The Coffee Break Screenwriter Breaks the Rules

Author: Pilar Alessandra
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781615932825
Category : Motion picture authorship
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Pilar Alessandra's popular book, The Coffee Break Screenwriter, taught writers how to outline quickly, write efficiently, and rewrite creatively. It is the "go-to" book for getting one's story on the page. But now that same writer may be doing a final pass on a project, working with a producer, or coming up with a new project only to be hit with . . . RULES! Should the writer respond to this random list of do's and don'ts pertaining to structure, characters, dialogue, and formatting? Nope. Who says you have to follow the screenwriting rules? In this book Pilar reviews the rules writers assume they should follow, discusses why they're there in the first place, and then shows you ways to creatively break them! Rules evaluated include those addressing: storytelling devices like flashback and voiceover character rules such as empathy and backstory dialogue faux pas such as writing on the nose structural issues such as nonlinear writing and act-break placement formatting sticking points involving emotion and visuals For every "rule" that's discussed, Pilar covers: 1. Why the rule exists. 2. Why writers should break the rule. 3. How writers can break the rule. 4. How breaking the rule can break bad (so break with care).

The Coffee Break Screenwriter

Author: Pilar Alessandra
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781615932429
Category : Motion picture authorship
Languages : en
Pages : 270

Book Description
The writer receives guidance and tips at every stage of the often intimidating writing process with a relaxed, "ten minutes at a time" method that focuses the writer and pushes him or her forward. At each step, writers are encouraged to "Take Ten" and tackle an element of their script using the templates and tools provided. "What You've Accomplished" sections help writers review their progress. And "Ten-Minute Lectures" distill and demystify old school theory, allowing the writer to unblock and get writing.

Rewriting Secrets for Screenwriters

Author: Tom Lazarus
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
ISBN: 1429906359
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 302

Book Description
Every screenwriter needs to rewrite—more than once, probably many times—to make the story work and then to make a sale. And then again later on, to please producers, studios or stars. Tom Lazarus--author of "Stigmata", among other scripts--is a working screenwriter and professor at UCLA extension. In this book, he's distilled his own experience and that of other screenwriters into a system. SECRETS OF FILM REWRITING will teach writers how to: -prioritize big scenes -track transitions -plot corrections -add new information -pass through for dialogue -do an "on the nose" rewrite Hugely valuable to first-time screenwriters and to grizzled veterans of Hollywood pitch wars alike, SECRETS OF SCREENPLAY REWRITING is larded with humor and attitude as well as information. Its anatomy of a screenplay rewrite breaks down the book's lessons into their practical application—a must for anyone looking for a break in the film business.

The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters

Author: Karl Iglesias
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 144052789X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 272

Book Description
Takes a look into the lives and workspaces of screenwriters, who share their best practices in their own writing careers.

Writing Movies

Author: Gotham Writers Workshop
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1596919833
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Book Description
To break into the screenwriting game, you need a screenplay that is not just good, but great. Superlative. Stellar. In Writing Movies you'll find everything you need to know to reach this level. And, like the very best teachers, Writing Movies is always practical, accessible, and entertaining. The book provides a comprehensive look at screenwriting, covering all the fundamentals (plot, character, scenes, dialogue, etc.) and such crucial-but seldom discussed-topics as description, voice, tone, and theme. These concepts are illustrated through analysis of five brilliant screenplays-Die Hard, Thelma & Louise, Tootsie, Sideways, and The Shawshank Redemption. Also included are writing assignments and step-by-step tasks that take writers from rough idea to polished screenplay. Written by Gotham Writers' Workshop expert instructors, Writing Movies offers the same winning style and clarity of presentation that have made a success of Gotham's previous book Writing Fiction, which is now in its 7th printing. Named the "best class for screenwriters" in New York City by MovieMaker Magazine, Gotham Writers' Workshop is America's leading private creative writing school, offering classes in Manhattan and on the Web at www.WritingClasses.com. The school's interactive online classes, selected as "Best of the Web" by Forbes, have attracted thousands of aspiring writers from across the United States and more than sixty countries.

