The author of Barbarella and other successful screenplays analyzes the basic structures of effective screenplays, from initial plot lines to realized scripts. All the essential building blocks are discussed in depth: the need for a strong premise; the roles of protagonist and antagonist; the orchestration of plot, characters and dialogue leading to a clear resolution. This book not only instructs first-time writers on how to go about their work but also serves as a valuable check-list for established authors, and for actors, directors and teachers, in their task of deconstructing and assessing the value of the material placed before them.
Table of contents:
So you want to be a writer
What's it all about
In the beginning was...?
The General
The Gold Rush
Make your argument
Sound... and all that jazz
All Quiet on the Western Front
Duck Soup
The play's the thing
Play it again, Sam
The Big Sleep
Bicycle Thieves
Macbeth and Reservoir Dogs
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Rules of Engagement
The grammar of writing
On the box
A memoir
Starting to write
It's a Wonderful Life
The Maltese Falcon
Character
Rashomon
The Seventh Seal
Recap
Character again - nothing matters more
The social background - environment
Erin Brockovich
The Third Man
The necessity of change
Psycho
Lawrence of Arabia
Another memoir
Orchestrating your characters
Character - the psychological factors
Finding your characters
More about conflict
The logic of screenwriting
Dialogue
'The British are coming!' (but when?)
Raging Bull
Gregory's Girl
The turning point
'And now the end is near'
Three Colours: Red
Pulp Fiction
Sub-text
A modern screenplay
Six questions about your screenplay
Form, lay-out, presentation
A final recap
Marketing your script
The producer
The director
The cast
The agent
Unions
The Film Council
Training
Filmography
The author of Barbarella and other successful screenplays analyzes the basic structures of effective screenplays, from initial plot lines to realized scripts. All the essential building blocks are discussed in depth: the need for a strong premise; the roles of protagonist and antagonist; the orchestration of plot, characters and dialogue leading to a clear resolution. This book not only instructs first-time writers on how to go about their work but also serves as a valuable check-list for established authors, and for actors, directors and teachers, in their task of deconstructing and assessing the value of the material placed before them.
Table of contents:
So you want to be a writer
What's it all about
In the beginning was...?
The General
The Gold Rush
Make your argument
Sound... and all that jazz
All Quiet on the Western Front
Duck Soup
The play's the thing
Play it again, Sam
The Big Sleep
Bicycle Thieves
Macbeth and Reservoir Dogs
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Rules of Engagement
The grammar of writing
On the box
A memoir
Starting to write
It's a Wonderful Life
The Maltese Falcon
Character
Rashomon
The Seventh Seal
Recap
Character again - nothing matters more
The social background - environment
Erin Brockovich
The Third Man
The necessity of change
Psycho
Lawrence of Arabia
Another memoir
Orchestrating your characters
Character - the psychological factors
Finding your characters
More about conflict
The logic of screenwriting
Dialogue
'The British are coming!' (but when?)
Raging Bull
Gregory's Girl
The turning point
'And now the end is near'
Three Colours: Red
Pulp Fiction
Sub-text
A modern screenplay
Six questions about your screenplay
Form, lay-out, presentation
A final recap
Marketing your script
The producer
The director
The cast
The agent
Unions
The Film Council
Training
Filmography
The author of Barbarella and other successful screenplays analyzes the basic structures of effective screenplays, from initial plot lines to realized scripts. All the essential building blocks are discussed in depth: the need for a strong premise; the roles of protagonist and antagonist; the orchestration of plot, characters and dialogue leading to a clear resolution. This book not only instructs first-time writers on how to go about their work but also serves as a valuable check-list for established authors, and for actors, directors and teachers, in their task of deconstructing and assessing the value of the material placed before them.