English 112/212 - SCREENWRITING - Schilf

A generation of screenwriters has used Syd Field's bestselling books to ignite successful careers in film. Now the celebrated producer, lecturer, teacher, and bestselling author has updated his classic guide for a new generation of filmmakers, offering a fresh insider's perspective on the film industry today. From concept to character, from opening scene to finished script, here are easily understood guidelines to help aspiring screenwriters---from novices to practiced writers---hone their craft. Filled with updated material---including all-new personal anecdotes and insights, guidelines on marketing and collaboration, plus analyses of recent films, from American Beauty to Lord of the Rings Screen play presents a step-by-step, comprehensive technique for writing the screenplay that will succeed in Hollywood. Discover:
Why the first ten pages of your script are crucially important. How to visually --grab-- the reader from page one, word one. Why structure and character are the essential foundation of your screenplay .How to adapt a novel, a play, or an article into a screenplay. Tips on protecting your work---three legal ways to claim ownership of your screenplay. The essentials of writing great dialogue, creating character, building a story line, overcoming writer's block, getting an agent, and much more. With this newly updated edition of his bestselling classic, Syd Field proves yet again why he is revered as the master of the screenplay---and why his celebrated guide has become the industry's gold standard for successful screenwriting.

Nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay,The Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, is an extraordinary tale of hope and survival inside a maximum security prison. Based on a Stephen King novella, Frank Darabont's screenplay follows the complex twenty-year relationship between two convicts who have little in common—except friendship. This book features a facsimile of the shooting script, selected storyboards, over 35 behind-the-scenes photos, an introduction by Stephen King, and notes on the production written exclusively for this edition by the film's writer/director, Frank Darabont.

In a field being transformed by technology, Syd  Field shows you what works and why and how to find  new ways to create a truly outstanding film using  four extraordinary examples:Thelma   Louise,Terminator 2: Judgement  Day,The Silence Of The  Lambs, andDances With  Wolves.

Applause BooksMarathon Man, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Princess Bride, Misery . Author royalties donated to the Motion Picture and Television Fund.

Acclaimed USC screenwriting teacher David Howard has guided hundreds of students to careers in writing for film and television. Drawing on decades of practical experience and savvy,How to Build a Great Screenplay deconstructs the craft of screenwriting and carefully reveals how to build a good story from the ground up. Howard eschews the "system" offered by other books, emphasizing that a great screenplay requires dozens of unique decisions by the author. He offers in-depth considerations of: * characterization * story arc * plotting and subplotting * dealing with coincidence in story plotting * classical vs. revolutionary screenplay structure * tone, style, and atmosphere * the use of time on screen * the creation of drama and tension * crucial moments in storytelling Throughout the book, Howard clarifies his lessons through examples from some of the most successful Hollywood and international script-oriented films, including Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, Trainspotting, North by Northwest, Chinatown, and others. The end result is what could very well become the classic text in the field---a bible for the burgeoning screenwriter.

The "Screenwriter's Bible" is one of the most popular, authoritative, and useful books on screenwriting. A standard by which other screenwriting books are measured, it has sold 150,000 copies in its ten-year life. Always up-to-date and reliable, it contains everything that both the budding and working screenwriter need under one cover -- six books in one! Features: How to Write a Screenplay -- a concise course on screenwriting basics; Correct Format for Screenplays and Teleplays -- a style guide to the latest in industry-accepted formats; Steps to a Stunning Script -- a step-by-step guide to the screenwriting process from nascent idea through revisions; Writing Your Breakthrough Spec Script -- the keys to a marketable script; How to Sell Your Script -- marketing and sales strategies and information about today's marketplaces; Resources -- lists of industry contacts and useful screenwriting tools and services. This new edition offers expanded coverage of dialogue writing and character development, the latest in proper screenplay format, a new section on jumpstarting your career, new advice on creating and delivering pitches, more new successful writing tips and pointers, new and revised writing exercises, updated film examples, and an expanded index.

John Truby is one of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry, and his students have gone on to pen some of Hollywood's most successful films, includingSleepless in Seattle,Scream,andShrek. The Anatomy of Storyis his long-awaited first book, and it shares all of his secrets for writing a compelling script. Based on the lessons in his award-winning class, Great Screenwriting,The Anatomy of Story draws on a broad range of philosophy and mythology, offering fresh techniques and insightful anecdotes alongside Truby's own unique approach for how to build an effective, multifaceted narrative. Truby's method for constructing a story is at once insightful and practical, focusing on the hero's moral and emotional growth. As a result, writers will dig deep within and explore their own values and worldviews in order to create an effective story. Writers will come away with an extremely precise set of tools to work with--specific, useful techniques to make the audience care about their characters, and that make their characters grow in meaningful ways. They will construct a surprising plot that is unique to their particular concept, and they will learn how to express a moral vision that can genuinely move an audience. The foundations of story that Truby lays out are so fundamental they are applicable--and essential--to all writers, from novelists and short-story writers to journalists, memoirists, and writers of narrative non-fiction.

