implications for the X-Men as well. Bendis continues to expand the idea of mutants being a divisive political problem as the modern equivalent of the slavery issue while the X-Men's role in the "real" world continues to be restricted by the order of the government. But more importantly, in the short-term, it is not Wolverine but another X-Men who takes a fateful step over the line.

With "Blockbuster" we basically have a giant chase story. These people are out to get Wolverine and to take him down hard. Throughout the entire story they are chasing him, but there are also times when he is trying to turn the tables on them as well. The appearances by both Spider-Man and Daredevil are well integrated into the story and as much as this is an action driven story there are plenty of character driven moments; the exchanges between Wolverine and Spider-Man are especially good, but those between Logan and Xavier are clearly more important. Consequently, "Blockbuster" lives up to its title because it not only stands on its own as a great action story but because it advances a couple of key plotlines for "Ultimate X-Men." To be continued...

Blockbuster Plots: Pure & Simple
Average customer rating:

I WANT TO LOVE IT.... But Still a Great Tool to Have!

No plot is a BIG problem

Midwest Book Review, March 2007

A Great Tool ...Even For a Plodder

A Tremendous Tool for those who Author their work.

Blockbuster Plots: Pure & Simple
Martha Alderson
Manufacturer: Illusion Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1877809195

Book Description

Blockbuster Plots Pure and Simple (BBP) shows plot rather than talking about it. Using two unique step-by-step visual tools for developing and deepening scenes and plot, BBP shows how the pros layer three distinct yet overlapping plotlines - Character Emotional Development, Dramatic Action, and Thematic Plot. When the dramatic action changes the character at depth over time, the story becomes thematically significant.

BBP uses the Scene Tracker as a visual tool to track the seven essential elements of scene, side-by-side from the beginning to the end of any project. BBP uses the Plot Planner as a visual place to plot out the action, character and thematic plotlines. Both parts are intended as a step-by-step interactive guide for writers interested in maximizing their scenes and providing depth to their stories.

BBP is unique because of its hands-on, down-to-earth multi-sensory approach to learning. BBP provides specific activities linked directly to each writer's individual project. The book is divided between explanation and activity forms.

By analyzing scenes and plots from classic and contemporary writers such as Twain, London, and McCarthy, writers learn how to add a dynamic, effective twist to their work.

BBP provides writers with the tools and resources to get from where they are - stuck and unable to begin or stuck and unable to finish - to where they want to be - holding a finished project. BBP effectively demonstrates the relationship between scene and plot and explains the principles involved in the art and craft of developing sizzling scenes and compelling plots and story design. BBP offers techniques to help writers maintain faith and enjoy the process of creation.

Customer Reviews:

I WANT TO LOVE IT.... But Still a Great Tool to Have!.......2007-09-30

This is my first time giving a review for a book. I was compelled to do so because my expectations for the book were high based on past ratings. Was the book and the author's tools for plotting helpful? Yes and No. Let me explain my take on it. The scene tracker, although simplistic, listed some areas that one should chart in order to be aware of gaps that one may have in certain scenes. I especially liked the concept of tracking the emotional change and how important it is to have "change" and "conflict" in each scene or it needs to be reevaluated or discarded. I give the book 2 stars just for learning that aspect/tool in scene tracker. There is more to scene tracker, however, I will not give it away. You'll have to buy the book. The scene tracker makes the purchase of the book worth it.

On Plot Planner, the only thing I found helpful was connecting individual scenes together above & below the plot planner to make a line if only each consecutive scene can be connected thru cause and effect. If not, then again, those scenes need to be reevaluated or discarded. For bringing that "Aha" into light, I give the book another star.

However, the book notes under the PLOT PLANNER section on how to plot THEME and EMOTIONAL Development. The author only records those aspects under scene tracker. SHE DOES NOT track it under the PLOT PLANNER. Unless I failed to understand her diagrams; theme and emotional development are not tracked on the PLOT PLANNER. She refers back to her SCENE TRACKER for those 2 aspects. So in essence, it is not the PLOT PLANNER that is tracking them but Scene tracker. I guess that would be fine with THEME, as you can make a connection with all the Theme points for each scene and come out with an overall sense of what the theme is or what scenes support the theme. But I fail to understand how the Emotional Change in each scene can demonstrate the protagonist's character arc or journey of emotional changes on the whole through the scene tracker (although it works for each individual scene). But the author's premise is that it is tied into the PLOT PLANNER and I didn't see where she connected those aspects into that tool.

