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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.
Yeah, Nah!: A celebration of life and the words that make us who we are
by William McInnesHave you ever bunged it on?Behaved like a drongo?Added mayo to a story?Lost your Reg Grundies?Join bestselling storyteller William McInnes as he offers his own take on our colourful and colloquial way with words. From the simpler times of childhood to today's testing (and unprecedented!) times, or when we're wasting time, enjoying sporting times or hitting the big time, Australians have a turn of phrase for every situation. Our love of plain speaking communicates the essence of the thing to our mates, to those in the know - and to those who should know better.Part memoir, part manifesto, this warm, witty, poignant and laugh-out-loud funny collection will have you thinking about what you say, how you say it and what that really says about us as a nation. Praise for the writing of William McInnes'Warm and engaging . . . feels a little bit like home' Daily Telegraph'If there is a quintessence of Australia at its best, William McInnes has distilled it' The Age'Warm, nostalgic, funny and undeniably Australian' Sydney Morning Herald
Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person
by Shonda RhimesThe instant New York Times bestseller from the creator of Grey&’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away With Murder shares how saying YES changed her life. &“As fun to read as Rhimes&’s TV series are to watch&” (Los Angeles Times).She’s the creator and producer of some of the most groundbreaking and audacious shows on television today. Her iconic characters live boldly and speak their minds. So who would suspect that Shonda Rhimes is an introvert? That she hired a publicist so she could avoid public appearances? That she suffered panic attacks before media interviews? With three children at home and three hit television shows, it was easy for Shonda to say she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. And then, over Thanksgiving dinner, her sister muttered something that was both a wake up and a call to arms: You never say yes to anything. Shonda knew she had to embrace the challenge: for one year, she would say YES to everything that scared her. This poignant, intimate, and hilarious memoir explores Shonda’s life before her Year of Yes—from her nerdy, book-loving childhood to her devotion to creating television characters who reflected the world she saw around her. The book chronicles her life after her Year of Yes had begun—when Shonda forced herself out of the house and onto the stage; when she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her truest self. Yes. “Honest, raw, and revelatory” (The Washington Post), this wildly candid and compulsively readable book reveals how the mega talented Shonda Rhimes finally achieved badassery worthy of a Shondaland character. Best of all, she “can help motivate even the most determined homebody to get out and try something new” (Chicago Tribune).
Year of the Ring
by Susana PoloRelive the greatest adventure in history through this incredible chronicle of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and its immeasurable impact on pop culture.Gather your fellowship and retrace the remarkable journey from the Shire to Mordor with this detailed and in-depth exploration of Peter Jackson&’s timeless Lord of the Rings trilogy. From Tolkien&’s original story to the actors&’ anecdotal experiences, to its cultural impact on the entire world, this book will captivate every fan of the One Ring. Now, for the first time in history, Polygon&’s Year of the Ring archive of stories and fandom coverage can be brought home and added to any fan&’s collection, in this beautifully designed hardcover book. Fans of the One Ring can now easily assess the Year of the Ring&’s wide range of articles analyzing the deeper meaning of the characters and their journeys, as well detailed conversations about what the movies have meant to the fandom. This fandom manifesto will allow fans to reconnect with their fellowship and relive those special memories of watching the movies and discussing their theories with fellow Ringers. DOZENS OF FAN-FAVORITE TOPICS: From fan-theories to cultural studies, there are dozens of topics that every fan of the Lord of the Rings can enjoy and relate to. PERFECT FOR EVERY TOLKIEN FAN: This book is a pure celebration of all things related to Lord of the Rings and its history. STORIES BEYOND THE SHIRE: New, in-depth stories about the making of the Lord of the Rings that many fans had not heard before!
Yearbook
by Seth RogenA collection of funny personal essays from one of the writers of Superbad and Pineapple Express and one of the producers of The Disaster Artist, Neighbors, and The Boys. (All of these words have been added to help this book show up in people’s searches using the wonders of algorithmic technology. Thanks for bearing with us!) <P><P> Hi! I’m Seth! I was asked to describe my book, Yearbook, for the inside flap (which is a gross phrase) and for websites and shit like that, so… here it goes!!! Yearbook is a collection of true stories that I desperately hope are just funny at worst, and life-changingly amazing at best. (I understand that it’s likely the former, which is a fancy “book” way of saying “the first one.”) <P><P> I talk about my grandparents, doing stand-up comedy as a teenager, bar mitzvahs, and Jewish summer camp, and tell way more stories about doing drugs than my mother would like. I also talk about some of my adventures in Los Angeles, and surely say things about other famous people that will create a wildly awkward conversation for me at a party one day. <P><P> I hope you enjoy the book should you buy it, and if you don’t enjoy it, I’m sorry. If you ever see me on the street and explain the situation, I’ll do my best to make it up to you. <P><P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>