Hollywood's premier teacher of screenwriting shares the secrets of writing and selling successful screenplays 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 recent 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.

For more than 15 years, Robert McKee's students have been taking Hollywood's top honors. His “Story Seminar” is the world's ultimate seminar for screenwriters, filmmakers, and novelists. Now, Robert McKee's Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting reveals the award-winning methods of the man universally regarded as the world's premier teacher on screenwriting and story. With Hollywood and publishing companies paying record sums for great stories, and audiences clamoring for originality, McKee's Story gives you the strategies you need to win the war on clichés. Story is about form, not formula. McKee's insights cut to the hidden sources of storytelling, the decisive differences between mediocrity and excellence. This audio goes well beyond the essential mechanics of screenwriting and is packed with examples from such film classics as “Casablanca” and “Chinatown.” Then, scene by sequence by act, he illuminates the principles of story design that take a writer's vision to brilliant realization. Story elevates the craft of screenwriting to an art form. Take it from the pros; if you're serious about your writing, this is the audio that will help you to get your story from page to screen.

In this book, Linda Seger shows how to create strong, multidimensional characters in fiction, covering everything from research to character block. Interviews with today's top writers complete this essential volume.

The udated and revised third edition provides new insights and observations from Vogler's ongoing work on mythology's influence on stories, movies, and man himself. The previous two editons of this book have sold over 180,000 units, making this book a 'classic' for screenwriters, writers, and novelists.

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!

Nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay,The Shawshank Redemption, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, is an extraordinary tale of hope and survival inside a maximum security prison. Based on a Stephen King novella, Frank Darabont's screenplay follows the complex twenty-year relationship between two convicts who have little in common—except friendship. This book features a facsimile of the shooting script, selected storyboards, over 35 behind-the-scenes photos, an introduction by Stephen King, and notes on the production written exclusively for this edition by the film's writer/director, Frank Darabont.

Here is the official screenplay book tie-in to the uproarious American family road comedy. Brazenly satirical yet deeply human, Little Miss Sunshine introduces audiences to one of the most endearingly fractured families in recent cinema history. Meet the Hoovers, a motley six-member family who treks from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach, California, to fulfill the deepest wish of seven-year-old Olive, an ordinary little girl with big dreams. Starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, Abigail Breslin, Paul Dano, and Alan Arkin, the film strikes a nerve with everyone who's ever been awestruck by how their muddled families seem to make it after all. On the way the family must deal with crushed dreams, heartbreak, and a broken-down VW bus, leading up to the surreal Little Miss Sunshine competition itself. On their travels through this bizarrely funny landscape, the Hoovers learn to trust and support each other along the path of life, no matter what the challenge.

The newest screenplay from the Oscar®-nominated writers of Election and About Schmidt, Sideways is the tale of two men's adventure in California wine country. Based on Rex Pickett's acclaimed first novel, Sideways tells the story of Miles (Paul Giamatti), a failed novelist, and his soon-to-be-married friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church), a washed-up actor.To salute the remains of their youth, the two men take one last road trip in the week before Jack's wedding.A serious wine enthusiast, Miles is determined to educate his friend on the region's beloved Pinot Noir wines before the week is out. Jack indulges his best friend's passion for the grape but is mainly interested in living his last week of bachelorhood to the hilt.Trouble ensues with wine and women (Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh), and the duo comes to some profound realizations as they come to terms with maturity.

On a typical suburban street in a typical suburban town,there is an ordinary family living the American dream. But look closer. Lester Burnham's wife, Carolyn, regards him with contempt, his daughter, Jane, thinks he's a loser, and his boss is positioning him for the ax. Captivated by Jane's sultry high school friend Angela, Lester decides to make a few changes in his mere existence—changes that are less mid-life crisis than a life reclaimed.The freer he gets, the happier he gets, which is even more maddening to his wife and daughter. Complicating matters, Lester finds an unexpected ally in Ricky, the teenage son of the new next-door neighbors, who sees life through a camera lens that has lately focused on Jane Burnham. In pursuit of his new vision of the American dream, Lester is about to learn that the ultimate freedom comes at the ultimate price. The 1999 winner of five Academy Awards®, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, American Beauty boasts an accomplished cast led by two-time Academy Award® Best Actor winner Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects) and Oscar® nominee Annette Bening (The Grifters).The ensemble cast also includes Thora Birch (Ghost World),Wes Bentley (The Claim), Mena Suvari (American Pie),Peter Gallagher (Mr. Deeds), Allison Janney (NBC's The West Wing), Scott Bakula (NBC's Quantum Leap), Sam Robards (A.I.: Artificial Intelligence), and Chris Cooper (Adaptation). American Beauty marks the feature film directorial debut of award-winning theater director Sam Mendes (The Blue Room, Cabaret). The film is produced by Dan Jinks (Nothing to Lose) and Bruce Cohen (The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas) from an original screenplay by Alan Ball (HBO's Six Feet Under). Stan Wlodkowski (One Hour Photo) and Alan Ball are the co-producers.