What is recorded under PLOT PLANNER is just a visual of individual scenes divided by the beginning, middle, and end sections of the story. All in all, still a valuable tool, but I already had some knowledge of this.

However, throughout the book, the author spreads out tidbits of basic information on plot and the such which is helpful for the novice which I would have liked if she had delve into more detail. She tickled my palette for more knowledge.

I guess the supposed beauty of the book lies in it's simplicity. However, she gets off tangent in several areas (saying that she has gotten ahead of herself) and if you seek clarification of what she is talking about she refers to you to her DVD or website or she just barely touches the surface on it. In fact, almost every other page, along the side bars, her DVD is mentioned. The book at times seems like a disguise for marketing her DVD. Who knows, maybe the DVD is much more thorough and better than the book. Perhaps it would have been more beneficial for me to purchase the kit which brings the DVD workshop and Scene Tracker template, but I didn't want to spend $40 on an unknown product and not have the ability to return an opened DVD back to Amazon. I understand that authors need to self promote, but the amount of self promotion in this book became distracting. Thats where she gets 2 minus stars. Perhaps just putting a footer on each alternate page with her website address would have been more appropriate than on the sidebars.

In addition, she left alot of white space on the sidebars which could have been utilized more efficiently to dispell more information.

If anyone has seen her dvds, please post a review and let me know how you liked it. I'm tempted to buy one, hoping that she does go in deeper with her tools. I think she made a very good attempt to what she was trying to accomplish when she started the book with the SCENE TRACKER (EXCELLENT tool that can be really tailored to suit your needs and she does emphasize that). But once she got into the PLOT PLANNER, I think she needs to clarify it a bit more and make the examples at the appendix more coherent in the sections of theme and emotional development.

Overall, its not a bad book to have for a reference. The scene tracker is excellent and having the scene tracker and more developed examples and explanations on a cd with the book instead of a separate purchase would have been golden.

Her website has a wealth of information that is basically a reiteration of about 1/3 of her book.

I have emailed her requesting clarification on some of the above and will update my review according to her response.

It would be great if she could expand on all these things into a second edition.

No plot is a BIG problem.......2007-04-08

Any artist worth their salt has to have a solid working understanding of the rules of their craft. A painter has to know about brushes, colors, shapes, lines and light. An oboe player has to know how to cut a reed in addition to learning to read music and play with others in the orchestra. For some reason, though, writers seem to start out thinking they don't need to know anything more than how to put words together, that the story will simply come out of their imaginations full-fleged and wonderful.
Baloney.
Whether you're just starting your novel, or working on the third draft, you need this book. Ms. Alderson has a great system to teach writers the complex struture of good plots. She's also an incredible teacher. If you get a chance to come to California or to attend a writers conference where she'll be speaking, I highly recommend her class.

Midwest Book Review, March 2007.......2007-03-02

Have you ever been deep in the writing of a novel - only to discover that you've lost the thread, that the plot doesn't square up the way you thought? Do you find yourself swimming in deep water - or perhaps completely over your head - when you think about plot? Even worse, have your initial readers told you that your plot doesn't make sense? If so, this is the book for you.

Whether you plan your plots in advance or improvise as you go along, Martha Alderson's two major tools, the Scene Tracker and the Plot Planner, will improve your overall writing product. By the time you finish this book, you'll have learned seven major ways to improve your novel, and you'll have a much better grasp of the plot and structure of any book you choose to create.

With the use of Scene Tracker, Alderson artfully explains how to break down your work to identify scenes, then determine when to use scene and/or narrative and decide how to keep track of flashbacks, the timeline, character development, goals, conflict, theme, and change, all in an organized and effective manner.

In the second half of the book, the Plot Planner is used to work through beginning, middle, and end, with careful focus upon cause and effect, character emotional development, and thematic significance. Step-by-step guidance is provided. To demonstrate the principles throughout, the author uses examples from the work of authors like Ursula Hegi, Cormac McCarthy, and Billie Letts. Appendices are included breaking down scenes and plot from the work of Mark Twain, Ernest J. Gaines, and John Steinbeck.

This book will assist the budding new writer and the already-published author. It's easy to follow, the tools are accessible, the text is filled with good advice, and the book is laid out so that there is plenty of space to make notes or to use it as a workbook. Students of the Craft need this book, but writing teachers will also find the book useful. Highly recommended.

A Great Tool ...Even For a Plodder.......2007-01-27

I'm not much of a plotter...but more of a plodder. I'm prone to just getting all my thoughts down with no clear idea of how these ideas fit into the big picture--or even if they do. But one week, my computer crashed and I couldn't just write stuff. I took out Martha's book and gave it a try. Martha's book is not only full of inspiration, but it was helpful to see all my ideas charted out into a big picture.

