How long should a script be? 

How to set a scene? 

What's the best camera angle for the shot? 

How do you really satisfy and audience?

These basic questions and much more are covered in my first book. It's a perfect overview for anyone interested in the the inner-workings of film-making and story-telling.

"The 102nd thing taught in film school should be 'Read this book.' Concise, insightful, and jammed full of hard-earned insider knowledge, Neil Landau's '101 Things' is distilled wisdom -- strong, bracing, and more than a little intoxicating.”

 \ David Koepp, Screenwriter \  Spider Man, Jurassic Park, Panic Room, War of the Worlds, Angels and Demons, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull 

"Neil Landau has created a fun and accessible way for the novice to learn the building blocks of filmmaking, and for the seasoned filmmaker to be reminded of what great storytelling requires." 

\ Melissa Rosenberg                             SCREENWRITER: \  Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Step Up;  Executive Producer, Dexter (Showtime)

"An invaluable refresher course and a shot of inspiration to both experienced and aspiring filmmakers." 
 

\ David Semel \  Emmy Award Nominated Director/Executive Producer: Heroes, Life, The Cleaner, American Dreams 

“If I were as pithy as "101 Things I Learned in Film School," then this sentence would have ended a few words ago.  My own shortcomings notwithstanding, film buffs and film professionals alike would do well to hip-pocket this clever and enlightening li’l volume of moviemaking/screenwriting aphorisms.”

\ Andrew Kevin Walker                       Screenwriter \   se7en, Sleepy Hollow, Wolfman 

"A lively, engaging read offering not only practical advice for filmmakers but also provocative insights into the special nature of movies." 

\ Prof. Richard Walter \    Chair, Screenwriting Program UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television

"A 'must read' for every aspiring director and screenwriter. My favorites are #2 -- the quickest way to improve a scene; the contradictory but equally true #7 and #8; and the horrifying but undeniable #31. Oh, and don't forget #48 -- the quickest way to show your actors you respect them.

\ Don Roos                                Screenwriter-Director\      Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, Marley & Me, Happy Endings, Bounce, The Opposite of Sex, Diabolique, Love Field, Boys on the Side, Single White Female  

"I'm a screenwriter who's always loved 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School. I'm thrilled that Neil Landau and Matthew Frederick have given me a companion to that wildly smart little book.  Flip to a page, any page, and your writer's block will disappear." 

\ Jane Anderson Emmy Award Winning Screenwriter- Director\  Normal, The Baby Dance, How to Make an American Quilt, It Could Happen to You, The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom 

"101 savory bites of energizing inspirational nutrition. The perfect concept of this book makes valuable information entertaining and accessible." 

\ Prof. Hal Ackerman \   Screenwriting Program Co-Area Head UCLA > School of Theater Film and Television 

"This is an extraordinarily practical book. Neil has done away with all the clutter and laid out the bare essentials that every filmmaker needs to know. A glance at every page is all it takes to accumulate a career-full of extremely useful knowledge. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I only wish he'd written it BEFORE I made my first movie!" 

\ Stuart Beattie, Screenwriter   G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Australia, 30 Days of Night, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Derailed, Collateral 

“Clear. Concise.  Compact.  Sit down and get your film school education between these covers.  Mr. Landau cuts to the chase, gives all the important information, and it’s a blast to read.”

\ Allison Liddi-Brown DGA Award               Winning Director \ Grey’s Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, CSI, CSI: Miami,   CSI:New York, Gossip Girl, Bones, The Princess Protection Program

"What makes 101 Things I Learned in Film School so unique and invaluable is that, like a good movie, this book cuts to the chase. It says in few words what some books take whole chapters to explain. But, don't hurry: take your time and savor the many truths living within these covers." 

     \ Jack Epps \           Jr., Chair and Associate Professor USC Writing Division, Screenwriter: Top Gun, Dick Tracy, and The Secret of My Success