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You Are Here: creation process: writing: scriptwriting books: The Writer Got Screwed (But Didn't Have To)
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The Writer Got Screwed (But Didn't Have To) : A Guide to the Legal and Business Practices of Writing for the Entertainment Industry
author:Brooke A. Wharton
price: $11.20
BUY IT ON AMAZON.COM |
Book Description
In the national bestseller The Writer Got Screwed, Brooke Wharton draws the road map for anyone who is writing for the entertainment industry or who has ever aspired to do so. Cutting through the mumbo jumbo, it provides the crucial information necessary to help writers protect their work, ensure that they get compensated, find an agent, enter into a contract, understand their contract and avoid getting screwed or sued along the way.
Described by top Hollywood screenwriter J. F. Lawton (Pretty Woman and Under Siege) as "mandatory reading for anyone who wants a career in Hollywood," this guide also provides interviews with people in the "biz" who offer their insights and personal advice on working in the industry. Some of the heavyweights featured include Jane Anderson (How to Make an American Quilt), Philip Lazebnik (Pocahontas), Lawrence Meyers (Picket Fences), and Gary Goldstein (producer of Pretty Woman). Sample agreements with explanations of their true meaning; appendices, including lists of Writers Guild-approved agencies, internships and fellowships; a list of legal organizations; and a glossary of commonly used terms are also included.
Synopsis
A top Hollywood insider explains the business end of the entertainment industry to help the millions who dream of writing and those who are writing for television, film, interactive, or any area of the industry. Cutting through the mumbo jumbo, Wharton provides crucial information to help writers protect their work, ensure that they get compensated, find an agent, enter into a contract, understand their contract, and avoid getting screwed or sued along the way.
About the Author
Brooke Wharton is a Hollywood entertainment and copyright lawyer whose clients include some of the industry's top names. She is a member of the faculty of USC's School of Cinema/Television, where she has created a program concerning the business of writing for the entertainment industry. She lectures frequently at California Institute of the Arts, Art Center College of Design, The Directors Guild of America and The National Society of Film Educators.
She lives in Los Angeles, California.
I had the pleasure of the meeting the author, entertainment attorney Brooke A. Wharton with agent Jonathan Westover of The Gage Group. As a former paralegal, I am often questioned by friends and there are few books available that tell me something I don't already know about writer's business concerns. This book is one of them. More than just a guide, this book is a valuable and essential resource tool for every writer. Though the book focuses on the film industry, universal topics such as how to protect your work, contracts, release forms, managers, agents and lawyers - to query letters and competitions are covered in plain English and the information can easily be applied to any form of writing. For example, "pitching" is an art form similar to proposals, while rights and options are a key element in all news-related and fiction writing involving real people. Also, many agents handle both book manucripts and screenplays. If you're like me, your bookshelves are cluttered with writing industry books. Trust me, this one is worth it. Having this book is like having a lawyer at your fingertips. With information on networking, competitions, legal organizations and cyberscribing, thi book can serve as a writer's business plan blueprint. It was the best investment I made in my writing career this year. I honestly don't know of any writer who could not benefit from the information in this book.
As an entertainment professional, I consider this book essential reading. Any aspiring or even working writer should pick this one up. In fact, anyone and everyone in the business of film-making would be well-served by reading this book. It's much more funny, informative, and relevant than the other similar books in the marketplace. The cost of the book is a small price to pay for an education that may help protect you for the rest of your career.
This is a wonderful resource for screenwriters. Wharton demystifies the copywright/WGA registration issue, explains the legalities about writing true stories, offers great sample contracts, and clears up many of the questions writers are afraid to ask for fear of sounding ignorant. This book has been on my shelves for years, and I continue to refer and recommend it often. --Jenna Glatzer, jenna@absolutewrite.com
Reviews excerpted from: Amazon.com |
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