About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherQuill Driver Books

ISBN-101610353307

ISBN-139781610353304

eBay Product ID (ePID)11038651026

Product Key Features

Book TitleCraft of Scene Writing : Beat by Beat to a Better Script

Number of Pages400 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2019

TopicTelevision / Screenwriting, Film / Screenwriting, Composition & Creative Writing

GenrePerforming Arts, Language Arts & Disciplines

AuthorJim Mercurio

FormatTrade Paperback

Dimensions

Item Weight18 Oz

Item Length9.1 in

Item Width6.1 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

ReviewsAn invaluable guide for screenwriters and anyone else interested in learning more about the creative art of storytelling ... reveals the key ins and outs of developing a powerful screen narrative. As a longtime professor of screenwriting, I must say that I was inspired by this book., The Craft of Scene Writing breaks down the rules and how to break them, beat by beat, as a story within a story. A must read for the novice and expert filmmaker., Developing effective and affecting scenes is the beating heart of screenwriting, and Jim Mercurio has given us an excellent guide to writing scenes that are narratively tight, emotionally engaging, and thematically resonant. He assiduously avoids tired, old school truisms to give us a thoroughly useful, contemporary road map to better writing., A powerful survey of how to write effective scenes, illustrating the importance of digging deep for above average results., Utilizing engaging language, Jim Mercurio explores the shape of individual scenes within screenplays, probing the parallels between micro- and macro story structures, and providing keen insights into the nature of storytelling that should prove useful to creators of dramatic narratives not only in film and TV but in all platforms and media., The thing I love most about The Craft of Scene Writing is that Jim treats writers as filmmakers, urging them to consider how the script informs all of the downstream departments, painting a picture in the reader's mind for every story beat. Jim understands that scripts are just an accumulation of these story beats and it is our job as writers to obsess over each and every word and action to ensure that each beat is clear, concise, dramatic and surprising. Easier said than done, but Jim gives us the tools to chop, mold and sharpen these beats to gleaming bits of perfection., This book may well change the way screenwriting is taught. While most courses focus on the big picture, Jim Mercurio gives invaluable step-by-step advice about individually crafting each scene in a screenplay. Using well-known examples, Mercurio encourages filmmakers to think of each scene as its own full production, so that the entire film is made stronger by the strength of its parts. It's an eye-opening approach to storytelling, which will greatly benefit aspiring screenwriters, game writers, and novelists alike., The first time you read Jim Mercurio's outstanding book, you'll be as astonished as I was at his ability to reveal and explain every conceivable element of an emotionally captivating scene. The next hundred times will be when you use it to make certain that every single scene in every rewrite of your screenplay or novel is entertaining, compelling and memorable.

TitleLeadingThe

Table Of ContentPreface Quick Note from the Author Introduction Part One - Fundamentals Chapter 1 - The Story of a Scene: Beat by Beat Chapter 2 - Reversals: The Essence of Surprise Chapter 3 - Dialogue: The Beats of a Missing Horse Chapter 4 - Non-Dialogue: Using Visuals Chapter 5 - Exposition: Backdoor Drama Part Two - Advanced Topics Chapter 6 - Dilemma: Importance and Digging Deep Chapter 7 - Exploiting Concept: From Inspiration to Surprise Chapter 8 - Theme: Building Your Case Chapter 9 - Advanced Scene Writing: Breaking the Rules with Style Chapter 10 - Cinematic Writing: The Language of Visuals Part Three - The Home Stretch Chapter 11 - Rewriting I: The Big Picture Chapter 12 - Rewriting II: The Small Picture Chapter 13 - A Tale of Two Voices: The Voice of the Script Chapter 14 - Personal Voice: Your Perfect Script Appendix - 14 Steps to a Better Screenplay Acknowledgments

SynopsisA professional screenwriter's master class in writing the most critical and challenging script element--the individual scene. No one comes out of a movie talking about structure. What audiences love and remember about a movie are great scenes. Marlon Brando in the back seat in On the Waterfront giving his "I could'a been a contender" speech. Meg Ryan's fake orgasm in Katz's Deli in When Harry Met Sally with the climactic punch line: "I'll have what she's having." In Superbad , Jonah Hill professing "I love you" to his friend Michael Cera by touching his nose with a "boop." Great scenes will elevate your script from ho-hum to extraordinary--and from the slush pile to sellable. In The Craft of Scene Writing , accomplished screenwriter and master writing teacher Jim Mercurio analyzes and systematizes the beats, conflicts, character moments, action, dialogue, and structure that create powerful scenes. Citing examples from scripts old and new, The Craft of Scene Writing breaks down how great scenes reveal character, advance the story, and emotionally connect with audiences, plus demonstrates how to use these techniques in your own scripts. This incredibly detailed exploration of screenwriting technique will help beginning writers to write great scripts and experienced writers to gain a more complete mastery of their craft., No one comes out of a movie talking about script structure. What audiences love and remember about a movie are great scenes, the meaningful moments in a film that reveal character and emotion. While previous screenwriting guides emphasize story structure at the macro level, this is the first book for screenwriters that focuses entirely on the micro level of writing powerful scenes. Story structure alone does not make a successful screenplay; it is the detailed craftwork of scene writing that breathes life into a story.In The Craft of Scene Writing, accomplished screenwriter and master writing teacher Jim Mercurio explains the nuts and bolts of how to write emotionally resonant scenes that will elevate a script from ho-hum to extraordinary. The Craft of Scene Writing analyzes and systematises the individual elements that create dynamic scenes: beats, conflicts, character moments, specific actions and lines of dialogue. Mercurio demonstrates that every single scene in a script needs to be a story in itself that creates a surprise or reversal. And when a scene incorporates both a twist in the plot and a change in the characters internal states, it has the greatest potential to profoundly engage an audience. The Craft of Scene Writing cites specific examples from popular classic scripts, old and new, to show how great scenes reveal character and advance the story. The Craft of Scene Writing also gives readers practical tools to immediately improve their scenes and scripts. Writing amazing scenes will not just make a screenplay a better work of art. Great scenes also make a script more attractive to producers, directors and actors -- making a script more likely to sell. An incredibly detailed exploration of screenwriting technique, this book will help beginning writers to write great scripts and experienced writers to gain a more complete mastery of their craft.