Research Catalog

Title

The screenwriter's guidebook : inspiring lessons for film and television writers / Christine List and Christine Houston.

Author

List, Christine

Publication

Chicago : Third World Press Foundation, [2017]

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Houston, Christine

Description

xii, 349 pages; 23 cm

Subject

• Television authorship > Vocational guidance
• Motion picture authorship > Vocational guidance
• Motion picture authorship
• Television authorship

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

• pt. 1. Writing for film -- ch.1: Starting points -- Know your craft -- The African American filmmaking tradition -- Genre films -- The problem of realism -- Realism and your life story -- Your art form, your business -- Chapter one exercises -- ch.2: Screenplay structure -- What is film structure? -- The plot structure of 'Eve's bayou,' 'Boys in the hood,' and 'Devil in a blue dress' -- The main character -- Acts and scenes -- Plot problem/plot question -- Main plots and subplots -- Theme -- Plot and conflict -- The initial dramatic incident -- Chapter two exercises -- ch.3: Creating characters -- The backstory -- The character flaw -- The struggle: obstacles and antagonists -- Imagination and research -- The character arc -- How to develop a character on screen -- Using visuals for character development -- Developing character through reactions -- Supporting characters -- Chapter three exercises -- ch.4: Synopsis, treatment, and pitch -- The one-page synopsis -- The treatment --^
• Example of short treatment -- The live pitch -- Sample synopsis for 'Love and action in Chicago' -- Chapter four exercises -- ch.5: Creating the scene outline -- Plot elements of your scene outline -- How to write a scene outline -- Scene outline for 'Antwone Fisher' -- Plot elements of act one of 'Antwone Fisher' -- Plot elements for act two of 'Antwone Fisher' -- Plot elements of act three of 'Antwone Fisher' -- Scene outline for 'Devil in a blue dress' -- Plot elements of 'Devil in a blue dress' -- Chapter five exercises -- ch.6: Scene writing -- Writing description -- Writing the opening -- Avoid overwriting -- Writing entertaining dialogue -- How not to write dialogue -- Externalizing the internal -- Scene evaluation checklist -- Chapter six exercises -- ch.7: Screenplay and television formats -- The importance of proper formatting -- Fonts/paper/binding -- Spec script versus shooting script -- Feature screenplay format -- Feature film formatting example --^
• Other screenplay formatting situations -- Television single-camera format -- Television multi-camera format -- Sample sitcom script -- ch.8: Writing the alternative screenplay -- Breaking the conventions -- Examples from alternative screenplays ('Compensation,' 'Sankofa,' 'Daughters of the dust,' 'Killer of sheep,' 'Black girl' -- Writing the short film -- Chapter eight exercises -- pt. 2: Writing for television -- ch.9: Writing for television -- ch.10: Writing the television drama -- What series should you spec? -- Analyze your series before you write -- Dramatic television structure -- Internal rules of your show -- Design the essential story structure of your spec -- Create the spec story outline/the beat sheet -- Signature characters for television -- How to write a dramatic television pilot -- Further analysis of pilot for 'Grey's anatomy' -- Sample story outline for 'Lincoln heights' "Home again" -- Chapter ten exercises -- ch.11: Writing the situation comedy --^
• Evolution of your own comedy writing -- How to write a situation comedy spec script -- Analysis of 'The Bernie Mac show' (single-camera sitcom) -- Analysis of 'Girlfriends' (multi-camera sitcom) -- Writing sitcom characters -- Chapter eleven exercises -- ch.12: Getting started in the film and television industry -- Step one: Copyright your work -- Step two: Prepare for the move -- Step three: Network -- Step four: Acquire an agent of manager -- Step five: Join a union -- Step six: Decide on a writing partner -- Step seven: Obtain an attorney -- Step eight: Know the film and television industry -- Chapter twelve exercises -- pt. 3: Up close conversations and interviews on the film and television industry -- ch.13: Interview with Bill Duke -- ch.14: Interview with Dwayne Johnson-Cochran -- ch.15: Interview with Robert Eisele -- ch.16: Interview with Zeinabu irene Davis -- ch.17: Interview with Charles Burnett -- ch.18: Interview with Sara Finney-Johnson --^
• ch.19: Interview with Judi Ann Mason -- ch.20: Interview with Shahari Moore -- ch.21: Interview with Kathleen McGhee-Anderson.

ISBN

• 9780883783351
• 0883783355

LCCN

^^2016034137

OCLC

• 862790280
• SCSB-11484516

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library