Dien Rice
August 2, 2000, 07:22 AM
Herschell Gordon Lewis is well-known as a copywriter, and he's written several classic books on copywriting.
But a lot of people don't realize that in the 60s and early 70s he was a producer and director of low-budget horror films. You can read more on this web page.... This is the same guy as the copywriter.... Check out the "Trivia" section. :)
Do you think there's a connection? It made me think about copywriting and salesmanship and other areas of life.
When you think about it, some elements of copywriting can be found in films. For example, at the beginning, a film should get your attention. A good example is the film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film begins, and already Indiana Jones is about to be flattened by a rolling boulder! What an attention getter!
I once leafed through a book on script-writing.... According to this book, the advice was that every ten pages, there should be a "whammo!" A "whammo" is some sort of attention-getter. It made me think of sub-headings in long ads. :)
The rest of filming might be quite different…. For example, in telling a good story (whether in a novel, film, or some other medium), you need an element of conflict. (I actually learned this first from one of Gordon's old posts….)
Anyhow, do you think salesmanship and copywriting can help in many other areas?
I'm wondering if I mastered the art of copywriting, should I seek a position as a director of low-budget horror films? ;)
Cheers,
Dien
But a lot of people don't realize that in the 60s and early 70s he was a producer and director of low-budget horror films. You can read more on this web page.... This is the same guy as the copywriter.... Check out the "Trivia" section. :)
Do you think there's a connection? It made me think about copywriting and salesmanship and other areas of life.
When you think about it, some elements of copywriting can be found in films. For example, at the beginning, a film should get your attention. A good example is the film, Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film begins, and already Indiana Jones is about to be flattened by a rolling boulder! What an attention getter!
I once leafed through a book on script-writing.... According to this book, the advice was that every ten pages, there should be a "whammo!" A "whammo" is some sort of attention-getter. It made me think of sub-headings in long ads. :)
The rest of filming might be quite different…. For example, in telling a good story (whether in a novel, film, or some other medium), you need an element of conflict. (I actually learned this first from one of Gordon's old posts….)
Anyhow, do you think salesmanship and copywriting can help in many other areas?
I'm wondering if I mastered the art of copywriting, should I seek a position as a director of low-budget horror films? ;)
Cheers,
Dien
