Elements of Style for Screenwriters: The Essential Manual for Writers of Screenplays - Softcover

Argentini, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1580650031 ISBN 13: 9781580650038

Publisher: Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed, 1998

Synopsis

In the grand tradition of Strunk and White's Elements of Style, Paul Argentini presents an essential reference masterpiece in screenwriting. He provides clear and concise principles of screenplay formatting structure, as well as stylistic advice. Argentini explains how to design and format manuscripts to impress any film school professor, story editor, agent, producer or studio executive. No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help screenwriters more than this persistent volume.

Elements of Style for Screenwriters contains:

·         A to Z listing of format terms and examples
·         Incorporates changes in acceptable screenplay format submissions
·         Includes a special section on stage play formatting
·         Complete listing of literary agencies that represent screenwriters

About this title

Review:

For many first-time screenwriters, the most daunting aspect of getting underway is learning the proper format. Paul Argentini lends a helping hand with Elements of Style for Screenwriters. It's a good nuts-and-bolts introduction to the terminology of filmmaking and a step-by-step guide to making sure your opus is properly formatted. Argentini starts with a short sample screenplay as a concrete example, peppered with annotations as simple as "use plain Arabic numbers" and as complex as "(continuing) not needed here--LUDVINNIA (O.S.) and LUDVINNIA are separate elements." Don't worry, when it's all laid out on the script it makes a lot of sense. Most of the book is set up as a glossary of film terms, though Argentini does not stop at mere definitions, also filling the book with practical advice. He explains that a "talking heads" scene refers to one that is all dialogue and no action and points out that it will doom your script. The second portion of the book--considerably smaller--lays out the elements of style for playwriting in a similar sample and glossary fashion. Argentini also helpfully explains the broader differences between writing for the stage and writing for the screen (in a nutshell, the playwright can get away with those talking-head scenes.) A good, practical manual that should take a lot of the fear out of diving into that first script. --Ali Davis

About the Author:

Paul Argentini is a screenwriter, playwright, and novelist and resides in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

About this edition

• Publisher: Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1580650031
• ISBN 13: 9781580650038
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176