This book provides professional tips and techniques for those wishing to break into writing for TV whether it's a soap, series drama, or situation comedy. It covers all aspects of script writing such as structure, plotting, characterization and dialogue and is packed with advice on presenting and selling scripts. It also includes a chapter specifically on writing for radio.
A professional TV writer's real-world guide to getting paid to write great television "No need for me to ever write a book on TV writing. Alex Epstein has covered it all . . . along with a few things I wouldn't have thought of. Save yourself five years of rookie mistakes. Crafty TV Writing and talent are pretty much all you'll need to make it." —Ken Levine, writer/producer, MASH, Cheers, Frasier, The Simpsons, Wings, Becker Everyone watches television, and everyone has an opinion on what makes good TV. But, as Alex Epstein shows in this invaluable guide, writing for television is a highly specific craft that requires knowledge, skill, and more than a few insider's tricks. Epstein, a veteran TV writer and show creator himself, provides essential knowledge about the entire process of television writing, both for beginners and for professionals who want to go to the next level. Crafty TV Writing explains how to decode the hidden structure of a TV series. It describes the best ways to generate a hook, write an episode, create characters the audience will never tire of, construct entertaining dialogue, and use humor. It shows how to navigate the tough but rewarding television industry, from writing your first "spec" script, to getting hired to work on a show, to surviving—even thriving—if you get fired. And it illuminates how television writers think about the shows they're writing, whether they're working in comedy, drama, or "reality." Fresh, funny, and informed, Crafty TV Writing is the essential guide to writing for and flourishing in the world of television.
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
One of the most popular and useful books on screenwriting, now greatly expanded and completely updated. This edition includes a list of resources and contains approximately 100 new entries.
What are the foundations of scriptwriting? Why do some scripts gain more prestige than others? How do you write a script and get it noticed? Scriptwriting for Film, Television and New Media answers these questions and more, offering a comprehensive introduction to writing scripts for film, television, the Internet, and interactive multimedia. Author Alan C. Hueth explains not just how to write, but how to think and apply the fundamental principles of screenwriting to multiple platforms and genres. This includes chapters on numerous script formats, including drama and comedy in film and TV, short films, commercials and PSAs, news and sports, interview shows, documentaries, reality shows, and corporate and educational media, including interactive multimedia. This book also addresses legal and ethical issues, how to become a professional scriptwriter, and a section on production language that provides helpful explanations of how camera, locations, visual and audio effects combine on screen to engage and sustain viewer attention, and, consequently, how to improve scriptwriting technique. The book features numerous case studies and detailed examples, including chapter by chapter exercises, plot diagrams, quick-look and learn tables that assist readers to quickly understand genre related script elements, and in-depth script close-ups to examine precisely how writers utilize the principles and elements of drama to create a successful script. It is also supported by a comprehensive companion website with further case studies, assignments, video clips, and examples of films and programs discussed in the book. Scriptwriting for Film, Television, and New Media is ideal for aspiring scriptwriters and anyone wanting to broaden their understanding of how successful scripts are created.
(Quick Guide). A Quick Guide to Television Writing is the ultimate reference manual to the art, craft, and business of writing for the small screen. In a series of brief but comprehensive segments, the book covers the entire process of creating a professional television script from conceiving the initial idea to polishing the final draft. Covered topics include: the three main types of teleplays; an overview of dramatic storytelling; adapting a dramatic story to the specific demands of television storytelling; the techniques of television storytelling; teleplay style and formatting; how to create a television series; important T.V. writing "dos" and "don'ts:" the business of television writing, including an overview of the many jobs and positions available to T.V. writers; and how to bring your work to the attention of the industry. Written in smart, reader-friendly prose, the book is chock full of the vital information, helpful tips, and keen advice that will help you make your teleplay the best it can be.
This title is full of professional tips and techniques that producers, agents and script editors would give you themselves - if only they had the time. Complete with information on how to sell your writing, and how much you can earn.
Hollywood's premier teacher of screenwriting shares the secrets of writing and selling successful screenplays in this perfect gift for aspiring screenwriters. Anyone fortunate enough to win a seat in Professor Richard Walter's legendary class at UCLA film school can be confident their career has just taken a quantum leap forward. His students have written more than ten projects for Steven Spielberg alone, plus hundreds of other Hollywood blockbusters and prestigious indie productions, including two Oscar winners for best original screenplay—Milk (2008) and Sideways (2006). In this updated edition, Walter integrates his highly coveted lessons and principles from Screenwriting with material from his companion text, The Whole Picture, and includes new advice on how to turn a raw idea into a great movie or TV script-and sell it. There is never a shortage of aspiring screenwriters, and this book is their bible.
This inspiring book is full of professional tips and techniques that producers, agents and script editors would give you themselves - if only they had the time. Complete with vital information on how to sell your writing, and how much you can earn.
Updated in its 5th edition, Papper's Broadcast News and Writing Stylebook is the first and most widely used handbook in broadcast news. This book clearly and concisely outlines the rules of broadcast news writing, reporting, grammar, style, and usage. With chapter-by-chapter coverage of story types, from business stories to crime and legal reporting, education, government, health, the environment, weather, and sports, the Broadcast News and Writing Stylebook lays out the particular demands of composition, form, style, and usage in all the diverse areas of broadcast news. Because the news business has changed -- and continues to evolve -- so has this text.Written by the person who has overseen the major industry research for the past 18 years, the latest edition looks into the future of news by exploring the business of news. Citing the latest data and trends, the book takes a hard look at where the industry stands and where it appears to be headed.
