The Screenwriter's Path From Idea to Script to Sale

Langue : Anglais

Auteur : Lake Diane

Couverture de l’ouvrage The Screenwriter's Path

Résumé
Sommaire
Biographie

The Screenwriter?s Path takes a comprehensive approach to learning how to write a screenplay?allowing the writer to use it as both a reference and a guide in constructing a script. A tenured professor of screenwriting at Emerson College in Boston, author Diane Lake has 20 years' experience writing screenplays for major studios and was a co-writer of the Academy-award winning film Frida. The book sets out a unique approach to story structure and characterization that takes writers, step by step, to a completed screenplay, and it is full of practical advice on what to do with the finished script to get it seen by the right people. By demystifying the process of writing a screenplay, Lake empowers any writer to bring their vision to the screen.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FADE IN

PART ONE - Taking the First Steps: What you Need to Know to Write a Screenplay

Chapter 1: ORIGINAL OR ADAPTED: WHICH ARE YOU WRITING?

• Original Screenplays—What You Probably Want to Write

• Adapted Screenplays—What You Should Really Think About Writing

• Public Domain: Stories Free for the Telling

• Published Stories: Contacting Authors and Acquiring Options

• Sample Option Document

• Whichever You Choose, a Story is a Story is a Story

• Chapter One Exercises

Chapter 2: CONCEPT

• The Big Idea

• The Logline

• The Premise

• Chapter Two Exercises

Chapter 3:GENRE

• What Kind of Movie is this, Anyway?

• Understanding the ‘Rules’ of the Top 7 Genres in Film Today

- Comedy

- Romantic Comedy

- Action

- Thriller

- Horror

- Fantasy/Sci-Fi

- Drama

• Breaking the ‘Rules’ of the Top 7 Genres in Film Today

• Chapter Three Exercises

Chapter 4: CHARACTER

• Whose Story Do You Want to Tell?

• Getting to the Heart of Your Main Character

• Five Character Questions

- Who is this Person and What Does He/She Want? Need?

- What is His/Her Inner Life?

- Why Should I Care About Him/Her?

- What was His/Her Life Like Before the Story Starts?

- What Does He/She Sound Like?

• Supporting Characters—Please, No Stock Types

- Distinctiveness

- Variety

- Depth

• Chapter Four Exercises

Chapter 5:CHARACTER/STRUCTURE

• Let's Talk Arcs

• Why Character and Structure aren’t Mutually Exclusive

• Using Subplots - a Major Crossroads for Character and Structure

• What if the Journey of Your Main Character Mirrors the Trajectory of the Film?

• How Understanding this Symbiotic Relationship Can Take You to a Higher Level of Storytelling

• Chapter Five Exercises

Chapter 6:STRUCTURE

• Obligatory Thanks to the Greek Guy: How Aristotle Made it All Clear

• Act I: Setting Up Your Story and Main Character’s Journey

- The Tyranny of Page One

- Writing a Killer First 10 Pages

- Ending the Act with a Bang-Up Finish

• Act II: Taking Your Main Character on a Wild Ride

• Act III: Somehow Making the Impossible Possible—Bringing it All Together

• The 7 Steps

1—Catalyst

2—Big Event

3—Major Complication

4—2nd Major Complication

5—All is Lost

6—Can it Be?!

7—Resolution

• Page Numbers: Why Nearly All Scripts are Around 100 Pages

- Seriously? I’m Supposed to Follow Some Cookie-Cutter Formula?!

- Why It Works: The Discipline of Storytelling Construction

- Going Your Own Way: When to Break Ranks with the 7 Steps

• Pacing and How to Feel It

- What Makes a Story Move

- Writing Action—More Words Means More Care

• Deviating From the Norm: Nonlinear Structure and the Anti-Narrative Film

• Chapter Six Exercises

Chapter 7: DIALOGUE

• Writing Good Dialogue: Can it be Taught?

• Working Like Crazy to be Conversational

• Why Less is Always More

• Saying What’s Not Being Said Says it All

• Chapter Seven Exercises

Chapter 8:WRITING THE ADAPTATION

• Why Adaptations are Favored Over Originals in the Industry Today

• Public Domain: Stories Free for the Telling

• Published Stories: Contacting Authors and Acquiring Options

• How to Know What Makes a Good Story for Adaptation

• Breaking Down a 400 Page Novel into a 100 Page Screenplay: A Daunting Task

• Sample Option and Shopping Documents

• Chapter Eight Exercises

Chapter 9:WHEN TO USE YOUR BACK OF TRICKS

• Montages

• Flashbacks

• Voiceover/Narration

• Chapter Nine Exercises

Chapter 10: WHY IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

• Formatting

• Top 7 Things Not to Do in Your Screenplay

• Proofreading

• Chapter Ten Exercises

PART TWO - Slogging Away: How to Know if You’re on the Right Track

• The Pitch—Every Writer’s Touchstone

• The Emotional Story—Make Sure You’re On It

• The Element of Surprise—And Why it Makes All the Difference

• The Writer's Life—And How to Live It

- Decide on a Routine that Works

- Everything is Material

- Form a Writer’s Group and Stay With It

- Travel. Seriously. Everywhere.

PART THREE - Fade Out,You’re Done!—So What’s Next?

• Rewriting—Hemingway Was Right

• Proofreading—Again

• Polishing it Until it Shines

• Launching it Into the World

- Partying—Yes, This is the First Step

- Getting Your Script Read

- Finding an Agent

- Entering Contests

- Websites that Can Really Help

PART FOUR - Knowing Your Business

• Understanding the Collaborative Process

• Keeping up with Trends

• Knowing the Players

FADE OUT

Diane Lake is an Associate Professor of screenwriting at Emerson College and is a regular speaker at industry conferences. Her film Frida won the American Film Institute’s Film of the Year and was nominated for six Academy Awards in 2003, winning two. She has been commissioned to write films for Columbia, Disney, Miramax, and Paramount, and has written a mini-series for NBC, created a half-hour series for ABC, and worked with numerous independent producers, actors, and directors. Diane has been a member of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for over 20 years, where she has also served as an arbiter to determine film credits. Visit Diane's website at www.DianeLake.com or to schedule Diane for a speaking engagement, please email MichaelGriffin@ScreenwritersPath.com.