Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Something Startling Happens-REVIEW
Something Startling Happens-REVIEW
Although our media are increasingly oriented to the visual, written content remains fundamental. Considering the breadth of the field, Writing for Visual Media does an admirable job of dealing with the complexities and exigencies. Drawbacks are minor compared to the accomplishments, especially the useful
examples (in the text and on the Web site) and the comprehensive glossary of terms. I know of no better introductory text on the subject. LAURA R. LINDER Marist College
94
Copyright 2012 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Complimentary copy--not for distribution
point. Although many films are cited in the book (the filmography contains forty-four titles), most of the examples are from the same movies: Juno, Being John Malkovich, Pulp Fiction, The Matrix, Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Halloween. To best use Klicks book, the reader would need to have familiarity beyond one cursory viewing of the film and would need to be somewhat intimate with the film examples. This is due to the fact that each case study is brief: generally, a short sentence intended to substantiate the chapter title, often only one page long. For example, in the chapter Minute 92: Hugs & Kisses, Klick uses Being John Malkovich, Pulp Fiction, and The Matrix as case studies. To illustrate his point that in minute 92 the hero and ally, or love interest, show affection, Klick writes, In The Matrix, Trinity and Neo try to find a way to save Morpheus (their way of expressing affection for him) (147). In the case study for Being John Malkovich in the same chapter, he writes, Maxine shows affection toward puppet-Lotte (147). Unless readers have fairly comprehensive knowledge of the films or have them on hand for easy viewing, the descriptions will most likely lack meaning for readers of Klicks book. And in the absence of more detailed explanation, many case studies in the book unfortunately feel shallow and uninformed. This is one of the things that sets Klicks tome apart from other screenwriting texts that tend to use examples from a few films, where the intention is to set up the overall plot and describe the illustrative moment in enough detail that the reader generally does not have to have seen the movie. Although Klicks minute-by-minute thesis stands up, it may not be enough to make such brief statements regarding what one particular minute accomplishes in a series of films. A more detailed handling of the cases with specific setup for each instance would have made the book more accessible to a wider audience and not necessitated that readers prescreen the movies or have the movies readily on hand. That is not to say that Klicks book does not have value. The text is strongest when he introduces each chapter and explains in general
terms what happens in each minute. It is the use of case studies where the book falls short and quickly becomes repetitive. The exercises contained in each section follow a somewhat similar format. Exercise 5 in the section titled The Hook of Revelations explores minute 41. Klick briefly sets up the exercise using a scene from the film Up in the Air, where Ryan overhears his coworker Natalie talking to her boyfriend on her cell phone. The exercise then consists of Klick asking the reader to identify what it is in Natalies conversation that sticks a thorn into [Ryans] rosy thoughts about himself (72). Although the question posed is interesting and has significance, the exercise only offers the reader a chance to answer the question of what the thorny rose is in this moment, instead of expanding the exercise to include a more in-depth exploration of the moment. Additionally, although exercises in screenwriting texts are not unusual, they often are used as impetus for the readers own writing. Klick chose not to use his exercises to specifically encourage the readers to apply the moment or exercise to their own work. This may be because the book is intended for a much wider audience than the beginning screenwriter. In his introduction to the book, Klick includes a handy section titled How to Use This Book. His suggestion is to use the book as a page-by-page metaphor or checklist when the writer is ready, or as an idea booster if the writer is stuck. There is no question that breaking down screenplays and script ideas has value for writers, and for directors as well, and in this exercise, Klicks book is both useful and thoughtful. However, the lack of depth in the detailing of the minutes, along with the need for at least a working familiarity with the films used in the case studies, somewhat limits the practical application of the book. Still, for the reader with comprehensive knowledge of, or easy access to, the films Klick utilizes, the book may prove worthwhile. JEAN STAWARZ Emerson College
95