Shoot Out: Surviving Fame and (Mis)fortune in Hollywood

Hollywood thrives on “shoot-outs”—standoffs, skirmishes, and power struggles that mark every stage of the filmmaking process. Whether it is a director insisting on a final cut, a star demanding a bigger motor home, a producer holding the line on a budget, or a grip with a gripe, it seems that the world of moviemaking is nothing but Sturm und Drang—all for the sake of control over a few flickering images on a silver screen. Shoot Out presents a raucous look at how movies get made—from the first pitch to the final cut—and the players involved, from writers, producers, directors, and stars to agents and marketers. For film buffs, aspiring filmmakers, students, and anyone else intrigued by the inner workings of Hollywood, this is the quintessential take on the how, who, what, and why of the film business.