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Writing for Visual Media
by Anthony FriedmannWriting for Visual Media provides writers with an understanding of the nature of visual writing behind all visual media. Such writing is vital for directors, actors, and producers to communicate content to audiences. Friedmann provides an extended investigation into dramatic theory and how entertainment narrative works, illustrated by examples and detailed analysis of scenes, scripts, techniques, and storylines. This new edition has a finger on the pulse of the rapidly evolving media ecosystem and explains it in the context of writing and creating content. Friedmann lays out many of the complex professional, creative, and commercial issues that a writer needs to understand in order to tell engaging stories and construct effective and professional screenplays. This new edition includes: A new chapter on storytelling A fresh examination of dramatic theory and how to apply it to constructing screenplays Updated discussion of mobile platforms A lengthened discussion of copyright, ethics, and professional development issues An updated companion website with sample scripts and corresponding videos, an interactive glossary, sample storyboards and screenplays, links to industry resources, and materials for instructors such as slides, a syllabus, and a test bank.
Writing for the Green Light: How to Make Your Script the One Hollywood Notices
by Scott KirkpatrickTailor your screenplay to sell. Find out what Hollywood script readers, producers, and studio executives want in a screenplay (and why) from someone who’s been there. Discover what it takes to begin a lasting career as a screenwriter. Peppered with interviews from established professionals, Writing for the Green Light: How to Make Your Script the One Hollywood Notices gives you a sharp competitive edge by showcasing dozens of everyday events that go on at the studios but are rarely if ever discussed in most screenwriting books. With his behind-the-scenes perspective, Scott Kirkpatrick shows you why the system works the way it does and how you can use its unwritten rules to your advantage. He answers such questions as: Who actually reads your script? How do you pique the interest of studios and decision makers? What do agents, producers, and production companies need in a script? How much is a script worth? What are the best genres for new writers and why? What are real steps you can take to ‘break in’ to television writing? How do you best present or pitch a project without looking desparate? How do you negotiate a contract without an agent? How do you exude confidence and seal your first deal? These and other insights are sure to give you and your screenplay a leg-up for success in this competitive landscape!
Writing for the Screen (PERFORM)
by Anna WeinsteinWriting for the Screen is a collection of essays and interviews exploring the business of screenwriting. This highly accessible guide to working in film and television includes perspectives from industry insiders on topics such as breaking in; pitching; developing and nurturing business relationships; juggling multiple projects; and more. Writing for the Screen is an ideal companion to screenwriting and filmmaking classes, demystifying the industry and the role of the screenwriter with real-world narratives and little-known truths about the business. With insight from working professionals, you’ll be armed with the information you need to pursue your career as a screenwriter. Contains essays by and interviews with screenwriting consultants, television writers, feature writers, writer-directors of independent film, producers, and professors. Offers expert opinions on how to get started, including preparing your elevator pitch, finding mentors, landing an internship, and moving from an internship to the next step in your career. Reveals details about taking meetings, what development executives are looking for in a screenwriter, how and when to approach a producer, and how to pitch. Explores strategies for doing creative work under pressure, finding your voice, choosing what to write, sticking with a project over the long haul, overcoming discrimination, and reinventing yourself as a writer. Illuminates the business of screenwriting in the United States (New York and Los Angeles) as compared to other countries around the globe, including England, Ireland, Peru, France, Australia, and Belgium.
Writing in Light: The Silent Scenario and the Japanese Pure Film Movement
by Joanne BernardiWhile most people associate Japanese film with modern directors like Akira Kurosawa, Japan's cinema has a rich tradition going back to the silent era. Japan's "pure film movement" of the 1910s is widely held to mark the birth of film theory as we know it and is a touchstone for historians of early cinema. Yet this work has been difficult to access because so few prints have been preserved. Joanne Bernardi offers the first book-length study of this important era, recovering a body of lost film and establishing its significance in the development of Japanese cinema. Building on a wealth of original-language sources--much of it translated here for the first time--she examines how the movement challenged the industry's dependence on pre-existing stage repertories, preference for lecturers of intertitles, and the use of female impersonators. Bernardi provides in-depth analysis of key scripts--The Glory of Life, A Father's Tears, Amateur Club, and The Lust of the White Serpent--and includes translations in an appendix. These films offer case studies for understanding the craft of screenwriting during the silent era and shed light on such issues as genre, authorship and control, and gender representation. Writing in Light helps fill important gaps in the history of Japanese silent cinema. By identifying points at which "pure film" discourse merges with changing international trends and attitudes toward film, it offers an important resource for film, literary, and cultural historians.