A Tremendous Tool for those who Author their work........2007-01-05

I doubt you will find a better tool. As many who set out to create their literary work can atest to, plotting can be a real bear. This is not always the case, there are a lucky few of us who have no problems plotting, but a great many who do. Essentially what this book does is give you a way to structure your work and plot it chapter by chapter. It by no means is the only way, but a very fine one. It also can be an aid to those of us who have published or authroed work in the past, because if allows us a new and successful approach.

The author does pitch some products here and there (and who doesn't these days), but that aside, they do have a support site that adds a greater value to the book. I own many writing and literary research books, and this is one that focuses primarily on the art of plotting, and it does so extremely well. My advise after authoring since 1975, to newer authors, authors who are stuck and even established authors, is this is a tool that can only help. Since I find there is never enough writing books, I highly recommend this as you will never know some time if you are stuck in your literary endeavors, that a chapter might help you out, and that is certainly much cheaper than hiring outside help or worst yet, doing nothing!

Average customer rating:

Practically necessary
Same-o, Same-o
For The Serious Writer Of Novels This Is An Excellent Book
a little something extra
Another book on writing --nothing special

Writing the Blockbuster Novel
Albert Zuckerman
Manufacturer: Writers Digest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0898795982

Amazon.com

Writing the Blockbuster Novel is part fiction-biology textbook, part cookbook. Its author, Albert Zuckerman, dissects the commercial bestseller, then provides recipes for each discrete element. Settings, according to Zuckerman, should be "topical, trendy, 'sexy'"--either newsworthy hotspots or uncharted territory--and main characters, à la Don Corleone and Scarlett O'Hara, should loom larger than life. Like Hollywood blockbusters, "mega-books" should be high concept, with high stakes. Zuckerman discusses point of view (there should be multiple), character relationships, plotting, revision, and especially outlining. "Every mega-book with which I've been involved was planned and replanned and planned again," he confides. Indeed, a 63-page chapter here features four versions of Ken Follett's outline for The Man from St. Petersburg and an analysis of each. Still, no matter how good your outline, remember that there's a learning curve. A beginning novelist writing a successful blockbuster novel, says Zuckerman, is about as likely as "a high school athlete trying to play with the Dallas Cowboys." --Jane Steinberg

Product Description

Ken Follett and Eileen Goudge, among others, have something common: They have mastered the craft of building the compelling novels that appear on bestseller lists around the world. And here Albert Zuckerman, agent and editorial advisor to many successful authors in every genre, discloses the somewhat hidden nuts and bolts of what makes this type of book tick, and shows how you, too, could write a novel that might sell in the millions.

Customer Reviews:

Practically necessary.......2007-04-21

I'm torn. Normally, there are books I recommend to absolute beginners, & books I push on those who are about ready for publication. Zuckerman says more than a few things that someone who's just starting out should really ponder, but most of the book is for Serious Students.

In any case, please understand that Zuckerman's agenda is right there in the title: the "Blockbuster" part. This isn't about High Art -- it's about aiming for best-seller status, & improving your chances (however marginal) of getting there.

It's not an "easy how-to" sort of book: he expects you to read, & to study, & to do some actual work at becoming the sort of writer who can turn out a million-seller. To get the most out of this, you really ought to read _Gone with the Wind_ and _The Godfather_ and especially Follett's _The Man from St. Petersburg_.

Literally half the book is taken up by only two chapters (of fourteen) on respectively "The Outline Process" and "Revision" -- the two parts most shunned by the majority of writers who expect fame &/or fortune to fall at their feet.

In particular, creating & evolving an outline is something very likely to set your teeth on edge. Zuckerman does a great job (via Follett) of showing how a good idea becomes great, & then sells a million, by putting the outline through repeated upgrade.

For that reason alone, most hopeful writers will reject it. I'm still struggling with it myself, but I have to admit that a little doggedness here has already improved an idea of mine that I knew would never be fine art, but more & more looks like it could be a great thriller.

If you want platitudes & "support" for your noble writerly efforts, or you want to write nothing but lit'ry fiction... then, yes, this is very much the wrong book for you. If you want to turn out a respectable potboiler, & maybe make it something more progressive, read & follow this book, especially those two chapters.

