Machine derived contents note: Table of Contents -- Foreword -- Introduction -- Concept #1 -- Topic: Film Tells a Story Differently Than a Book or a Play -- Concept #2 -- Topic: Classic Story Structure -- Concept #3 -- Topic: A "Story" Is Not the Same Thing As a "Plot" -- Concept #4 -- Topic: A Story's Content Determines Its Length -- Concept #5 -- Topic: A Commercial Is the Ultimate Short -- Concept #6 -- Topic: A Short Is Just a Slice of Life and Not a Whole Life Story -- Concept #7 -- Topic: "Reel" Time Moves Differently Than "Real" Time -- Concept #8 -- Topic: Casting Call -- Concept #9 -- Topic: The Audience and the Box Office -- Concept #10 -- Topic: Knowledge = Credibility -- Concept #11 -- Topic: What Do You Want Your Film to Say? -- Concept #12 -- Topic: Speaking the Language of Screenwriters -- Concept #13 -- Topic: Linear versus Nonlinear Storytelling -- Concept #14 -- Topic: Story Beats -- Concept #15 -- Topic: A Theme Is the Glue That Holds Your Story Together -- Concept #16 -- Topic: Relatable Characters Are What Give a Story an Audience -- Concept #17 -- Topic: Relatable Characters Come From...Everywhere! -- Concept #18 -- Topic: Compelling Ideas Come From...Everywhere Else! -- Concept #19 -- Topic: Ideas That Work Best as Shorts -- Concept #20 -- Topic: A Conflict Is What Drives a Plot Forward -- Concept #21 -- Topic: Show Us Who (and What) We're Rooting For -- Concept #22 -- Topic: Substance versus Style: Who's in the Driver's Seat? -- Concept #23 -- Topic: All Conflicts Derive from Reward, Revenge and Escape -- Concept #24 -- Topic: Aiming for High Concept -- Concept #25 -- Topic: Catchy Loglines -- Concept #26 -- Topic: Synopses Shouldn't Read Like Book Reports -- Concept #27 -- Topic: Location, Location, Location -- Concept #28 -- Topic: Master Scenes -- Concept #29 -- Topic: How to Be Multiple Places at Once -- Concept #30 -- Topic: Conflict Is a Collision Course of Multiple Layers -- Concept #31 -- Topic: A Conflict Is Ignited By an Inciting Incident -- Concept #32 -- Topic: Objective Acceptance and Subjective Engagement -- Concept #33 -- Topic: Action = Reaction -- Concept #34 -- Topic: To Make a Conflict Convincing, the Opponents Need To Be Evenly Matched -- Concept #35 -- Topic: When "Losing" Isn't an Option -- Concept #36 -- Topic: A Conflict Can't Be Resolved Until the End of the Film -- Concept #37 -- Topic: Surprise Is on Your Side -- Concept #38 -- Topic: Conflict Grows Out of Character -- Concept #39 -- Topic: Character Grows Out of Conflict -- Concept #40 -- Topic: Character and Conflict Comprise the Hero's Journey -- Concept #41 -- Topic: Crossing the Point of No Return -- Concept #42 -- Topic: A Character Arc Is a Transformation -- Concept #43 -- Topic: Heroes Aren't 100% Good; Villains Aren't 100% Bad -- Concept #44 -- Topic: Sidekicks, Confidantes and Confederates -- Concept #45 -- Topic: Ordinary Characters Need Extraordinary Situations -- Concept #46 -- Topic: Extraordinary Characters Need Ordinary Situations -- Concept #47 -- Topic: Hooks, Foreshadowing and Uh-Oh's -- Concept #48 -- Topic: A Character Should Do More Than Just Take Up Space -- Concept #49 -- Topic: Minor Characters Don't Need Major Introductions -- Concept #50 -- Topic: Designer Genes -- Concept #51 -- Topic: Names Should Be a Reflection of Character -- Concept #52 -- Topic: A Character's Actions Say More Than His or Her Words -- Concept #53 -- Topic: Sometimes the Audience Needs to Know More Than the Characters -- Concept #54 -- Topic: Sometimes the Characters Needs to Know More Than the Audience -- Concept #55 -- Topic: Motivation and Redemption -- Concept #56 -- Topic: A Script Is No Place for Words That Just Ramble -- Concept #57 -- Topic: Dining at the Speed of Light -- Concept #58 -- Topic: Fancy Footwork and Fisticuffs -- Concept #59 -- Topic: For "Reel" Talk to Sound "Real," You Need Vocal Variety -- Concept #60 -- Topic: Characters Shouldn't Use Dialogue to Explain Things to Each Other That They Already Kn ow -- Concept #61 -- Topic: Don't Use a Voice Over If a Visual Would Say Much More -- Concept #62 -- Topic: Dreams and Flashbacks -- Concept #63 -- Topic: Mood-Setting Montages -- Concept #64 -- Topic: Save the Big Speeches for When They'll Really Count -- Concept #65 -- Topic: Actors Should Never Be Left to Ad-Lib -- Concept #66 -- Topic: What We See Isn't Always What We Get -- Concept #67 -- Topic: Stereotypes and Character Reversals -- Concept #68 -- Topic: Context + Subtext = Delivery -- Concept #69 -- Topic: Always Keep the "Accent" on Readability -- Concept #70 -- Topic: Every Story Needs a Point of View -- Concept #71 -- Topic: First One In, Last One Out -- Concept #72 -- Topic: Treatments -- Concept #73 -- Topic: Splat! Hitting the Wall with Writer's Block -- Concept #74 -- Topic: Genres Are to Film What Menus Are to Restaurants -- Concept #75 -- Topic: The Perils of Genre Zeitgeist -- Concept #76 -- Topic: Genre Dictates Structure -- Concept #77 -- Topic: Genre Bling-Bling -- Concept #78 -- Topic: Don't Switch Genres in Midstream -- Concept #79 -- Topic: A Comedy Is Something That Makes Us Laugh -- Concept #80 -- Topic: A Drama Is Something That Makes Us Sad, Mad, Disturbed or Contemplative -- Concept #81 -- Topic: A Sci-Fi Film Takes Us Out of This World -- Concept #82 -- Topic: A Western Film Is Always About a Showdown -- Concept #83 -- Topic: A Fantasy Film Is a Ticket to All Things Magical -- Concept #84 -- Topic: A Horror Film Will Make You Sleep with the Lights On -- Concept #85 -- Topic: A Romance Is a Pas de Deux -- Concept #86 -- Topic: A Thriller Keeps You Guessing from Start to Finish -- Concept #87 -- Topic: Action/Adventure Films Are an "E' Ticket to Fun -- Concept #88 -- Topic: Taking a Page from Real Life -- Concept #89 -- Topic: The Magic of Animation -- Concept #90 -- Topic: Music, Music, Music -- Concept #91 -- Topic: Family Fare and Coming of Age -- Concept #92 -- Topic: Genre Is a Reflection of Attitude and Intention -- Concept #93 -- Topic: Elvis May Have Left the Building But His Heirs Are Alive and Kicking -- Concept #94 -- Topic: Rules of the (Formatting) Game -- Concept #95 -- Topic: Bulletproofing Your Script -- Concept #96 -- Topic: What's Mine Is Mine -- Concept #97 -- Topic: Screenwriting Competitions -- Concept #98 -- Topic: Fast Pitch -- Concept #99 -- Topic: Screenwriter's Etiquette -- Concept #100 -- Topic: You Hate Me. You Really Hate Me -- Filmography -- Recommended Reading -- About the Author.
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