Writing in Pictures
by Joseph McbrideWriting in Pictures is a refreshingly practical and entertaining guide to screenwriting that provides what is lacking in most such books: a clear, step-by-step demonstration of how to write a screenplay.Seasoned screenwriter and writing teacher Joseph McBride breaks down the process into a series of easy, approachable tasks, focusing on literary adaptation as the best way to learn the basics and avoiding the usual formulaic approach. With its wealth of useful tips, along with colorful insights from master screenwriters past and present, this book is invaluable for anyone who wants to learn the craft of screen storytelling.
Writing in the Dark, Dancing in the New Yorker
by Arlene CroceArlene Croce was The New Yorker's dance critic, a post created for her. Her entertaining, forthright, passionate reviews have revealed the logic and history of ballet, modern dance, and their postmodern variants to a generation of theatergoers.
Writing the Comedy Pilot Script: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating an Original TV Series
by Manny BasaneseNavigating through the challenging process of writing a comedy pilot, this book will help screenwriters to create an original script for television. Practical and accessible, the book presents a step-by-step guide focusing on the key elements of the process. Incorporating both the history of TV comedy as well as its current evolving state in this age of the dramedy and an ever-increasing variety of broadcast and streaming platforms, the book will serve as a guide for the fledgling sitcom scribe. Author Manny Basanese breaks down the comedy pilot writing process from what may be perceived as an overwhelming, time-consuming mission into a series of much more manageable, smaller steps (from logline to outline to 1st, 2nd and polished draft). Utilizing his experience in Hollywood’s sitcom trenches, the author offers real-world advice on such topics as building the comedy pilot "world," creating memorable comic characters, sound sitcom structure, and the importance of crafting an emotional through line in a comedy pilot. Finally, there is also practical career guidance for marketing this just-completed script and breaking into the industry with advice on various topics such as the value of networking as well as gaining representation in the competitive Hollywood jungle. It is ideal for students of screenwriting and aspiring comedy screenwriters.
Writing the Short Film
by Ken Dancyger Patricia CooperThe 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
Writing the Short Film (second edition)
by Ken Dancyger Pat CooperWriters who want to write a fil will find this to be a useful book. The usefulness of this book goes beyond the writing or filmmaking class.
Writing, Making, and Distributing Your Short Film: How the Short Film Can Advance Your Craft and Career
by Chris EasterlyThis book is a concise, practical guide to writing and making a successful short film. In an accessible and relatable tone, the book covers the filmmaking process from plot ideation to film distribution, without getting bogged down in the complicated details. Written by an experienced writer and filmmaker, the book shows you how to create content, from script to screen, that can connect with an audience. It does so by considering classic storytelling templates like Aristotle’s Three-Act Structure and Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey”, as well as examining a variety of successful short films—analyzing what makes them work, or not, and why. To support learning, it also provides a list of recommended short films to study, with brief background information on each. This is supplemented with the author’s personal experiences of writing and making films, along with exclusive insights from successful Hollywood and independent writers and producers. There are also questions and prompts at the end of each chapter, uniquely designed to guide the reader through the step-by-step process of writing their own short script. Students and professionals alike who want to craft and perfect their short films will find this to be an invaluable resource and a one-stop guide to success.
Writing, Retelling, and Critically Reading Children's and Young Adult Tales
by Bernard MontoneriThis edited collection traces the evolution of writing, retelling, and critically reading children's and young adult tales over decades of cultural, social, and technological changes. Global contributions cover the increasingly diverse narratives found in children's literature, including how contemporary authors challenge traditional gender roles found in fairy tales through modern increasingly prevalent retellings. Chapters also consider the psychological impact of storytelling on children and how narratives can provide children with frameworks for understanding their emotions and experiences.
Włodzimierz Staniewski and the Phenomenon of “Gardzienice” (Routledge Advances in Theatre & Performance Studies)
by Tomasz Wiśniewski S. E. Gontarski Katarzyna KręglewskaThis book offers a broad overview of the contemporary state of the Gardzienice theatrical company and its evolution. Their most recent production, The Wedding, is taken as a focal point for a retrospective discussion on the company’s development. Premiered at the festival celebrating the 40th anniversary of the company, The Wedding echoes most of the major achievements of Staniewski’s stage language and his capacity of exploring and developing the performative potential of liveness. This study consists of essays by prominent practitioners and theoreticians of theatre, director’s notes, conversations with Staniewski and other company members, selected archival materials and substantial visual coverage. It promises to be of great interest to students and scholars across the fields of theatre and performance studies.
