94 journal of film and video 65.1–2 / spring/summer 2013©2013 by the board of trustees of the university of illinois

Although our media are increasingly ori-ented to the visual, written content remains fundamental. Considering the breadth of the field, Writing for Visual Media does an admi-rable 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. LINDERMarist College

SOMETHING STARTLING HAPPENS

Todd Klick. Studio City: Michael Wiese, 2011, 199 pp.

In one of the introductory sections of his new book, Something Startling Happens, Todd Klick quickly and clearly states that the premise of the book is that every movie—or to use his dis-tinction, every great movie—shares a similarity in its minute-by-minute structure. Klick came upon this when analyzing Raid-ers of the Lost Ark. The moment of action that occurs eight minutes into the movie struck a chord with him. After reexamining notes he had made during an analysis of The Matrix, he discovered an unexpected moment of action occurred at the same spot in both movies. Scuttling through notes he had made regarding the structure of other films, Klick confirmed his theory that eight minutes into most movies, “something startling happened.” To prove his thesis, Klick began by playing three movies side by side. Instead of looking at the films in the more traditional scene-by-scene or beat-by-beat fashion, Klick studied the three films minute by minute and discov-ered that essentially the same thing happens in each minute. Klick ascertains that the universality of sto-rytelling through production brings about this minute-by-minute rhythm; hence, he examines produced films instead of scripts. He goes on to suggest that it does not matter if the film ends at 89 minutes or 120 minutes—the minute events are the same. He also states that his theory can be used to improve overall story structure for the outline and treatment phase of

screenwriting. Klick has a thorough list of FAQs prominently placed early in the book, discuss-ing how the method works for scripts that are shorter than feature-length and even television pilots. Klick also thought through how his book could be used for production as well as post-production. Klick’s book varies from other screenwriting how-to manuals in that he does not discuss three-act structure or engage in the use of well-worn script nomenclature. The book is divided into six major sections that represent twenty film minutes. The minutes represent the chap-ters in the book; thus, each section consists of twenty chapters with catchphrase titles that proceed minute by minute with exhaustive examples of movies. Each section also con-tains two writing exercises that involve use of a stopwatch and very specific movies. Should the reader want to complete the exercises, the student must readily have films such as Titanic, Amelie, Braveheart, or Kill Bill on hand. The first section of the book, “In Da Begin-ning,” covers minutes one to twenty of a fea-ture film. Each minute is preceded by a clever title—for example, “The Build,” “The Ratchet,” “Whew, That Was Close!” and “Something Startling Happens”—that describes the essence of the minute. The chapters in all sections of the book are relatively short. Each opens with a brief statement that explains the concept in the chapter and then goes on to cite case stud-ies—specific moments in films—to illustrate the

Copyright 2012 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Complimentary copy--not for distribution

95journal of film and video 65.1–2 / spring/summer 2013©2013 by the board of trustees of the university of illinois

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 Klick’s 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: gener-ally, 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 il-lustrate 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 affec-tion 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 Klick’s book. And in the absence of more detailed explanation, many case studies in the book unfortunately feel shal-low and uninformed. This is one of the things that sets Klick’s 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 Klick’s min-ute-by-minute thesis stands up, it may not be enough to make such brief statements regard-ing 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 mov-ies readily on hand. That is not to say that Klick’s book does not have value. The text is strongest when he in-troduces 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 fol-low 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 Natalie’s conversation that “sticks a thorn into [Ryan’s] 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 exer-cise 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 reader’s 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 screen-writer. 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, Klick’s 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 STAWARZEmerson College

Copyright 2012 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Complimentary copy--not for distribution