Screenwriting
Getting Film Stories ToldJames R. Elkins
I have searched widely in the scholarly work on film theory, film criticism, and film studies for ways of working with lawyer films that will be of use to students. The most accessible, relevant, and useful source that I have found is the work of playwrights, screenwriters, and screenwriting consultants. Screenwriting people know that films are stories. They focus on how stories work, and how they fail.
Recommended Reading
Robert McKee, Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting (New York: HarperCollins/ ReganBooks, 1997)
Christopher Vogler, The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers (Studio City, California: Michael Wiese Productions, 3rd ed., 2007)
Supplemental Reading
James Bonnet, Stealing Fire From the Gods (Studio City, California: Michael Wiese Productions, 2nd ed., 2006)
Syd Field, Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting (New York: Delta Book, rev. ed., 2005)
Howard Suber, The Power of Film (Studio City, California: Michael Weise Productions, 2006)
John Truby, The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller (New York: Faber and Faber, 2007)
YouTube videos on Screenwriting
Robert McKee
Christopher Vogler
Howard Suber
John Truby
Dramatica Unplugged
Character
Creating Compelling Characters for the Screen
Story
How to Write a Script: Story Structure
three act structureMalcolm Halperin: Screenwriting, the 2nd Act
Malcolm Halperin: Writing the Treatment
Script Structure in a Nutshell
more three act structureYour Script Does NOT Have Three Acts
Brian Strum: Story Theory and Practice
a lectureFilm School Online: Story
audio only
More on Screenwriting
Writing a Great Script Fast: Introduction
The Pompous Film Critic: How NOT to Write a Script
Nickolas Kazan: Tricks of Screenwriting
Julian Friedmann: Teaching Screenwriting
William C. Martell - Hollywood ScreenwriterPaul Chitlik on Reworking Screen Plays
Learning from the Masters: About Screenwriting
Sheldon Turner :: Joe Eszterhas :: Paul Haggis :: David Goyer :: Ted Griffin :: Scott Rosenberg :: Bruce Joel Rubin :: Susannah Grant :: Paul Attanasio :: Billy Ray :: Jim Uhls :: Callie Khouri :: Nia Vardalos :: Jose Riveria :: John Hamburg :: Syd Field with Stuart Beattie :: Syd Field with Michael Arndt :: Interview with David Mamet
Bibliography
Bob Berman, Fade In: The Screenwriting Process (Studio City, California: Michael Wiese Productions, 2000)
Marisa D'Vari, Script Magic: Subconscious Techniques to Conquer Writer's Block (Studio City, California: Michael Wiese Productions, 2000)
Lajos Egri, The Act of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1977)
Syd Field, The Screenwriter's Problem Solver: How to Recognize, Identify, and Define Screenwriting Problems (New York: Dell Publishing, 1998)
Andrew Horton, Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay (University of California Press, 2000)
Lew Hunter, Lew Hunter's Screenwriting 434: The Industry's Premier Teacher Reveals the Secrets of the Successful Screenplay (Perigee Trade, rev. ed., 2004)
Karl Iglesias, The 101 Habits Of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider's Secrets from Hollywood's Top Writers (Adams Media, 2001)
Richard W. Krevolin, Screenwriting from the Soul: Letters to an Aspiring Screenwriter (Renaissance Books, 1998)
Linda Seger, Creating Unforgettable Characters (New York: Henry Holt, 1990)
Jennifer Van Sijll, Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know (Studio City, California: Michael Weise Productions, 2005)
Blake Snyder, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told (Studio City, California: Michael Weise Productions, 2007)
___________, Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need (Studio City, California: Michael Weise Productions, 2005)
Kristin Thompson, Storytelling in the New Hollywood: Understanding Classical Narrative Technique (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1999)
Michael Tierno, Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriters: Storytelling Secrets From the Greatest Mind in Western Civilization (New York: Hyperion, 2002)
Web Resources (Misc.)
Story Structure
Christopher Vogler
The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers
Wikipedia
Robert McKee
Robert McKee
WikipediaThe Real McKee
The New YorkerLessons of a Screenwriting Guru
All About Jewish TheaterScreenwriting Guru Tells All
Salon.com
