The Art and Science of Screenwriting

Author: Philip Parker
Publisher: Intellect (UK)
ISBN: 9781841509655
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
In an age where many see screenwriters as the storytellers of the new century and everyone appears to be trying to write a screenplay, this book provides the framework for you to write a great screenplay. It goes beyond the concerns of act structure and the merits of story-driven - as opposed to character-driven - screenplays to tackle the real complexities of writing a compelling screenplay. This second edition contains: - the different layouts for film, television, documentary and corporate screenplays - a detailed analysis of what is required from a premise, an outline, a step outline, a treatment and a first draft - a simple stage by stage guide to the inevitable re-write - tips on finding an agent. This new approach to writing for film and television covers everything from finding an idea to writing a finished screenplay. The author's framework, 'A Creative Matrix', brings together all the elements of screenplay writing - from story, character, theme, and dramatic structure to plot, genre, tone and style in an understandable way that is easy to follow. His analysis includes illustrating what comprises a good thriller, identifying the different types of sit-com, and showing the qualities of a screen romance that both works and convinces. The author uses examples from across European, American and World Cinema, as well as television, and this revised edition now contains a comprehensive index.

The Science of Screenwriting

Author: Paul Joseph Gulino
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1501327216
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 199

Book Description
In a world awash in screenwriting books, The Science of Screenwriting provides an alternative approach that will help the aspiring screenwriter navigate this mass of often contradictory advice: exploring the science behind storytelling strategies. Paul Gulino, author of the best-selling Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach, and Connie Shears, a noted cognitive psychologist, build, chapter-by-chapter, an understanding of the human perceptual/cognitive processes, from the functions of our eyes and ears bringing real world information into our brains, to the intricate networks within our brains connecting our decisions and emotions. They draw on a variety of examples from film and television -- The Social Network, Silver Linings Playbook and Breaking Bad -- to show how the human perceptual process is reflected in the storytelling strategies of these filmmakers. They conclude with a detailed analysis of one of the most successful and influential films of all time, Star Wars, to discover just how it had the effect that it had.

Zen and the Art of Screenwriting 2

Author: William Froug
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 360

Book Description
A tapestry of Froug's essays and interviews with top screenwriters, producers, and directors. Once again, Froug proves that he can skilfully pull engaging thoughts from his interviewees and, with his own essays, can use both novice and seasoned screenwriters to rethink what they do. The essays are wide-ranging, covering such diverse subjects as creating your own talent, getting your scripts read, avoiding story-structure gurus, entering screenplay contests, a scene-by-scene look at the film Body Heat, Hollywood's rewrite panic, Hollywood's ephemeral enthusiasms, why rooting interest isn't necessary, the stop-start method for studying films, guarding your surprises, reinventing old ideas, and guilt as a writer's tool.

The Complete Book of Scriptwriting

Author: J. Michael Straczynski
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 296

Book Description
To survive and thrive in the fantasyland that is show business, you need to know the realities of writing and selling. J. Michael Straczynski learned these realities the hard way. With his help, you'll learn them the easy way. Here the writer/producer of Murder, She Wrote and creator of Babylon 5 tells you how it really is - and how you can really succeed writing scripts. Straczynski shows you the importance of distinguishing yourself, through professionalism and discipline, from the wannabes. He helps you strengthen your writing technique while urging you to bring your own vision to your work, avoid formula, and create from passion. And he takes you in for a close look at every entertainment medium hungry for good scriptwriters.

Writing in Pictures

Author: Joseph McBride
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 030774292X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
Writing in Pictures is a refreshingly practical and entertaining guide to screenwriting that provides what is lacking in most such books: a clear, step-by-step demonstration of how to write a screenplay. Seasoned screenwriter and writing teacher Joseph McBride breaks down the process into a series of easy, approachable tasks, focusing on literary adaptation as the best way to learn the basics and avoiding the usual formulaic approach. With its wealth of useful tips, along with colorful insights from master screenwriters past and present, this book is invaluable for anyone who wants to learn the craft of screen storytelling. CONTENTS Introduction: Who Needs Another Book on Screenwriting? Part I: Storytelling 1: So Why Write Screenplays? 2: What Is Screenwriting? 3: Stories: What They Are and How to Find Them 4: Ten Tips for the Road Ahead Part II: Adaptation 5: Breaking the Back of the Book: or, The Art of Adaptation STEP 1: THE STORY OUTLINE 6: Research and Development STEP 2: THE ADAPTATION OUTLINE 7: The Elements of Screenwriting STEP 3: THE CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY 8: Exploring Your Story and How to Tell It STEP 4: THE TREATMENT Part III: Production 9: Who Needs Formatting? 10: Actors Are Your Medium 11: Dialogue as Action STEP 5: THE STEP OUTLINE 12: The Final Script 13: Epilogue: Breaking into Professional Filmmaking Appendix A: The Basic Steps in the Screenwriting Process Appendix B: “To Build A Fire” by Jack London Selected Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

Save the Cat!

Author: Blake Snyder
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781615931712
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!

Screenplay

Author: Syd Field
Publisher: M J F Books
ISBN: 9781567312393
Category : Motion picture authorship
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Providing examples from well-known movies, Field explains the structural and stylistic elements as well as writing techniques basic to the creation of a successful film script.

Screenwriting is Rewriting

Author: Jack Epps, Jr.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1628927380
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 361

Book Description
If there is one skill that separates the professional screenwriter from the amateur, it is the ability to rewrite successfully. From Jack Epps, Jr., the screenwriter of Top Gun, Dick Tracy, and The Secret of My Success, comes a comprehensive guide that explores the many layers of rewriting. In Screenwriting is Rewriting, Epps provides a practical and tested approach to organizing notes, creating a game plan, and executing a series of focused passes that address the story, character, theme, structure, and plot issues. Included are sample notes, game plans, and beat sheets from Epps' work on films such as Sister Act and Turner and Hooch. Also featured are exclusive interviews with Academy Award® winning screenwriters Robert Towne (Chinatown) and Frank Pierson (Dog Day Afternoon), along with Academy Award® nominee Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich).

The Art and Science of Screenwriting

Author: Philip Parker
Publisher: Intellect (UK)
ISBN:
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
This is an introduction to the essential elements of screenwriting, from finding an idea to creating a finished screenplay. The text includes methodology, how to apply creative vision, a focus on the project itself, and considers the work prior to deciding the format, as well as the market. It uses contemporary film and television examples from the UK, Europe and across the world.

Make Your Story a Movie

Author: John Robert Marlow
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 1250001838
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 322

Book Description
$50 Billion of Advice in One Book* Have you ever wondered why some books and stories are adapted into movies, and others aren't? Or wished you could sit down and pick the brains of the people whose stories have been adapted--or the screenwriters, producers, and directors who adapted them? Author John Robert Marlow has done it for you. He spoke to book authors, playwrights, comic book creators and publishers, as well as Hollywood screenwriters, producers and directors responsible for adapting fictional and true stories into Emmy-winning TV shows, Oscar-winning films, billion-dollar megahits and smaller independents. Then he talked to the entertainment attorneys who made the deals. He came away with a unique understanding of adaptations--an understanding he shares in this book: which stories make good source material (and why); what Hollywood wants (and doesn't); what you can (and can't) get in a movie deal; how to write and pitch your story to maximize the chances of a Hollywood adaptation--and how much (and when) you can expect to be paid. *This book contains the distilled experience of creators, storytellers and others whose works have earned over $50 billion worldwide. Whether you're looking to sell film rights, adapt your own story (alone or with help), or option and adapt someone else's property--this book is for you.