Backstory is one of the best magazines for filmmakers out there. Jeff Goldsmith and company conduct such in depth interviews with Writers, Directors, Actors, Editors and more. It's a gift of creative inspiration and understanding in each issue! The best $25 you'll spend this year on your filmmaking passion is right here.And Jeff's podcast "The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith" is another way to learn and grow too. Enjoy. I've got to get back to reading the newest issue!

After having an opportunity to check out this app with the free trial debut issue on a family member's iPad, I got the fever to purchase an iPad for myself. It is that good.I've been a longtime listener of Jeff Goldsmith's insightful podcast, The Q & A with Jeff Goldsmith (formerly Creative Screenwriting Magazine podcast). He functions as the Publisher and Editor In Chief of Backstory and my liaison directing me to this publication via said podcast. I had previously, briefly given Creative Screenwriting Mag a try, but ultimately didn't find it to be compelling enough to continue to pony up for the expensive print publication. Backstory is a complete game changer to the format.Here are the highlights to the magazine and this particular publication format. A) This magazine still delivers on the excellent interviews and journalists that were the highlight of the former Creative Screenwriting publication. B) Most importantly - this format allows for the inclusion of multiple feature length scripts (many of them as-yet unproduced Black List winners - a difficult to access and highly sought after resource for the intended audience of this publication) an unrealistic paper publication inclusion. C) Occasional and extremely insightful draft notes, outlines and production notes paired with feature stories and scripts. D) Exclusive links to short films and featurettes related to the writers, producers, and directors being featured in the articles.I can't say enough great things about this app/publication. It targets a specific audience for certain, but if you are a part of that audience, this is essential. I throw this into the pantheon of publications that include Tape Op (for home/studio audio engineers) and Creative Cow (for film/video production folks) and Backstory is a mere 4 issues deep at the time of this review.No looking in the rearview on my iPad purchase. It was worth it for Backstory access alone. That is a bold statement that I mean with absolute sincerity.

I have read issue #1, purchased (but only glanced at) #2, and so far I'm impressed. Unlike most magazines in the iTunes Newsstand, Backstory is not kludged together from a print magazine, but rather designed natively for digital, and the interface is clever and intuitive. Content-wise, the articles are well written and informative, and the illustration and design first-rate. I know it's tough times for magazines in any format, but I hope Backstory succeeds.

I really want to give this a 5 stars, but I can't download some of the issues I purchased. It downloads for 10 min with little progress and then gives me an error that the server is busy. Then I have to start all over but it hangs every time. I was able to download most of two of the issues, but that's after babysitting the app and u pausing the download every time it pauses itself. I love the content of the magazines and Jeffs q&as are incredible! But trying to get the magazine to download is nothing but frustration.