Same-o, Same-o.......2005-06-22

WRITING FOR STORY by Jon Franklin remains the best of the writing aids books, followed by Richard Rhodes' and Stephen King's contributions to the genre. Zuckerman's book is a fair, yeoman's effort. I think book agents ought to be up-front about liking one kind of writing over another, and that this is what it's all about. Theyre fools for what they like and sell to publishers with the same tastes. I'm a fool for John LeCarre and cannot get enough of his George Smiley character. But LeCarre violates most of what Zuckerman cautions against, as did Steinbeck, Hemingway, Cooper, Kenneth Roberts, and others. Please! No more how-to-write books by book-sellers!

For The Serious Writer Of Novels This Is An Excellent Book.......2004-11-03

I don't know what it is about most of the reviewers here of Zuckerman's book when they pan parts of it. The point for me, as a well-published writer of psychology books, is that I started training myself to write fiction five years ago with on-line classes and buying around 40 how-to-write books from Amazon, if you please. I studied them carefully. Now that I have 110,000 words done of my Jesus novel, for a re-write I needed a pro to give me all the basics again so that in tightening the plot I have the knowledge of a good agent. Ken Follet is a favorite of mine so it was important to me to see how his novels are constructed. Many thanks to Al Zuckerman for doing his very best to describe the elements of a professional novel that sells. Don't let the title distract you as superficial. This is serious crafsmanship to guide the committed writer. If you are not committed and writing you won't understand the guidance in this book. I recommend you take notes to remind yourself. It is not a weighty university writing course book but a hands on practical and inspiring book for those who do want to entertain the reading public and make money writing an exciting novel at the same time. Don't read if you are not serious enough to need help in your writing project. Wait until you are committed. Then go to town with it! --Strephon Kaplan-Williams

a little something extra.......2004-08-31

This book IS different from most others. First of all, where other authors bob and weave about exactly what you should do, Al hits you in the face with it. If you agree, fine. If you disagree, better get some other book. For instance, he lays out his value criteria: "high stakes; larger-than-life characters; a strong dramatic question; a high concept; a farfetched plot premise; intense emotional involvement between several point-of-view characters; and an exotic and interesting setting."
Really, there's the whole book for you in a nutshell. In separate chapters, he elaborates each of these elements. If you're not sure you want to base your novel on a farfetched premise? Or have larger-than-life characters? Well, you have a problem.
He also devotes about a quarter of this rather short book to discussing in detail the re-writing of one of Ken Follett's novels. If you don't want to write the type of novel Follett writes, better choose some other writing book.
Still, if you can afford one more book on writing, this one might challenge some of your assumptions and provoke you to make your novel just a little more gripping.

Another book on writing --nothing special.......2002-03-10

This is, once more a book on writing and to tell you the truth, If you've read one, you've read them all. They all get into the same stuff, Point of view, resist the urge to explain, exposition, tell the story in the now, dialogue, and many many more. If you have told yourself you are going to write a book and you wanted to get a book on the craft, then by all means get this one. It is no different than, Self Editing for Fiction Writers, The First Five Pages, How to Write a Damn Good Novel or many others out there.
SUGGESTION: Two books that helped me out, more than any other, On Writing by Stephen King and Elements of Style By Strunk and White. Read those as well as this book, and you should have enough tools in your belt to get the job done.

StartupNation : America's Leading Entrepreneurial Experts Reveal the Secrets to Building a Blockbuster Business

Average customer rating:

StartupNation
College Education in a Book
Great book - must buy
Excellent resource
Amazing, Amusing, Inspiring, Pragmatic...Extraordinary!!!!!

StartupNation : America's Leading Entrepreneurial Experts Reveal the Secrets to Building a Blockbuster Business
Jeff Sloan , and Rich Sloan
Manufacturer: Currency
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0385512481
Release Date: 2005-05-17

Book Description

Want to take control of your life? Want to trade in that listless job and create the company you’ve always dreamed of? Millions of new businesses are started each year, from online diamond dealers to part-time “pet projects” to the latest franchises. StartupNation is all about putting you in the driver’s seat to start your own business.

Jeff and Rich Sloan are lifelong entrepreneurs who have created dozens of successful businesses and have guided and advised thousands of others through their nationally syndicated radio talk show, on their Web site, and in their weekly online newsletter. In StartupNation, the Sloan Brothers examines every aspect of smart entrepreneurship and help you create the business you've always dreamed of.

