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.
Make your web videos quicker and easier to understand by writing scripts that take into account how people watch video. This book explores the dynamics of communication and what this means for video writing before going through specific script writing techniques you can immediately use. If you're winging it with your video and skipping the process of writing scripts, you are missing some real benefits of a script. A well written script will make your video more engaging, save you time and money in production and make you or the people on camera look and sound better.
Writing Short Films is one of the bestselling university text books on writing short film screenplays. This updated and revised edition includes several new chapters.
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.
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!
Selling Your Screenplay is a step-by-step guide to getting your screenplay sold and produced. Learn how to get your script into the hands of the producers and directors who can turn your story into a movie.
'If I was setting out as a screenwriter, this is the book I would read first and keep by me'– Melanie Harris, Producer, Crosslab Productions 'An excellent resource for students and teachers alike'– In the Picture '...a valuable addition to every screenwriting bookshelf' – Screentalk 'This is one of the best guides to help screenwriters think visually that I have ever read' – Creative Screenwriting 'The inventive exercises in Scriptwriting for the Screen give it the potential for revitalizing the experience of even experienced scriptwriters' – ' Scope’ Online Journal of Film Studies Scriptwriting for the Screen is an accessible guide to writing for film and television. It details the first principles of screenwriting and advises on the best way to identify and formulate a story and develop ideas in order to build a vivid, animated and entertaining script. Scriptwriting for the Screen introduces the reader to essential skills needed to write effective drama. This edition has been updated to include new examples and an entirely new chapter on adaptation. There are examples of scripts from a wide range of films and television dramas such as Heroes, Brokeback Mountain, Coronation Street, The English Patient, Shooting The Past, Spaced, Our Friends In the North and American Beauty. Scriptwriting for the Screen includes: advice on how to visualise action and translate this into energetic writing how to dramatise writing, use metaphor and deepen meaning tips on how to determine the appropriate level of characterisation for different types of drama practical exercises and examples which help develop technique and style a section on how to trouble-shoot and sharpen dialogue a guide to further reading
Let’s cut to the chase:Writing a Great Movieis a practical nuts-and-bolts manual to dramatic writing for film. This hands-on course in screenwriting shows how to create, develop, and construct an original screenplay from scratch using seven essential tools for the screenwriter—(1) Dilemma, Crisis, Decision and Action, and Resolution; (2) Theme; (3) the 36 Dramatic Situations; (4) the Enneagram; (5) Research and Brainstorming; (6) the Central Proposition; and (7) Sequence, Proposition, and Plot—which break the writing process down into approachable steps and produce great results. Author Jeff Kitchen—a working screenwriter, renowned dramaturge, and teacher at the University of Southern California’s graduate film school—shares the insider secrets he has developed over years of writing and teaching.Writing a Great Movieis the complete guide to creating compelling screenplays that will sell. • State-of-the-art screenwriting theory and technique from a master • Author named one of today's top screenwriting teachers inCreative Screenwritingmagazine • Great for writers at every level, beginner to established
Online media is and will continue to be at the forefront of entertainment; this book introduces readers to this new world and helps them create good content for it. It is a compact, practical guide for those who want to explore scriptwriting for the digital age while also learning essential skills and techniques central to new media writing. Scriptwriting 2.0 contains advice on writing both short- and long-form webisodes as part of a series, as well as standalone pieces. It then goes beyond the writing process to discuss revising, production, promotion and copyright. It is written in a friendly, readable and jargon-free style and includes real-world examples from successful series and a sample script. Readers can access full episodes of the two series discussed at length as well as samples from several other web series.
Covers story concept, character development, theme, structure, and scenes, analyzes a sample screenplay, and tells how to submit a manuscript, select an agent, and market oneself.
