Showing titles in Screenwriting

In the perfect companion piece to his first book, Blake Snyder delivers even more insider information gleaned from a 20-year track record as one of Hollywood's most successful spec screenwriters. Designed for screenwriters, novelists, and movie fans, this book gives listeners key breakdowns of the 50 most instructional movies from the past 30 years. From M*A*S*H to Crash, Alien to Saw, and 10 to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Snyder reveals how screenwriters in the past tackled the same challenges faced by screenwriters today.

The never-before-published edition of Francis Ford Coppola's notes and annotations on The Godfather novel by Mario Puzo reveals the story behind one of the world's most iconic films. In this one-of-a-kind audio production, Coppola provides listeners with unfiltered access to his creative process in his own voice. Featuring notes from eight scenes - handpicked by Coppola himself - The Godfather Notebook is a must-listen for fans of the 1972 film.

One question can unlock your entire story. Are you struggling to build a riveting plot? Layered characters? How about fortify that saggy middle? Create that powerful ending? You can build an entire book by asking one powerful question and then plugging it into an “equation” that makes your plot and characters come to life. You’ll learn how to build the external and internal journey of your characters, create a theme, build story and scene tension, create the character change journey, and even pitch and market your story.

In Screenwriting Unchained, Emmanuel Oberg sets out a dogma-busting, innovative method for developing screenplays This practical, no-nonsense guide leaves behind one-size-fits-all story theories and offers a refreshingly modern approach to story structure, making it a precious resource for anyone involved creatively in the Film and TV industry (or aspiring to be): writers, directors, producers, development execs, showrunners and, more generally, storytellers eager to reach a wide audience at home and abroad without losing their creative freedom. Oberg identifies three main story-types – ...

David Mamet went to Hollywood on top—a super successful playwright summoned west in 1980 to write a vehicle for Jack Nicholson. He arrived just in time to meet the luminaries of old Hollywood and revel in the friendship of giants like Paul Newman, Mike Nichols, Bob Evans, and Sue Mengers. Over the next forty years, Mamet wrote dozens of scripts, was fired off dozens of movies, and directed eleven himself. In Everywhere an Oink Oink, he revels of the taut and gag-filled professionalism of the film set.

Whether you've just felt the spark of inspiration for a new story idea, or you’re putting your finished screenplay in front of producers, managers, and agents… You need a logline. A logline is one simple sentence, but an incredibly powerful tool that can help you throughout the screenwriting process. In the development and writing phases, a good logline will help you unlock your story, understand the movie you’re writing, and keep you aiming for the right target so you don’t get lost along the way. And when your screenplay is finished, a good logline will intrigue listeners, stand ...

The ultimate guide to writing a great screenplay and building a screenwriting career—from the creators of the "highly influential" (Vulture) hit podcast Scriptnotes

Want to know how to write a script that people will remember, and can catch the attention of producers and other above-the-line talent? (Don't worry about agents; they don't want to talk to you). Nail your dialogue. Really. Now I know you've heard all the maxims: Film is a Visual Medium; You Can Either Write Dialogue or You Can't. And they both sound very logical. And esteemed writers, such as David Mamet, have been preaching them for years. But, in my not so humble opinion, they're both total bullcrap.

Book one in the five books of the Story Series by author, scriptwriter, story consultant, and PhD scholar of narrative theory David Baboulene. The author helps you to understand what makes stories that grip. With invaluable new thinking on subtext plus insights on story success from, Bob Gale—legendary Hollywood scriptwriter and producer of the Back to the Future trilogy, Lee Child—16 million Jack Reacher novels sold in 43 countries and 29 languages, and more. Simply a must-listen for anyone wanting to understand how to turn ideas into stories that sell.