You'll learn about the dos and don'ts and the highs and lows of building your own business through the Sloan's in-the-trenches insights and the inspirational tales of over thirty other gutsy entrepreneurs. Among the stories you'll read about:

• The Sloans' own patented invention, the Battery Buddy®, which generated more than $1 million in royalties

• Lavetta Willis, who built Dada Footwear into a fashion brand that now produces sneakers worn by NBA basketball stars

• Tom Nardone, who created the booming ShopInPrivate.com, where people can order items they’re embarrassed to buy at the local drugstore.

StartupNation presents a master course in identifying a good idea, building the right kind of business around it, and avoiding the pitfalls that can derail you. If you’ve ever dreamed of pursuing your own business, StartupNation will be your most powerful resource.

Customer Reviews:

StartupNation.......2006-11-10

The book was very inspirational and gave a lot of useful information on how to go about starting up a business, expectations, and how to plan and prepare. I liked the entrepreneurial stories woven throughout the book. However, I was expecting to read more about forming a business plan. I know there is not a one size fits all, but I was looking for some actual examples.

College Education in a Book.......2006-11-04

Super book....very informative. I didn't even get to finish it as I had a friend beg it off of me. He loved it as well. Good investment.

Great book - must buy.......2006-03-24

Great book - must buy-- ended up reading most of the book the first few days

Excellent resource.......2006-03-03

I found this book to be the most informative and well written book I have seen on starting and growing a successful business. Many useful tips were included on obtaining a patent and product licensing.

Amazing, Amusing, Inspiring, Pragmatic...Extraordinary!!!!!.......2006-01-31

This book will turbo-charge your start up, save you $$$ in costly mistakes and help you become more successful faster. Startup Nation is extremely useful, informative and entertaining. I wish I would have read it prior to launching my own international consulting practice six years ago. Since I have a Masters in HR from Cornell, and have studied global leadership at INSEAD and Babson, I didn't think I'd learn much from this book - but I did. Rich has that rare gift of being hilarious and insightful, accomplished and disarming, curious and wise. (even though I don't listen to a.m. radio, I'm thinking of tuning in to the Start up Nation program) Jeff and Rich's partnership enrich this book - their close personal relationship and complementary strengths lend unique and important perspective to working together --Kathy Chiaravalli, Strategic Human Resources

Make Your Own Hollywood Movie: A Step-by-Step Guide to Scripting, Storyboarding, Casting, Shooting, Editing, and Publishing Your Own Blockbuster Movie

Average customer rating:

Glossy paper
Quiet on the Set!

Make Your Own Hollywood Movie: A Step-by-Step Guide to Scripting, Storyboarding, Casting, Shooting, Editing, and Publishing Your Own Blockbuster Movie
Ed J Gaskell Cooper
Manufacturer: Sybex
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Digital Photography | Digital Photography & Video | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Audio & Video Editing | Digital Music | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Direction & Production | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Digital Photography | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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What They Don't Teach You At Film School: 161 Strategies to Making Your Own Movie No Matter What
How to Make a Hollywood Movie for Under $800!: For movie lovers and movie makers of all kind! From steps A to Z. Contracts, copyright, script writing, ... your Film dream come true! Everything abou
$30 Film School: How to write, direct, produce, shoot, edit, distribute, tour with, and sell your own no-budget DIGITAL movie (Power!)
$30 Film School, Second Edition
Make Your Own Damn Movie!: Secrets of a Renegade Director

ASIN: 0782143261

Book Description

A Step-By-Step Guide to Scripting, Storyboarding, Casting, Shooting, Editing, and Publishing Your Very Own Blockbuster Movie

It's time to use your camcorder for more than capturing family moments. The popularity of DVD and broadband Internet has given us all a means of making and sharing movies with people all over the world. In the digital age, you don't have to be Steven Spielberg to make a movie that leaves viewers wanting more. All it takes is a digital camcorder, a standard home computer, and a little imagination of your own.

This book is a complete course in digital flimmaking. It tells you how to write , plan, and cast your movie, then how to shoot, edit, and distribute it. Learn how to tell stories the Hollywood way, how to bring those stories to life, and how to deal with lighting and sound. Discover the secrets of the digital cutting room and DIY special effects. Providing a solid grounding in moviemaking theory together with step-by-step tutorials full of cool ideas and great techniques, Make Your Own Hollywood Movie will unleash the Hollywood director in you.

