Writing Movies: the Practical Guide To Creating Stellar Screenplays

Description

Intro; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; How to Use this Book; 1. Screenwriting: Inventing a Myth; 2. Plot: The Path of Action; Chart of Major Events; 3. Characters: The Lifeblood; 4. The Page: Words That Move; 5. Scenes: Exploring and Exploding Moments; Beat Sheet; 6. Dialogue: Making More of Less; 7. Subplots: A Side of Story; 8. Plot II: Like a Roller Coaster; 9. Tone and Theme: The Overlay and Underlay; 10. Revision: From Rough to Ready; 11. The Business: Slipping Past the Velvet Rope; Format Guide; Glossary; Cheat Sheet; Acknowledgments; Contributors;To break into the screenwriting game, you need a screenplay that is not just good, but great. Superlative. Stellar. In Writing Movies you'll find everything you need to know to reach this level. And, like the very best teachers, Writing Movies is always practical, accessible, and entertaining. The book provides a comprehensive look at screenwriting, covering all the fundamentals (plot, character, scenes, dialogue, etc.) and such crucial-but seldom discussed-topics as description, voice, tone, and theme. These concepts are illustrated through analysis of five brilliant screenplays-Die Hard, Thelma & Louise, Tootsie, Sideways, and The Shawshank Redemption. Also included are writing assignments and step-by-step tasks that take writers from rough idea to polished screenplay. Written by Gotham Writers' Workshop expert instructors, Writing Movies offers the same winning style and clarity of presentation that have made a success of Gotham's previous book Writing Fiction, which is now in its 7th printing. Named the "best class for screenwriters" in New York City by MovieMaker Magazine, Gotham Writers' Workshop is America's leading private creative writing school, offering classes in Manhattan and on the Web at www.WritingClasses.com. The school's interactive online classes, selected as "Best of the Web" by Forbes, have attracted thousands of aspiring writers from across the United States and more than sixty countries.