And THE BEST SCREENPLAY goes to...

Learning From the Winners: Sideways * Shakespeare In Love * Crash*
by Dr. Linda Seger

Book Review
By Ann Baldwin


Dr. Linda Seger is a pioneer in her field, one of Hollywood’s top script consultants, and highly respected internationally for her expertise in script analysis. She’s written twelve books, nine on screenwriting. She has given seminars around the world and to many companies and professional organizations including ABC, CBS, NBC, Disney, Writers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America, American Film Institute, Sundance Institute and the Motion Picture and Television Academies. She’s been the recipient of numerous awards and her client list is long and very distinguished from Ray Bradbury to TriStar Pictures including many Academy and Emmy Award winners. In her book, And THE BEST SCREENPLAY goes to… Learning From the Winners: Sideways * Shakespeare In Love * Crash (Michael Wiese Productions 2008), she takes you on an in-depth study, sharing valuable insights, into the creative screenwriting process by examining the details of three Academy Award-winning films.

She explores a variety of elements and some rare techniques used in the creation of these honored screenplays such as: dialogue as a metaphor to reveal character, the Interweaving Structure, theme as the driving force, and connecting within yourself, with the audience, and through props.

While Linda analyzes these Oscar prized screenplays, she also refers to a wealth of other movies as examples. Following each analysis are revealing interviews with the writers and directors of the films; they explain the writing, directing, marketing, selling, and production stages they went through from the initial concept of their stories to casting to receiving the Academy Award.

Great screenwriting is achieved in large part through a keen observation and understanding of ourselves, others, life, and the successful films. I highly recommend And THE BEST SCREENPLAY goes to… for screenwriters who have a true passion for the art of film and want to be their best.

To learn more about Dr. Linda Seger you can visit her at http://www.lindaseger.com and purchase a copy of And THE BEST SCREENPLAY goes to…at Michael Wiese Productions, Amazon, The Writers Store, and Barnes & Noble.