Film scripts and screenplays Books

Book SynopsisThe long-awaited follow-up to the perennially bestselling writers'' guide Story, from the most sought-after expert in the art of storytelling. Robert McKee''s popular writing workshops have earned him an international reputation. The list of alumni with Oscars runs off the page. The cornerstone of his program is his singular book, Story, which has defined how we talk about the art of story creation. Now, in Dialogue, McKee offers the same in-depth analysis for how characters speak on the screen, on the stage, and on the page in believable and engaging ways. From Macbeth to Breaking Bad, McKee deconstructs key scenes to illustrate the strategies and techniques of dialogue. Dialogue applies a framework of incisive thinking to instruct the prospective writer on how to craft artful, impactful speech. Famous McKee alumni include Peter Jackson, Jane Campion, Geoffrey Rush, Paul Haggis, the writing team for Pixar, and many others.

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Book SynopsisIf there is one skill that separates the professional screenwriter from the amateur, it is the ability to rewrite successfully. From Jack Epps, Jr., the screenwriter of Top Gun, Dick Tracy, and The Secret of My Success, comes a comprehensive guide that explores the many layers of rewriting. In Screenwriting is Rewriting, Epps provides a practical and tested approach to organizing notes, creating a game plan, and executing a series of focused passes that address the story, character, theme, structure, and plot issues. Included are sample notes, game plans, and beat sheets from Epps’ work on films such as Sister Act and Turner and Hooch. Also featured are exclusive interviews with Academy Award® winning screenwriters Robert Towne (Chinatown) and Frank Pierson (Dog Day Afternoon), along with Academy Award® nominee Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich).Trade ReviewThe book is a great starting point that would teach aspiring screenwriters or students of creative writing how to go about starting, developing and rewriting their screenplays. * Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media *And just when we thought we didn't need another book about screenwriting along comes this one, which in short order makes itself a must-have. Jack Epps is a great writer, a master teacher, as smart about character as he is about structure. He's distilled this part of our craft to its essence, and by heeding his book's fine wisdom we will all of us become better rewriters—and better writers. * Howard A. Rodman, Screenwriter and President of the Writer’s Guild of America, We *Never in the history of Hollywood has a screenwriter heard the words: ‘It's perfect; don't change a thing.’ Even if someone were to say that, we know better and would change it anyway, and change it again, and again, and again. This book teaches the why and the how of rewriting and is written by a real, live, honest-to-God professional screenwriter who has successfully had many of his scripts made into movies. * Stephen Sommers, Writer and Director of The Jungle Book (1994), The Mummy (1999), and Van Helsing (2004) *An exemplary text on screenplay writing. Drawing from both his professional and academic experiences, Jack Epps, Jr. provides an excellent distillation of ideal screenwriting practice, creating an indispensable resource for both students and self-taught screenwriters. * David Dunn, Principal Teaching Fellow in Film Studies, University of Southampton, UK *Table of ContentsIntroduction How To Use This Book Let’s Talk About Rewriting The Pass Method – Layer By Layer Movies You Need To See Part One: Foundations and Fundamentals Chapter 1 Notes – Receiving and Organizing Notes Chapter 2 Interpreting Notes – Reading Tea Leaves Chapter 3 Annotated Draft – Your Reference Guide Chapter 4 Game Plan – Creating a Road Map for the Rewrite Chapter 5 Character – Writing from the Inside Out Chapter 6 Foundation Pass – Strengthening the Core Chapter 7 Character Pass – The Emotional Core Chapter 8 The Set-Up – Establish – Complicate – Resolve Chapter 9 Story & Theme Pass – The Emotional Underpinning Chapter 10 Structure – What Stays In, What Goes Out, and In What Order Chapter 11 Structure Pass – Architecture and Design Chapter 12 Plot – How Will This Turn Out? Chapter 13 Plot Pass – Cause and Effect Chapter 14 Feedback on Your Interim Draft – Checking-In Part Two: Details and Layering Chapter 15 Opposition Characters – Sources of Conflict and Tension Chapter 16 Obstacles, Complications, Reveals, and Reversals – Complicate, Complicate, Complicate Chapter 17 Obstacles, Complications, Reveals, and Reversals Pass – Making Life Much More Difficult Chapter 18 Relationships – The Ties that Bind Chapter 19 Relationship Pass – Interconnecting Chapter 20 Dialogue – Rhythm and Flow Chapter 21 Scene Pass – Link and Connect Chapter 22 Consistency Pass – Motivated Actions Chapter 23 Polish Pass – Dialogue, Text, and Tightening Chapter 24 Sending Out Your Screenplay – Letting Go Chapter 25 Working with Directors, Producers, and Executives – Patience, Patience, Patience Part Three: Screenwriters on Rewriting Interview with Robert Towne Chinatown, The Firm, Mission Impossible II Interview with Frank Pierson Cool Hand Luke, Dog Day Afternoon, King Of The Gypsies Interview with Susannah Grant Pocahontas, Erin Brockovich, The Soloist Part Four: Examples Studio Script Notes Turner & Hooch Notes Sister Act Studio Notes and Game Plan Student Annotated Pages Suicide Girl by Ivy Pruss Student Script Notes & Game Plans Take Your Grandma To Work Day by David Ngo F@#% The Knot by Romi Barta Essential Three Act Questions Acknowledgements Quote Sources Index

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Book SynopsisNadezhda Ptushkina's plays reflect her keen interest in constructing multidimensional characters that reflect the myriad ways people are affected by today's turbulent world. Often writing strong female roles, she does not shy away from exploring the sometimes tragic implications that lie behind her comical, almost farcical scenes. Ptushkina questions the nature of love, and explores the boundaries between the spiritual and the base, the constructive and the destructive, that lie within every human being. Conflict between the sexes constitutes the core of Ptushkina's plays, in which she warns the audience against confusing sex and love. Ptushkina rejects any notion that men and women are the same, seeing gender differences rather than personality differences as the main source of tension between men and women. Her plays thus dwell on this 'battle of the sexes' and the resulting lack of respect for women that she sees in today's Russia.In this new translation, western readers have a chance to discover why Ptushkina's work holds such wide appeal in the Russian theatre.

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Book SynopsisRobert De Niro at Work is the first critical study to examine how Robert de Niro, perhaps the finest screen actor of his generation, works with screenplays to imagine, prepare and denote his performance. In categorising the various ways in which De Niro works with a screenplay, this book will re-examine the relationship between actor and text. This book considers the screenplay as above all a working document and a material object, present at every stage of the filmmaking process. The working screenplay goes through various iterations in development and exists in many versions on set, each adapted and personalised for the specific use of the individual and their role. As the archive reveals, nobody works more closely with the script than the actor, and no actor works more on a script than De Niro. Table of ContentsIntroduction.- Chapter One: Literature Review & overview of De Niro’s Career.- Chapter Two: Research and Exegesis.- Chapter Three: Notation.- Chapter Four: Preparation.- Chapter Five: The Writer’s Voice.- Chapter Six: Case Studies.- Chapter Seven: Actor as Writer.- Conclusion.

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