X Films: True Confessions of a Radical Filmmaker
by Alex CoxFilmmaker Alex Cox's thoughtful autobiography examines his craft and influences, as well as providing his insights into many of his favorite films. Sometimes called a radical, Cox is a quintessential auteur, as well as an internationally focused, insightful critic and writer whose passion for film has gripped him since childhood. In addition to being a captivating look into Cox's process, this book also encourages and instructs would-be independent filmmakers, guiding the next generation of film pioneers through the arduous journey of creation. Cox weaves his own "confessions" with his notes to the new guard, including thoughts on new forms of digital distribution and his radical views on intellectual property - the result is a readable, startling treatise on both the film innovations of today and the thrilling potential of future filmmaking.
X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography
by Ray Davies“Like his songs, Davies’s book is alternately poignant, funny, and bawdy . . . indispensable for Kinks fans and recommended for anyone interested in 1960s pop music.” —Library JournalThis subversively brilliant, one-of-a-kind rock autobiography is ingeniously styled as a biography, written by a nameless, faceless writer hired by an Orwellian entity called “the Corporation” to capture the essence of Ray Davies, lead singer and songwriter of the Kinks and one of the greatest rock and rollers of all time. The Kinks frontman reveals his life and times to the young writer, often seemingly passing his stories directly into the writer’s consciousness. Carnaby Street, Top of the Pops, the Cavern Club, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who and other fixtures of the times fade in and out of this compelling narrative. Part autobiography, part social history, part psychological thriller, this elusive and daring book exposes rock stardom as the heaven, hell, and purgatory it is.“In an age when everybody’s in show business and writes a lousy book about it, Ray Davies is to be honored for not doing the usual thing. We would expect no less of him.” —Rolling Stone“A major addition to pop-culture literature.” —Booklist
X-Treme Possibilities: A Paranoid Rummage Through The X-Files
by Paul Cornell Keith Topping Martin Day'Open your mind to extreme possibilities'Scully's desire to be recognised as 'a medical doctor', ooze, mouthfuls of difficult dialogue and the tendency for characters not to make it through the pre-titles sequence were just a few of the tragically underexamined elements of THE X-FILES phenomenon - until the first edition of this book. Now the authors take their study of televisions weirdest show through to the end of series five, and THE X-FILES movie.X-TREME POSSIBILITIES presents a unique analysis of the programme that transformed US television. While sometimes witty and light-hearted, this volume is also a serious study of the elements that made the show such a success. As well as a detailed episode guide of the first five seasons, the book pieces together the nature of the series' Conspiracy - and attempts to discover just what the truth is.Never before has THE X-FILES been put under such focused, affectionate and bizarre scrutiny. Please note this new release of the second edition has not been updated.
X: The Novel
by Tim WaggonerWritten by four-time Bram Stoker award-winning writer Tim Waggoner, this thrilling novelisation of the horror film X is printed in throwback pocket-sized paperback format, bringing beloved scream queens Pearl and Maxine to a new medium and reliving the tragedy that befell the film’s characters in Ti West’s grisly original screenplay.
XOXO, Cody: An Opinionated Homosexual's Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness
by Cody RigsbyThe beloved Peloton instructor chronicles his journey from small-town North Carolina to New York City stardom in an empowering story that reveals his secret to success: not taking yourself—or life—too seriously.&“Reading XOXO, Cody is like hanging out with that friend who makes you laugh and can open up their heart to you.&”—Phoebe Robinson, New York Times bestselling author of Please Don&’t Sit on My Bed in Your Outside ClothesCody Rigsby has a lot of opinions: Kevin is the hottest Backstreet Boy; grape jelly is a crime against nature; if you wear flip-flops in New York City, you do not love yourself. But if there is one opinion—one truth—that he holds above all others, it&’s that we shouldn&’t let the fear of looking stupid or being judged hold us back from living our best lives. Cody didn&’t always feel this way. In XOXO, Cody, he opens up about his journey toward accepting himself, from growing up gay and poor in the South to his migration to New York City, where he went from broke-ass dancer to fitness icon. He intimately details what it was like to lose both his father and best friend to addiction and how he began to repair his relationship with his mom as an adult. He recounts his time working at a nightclub on the Lower East Side and his decision to audition for Peloton on a whim, and dishes about competing against Sporty Spice on Dancing with the Stars.With raw and inspiring stories about learning how to handle the scary sh*t, XOXO, Cody is a bold and heartfelt reminder that sometimes laughing at yourself is the best medicine. Remember: It ain&’t that deep, boo.