In this illuminating script book, Charlie Kaufman, the Academy Award®-nominated screenwriter of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, shares the logistical challenges of writing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in a fascinating interview. Kaufman also provides commentary on stills from the movie, revealing remarkable details about the editing process, set construction, and shooting techniques that were used to tell this unconventional story. In the film, Joel ( Jim Carrey) is stunned to discover that his girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her memories of their tumultuous relationship erased. Out of desperation, he contacts the inventor of the process, Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson), to have Clementine removed from his own memory. But as Joel's memories progressively disappear, he begins to rediscover their earlier passion. From deep within the recesses of his brain, Joel attempts to escape the procedure.As Dr. Mierzwiak and his crew chase him through the maze of his memories, it's clear that Joel just can't get her out of his head.The movie stars Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst,Tom Wilkinson, Elijah Wood, and Mark Ruffalo. In the acclaimed Newmarket Shooting Script® format, the book includes an introduction by director Michel Gondry (Human Nature), a facsimile of the script, a Q&A with Kaufman, a selection of black-and-white movie stills with commentary, and the complete cast and crew credits.

The only companion book to the much-anticipated follow-up to Paul Thomas Anderson's critically hailedBoogie Nightsthat "leaves you no doubt you are in the presence of a natural-born filmmaker."—David Ansen,Newsweek. The much-heralded writer-director deliberately withheld information about his new film during production because "I feel lately as if I know everything about a movie before I see it, and I really want the audience to discover this purely." Featuring an ensemble cast (see below), in, in an unbilled role, Tom Cruise (who called Anderson to express interest in working with him), the film is now described as "a story about family relationships and bonds that have been broken and need to be mended in one day...set in the San Fernando Valley on a day full of rain with no clouds."Magnolia: The Illustrated Screenplayincludes the complete shooting script, introduction and script notes by Anderson, a photo section with about 40 photos in color, and interview with the writer/director, and complete cast and crew credits.

Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Director (Steven Soderburgh), Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro), Adapted Screenplay, and Editing. Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay. In the Newmarket Shooting Script® format, the only tie-in to the new film by Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Out of Sight), a contemporary thriller set in the world of drug trafficking starring an ensemble cast that includes Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Quaid, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Albert Finney, and Don Cheadle-from USA Films. From a border policeman in Mexico caught in a web of corruption, to the conservative judge appointed by the President as the new anti-drug czar, to undercover DEA agents fighting a drug cartel, to the wife of a drug baron and the judge's drug-addicted teenage daughter, Traffic evokes the high stakes and high risks of the drug trade, as seen through a series of interrelated stories, some of which are highly personal and some of which are filled with intrigue and danger. The Newmarket book includes the complete shooting script, an introduction in the form of a conversation between Steven Soderbergh and Stephen Gaghan written especially for this edition, 30 b/w film stills, and the complete credits.

A moving, funny, and unconventional drama based on true events, Erin Brockovich stars Academy Award® nominee Julia Roberts as the twice-divorced mother of three young children who uncovers an injustice, takes on the bad guy, and wins. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (sex, lies, and videotape, Kafka, Out of Sight), this acclaimed Universal Pictures release features Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart and Marg Helgenberger in a gripping story of truth, tragedy, and triumph. With no job, no money, and no prospects, Erin Brockovich is a woman in a tough spot. But when she fast-talks her way into a job at lawyer Ed Masry's (Finney's) office, they both get more than they bargain for. The original screenplay by Susannah Grant, based on the real-life heroine Erin Brockovich, is, in the words of Chris Hewitt, critic for the Knight-Ridder News Service,"direct, intelligent, and witty in a way you wouldn't expect a movie about a class-action lawsuit to be." In our Newmarket Shooting Script® Series format, here is the complete shooting script, an introduction by Susannah Grant, movie stills, production notes, and complete cast and crew credits.