The short film is a unique narrative art form that, while lending itself to experimentation, requires tremendous discipline in following traditional filmic considerations. This book takes the student and novice screenwriter through the storytelling process- from conception, to visualization, to dramatization, to characterization and dialogue- and teaches them how to create a dramatic narrative that is at once short (approximately half an hour in length) and complete. Exercises, new examples of short screenplays, and an examination of various genres round out the discussion.

NEW TO THE THIRD EDITION: new screenplays, a chapter on rewriting your script, and a chapter on the future of short films

Table of Contents

Part 1: Storytelling in General; Telling a Story in Images; Using Sound to Tell the Story; Finding a Main Character for Your Story; Writing an Original Short Screenplay; Rewriting Your Script

Part 2: Storytelling Strategies; Visualization Strategies; Dramatic Strategies; Characterization Strategies; Dialogue Strategies;

Part 3: The Melodrama; The Docudrama; Hyperdrama; Experimental Drama;

Part 4: New Directions; A Redefined Future; Appendix: Short Screenplays