Screenwriting for Micro-Budget Films Tips, Tricks and Hacks for Reverse Engineering Your Screenplay

Screenwriting for micro-budget films can present its own challenges and this book takes the reader through all the considerations that need to be made to write an effective screenplay for a low-budget film.

Drawing on his own experience, case studies from films such as Primer, Coherence and Reservoir Dogs, as well as the perspectives of working screenwriters such as Joe Swanberg and Alex Ross-Perry, Greenberg explores common pitfalls screenwriters face and suggests practical solutions. This book lays the groundworks of the realities of low-budget filmmaking and also talks through the practical aspects, such as story structure and genre considerations. Greenberg makes the process of writing a screenplay for a low-budget film accessible and creative, allowing student and independent filmmakers to tailor their writing for their films.

This book is ideal for aspiring screenwriters, independent filmmakers and students of screenwriting.

Introduction; Chapter 1: Know your limitations; Chapter 2: Getting real; Chapter 3: Write for your producer; Chapter 4: Screenwriting hacks; Chapter 5: Story structure; Chapter 6: Model your feature on a short; Chapter 7: Genre considerations; Chapter 8: Case studies; Chapter 9: Stomping ground; Chapter 10: Final thoughts; Appendix; Index

David J. Greenberg teaches screenwriting at Drexel University and the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He has written nearly 60 screenplays for features, documentaries and shorts. He wrote and directed the feature Stomping Ground (2016) which was produced for $18,000 and shot in 24 hours.