| |
| |
| Acknowledgments | |
| |
| |
| Introduction | |
| |
| |
| |
| Tell Me the Story So Far | |
| |
| |
| Write down your idea on a blank piece of paper | |
| |
| |
| Pitching your idea | |
| |
| |
| Write a catchy logline | |
| |
| |
| Coming up with your own idea - original screenplays | |
| |
| |
| Adapting someone else's idea - adapted screenplays | |
| |
| |
| Themes in your story | |
| |
| |
| The wrongfully accused man | |
| |
| |
| The duplicitous blonde | |
| |
| |
| The psychopath | |
| |
| |
| Secrets and spies | |
| |
| |
| Content | |
| |
| |
| The MacGuffin - what is it? (And does it matter?) | |
| |
| |
| Keep your plot moving | |
| |
| |
| Suspense vs. Melodrama | |
| |
| |
| Give your audience information | |
| |
| |
| Involve your audience in the suspense | |
| |
| |
| Other directors using suspense | |
| |
| |
| Exercises | |
| |
| |
| |
| Writing Your Screenplay | |
| |
| |
| The three stages of the screenplay | |
| |
| |
| The outline | |
| |
| |
| The treatment | |
| |
| |
| The screenplay | |
| |
| |
| Breaking your screenplay into three acts | |
| |
| |
| Breaking it down into scenes | |
| |
| |
| Know your audience | |
| |
| |
| Trust your spouse | |
| |
| |
| Writing dialogue | |
| |
| |
| Writing subtext | |
| |
| |
| Writer's block | |
| |
| |
| Write for comedy | |
| |
| |
| Use counterpoint and contrast | |
| |
| |
| Exposition and dialogue | |
| |
| |
| Have a surprise ending | |
| |
| |
| The "Ice Box Syndrome" | |
| |
| |
| Close your eyes and visualize | |
| |
| |
| Exercises | |
| |
| |
| |
| Pre-Production | |
| |
| |
| Work with a production designer | |
| |
| |
| Change your locations often | |
| |
| |
| Make your locations work dramatically | |
| |
| |
| Use your props dramatically | |
| |
| |
| Avoid the clich� in your locations | |
| |
| |
| Trains, planes, and automobiles | |
| |
| |
| Use controlled locations to increase tension | |
| |
| |
| Feature famous landmarks | |
| |
| |
| Make your sets realistic | |
| |
| |
| Use color sparingly | |
| |
| |
| Costume for character | |
| |
| |
| Storyboard your film | |
| |
| |
| Storyboarding beyond Hitchcock: Pre-visualization | |
| |
| |
| Exercises | |
| |
| |
| |
| Working with Actors | |
| |
| |
| Casting | |
| |
| |
| Avoid the clich� in your characters | |
| |
| |
| Audience identification | |
| |
| |
| Use close-ups | |
| |
| |
| Less is more | |
| |
| |
| When stars don't shine | |
| |
| |
| Kill off your main star | |
| |
| |
| Solid heroes | |
| |
| |
| The man Hitchcock wanted to be - Cary Grant | |
| |
| |
| The man Hitchcock was - James Stewart | |
| |
| |
| Glamorous heroines | |
| |
| |
| Attractive villains | |
| |
| |
| Sex scenes and censorship | |
| |
| |
| Actors as cattle | |
| |
| |
| Be honest with your actors | |
| |
| |
| Exercises | |
| |
| |
| |
| You Have a Rectangle to Fill | |
| |
| |
| Use a subjective camera | |
| |
| |
| Use lenses that mimic the human eye | |
| |
| |
| Frame shots for dramatic purpose | |
| |
| |
| Use close-ups to increase suspense | |
| |
| |
| Save your close-ups for dramatic effect | |
| |
| |
| Use medium shots to identify with your character | |
| |
| |
| Don't use long shots just for establishers | |
| |
| |
| The high angle | |
| |
| |
| The low angle | |
| |
| |
| Use camera movement to keep the mood | |
| |
| |
| Tracking shots | |
| |
| |
| The "Vertigo Shot" | |
| |
| |
| The crane shot | |
| |
| |
| Use long takes for emotional intensity | |
| |
| |
| Point of view | |
| |
| |
| Light your film stylistically | |
| |
| |
| Exercises | |
| |
| |
| |
| The Art of Cutting | |
| |
| |
| Cut the film in your head | |
| |
| |
| Montage | |
| |
| |
| Edit montage to create ideas | |
| |
| |
| Edit montage for violence and emotion | |
| |
| |
| Save your cuts for when you need them | |
| |
| |
| Jump cut to shock | |
| |
| |
| Match cut to link ideas | |
| |
| |
| Cross-cut to create suspense | |
| |
| |
| Cross-cut for contrast | |
| |
| |
| When not to cross-cut | |
| |
| |
| Use shot length to increase suspense | |
| |
| |
| Past cutting | |
| |
| |
| Graphics and opening titles | |
| |
| |
| The opening | |
| |
| |
| The ending | |
| |
| |
| Exercises | |
| |
| |
| |
| Sound and Music | |
| |
| |
| Utilize silence for effect | |
| |
| |
| Sound effects | |
| |
| |
| Ambient sound | |
| |
| |
| Dialogue | |
| |
| |
| Use songs dramatically | |
| |
| |
| Music | |
| |
| |
| Music for atmosphere | |
| |
| |
| Music for emotion | |
| |
| |
| Music for counterpoint | |
| |
| |
| Spotting music | |
| |
| |
| Exercises | |
| |
| |
| |
| Don't Worry - It's Only a Movie | |
| |
| |
| Know your audience | |
| |
| |
| Promote your film | |
| |
| |
| Cultivate a persona | |
| |
| |
| Have your own signature | |
| |
| |
| Don't worry about being pigeon-holed | |
| |
| |
| Surround yourself with talent | |
| |
| |
| Be the best salesman for your films | |
| |
| |
| Have a memorable movie title | |
| |
| |
| Taglines and posters | |
| |
| |
| Trailers | |
| |
| |
| The cameo | |
| |
| |
| Cameo appearances by other directors | |
| |
| |
| Going for gimmicks | |
| |
| |
| Exercises | |
| |
| |
| Conclusion | |
| |
| |
| Alfred Hitchcock Filmography | |
| |
| |
| List of Directors Influenced by Hitchcock | |
| |
| |
| Bibliography & References | |
| |
| |
| About the Author | |