Description

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(Quick Guide). The Quick Guide to Screenwriting is the ultimate reference manual to the art, craft, and business of writing for the movies. In a series of brief but comprehensive segments, the book covers the entire process of creating a film script, from conceiving the initial idea, to developing the story, to producing a polished and professional final draft. Covered topics include the history of screenwriting; commercial vs. "personal" writing; the three basic types of screenplays; how to brainstorm ideas; developing and structuring a story; the techniques of cinematic storytelling; screenplay style and formatting; essential tools of the screenwriting trade; the seven basic steps to writing a screenplay; important screenwriting dos and don'ts; how to get quality feedback and then use it to improve your work; and the business of screenwriting, including copyright and registration of finished material, the function of agents and managers, the Writers Guild, contracts, the development process, and how to bring your work to the attention of the industry. Written in smart, reader-friendly prose, the book is chock-full of the vital information, helpful tips, and keen advice that will help you make your script the best it can be.

About the Author

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Ray Morton (Los Angeles, CA) is a writer, script consultant, and screenplay analyst. A graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Morton has written for television and the screen, pens the monthly "Meet the Reader" column for Scriptmag.com, and is the author of the books King Kong: The History of a Movie Icon from Fay Wray to Peter Jackson; Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Steven Spielberg's Classic Film; Amadeus: Music on Film; and A Hard Day's Night: Music on Film.