Seven comprehensive chapters cover:
* The digital movie studio
* Writing and preproduction
* Getting the shots and sounds you need
* Editing, transitions, and titles
* Working with audio and sound effects
* Disctibuting movies on DVD and the Web
* Matching big-budget Hollywood effects with no-budget tricks

Customer Reviews:

Glossy paper.......2005-10-27

I was kind of disappointed reading this book.
Very little practical advise can be found inside.
Honestly, I found more information on the web and feel kind of cheated. Good quality of paper and color photographs inside thought.
Thanks, Vlad

Quiet on the Set!.......2004-12-03

Tired of making the same old home movie? Everyone with a video camera has made one. You know, they are usually titled "The Johnsons Family Vacation", "Christmas 2003" or "Johnny's 2004 Soccer Season Highlights." If you're ready to take the next step and create a movie that won't have the audience falling asleep in their seat, I suggest that you run to your local bookstore and purchase a copy of "Make Your Own Hollywood Movie."

"Make Your Own Hollywood Movie" is a great reference book. By just cruising through the index you can see it covers everything from creating a story board to lighting, special effects, and stunts. Anything and everything you want to know how to do is there. Considering that purchasing a new camera and computer will cost you any ware from $1000 to $5000 dollars spending $29.95 on a great "how to" book is cheap.

I found the book very easy and fun to read. Each chapter was thoroughly laid out and with many great pictures and diagrams. The Author claims the book is a "step-by-step guide" to digital movie creation. I would agree.

The majority of the information can be used by anyone with basic editing software like Apple's iMovie. Many of the high-tech editing and special effects will require using professional software like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere. But that shouldn't let stop you from buying the book. Learning how the process works will only make you a better videoographer and editor.

The "Hollywood Tricks" chapter was my favorite. The author explained in great detail how to build lunar landscapes out of clay and flour and then create outer space, stars and then add a space craft to the prop. And if that wasn't enough you can make explosions to create drama. I could easily waste a whole weekend recreating my favorite Star Wars scene.

I would recommend this book to anyone with a video camera. Those days of filming "Susie's Cello Recital" are over. Turn that Cello recital into an award winning concert. "Make Your Own Hollywood Movie" will show you how.

Implementation: How to Transform Strategic Initiatives into Blockbuster Results

Average customer rating:

An Implementation Story

Implementation: How to Transform Strategic Initiatives into Blockbuster Results
Sam Bodley-Scott , and Alan Brache
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Systems & Planning | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

How Organizations Work: Taking a Holistic Approach to Enterprise Health
The Rational Project Manager: A Thinking Team's Guide to Getting Work Done
Making Strategy Work: Leading Effective Execution and Change
The Art and Discipline of Strategic Leadership
The New Rational Manager

ASIN: 0071461558

Book Description

The thought leaders at Kepner-Tregoe reveal the seven essential skills to help you effectively put strategic goals into action

If you see a gap in their organization's ability to translate vision into practice, Implementation is written for you--a guide to action-oriented management that directly reflects your corporate vision. Management experts Alan Brache and Sam Bodley-Scott draw from their decades of experience, giving you the tools to bring organizational strategy to life in day-to-day operations. Using the exclusive Kepner-Tregoe methodology, explain each of the seven essential skills of strategy implementation, providing the tactics and diagnostics needed for success.

Customer Reviews:

An Implementation Story.......2006-06-14

A good documentary and not very different from a number of similar predecessors published by KT (Kepner Tregoe) personnel.

I guess we, readers, are constantly bombarded with titles such as the 10 steps to getting rich in 5 days; the 10 traits of a good manager; the 12 reasons for losing your girlfriend and many more.

Bodly-Scott and Brache came up with the 7 skills to help us bridge the Knowing-Doing Gap. A good comprehensive systematic approach but clearly engulfed within the KT-style staretgy framework, which is good enough if you are going to employ the firm to formulate and implement your strategy.

I still found the book exciting, on the first pass, and a great effort is exerted by the authors to impart some implementation experience to the reader. A good overall strategy implementation read.

Average customer rating:

Blockbuster Quilts (No. B118)
Margaret J. Miller
Manufacturer: Martingale & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Quilts & Quilting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Blockbender Quilts
AnglePlay Blocks: Simple Half-Rectangle Triangles, 84 No-Math Quilt Blocks, Easy-To-Follow Charts
Smashing Sets: Exciting Ways to Arrange Quilt Blocks
Strips That Sizzle (That Patchwork Place)
One-Block Wonders: One Fabric, One Shape, One-of-a-Kind Quilts

ASIN: 0943574757

The Blockbuster Toy: How to Invent the Next Big Thing

Average customer rating:

Excellent
MUST READ FOR PLAYMAKERS
Review of THE BLOCKBUSTER TOY

The Blockbuster Toy: How to Invent the Next Big Thing
Gene Del Vecchio
Manufacturer: Pelican Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

The Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook
Creating Ever-Cool: A Marketer's Guide to a Kid's Heart
Designing for Children
What Kids Buy: The Psychology of Marketing to Kids
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cashing in On Your Inventions

ASIN: 1589801229

Book Description

By conducting an in-depth review of the great toys from ancient times to the present, youth- marketing expert Gene Del Vecchio reveals the six core qualities that help toys achieve blockbuster status:

the toy's unique satisfaction of children's emotional needs

the toy's acceptance among parents and unique fulfillment of their needs

the toy's perfect alignment with significant historical events or social trends

the toy's ability to reinvent itself

the toy's employment of inspiring, playful marketing

and, sometimes, the toy's serendipitous rendezvous with powerful, random events

The Blockbuster Toy! How to Invent the Next BIG Thing also sheds light on the definition of what it means to be a toy in today's world. From traditional toys, to foods, to multi-player on-line games, to the importance of story and Hollywood studio alliances, Del Vecchio casts a broad net and explains, in ways that marketers can learn from and interested readers will find amazingly insightful, how playthings become pop culture.

Readers will learn here the essence of a blockbuster toy and the various recent approaches used by Crayola, Disney, and other companies in choosing their products. Six chapters discuss blockbuster marketing strategies, all designed to help toy-industry professionals ignite the smiles that can make their careers.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2004-11-07

As an up-and-coming successful toy inventor, I thought this book was excellent. I have read a few others, but I found that this one inspired the most ideas. Del Vecchio's matrixes are a great tool for idea generation (or the checking of your ideas). Buy it and read it.

MUST READ FOR PLAYMAKERS.......2003-12-27

Gene Del Vecchio's new book, The Blockbuster Toy-How to Invent the Next Big Thing, provides penetrating insights and well- honed experiences. His awareness helps to clarify the puzzle of creating a successful product from many complex dimensions.
The book is well written. It provides the vantage point of history, popularity, culture and values to show "playmakers" what works, what does not, and why.This book is a must read, providing valuable guidance for every "playmaker" and everyone in the business-from inventors to manufacturers and sellers.
You will be able to compare the experiences you have had with the products discussed that can be measured against his sensible and practical guidance.Perhaps more "playmakers" will ponder the fact that many successful toys were created not for fame and fortune, but instead for the love and laughter of children-basic values that have been superseded by avaricious investors and the eager quest for the "hot toy." The many concrete examples present classic icons that surpass time and trends and remain perennially, "Evergreen." There is a lot of value in understanding the essential components that make for success and to use his principles for careful study.
Who knows what will become the next "Furby" or "Teddy." Meanwhile read this book to get inspiration,knowledge and the map and compass before you venture forth.

Review of THE BLOCKBUSTER TOY.......2003-12-06

GENE DEL VECCIO'S BOOK ON THE BLOCKBUSTER TOY IS EASY TO READ, HOLDS INTEREST, AND SUPPLIES A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE, AS WELL AS A CONCEPTUAL PERSPECTIVE, OF TOYS PROBABLY NOT FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE. IT SHOULD BE OF INTEREST TO ANY MANUFACTURER OR MARKETER OF PRODUCTS FOR KIDS (NOT JUST TOYS), AND OTHER MARKETING PRACTITIONERS, FOR THAT MATTER.

Now in Theaters Everywhere: A Celebration of a Certain Kind of Blockbuster

Average customer rating:

A Celebration of the Blockbuster
If you're a movie lover!

Now in Theaters Everywhere: A Celebration of a Certain Kind of Blockbuster
Kenneth Turan
Manufacturer: PublicAffairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Guides & Reviews | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

History & Criticism | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Reference | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

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Never Coming to A Theater Near You
The 100 Best Films to Rent You've Never Heard Of: Hidden Treasures, Neglected Classics, and Hits From By-Gone Eras
Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert
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The A List: The National Society of Film Critics' 100 Essential Films

ASIN: 1586483951

Book Description

In his popular Never Coming to a Theater Near You, Kenneth Turan celebrated the great films that you may have missed because they never got the screen time they deserved in a blockbuster-dominated culture. Now Turan tells fans of these smaller, lesser-known films what big studio successes they shouldn't neglect. Now in Theaters Everywhere collects Turan's illuminating reviews of the smart and satisfying films you may have underestimated precisely because they dominated the box office.

