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Writing the Short Film » (REV)

Book cover image of Writing the Short Film by Patricia Cooper

Authors: Patricia Cooper, Ken Dancyger
ISBN-13: 9780240805887, ISBN-10: 0240805887
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Elsevier Science
Date Published: October 2004
Edition: REV

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Author Biography: Patricia Cooper

Ken Dancyger is the author of numerous books on screenwriting, editing, and production. He conducts screenwriting forums and workshops in North America, Europe, and Asia. A past chair of Undergraduate studies in the Department of Film and Television at NYU, he is currently Professor of Film and Television at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Book Synopsis

The short film is a unique narrative art form that, while lending itself to experimentation, requires tremendous discipline in following traditional filmic considerations. This book takes the student and novice screenwriter through the storytelling process- from conception, to visualization, to dramatization, to characterization and dialogue- and teaches them how to create a dramatic narrative that is at once short (approximately half an hour in length) and complete. Exercises, new examples of short screenplays, and an examination of various genres round out the discussion.

NEW TO THE THIRD EDITION: new screenplays, a chapter on rewriting your script, and a chapter on the future of short films

A comprehensive guide to writing this challenging form Numerous exercises to jumpstart visualization and writing In-depth discussion of genres suited to the short screenplay

Table of Contents

Pt. IFundamentals : breaking ground7
Ch. 1Storytelling in general9
Ch. 2Telling a story in images17
Ch. 3Using sound to tell the story29
Ch. 4Discovering and exploring a main character37
Ch. 5Telling the dramatic story47
Ch. 6Writing an original short screenplay65
Ch. 7On revision : substance and style79
Pt. IIMoving forward : writing strategies87
Ch. 8The need for storytelling89
Ch. 9Visualization strategies101
Ch. 10Dramatic strategies113
Ch. 11Characterization strategies127
Ch. 12More on dialogue strategies141
Pt. IIIGenres : forming the story151
Ch. 13The melodrama153
Ch. 14The docudrama171
Ch. 15The hyperdrama187
Ch. 16The experimental narrative205
Pt. IVNew directions221
Ch. 17The opportunity for renewal223
App. AShort short screenplays233
Vincent235
Sob story241
Pigeon249
App. BShort screenplays257
Another story259
The lady in waiting270
Sleeping beauties297
The wounding308
Dead letters don't die323

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