So you want to write a screenplay : a step-by-step guide to writing for film, video, and television / by Taylor Gaines ; foreword by Max Timm, director of community outreach with the international screenwriters association (ISA).

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gaines, Taylor, author.

Contributor:

Timm, Max, writer of foreword.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Motion picture authorship.

Motion picture authorship--Vocational guidance.

Television authorship--Vocational guidance.

Television authorship.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (223 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Ocala, Florida : Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc., [2017]

Summary:

Writing for the big screen may seem like a job for the experienced, but the fact is, it's for everyone. Take Celeste Davis, for example, who at fourteen wrote the screenplay for Purgatory House and appeared on five critic's lists for best film of the year. Even if you don't see immediate success, you have to start somewhere. Take Steven Spielberg, for example, who was rejected from college three times before becoming the huge success he is today. Getting started at a young age is the key to mastering a skill. Imagine already having a screenplay or two under your belt by the time you apply for college that's exactly what this book will help you to accomplish. You will learn how to use screenplay-writing software as well as how to actually write a screenplay, from capturing the audience at the introduction to having a satisfying conclusion. You will learn how to pitch and sell your screenplay when the time comes as well as the commercial potential that your ideas might have. You will learn how to interact with agents, giving you a competitive edge over other young writers. Veteran screenwriters, producers, agents, and directors have been interviewed for this book, giving you inside secrets to the industry. This book also contains information on production companies, including the genre they are looking for, so you know exactly who to contact when you're ready. If you are eager to jump into Hollywood as the newest young writer, this step-by-step guide will help you get there.

Contents:

Intro

Foreword

Introduction

Screenwriting 101

Screenwriting as a Teen

Celeste Davis

Steven Spielberg

Chapter 1:

What Makes a Great Screenwriter

Qualities

Curiosity

Research skills

Details

Brevity

Flexibility

Dedication

Vision

Writing Commitment

Get inspired

Don't get lonely

Stay strong

Fiction vs. Nonfiction

Fiction writers

Nonfiction writers

Case Study: Writing for Television

Chapter 2:

Learning from the pros

Reading Screenwriting Online

Script reading checklist

Watching and Analyzing Movies

Thinking about movies you like

Thinking about movies you hate

Tropes and original stories

Easter eggs

Watching Foreign Films

The French New Wave

Japanese cinema

The size and scope of Bollywood

The advance of Nollywood

Where to find classic and foreign films

Case Study: Five Things I Wish I Knew From Day One

Chapter 3:

Getting Started: Focusing on Your Story

Research

Location

Language

Occupation

Time period

Research tools

Genre

Setting Your Idea Apart

Creating Characters

Creating believable characters

Characters you need

Case Study: Crafting Your Characters

Writing Scenes

Building energy in a scene

The ticking clock

The business of the scene

Setting the tone of your scenes

Putting the cherry on top

Surprising the viewer with what they already know

Chapter 4:

Storytelling 101

Character Development

Hometown

Family

Culture

Age

Name

Their histories

The Look of Your Characters

Keeping track of it all

Secondary characters

The arc

Writing to Help Understand Your Characters

Creating Structure

Three-act structure

Act 1: The set-up

Act 2: The confrontation

The Visual Medium

Case Study: Runaway Bride.

Breaking from the three-act structure

Creating an Outline

Making the cards

Subplots

Conflict

Marking the cards

Creating the board

Common script problems

Establishing Voice

Verbal sparring

Nonverbal cues

Subtext

Exposition

Case Study: Five Essential Screenwriting Tips

Chapter 5:

Beginnings and Endings

The Beginning

Introducing your movie

Flipping to page 10

The MacGuffin

Ending

The climax

Working backward

Turning convention on its head

Chapter 6:

Developing Theme

The Greek Chorus

How to Develop Theme

Put a twist on it

Highlighting the theme

Theme and endings for individual characters

Symbolic Elements

Case Study: The Do's and Don'ts of Table Reads

Chapter 7:

Look Like a Pro - Formatting and Revisions

Screenwriting Software

Formatting

Feedback

Opening yourself up to feedback

Rewriting

Case Study: Three Things to Consider Before Writing a Screenplay

Chapter 8:

Become a Marketing Expert

Copyright

Copyrights through the U.S. Copyright Office

Registering your script with the WGA

Researching the Market

The Sale Process

The agent

Query letters

Example of query letter

Follow-up letters

Entering contests

Chapter 9:

Get Your Script on the Screen

Networking

Online networking

Setting up your own website

Independent Films

Alternate ways to pitch your movie

Short Films

Student Films

Conclusion

Bibliography

Glossary

Additional Resources

Sample Scripts

Simply Scripts

Drew's Script-O-Rama

The Internet Movie Script Database

About Screenwriting

Screenwriters Utopia

Cinestory

The Writers Store

Hollywood and the Business

Done Deal Professional

Scriptapalooza screenplay contest

Movie Bytes

The Writers Guild Association

Talentville.

The International Screenwriters Association

Working Screenwriters and Industry Insiders

SydField.com

Complications Ensue

Screenwriting from Iowa

John August

The Bitter Script Reader

Go Into The Story

Downloads

Abode Premiere Pro

Final cut Pro

Scrivener

Join.me

Author Bio.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (page 207) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-62023-216-2