Cold Storage

Author: David Koepp
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062916459
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 314

Book Description
"On every level, Cold Storage is pure, unadulterated entertainment." —Douglas Preston, The New York Times Book Review For fans of The Martian, Dark Matter, and Before the Fall comes an astonishing debut thriller by the screenwriter of Jurassic Park: a wild and terrifying bioterrorism adventure about three strangers who must work together to contain a highly contagious, deadly organism that could destroy all of humanity. They thought it was contained. They were wrong. When Pentagon bioterror operative Roberto Diaz was sent to investigate a suspected biochemical attack, he found something far worse: a highly mutative organism capable of extinction-level destruction. He contained it and buried it in cold storage deep beneath a little-used military repository. Now, after decades of festering in a forgotten sub-basement, the specimen has found its way out and is on a lethal feeding frenzy. Only Diaz knows how to stop it. He races across the country to help two unwitting security guards—one an ex-con, the other a single mother. Over one harrowing night, the unlikely trio must figure out how to quarantine this horror again. All they have is luck, fearlessness, and a mordant sense of humor. Will that be enough to save all of humanity?

The Essential Screenplay (3-Book Bundle)

Author: Syd Field
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 1101969598
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 965

Book Description
Hollywood’s script guru teaches you how to write a screenplay in the ultimate three-volume guide to writing for film, featuring “the ‘bible’ of screenwriting” (The New York Times), Screenplay—now celebrating forty years of screenwriting success! This blockbuster ebook bundle includes: SCREENPLAY: FOUNDATIONS OF SCREENWRITING • THE SCREENWRITER’S WORKBOOK • THE SCREENWRITER’S PROBLEM SOLVER Syd Field was “the most sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world” according to The Hollywood Reporter. His pioneering insights into structure, concept, and character launched innumerable careers. Now in one handy collection, his invaluable expertise is available to aspiring writers and working professionals alike. The Essential Screenplay contains Syd Field’s Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting, the industry standard for script development; The Screenwriter’s Workbook, a hands-on workshop full of practical exercises for creating successful screenplays; and The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver, a guide to identifying and fixing problems in your latest draft. Throughout, you’ll learn: • why the first ten pages of your script are crucially important • how to visually “grab” the reader from page one • what makes great stories work • the basics of writing dialogue • the essentials of creating great characters • how to adapt a novel, a play, or an article for the screen • the three ways to claim legal ownership of your work • tips for allowing your creative self to break free when you hit the “wall” • how to overcome writer’s block forever Featuring expert analysis of popular films including Pulp Fiction, Thelma & Louise, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Essential Screenplay will transform your initial idea into a screenplay that’s destined for success—and maybe even Cannes. Praise for Syd Field “The most sought-after screenwriting teacher in the world.”—The Hollywood Reporter “Syd Field is the preeminent analyzer in the study of American screenplays.”—James L. Brooks, Academy Award–winning writer, director, producer

That's Not The Way It Works

Author: Bob Saenz
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781734347913
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 350

Book Description
You want to be a screenwriter. You've read all the screenwriting books. But you're left wanting more. Here is a fresh book written by a screenwriter who has spent years in the trenches.T hat's Not The Way It Works is a no holds barred look at the craft and business of screenwriting, told in a "let's sit down and chat over a cup (or pot) of coffee" manner. So grab a cup of coffee and start reading. You'll get the inside scoop from a screenwriter who had more than a dozen proudced screenplays between movies and television.

The Hidden Tools of Comedy

Author: Steve Kaplan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781615931408
Category : Comedy
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
A paradigm shift in understanding the mechanics and art of comedy, providing practical tools that help writers translate that understanding into successful, commercial scripts. Kaplan deconstructs secrets and techniques in popular films and TV that work and don't work, and explains what tools were used (or should have been used ).

Television and Screen Writing

Author: Richard A Blum
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1136050337
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 337

Book Description
Now in its fourth edition, Television and Screen Writing: From Concept to Contract is a classic resource for students and professionals in screenwriting and television writing. This book will teach you how to become a creative and marketable writer in every professional arena - including major studios, production companies, networks, cable and pay TV, animation, and interactive programs. Specific techniques and script samples for writing high-quality and producible "spec" scripts for theatrical motion pictures, the sitcom series, one-hour dramatic series, longform television, soaps, talk show, variety, animation, interactive and new media are provided. Television and Screen Writing: From Concept to Contract, Fourth Edition also offers a fully detailed examination of the current marketplace, and distinct strategies for marketing your scripts, from registering and copyrighting the script to signing with an agent. This new edition has been expanded to include the most up-to-date creative and professional script samples, marketing resources, and practical information possible. The companion website (www.focalpress.com/companions) offers a wide range of contacts and resources for you to explore, and Internet links to professional resources. There is also an Annotated and Selected Bibliography for your reference