ABSTRACT

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

chapter |6 pages

Introduction

part |79 pages

Fundamentals

chapter |8 pages

Storytelling in General

chapter |12 pages

Telling a Story in Images

chapter |8 pages

Using Sound to Tell the Story

chapter |18 pages

Telling the Dramatic Story

chapter |14 pages

Writing an Original Short Screenplay

chapter |7 pages

On Revision

Substance and Style

part |63 pages

Moving Forward

chapter |12 pages

The Need for Storytelling

chapter |11 pages

Visualization Strategies

chapter |14 pages

Dramatic Strategies

chapter |13 pages

Characterization Strategies

chapter |9 pages

More on Dialogue Strategies

part |69 pages

Genres

chapter |17 pages

The Melodrama

chapter |15 pages

The Docudrama

chapter |17 pages

The Hyperdrama

chapter |15 pages

The Experimental Narrative

part |12 pages

New Directions

chapter |10 pages

The Opportunity for Renewal