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English BA: Writing for Performance: Theatre, Film, Television
Welcome to your reading list for Writing for Performance: Theatre, Film, Television. Here you will find the resources to support you throughout your module.
Key Texts
Students will be expected to obtain their own copies of play texts. Links to a selection of online scripts for film and television will be provided on the module.
The Road by Cartwright, J.'Road- ''A surreal vision of the contemporary urban landscape...uncomfortable and magical, funny and bitter. It is a northern Under Milk Wood, high on pills and booze'' (Sunday Times).'
The Calling Card Script by Ashton, P.The calling card script is the script that expresses your voice, gets you noticed and helps you reach commission and production. Written by Paul Ashton, Development Manager of the BBC writersroom, and born out of his wide experience of reading scripts, working with writers, and as an industry 'gatekeeper', this is a guide to the key writing tools you need to know and understand to write a truly original script. As many professionals need to switch mediums and genres in order to survive and thrive, the book uniquely draws together the universal principles of dramatic storytelling for screen, stage, and radio. With a focus on the script as a blue print for performance, sections and chapters break down into bite-sized practical insights and the book mirrors both the journey of the story and process of writing it. The Calling Card Script shows how to tell a great story in script form and offers valuable professional development insight for all writers, whether established or just starting out, who wish to hone their craft and speak their voice.
Call Number: 808.22 ASH + eBook
ISBN: 9781408110171
Publication Date: 2011
Blueprint for Screenwriting by Ballon, R.F.Blueprint for Screenwriting demystifies the writing process by developing a "blueprint" for writers to follow for each new screenplay--from original concept to completed script. Author and international script consultant Dr. Rachel Ballon explores the writing craft and emphasizes creativity in the writing process. She blends her expertise in script analysis and writing coaching with her personal experience as a screenwriter to help writers construct their stories and characters. Starting with the story's framework, Dr. Ballon helps readers to understand the key "building blocks" of story structure and character development, including characters' emotional and psychological states, story conflicts, and scene and act structure. She also covers the essential components in the script writing process, such as outlines, script treatments, synopses, and formats. Dr. Ballon devotes a chapter to overcoming writer's block--the writer's greatest obstacle--and offers guidance for taking the next steps once a script is completed. A practical tool for any writer, this distinctive resource: *offers a blueprint for writers to follow, breaking the writing process down into specific, easy-to-follow steps; *stresses the psychology of the characters as well as that of the writer; and *offers first-hand knowledge of the screenwriting process and gives practical advice for completing and marketing scripts. With its unique and insightful approach to the writing process, this book will be indispensable for scriptwriters, fiction writers, and professional writers, and it will serve as a useful text in screenwriting courses.
New Playwriting Strategies by Castagno, P.C.New Playwriting Strategies offers a fresh and dynamic approach to playwriting that will be welcomed by teachers and aspiring playwrights alike.
Call Number: 808.2 CAS
ISBN: 0878301364
Publication Date: 2001
Alternative Scriptwriting by Dancyger, K; Rush, J.Learn the rules of scriptwriting, and then how to successfully break them! Unlike other screenwriting books, this unique guide pushes you to challenge yourself and break free of tired, formulaic writing--bending or breaking the rules of storytelling as we know them. Like the best-selling previous editions, seasoned authors Dancyger and Rush explore alternative approaches to the traditional three-act story structure, going beyond teaching you "how to tell a story" by teaching you how to write against conventional formulas to produce original, exciting material. The pages are filled with an international range of contemporary and classic cinema examples to inspire and instruct. New to this edition: New chapter on the newly popular genres of feature documentary, long-form television serials, non-linear stories, satire, fable, and docudrama New chapter on multiple-threaded long form, serial television scripts New chapter on genre and a new chapter on how genre's very form is flexible to a narrative New chapter on character development New case studies, including an in-depth case study of the dark side of the fable, focusing on The Wizard of Oz and Pan's Labyrinth
The Screenwriter's Workbook by Field, S.An invaluable, systematic instruction book for beginners and professional screenwriters alike. A standard of the industry for more than 10 years, The Screenwriter's Workbook has been thoroughly updated and revised to reflect the needs and expectations of the modern Hollywood movie script. With easy-to-follow excercises and instructions, a clear explanation of screenwriting basics and expert advice, screenwriters will now be able to take that gem of an idea and turn it into a screenplay ear-marked for success.
Call Number: 808.23 FIE
ISBN: 9780385339049
Publication Date: 2006
The Insider's Guide to Writing for Television by Friedmann, J.; Walker, C.aking budding scriptwriters step-by-step through the entire scriptwriting process, including how to make money from TV scriptwriting. Authored by two industry experts, from both the scriptwriting and agency side, this book reveals insider tips and strategies; from how to structure scripts to preparing your pitch and finding an agent.
Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect by Johnson, C.H.Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect, Fourth Edition stands alone among screenwriting books by emphasizing that human connection, though often overlooked, is as essential to writing effective screenplays as conflict. This groundbreaking book will show you how to advance and deepen your screenwriting skills, increasing your ability to write richer, more resonant short screenplays that will connect with your audience. With her candid, conversational style, award-winning writer and director Claudia Hunter Johnson teaches you the all-important basics of dramatic technique and guides you through the challenging craft of writing short screenplays with carefully focused exercises of increasing length and complexity. In completing these exercises and applying Claudia¿s techniques and insights to your own work, you will learn how to think more deeply about the screenwriter¿s purpose, craft effective patterns of human change, and strengthen your storytelling skills. This new edition has been expanded and updated to include: A companion website (www.focalpress.com/cw/johnson) with ten award-winning short films featured in the book, including two outstanding, all-new short films¿Intercambios and the Student-Emmy-Award-winning Underground A new chapter on scene and structure that will help you find the right structure for your short screenplay A new chapter on crafting effective dialogue and subtext that will teach you to make the most of every word and add further depth to your script
Call Number: eBook
ISBN: 9780415735476
Publication Date: 2014
Creative Screenwriting by Kallas, CChristina Kallas argues for and sets out a genuinely original and creative approach to writing for the screen. This textbook aims to excite the imagination, inspiring and dramatizing stories with thematic richness, emotional depth and narrative rhythm. Structured like a screenplay, the book moves through the pre-credit sequence to the epilogue, interweaving theory, practice and case studies. Kallas combines an awareness of the history of dramatic writing with a very practical focus on how to find ideas and develop them. Supported by innovative and inspiring exercises that enable writers to create stories out of emotions and images, this book is challenging, motivating and essential reading for anyone interested in screenwriting.
Call Number: 808.23 KAL
ISBN: 9780230221413
Publication Date: 2010
Laugh Lines: Short Comic Plays by Lane, E.; Shengold, N.This one-of-a-kind anthology features thirty-six hilarious short plays by major American playwrights and emerging new voices, all guaranteed to send readers and audiences into peals of laughter. From the surrealistic wit of Steve Martin's "The Zig-Zag Woman" to the biting political satire of Steven Dietz's "The Spot," from Christopher Durang's wonderfully loopy "Wanda's Visit" to Shel Silverstein's supremely twisted "The Best Daddy," there's something in here to make everyone laugh. There are plays for casts of all sizes, from monologues to large ensembles, with diverse and challenging roles for actors of every age and type. Even the titles are funny: Mark O'Donnell's "There Shall Be No Bottom (a bad play for worse actors)," Elaine May's "The Way of All Fish," and Alan Ball's "Your Mother's Butt." A bonanza for theatergoers, performers, and comedy fans, Laugh Lines will bring down the house.
The Art and Science of Screenwriting by Parker, P.In an age where many see screenwriters as the storytellers of the new century and everyone appears to be trying to write a screenplay, this book provides the framework for you to write a great screenplay. It goes beyond the concerns of act structure and the merits of story-driven ? as opposed to character-driven ? screenplays to tackle the real complexities of writing a compelling screenplay.
Film Genre for the Screenwriter by Selbo, J.Film Genre for the Screenwriter is a practical study of how classic film genre components can be used in the construction of a screenplay. Based on Jule Selbo¿s popular course, this accessible guide includes an examination of the historical origins of specific film genres, how and why these genres are received and appreciated by film-going audiences, and how the student and professional screenwriter alike can use the knowledge of film genre components in the ideation and execution of a screenplay. Explaining the defining elements, characteristics and tropes of genres from romantic comedy to slasher horror, and using examples from classic films like Casablanca alongside recent blockbuster franchises like Harry Potter, Selbo offers a compelling and readable analysis of film genre in its written form. The book also offers case studies, talking points and exercises to make its content approachable and applicable to readers and writers across the creative field.
Call Number: 808.23 SEL
ISBN: 9781138020832
Publication Date: 2014
Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies by Snyder, B.In the long-awaited sequel to his surprise bestseller, Save the Cat!, author and screenwriter Blake Snyder returns to form in a fast-paced follow-up that proves why his is the most talked-about approach to screenwriting in years. In the perfect companion piece to his first book, Snyder delivers even more insider's information gleaned from a 20-year track record as ?one of Hollywood's most successful spec screenwriters, ? giving you the clues to write your movie. Designed for screenwriters, novelists, and movie fans, this book gives readers the key breakdowns of the 50 most instructional movies from the past 30 years. From M*A*S*H to Crash, from Alien to Saw, from 10 to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Snyder reveals how screenwriters who came before you tackled the same challenges you are facing with the film you want to write ? or the one you are currently working on.
Call Number: 808.23 SNY
ISBN: 9781932907353
Publication Date: 2007
Genre: a guide to writing for stage and screen by Tidmarsh, A.What makes tragedy tragic? What makes comedy comic? What does Much Ado About Nothing have in common with When Harry Met Sally? Seneca with Desperate Housewives? Goldoni with Frasier? In Genre: A Guide to Writing for Stage and Screen Andrew Tidmarsh explores these questions and more. Investigating how the relationship between form and content brings endless discoveries and illuminations about how narrative works, this entertaining and accessible book looks at how storytelling in film and theatre has evolved and how an appreciation of form can bring the writer, director or actor a solid foundation and a sense of security, which ultimately assists the creative process. Including genre-specific exercises in every chapter helping the reader to write and devise, Genre: A Guide to Writing for Stage and Screen is for all those with an interest in story and can be used by writers, actors and directors alike - whether students or experienced professionals - to make the blank page appear less terrifying.
Call Number: 808.2 TID
ISBN: 9781408185827
Publication Date: 2014
The Writer's Journey, 3rd edn by Vogler, C.The udated and revised third edition provides new insights and observations from Vogler's ongoing work on mythology's influence on stories, movies, and man himself. The previous two editons of this book have sold over 180,000 units, making this book a 'classic' for screenwriters, writers, and novelists.