In The Screenwriter’s Troubleshooter, screenwriter and industry expert Oberg offers a unique and indispensable survival kit for Film and TV creatives, irrespective of their level of experience. Are you a new writer, eager to figure out why some of your manuscripts are getting rejected or why you’re having trouble attracting an agent? Do you wish you could quickly and efficiently diagnose what’s not working in your projects, improve all aspects of your writing and advance your career to the next stage? Are you an experienced writer dealing with development notes on a regular basis, ...

Learning how to write a movie script is more than just figuring out the margins and hitting a few plot points along the way....

Screenwriting made simple. The Guide for Every Screenwriter is one of the most efficient instruction manuals on the craft. This audiobook cuts past the verbose film school expository, and gets straight to work, delivering sample-driven outlines and templates that anyone can follow. It is quick to apply to your work and serves as a side-by-side checklist for the writing process. This is the audiobook for anyone looking to write a screenplay and for any professional needing a refresher.

While there are plenty of books about the mechanics of writing, this is the first time an insider has detailed the invaluable TV executive perspective. As key pieces of the entertainment puzzle, executives hold institutional wisdom that seldom gets disseminated outside network walls. The Executive Chair breaks down the business from the gatekeeper’s point of view, illuminating the creative process used by those who ultimately make the decisions.

Discover the six plot points at the heart of every romantic comedy. Learn to use the simple framework of great movies to make your unique romcom leap off the page. From the author of The Screenplay Outline Workbook, this concise-but-powerful guide demystifies 3-act structure and equips writers with an essential tool for crafting powerful stories. Screenplay consultant and screenwriting teacher Naomi Beaty has spent over a decade helping countless writers turn their movie ideas into great screenplays, and in Romcom Structure Made Easy she distills key lessons into concrete guidance you can ...

A great script is only as good as the effort you put into your career, but there is little information for the aspiring screenwriter about how to break in. Even those who study TV or film in college are taught to simply “get a production assistant job.” But then what? Anton Schettini provides a rare insider’s glimpse of the modern-day network and streaming TV writers’ room. Here, you will find practical advice, career path strategies, and first-hand accounts for how to establish your network, grow within it, and acquire the necessary tools to become a TV writer.

Writing successful screenplays that capture the public imagination requires more than simply following the formulas prescribed by the dozens of screenwriting manuals currently in print. Learning the "how-tos" is important, but understanding the dramatic elements that make up a good screenplay is equally crucial. In A Poetics for Screenwriters, veteran writer and teacher Lance Lee offers aspiring and professional screenwriters a thorough overview of all the dramatic elements of screenplays, unbiased toward any particular screenwriting method.

Hollywood vs. The Author is a collection of non-fiction anecdotes by authors who’ve had the pleasure of experiencing the development room firsthand - some who have successfully managed to straddle the two worlds, seeing their works morph into the kinds of feature films and TV shows that make them proud, and others who stepped blindsided into that room after selling their first or second novels. All the stories in this collection illustrate the great divide between the world of literature and the big or small screen.

He was, according to Pauline Kael, "the greatest American screenwriter." Jean-Luc Godard called him "a genius" who "invented eighty percent of what is used in Hollywood movies today." Besides tossing off dozens of now-classic scripts - including Scarface, Twentieth Century, and Notorious - Ben Hecht was known in his day as ace reporter, celebrated playwright, taboo-busting novelist, and the most quick-witted of provocateurs. During World War II, he also emerged as an outspoken crusader for the imperiled Jews of Europe.

Jean Renoir's career almost spans the history years of cinema - from the early silent movies, to the naturalism of the talkies, committed cinema, film noir, Hollywood studio productions, the Technicolor-period comedies and fast television techniques. His film The Grand Illusion remains one of the greatest movies about the effects of war.

Today's most acclaimed film directors reveal intimate behind-the-scenes details of their most influential work and their unique approaches to their art. In the companion to the Silver Plaque-winning Starz/Encore documentary series, this book offers interviews with 13 top filmmakers. Contains each director's filmography, complete listings of major awards, and cast credits for all films discussed.