Xenakis: His Life in Music
by James HarleyXenakis: His Life in Music is a full-length study of the influential contemporary composer Iannis Xenakis. Following the trajectory of Xenakis’s compositional development, James Harley, who studied with Xenakis, presents the works together with clear explanations of the technical and conceptual innovations that shaped them. Harley examines the relationship between the composer and two early influences: Messiaen and Le Corbusier. Particular attention is paid to analyzing works which were vital to the composer’s creative development, from early, unpublished works to the breakthrough pieces Metastasis and Pithoprakta, through the oft-discussed decade of formalization and the evolving styles of the succeeding three decades.
Xiangsheng and the Emergence of Guo Degang in Contemporary China
by Shenshen Cai Emily DunnThis book explores xiangsheng, one of the most popular folk art performance genres in China, its enlistment by official propaganda machine after the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its revival in popularity under Guo Degang and his Deyun Club. Just as the 1950's saw the shift of xiangsheng 's social function from entertainment to the political tool of ‘serving the party’, Guo Degang has completed the paradigm shift by turning its focus back to ‘serving the people’ as a means of entertainment and social criticism. This volume examines how Guo has resurrected the essence of xiangsheng, successfully commercialised it in a market economy, and simultaneously deconstructed the official discourse through grassroots means.
Y Tu Mamá También: Mythologies of Youth (Cinema and Youth Cultures)
by Scott L. BaughCharting production, distribution, censorship, and reception, this book examines Y Tu Mamá También in its presentation as a journey of self-discoveries. Three young adults enjoy a road trip together in search of a legendary beach. Behind their stories are mythologies of youth, a network of ideas in the film that reflects life outside the theaters. The deceptively complex film leaves the characters and its viewers with, instead of oversimplified and hollow answers, provocative questions and existential concerns. Made independently in Mexico, the film crosses over transnational issues, global markets, and mainstream and alternative aesthetics. It transforms road movie and youth film genres and shows a ‘musical, magical’ Mexico to the world. This book synthesizes several approaches in order to extensively examine Y Tu Mamá También. Covering the film’s production history, its distribution and censorship, and larger industrial, political, and cultural contexts, this book analyzes the too-often overlooked aspects of youthful sexuality alongside figurations of maturity, rites of passage, and covenants—made, broken, and remade—that not only inform representations of identity but also complicate the processes of identity formation themselves.
Yankee Mission: Thomas Kydd 25 (Thomas Kydd #36)
by Julian StockwinSwashbuckling adventure during the great Age of Sail.With Bonaparte held to a stalemate in Europe, the race to empire is now resumed. Britain's ambitions turn to the Spice Islands, the Dutch East Indies, where Admiral Pellew has been sent to confront the enemy's vastly rich holdings in these tropical islands. Captain Sir Thomas Kydd joins reinforcements to snatch these for the British Crown.The two colonial masters of India and the East Indies face each other in mortal striving for the region - there can be only one victor to hold all the spoils. The colonial genius, Stamford Raffles, believes Britain should strike at the very centre of Dutch spice production, the Moluccas, rather than the fortresses one by one but is fiercely opposed. Kydd, allying himself to this cause, conspires to lead a tiny force to a triumphant conclusion - however the Dutch, stung by this loss, claim vengeance from the French. A battle for Java and an empire in the East stretches Kydd and Tyger's company to their very limits.*************Praise for Julian Stockwin's Kydd series'In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world' Guardian'Paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line' Daily Express'This heady adventure blends fact and fiction in rich, authoritative detail' Nautical Magazine'Fans of fast-paced adventure will get their fill with this book' Historical Naval Society(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Yardsticks For Failure: Adventures in Friendship and Fluster
by Ivo Graham'A hilarious and original voice' Josh Widdicombe'Delightfully smart and impossibly charming' Dolly Alderton'His writing is as unpredictable and brilliant as he is' Sophie Duker'I've got nothing but love for Mr Ivo Graham' Frankie BoyleYardsticks For Failure is the story of the most frantic two years of Ivo Graham's already quite frantic life, 2022-2024, two years of tasks and tears and everything in between.The amount of stuff Ivo packs into these two years will excite you and exhaust you, enthral you and appal you, and many more carefully choreographed pairs of verbs if you'd like this sentence to be even longer. There are some short sentences in this book, such as this one. And this one. But there are some long old sentences too, sentences that take you on whole thrilling adventures all by themselves, sentences that are rich in music and memory, mischief and mourning, sentences that bring you right alongside Ivo in his train-chasing, gamefacing,name-dropping, heart-stopping chaos of an existence. No one lives like Ivo does, and no one writes like him either. There are failures in his life but this book is not one of them. Come on in.'Not a complete waste of his school fees' Jenny Eclair'A trash man from a trash family' James Acaster
