Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect
3rd Edition
By Claudia Hunter Johnson, Claudia H. Johnson
Focal Press – 2010 – 328 pages
Description
Crafting Short Screenplays that Connect introduces the essential element of 'human connection' - the ability to 'touch' the reader or observer - to the screenwriting and story creation process for short films. Claudia Hunter Johnson teaches the craft of short screenplay writing by guiding you through carefully focused writing exercises of increasing length and complexity. You will learn how to think more deeply about the screenwriter's purposes, craft an effective pattern of human change, and hone your vision and process for your short screenplays.
Contents
Preface; Acknowledgements;Introduction: The Power and Importance of Human Connection; Part I: Preparing to Write the Short Screenplay; Chapter 1: Connecting to Purpose;Chapter 2: Connecting to Self;Chapter 3: Connecting to Process; Chapter 4: Connecting to Screenplays;Chapter 5: Connecting to Collaboration; Part II: Five (Not So) Easy Screenplays; Chapter 6: The Discovery; Chapter 7: The Decision; Chapter 8: The Boxing Match; Chapter 9: The Improbable Connection; Chapter 10: The Long Short Screenplay; Part III: Seven Screenplays that Make it Look Easy; Chapter 11: Kosher (by Aimee Barth); Chapter 12: My Josephine (by Barry Jenkins); Chapter 13: A Work in Progress (by Wes Ball); Chapter 14: Lena's Spaghetti (by Rachel Witenstein); Chapter 15: Cool Breeze and Buzz (by Lani Sciandra); Chapter 16: The Making of "Killer Kite" (story Matt Stevens, screenplay by Robert S. Gray); Chapter 17: Slow Dancin' Down the Aisles of the Quickcheck (by Thomas Wade Jackson); Chapter 18: Conclusion; Appendix A: Available Screenwriting Software; Appendix B: Films Referenced; Appendix C: Further Reading; Index
Author Bio
Florida State University Screenwriter in Residence Claudia Hunter Johnson, Ph.D. has written numerous screenplays for feature film and television productions, including two documentary specials commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts. Her last screenplay, Obscenity (co-written with Matt Stevens), was a finalist for the 1997 Sundance Screenwriters Lab. She has written several award-winning full-length and one-act plays. Her many awards include the Lorraine Hansberry Award, American National Theatre West Award, and Academy Award. In 1993, she won the inaugural PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award for her campaign to restore banned literary classics to high school classrooms in Florida. Her widely acclaimed book, Stifled Laughter: One Woman's Story About Fighting Censorship, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.