How to Build a Great Screenplay: A Master Class in Storytelling for Film (Paperback)

David Howard

ISBN 10: 031235262X / ISBN 13: 9780312352622

Published by Griffin, California, 2004

Paperback. As founding director of the graduate screenwriting program at the university of Southern California, David Howard has taught the authors of some of the most successful movies of our time, including "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" and "Natural Born Killers". His comprehensive new book deconstructs the craft of writing for film, and reveals: story arc; plotting and subplotting; classical vs. revolutionary screenplay structure; tone, style and atmosphere; the use of time; and the creation of drama and tension. Acclaimed USC screenwriting teacher David Howard has guided hundreds of students to careers in writing for film and television. Drawing on decades of practical experience and savvy, "How to Build a Great Screenplay" deconstructs the craft of screenwriting and carefully reveals how to build a good story from the ground up. Howard eschews the "system" offered by other books, emphasizing that a great screenplay requires dozens of unique decisions by the author. He offers in-depth considerations of: characterizationstory arcplotting and subplottingdealing with coincidence in story plottingclassical vs. revolutionary screenplay structuretone, style, and atmospherethe use of time on screenthe creation of drama and tensioncrucial moments in storytellingThroughout the book, Howard clarifies his lessons through examples from some of the most successful Hollywood and international script-oriented films, including Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, Trainspotting, North by Northwest, Chinatown, and others. The end result is what could very well become the classic text in the field—a bible for the burgeoning screenwriter. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780312352622

Synopsis:

As founding director of the graduate screenwriting program at the university of Southern California, David Howard has taught the authors of some of the most successful movies of our time, including "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" and "Natural Born Killers". His comprehensive new book deconstructs the craft of writing for film, and reveals: story arc; plotting and subplotting; classical vs. revolutionary screenplay structure; tone, style and atmosphere; the use of time; and the creation of drama and tension.

About the Author: David Howard is the founding director of the graduate screenwriting program at USC, where he teaches various courses in screenwriting. His students have scripted such successful films as The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Air Force One, Permanent Midnight, and Natural Born Killers. The coauthor (with Edward Mabley) of The Tools of Screenwriting, he lives in Los Angeles, California.

Bibliographic Details

Title: How to Build a Great Screenplay: A Master ...
Publisher: Griffin, California
Publication Date: 2004
Binding: Paperback
Condition: new
Edition: 1st Edition