Yardsticks For Failure: Adventures in Friendship and Fluster
by Ivo Graham'A hilarious and original voice' Josh Widdicombe'Delightfully smart and impossibly charming' Dolly Alderton'His writing is as unpredictable and brilliant as he is' Sophie Duker'I've got nothing but love for Mr Ivo Graham' Frankie BoyleYardsticks For Failure is the story of the most frantic two years of Ivo Graham's already quite frantic life, 2022-2024, two years of tasks and tears and everything in between.The amount of stuff Ivo packs into these two years will excite you and exhaust you, enthral you and appal you, and many more carefully choreographed pairs of verbs if you'd like this sentence to be even longer. There are some short sentences in this book, such as this one. And this one. But there are some long old sentences too, sentences that take you on whole thrilling adventures all by themselves, sentences that are rich in music and memory, mischief and mourning, sentences that bring you right alongside Ivo in his train-chasing, gamefacing,name-dropping, heart-stopping chaos of an existence. No one lives like Ivo does, and no one writes like him either. There are failures in his life but this book is not one of them. Come on in.'Not a complete waste of his school fees' Jenny Eclair'A trash man from a trash family' James Acaster
Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter
by Stephanie Pearl-McPheeOne woman shares hilarious personal stories of her obsession, frustration, reflection, and fun with knitting.An obsessed knitter who can’t seem to put the needles down, author Stephanie Pearl-McPhee reveals the tangled and sometimes maniacal path of her knitting triumphs and disasters in Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter.Sharing both humorous and poignant tales of knitting escapades, such as fleeing from a yarn-thieving squirrel, dismantling a car to find a vital needle, and what it feels like to wrap a newborn baby in the work of your own hands. Yarn Harlot exposes the extreme sport of knitting, and adventure that can be fulfilling, exasperating, and wickedly funny.From the moment Stephanie’s family discovers that she has taken to storing yarn in the piano to her attempts to foist knitted socks on a friend with a wool “allergy,” Yarn Harlot looks at knitting with humor, insight, and sympathy for the obsessed.“Stephanie Pearl-McPhee turns both typical and unique knitting experiences into very funny and articulate prose.” —Meg Swansen, Schoolhouse Press“An intimate view of the passionate knitter’s psyche: a transport of hilarity for knitters and the knitted-for; I laughed until my stitches fell helplessly from my needles!”—Lucy Neatby, author of Cool Socks Warm Feet“A sort of David Sedaris-like take on knitting—laugh-out-loud funny most of the time and poignantly reflective when it’s not cracking you up.” —Library Journal
Yeah, I Said It
by Wanda SykesWanda Sykes reduces people to tears -- tears of laughter. She's done so as a stand-up comic, a sitcom star, and a sports commentator for years now, and in the process she's gained a huge fan base nationwide. Now that she's conquered television, she's applying her genius to her first book, Yeah, I Said It. Here, Wanda presents hilarious and uncensored commentary on sex, family, politics, celebrities, and much more than she could ever say in a sound bite. But then again, she's a genius with a sound bite too. Here's what she says about men and football. "I used to think that football took place in this overbearing male-only environment that bled masculine domination. But the more I attend, the more I realize these football fans could actually be experiencing the straight man's gay pride parade. You see men painting each other's faces in bright colors. You see men proud to wear another man's last name on their shirt. You see some men wear no shirt at all....Hot wieners on every corner as you walk up to the main competition. Men open the back of their trunks for a little tailgating." Here's what she says about women: "Women are taking stripper classes in hopes their men will stop going to strip clubs....You can't compete with those strippers....You gotta have...the stripper mentality. In other words, the ability to lie like a dog for a measly buck. A stripper will tell your man anything for a dollar. 'Oow, I thought you were Brad Pitt.' " An uproarious and irreverent collection from one of today's foremost comedic talents, Yeah, I Said It is Wanda Sykes at her uncensored best. Here, she channels her sharp wit into funny bits on the truth as she sees it from the halls of government in Washington, D.C., to the red carpets and boardrooms of Hollywood. Imbued with her razor-sharp voice, these essays showcase Sykes's sidesplitting candor and her trademark brand of comedy.