As independent films like Sideways and Brokeback Mountain become increasingly mainstream, sophisticated moviegoers tend to dismiss everything Hollywood produces as merely blockbusters or crowd pleasers. True, not every blockbuster is worth your while. But the studios produce more than cinematic fast food, and Turan will turn you on to big-budget movies that supply real sustenance. His collection of close to 150 reviews defends these cinematic pleasures, pointing readers to the thought-provoking bigger films they may have skipped. Most importantly, he shows readers what makes these films so great, and tells us why we may have to venture no farther than the megaplex for a movie that's worth seeing.

Customer Reviews:

A Celebration of the Blockbuster.......2006-12-10

My first introduction to Kenneth Turan was NEVER COMING TO A THEATER NEAR YOU, a book that contained reviews of independent and art house films that are of merit, but never hit blockbuster status. My hunch is that many of those who read the book soon went to video stores or Netflix and viewed some of the great films he recommended. Since he's a critic for a major newspaper, he sees more than just the small art house films. More than likely he's paid to review the films most people see in theaters and I'm sure he sees more than his share of the good, the bad, and ugly (borrowing from the movie title). In his latest work NOW IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE he uses the same format he used in his earlier book but examines films that have been successful in theaters and have qualities that make them both entertaining and worthwhile as art.

Turan's purpose in writing this book is interesting. He admits he loves smaller independent films, but he's sees a trend happening. These independent films, thought by many to be disappearing, are on the increase, and large Hollywood studio films are getting so expensive. Combine expense with changes in viewing habits, and there's a danger that fewer will be made. He also wanted to pay tribute to films that sometimes get snubbed at awards ceremonies simply because they are products of Hollywood, his case in point being the critically acclaimed and very popular film directed by Clint Eastwood MYSTIC RIVER.

The book is divided into five categories: action/adventure, comedy, drama/romance, animation, and spectacle. His choices include some of the most popular films of recent years: SCHINDLER'S LIST, THELMA AND LOUISE, FINDING NEMO, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, SPEED, and TOY STORY. There are some interesting omissions: FOREST GUMP, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, and TITANIC to name three. He also includes a number of films that don't normally make the best of lists, but are loved by audiences such as the remake of THE PARENT TRAP, THE ROOKIE, and SISTER ACT. Each film he includes has a review and reasons why he sees it as a good work.

This is the perfect book for a film lover. There are some many guides with basic summaries available; having a book that has content about great movies is a great find for anyone who loves film. People will agree and disagree with his choices and reasons for including a particular film, but no one will question his love for movies of all types.

If you're a movie lover!.......2006-10-15

This book is a companion book to the 2004 Never Coming to a Theatre Near You: A Celebration of Certain Kind of Movie. Author and bestselling film critic Kenneth Turan profiles "intelligent" and original "big-budget" Hollywood films that sophisticated moviegoers may have missed--or dismissed simply because there were made in Hollywood.

Dividing movies into several categories: Action/Thriller, Comedy, Drama/Romance, Animation and Spectacle, he details why these movies should be seen by people who care about "intelligent entertainment."

I was pleased to see that a few my favorites were included--movies that I actually took the time to go see in the theatre, vs. waiting for the home versions. I love when I stumble onto a "sleeper," that's good enough for me to tell everyone, and if it starred my favorite actor, Kevin Kline, as in DAVE, all the better.

The book started with explaining why when the sci-fi "art film" Blade Runner was first introduced in 1981, it didn't do that well. And of course it didn't help that ET was introduced a month earlier (it grossed $300 million). In 1989 someone found an old version and it was re-released in fall 1991 in art theatres to great attendance.

Turan lists 32 thrillers, stating that Hollywood still knows how to make thrillers like Oceans Eleven, The Manchurian Candidate (both original and sequels). These kinds of movies translate well whether in the US or Japan, giving them global appeal.

He lists 22 comedies. Critically successful comedies are surprisingly too rare. Why? Comedy (and horror) are geared to the tastes of under and 25 set of moviegoers. He lists American Pie, Clueless, School of Rock and Spy Kids--movies that were not placed in a high school, done with gifted actors who could sometimes make unlikely material funny: Jim Carrey, Hugh Grant, Eddie Murphy, Jack Black, Ben Stiller, Whoopie Goldberg, Cameron Diaz, Will Ferrell and Will
Smith.

In the Drama/Romance category Turan lists 35 movies. Many selected in the drama category also had a romantic aspect--as if they think we don't want drama without romance to soften it.

Armchair Interview says: If you are a movie lover, you'll find this very interesting. If you wonder if there are still movies worth your time and money, his insights may change your mind.

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