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Introduction | |
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Shorts | |
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Key Concepts | |
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The Fundamentals | |
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Keep your screenplay focused | |
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Limit the time frame of the action | |
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Limit the number of characters | |
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Visualize | |
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Say more with less | |
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Make it new | |
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What to Avoid | |
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The extensive use of special or visual effects | |
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Multiple subplots | |
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Resolution through death (either murder or suicide) | |
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Weapons | |
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Serial killing | |
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Parodies and mockumentaries | |
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Dreams and fantasies | |
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Characters who are obviously walking contradictions | |
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Film and Theater | |
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The Writer's Goals | |
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The Script | |
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Film and Television | |
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Take Two-Chapter Review | |
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Character | |
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Key Concepts | |
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Character and Characterization | |
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Why Are Character Choices Active and External? | |
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Putting Your Characters in Charge of the Action | |
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Objective and Need | |
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Adding Depth to Your Characters | |
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Outlook is the way a character views the world | |
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Attitude is the way the world views a character | |
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Arc is the growth or the change that a character undergoes during the course of the film's action | |
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Types of Characters | |
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Secondary Characters | |
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Take Two-Chapter Review | |
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Narrative | |
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Key Concepts | |
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Character vs. Character | |
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Character vs. Self | |
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Character vs. Society | |
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Character vs. Nature | |
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Character vs. Fate | |
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The Three-Part Nature of the Screenplay | |
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Setting | |
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Backdrop | |
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Tone | |
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Protagonist | |
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A hint of the conflict to come | |
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The direction of the plot | |
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The inciting incident | |
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Rising Action | |
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Some Additional Devices | |
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Condition lock | |
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Plant and payoff | |
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Red herring | |
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Climax | |
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Resolution | |
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Scenes | |
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Scene-protagonist vs. Scene-antagonist | |
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Creating the Scene | |
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What is the dramatic point of the scene? | |
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What is the major beat in the scene? | |
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Which characters do I need to make the scene work? | |
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Who is the scene-protagonist? | |
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What does the scene-protagonist want in the scene? | |
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What is the form of the conflict in the scene? | |
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What is the subtext for the scene? | |
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Where will the scene play? | |
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At what time of day will the scene play? | |
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Take Two-Chapter Review | |
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Dialogue | |
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Key Concepts | |
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The Goals of Film Dialogue | |
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Move the plot forward | |
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Reveal character | |
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Provide story information | |
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Establish tone | |
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Convey theme | |
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Add to the backdrop of the story | |
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The Characteristics of Film Dialogue | |
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Writing Effective Dialogue | |
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Write dialogue that's dynamic and progressive | |
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Be concise | |
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Keep lines simple | |
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Keep speeches short | |
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Take care in the way that you represent a dialect or an accent on the page | |
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Don't turn every beat through the dialogue | |
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Don't write "on the nose." | |
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Avoid filler phrases | |
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Avoid stammering or stuttering except when the dramatic situation absolutely demands it | |
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Don't be inflexible (unless you enjoy extreme frustration) | |
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Making Every Word Count | |
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Keeping Dialogue Concise: A Case in Point | |
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Take Two-Chapter Review | |
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Development | |
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Key Concepts | |
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Where Do Film Ideas Come From? | |
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Character | |
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Plot | |
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Setting | |
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Theme | |
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Development | |
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The Stages of Development | |
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Premise | |
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Concept | |
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Title | |
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Character interview | |
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Synopsis | |
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Step outline | |
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Scene outline | |
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Sequence outline | |
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Treatment | |
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First draft | |
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Revisions | |
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Common problems in the setup | |
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Common problems in the rising action | |
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Common problems in the resolution | |
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Principles of rewriting | |
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Take Two-Chapter Review | |
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Production | |
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Key Concepts | |
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Pitfalls and Money Pits | |
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Too Many Roles | |
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Critters | |
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Kids | |
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Stunts | |
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Nudity | |
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"Scenery Chewing" | |
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Locations (too many) | |
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Locations (too public) | |
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Vehicles | |
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Weapons | |
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Weather | |
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Clearances | |
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Working with Others | |
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Locking the Pages of a Script | |
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A Brief Word about Rehearsal | |
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Take Two-Chapter Review | |
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Format | |
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Key Concepts | |
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Scene Headings | |
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Scene Directions | |
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Character Cues | |
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Dialogue | |
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Parenthetical Directions | |
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Transitions | |
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The Standard Industry Format (Traditional) | |
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The Standard Industry Format (Updated) | |
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The Title Page | |
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Special Situations | |
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Some Simple but Essential Rules of Punctuation | |
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Take Two-Chapter Review | |
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Genres | |
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Glossary | |
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Sample Screenplay: Early Draft | |
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Sample Screenplay: Shooting Script | |
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A Filmmaker's Dozen: Thirteen Short Films Every Filmmaker Should See | |
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Index | |