Writing Movies PDF
Preview Writing Movies
CUE LT: SA ee CUNT: | Tee ew betasRe te M Teekay Maem American Screenwriters Association GOTHAM WRITERS’ WORKSHOP writing movies IN PRACTICAL GUIDE FROM NEW YORK’S ACCLAIMED CREATIVE WRITING SCHOOL PSO Msee e hm Bi anon UT GOTHAM WRITERS’ WORKSHOP: writing movies ALSO AVAILABLE GOTHAM WRITERS’ WORKSHOP Writing Fiction The Practical Guide from New York’s Acclaimed Creative Writing School GOTHAM WRITERS’ WorRKSHOP Fiction Gallery Exceptional Short Stories Selected by New York’s Acclaimed Creative Writing School GOTHAM WRITERS’ WORKSHOP: writing movies WRITTEN BY GOTHAM WRITERS’ WORKSHOP FACULTY -EDITED BY ALEXANDER STEELE K27O -sC OOSRE4S1 LIMERICK COUNTY LIBRARY Laa e IR S Ww &,, bye e 4 e| riys t - A&C Black - London A & C Black * London 13579108642 Published 2008 A & C Black Publishers Limited 38 Soho Square London W1D 3HB www.acblack.com ISBN 978—1—408—10130-8 © 2006 Gotham Writers’ Workshop, Inc. First published 2006 by Bloomsbury USA, New York A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library This book is produced using paper made from wood grown in managed, sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable. The logging and manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. Printed and bound in Great Britain by Caligraving Ltd, Thetford, Norfolk How to Use this Book 2a hx lSL7 4w0 e; 8 #. ee ay & fEgx s2 be FY You shouldn’t just read your way through this book, but write your way through it as well. After all, you’re reading this book because you want to write a screenplay. In every chapter, you'll find two kinds of writing assignments. The assignments labeled Take a Shot will help you deepen your un- derstanding of what you’re learning through film analysis or by flexing your muscles with a writing exercise. The assignments la- beled Stepping-Stone will give you one or more tasks designed to help you develop your own screenplay. If you have a screenplay idea you’re burning to write, go ahead and use the stepping-stones on that idea. If you’re not sure what you want to write about, you can just pick an idea and run with it, or you can save the stepping- stones for when you're ready. The stepping-stones are not a paint- by-numbers method for writing a great screenplay (such a thing does not exist) but they will certainly lead you in the right direc- tion. Throughout the book, we will be using five movies to illustrate most of our points: Die Hard, Thelma ©& Louise, Tootsie, Sideways, and The Shawshank Redemption. To reap the maximum benefit from this book you should watch or re-watch these movies. You should also visit the Web site for this book: www.Writing Movies.info. There you will find the screenplays for the five movies cited above, along with other helpful material. a)a y ¥ “tesati ae ne— see sswhoioesca im—a Wie! ain eil eNorn wa<e d'e Sgr ‘ ae \ i es 7 ; ry ai meray, |c ee pet Bilt, i en ee 7 Z r ann uf latpesealh. jae iv m7 tile et aN 8 ye igen: Iglib: ee ne by q sy ray pete “4 ue SP sty j hh ees re ih; 6% 4g ; i ny ‘yt t od bs nan eid ik ». af), u “ seen he My , ones UieT- a mt, a bey HP a)A T RY ap Bee haltnetay meeri ed han pagen i Fo Pale Calas ioc Ae 2k ephar ns gy ; ese hy win: T G4 ole Pae P Ro s ey ‘Ahoy Pty at Ma bene a , wid £1)! oe te vs i, ra wah : f i yeu res vd i i ‘jettles is big (et es : ou 4 = DATES AT hae AS ORR eee aed eieay ue’ wo Bisson BUST)ae es Gean es I SApi, Se hao MR te OPC fh inese e‘| Sry Here Pre age i ey ner es ry, nk are 1 Fh| R abi baer tt ot male en ws al ihl ac “v9 wil cmon is he a m pe tae ; Th ae ipa La Seeing ek Wee ae Hibs< a pg i baie ayaa they "aEyel) eee Seek “ey tyra 2 var Bi >t Wankih wetted D ny Le oe a mee eles ape pate 4) ghee! Me oa : oe My Contents How to Use this Book 1, Screenwriting: Inventing a Myth BY ALEXANDER STEELE Plot: The Path of Action 33 BY DANIEL NOAH Chart of Major Events 66 Characters: The Lifeblood 69 BY PAUL ZIMMERMAN The Page: Words That Move 103 BY JOHN GLENN Scenes: Exploring and Exploding Moments 136 BY TAL MCTHENIA 174 Beat Sheet Dialogue: Making More of Less 176 BY MICHAEL ELDRIDGE Subplots: A Side of Story 216 BY HELEN KAPLAN Plot II: Like a Roller Coaster 238 BY TOMMY JENKINS Tone and Theme: The Overlay and Underlay 265 BY JASON GREIFF vil wh fet #E ESE fPfY £ %be,! rgme s ARR Pa’ peo WN BU EY EP ROK, fi STOC K viti Contents 10. Revision: From Rough to Ready 291 BY AMY FOX 11. The Business: Slipping Past the Velvet Rope 320 BY CHRISTOPHER MOMENEE Format Guide 309 Glossary 369 Cheat Sheet 373 Acknowledgments 379 Contributors 381 Index 383
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