I've never much been a fan fan of books that actually tell you how you should or shouldn't make films, because I find it counterintuitive. However, I had never read one that was actually focused on writing short films; something I actually find more difficult than longer form writing. So, I decided to check out Claudia Hunter Johnson's 'Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect'.
The book was divided into three parts.
Part one focused on preparing to write. It featured exercises designed to help you to think deeper about the screenwriter's purposes; their own unique vision, material and process; and finally about what screenplays are at their simplest and most profound level--a pattern of human change, created from specific moments of change--discoveries and decisions.
Part two is about how to craft an effective pattern of human change. It guides you through the writing and re-writing of "Five (Not So Easy) Pieces"--five short screenplays of increasing length and complexity--focusing on a specific principle of dramatic technique: The Discovery, The Decision, The Boxing Match, The Improbable Connection, and The Long Short Screenplay.
Part Three presents the five screenplays used throughout the book to illustrate the dramatic principles that have been discussed, and includes interviews with the screenwriters, a look at where they are now and what they are doing, and brief discussion of how each film evolved.
To be honest, I don't think the book was that helpful. Some of my favourite films were written by people who clearly had no screenwriting experience, for example Rocky. A film like Rocky could never have been written by someone who understood the 'rules' of screenwriting. It would have been a very different film.
It was worth reading, if only for the five sample screenplays, however I don't think I necessarily agree with all of is contents.
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