Claudia Hunter Johnson

Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect, Sixth Edition, stands alone among screenwriting books by emphasizing that human connection, though often overlooked, is as essential to writing effective screenplays as conflict.

Award-winning writer and director Claudia Hunter Johnson teaches you the all-important basics of dramatic technique and guides you through the challenging craft of writing short screenplays with carefully focused exercises of increasing length and complexity. In completing these exercises and applying Johnson's techniques and insights to your own work, you will learn how to think more deeply about the screenwriter's purpose, craft effective patterns of human change, and strengthen your storytelling skills. This 25th Anniversary Edition features 11 short screenplays, including Academy Award winning Barry Jenkins' (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) luminous short film, My Josephine (now in the Criterion Collection), and an accompanying companion website that features the completed films and additional screenplay examples. The book has also been updated and expanded to include more excerpts from leading films and TV series as well as collaboration exercises and invaluable guidance about giving and receiving effective feedback.

This ground-breaking book will show you how to advance and deepen your screenwriting skills, increasing your ability to write richer, more resonant short screenplays that will connect with your audience. It remains an absolute must have resource for students of screenwriting.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Taylor & Francis; Routledge
• 6. Aufl. 2025.
• Seitenzahl: 418
• Erscheinungstermin: 9. Mai 2025
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 234mm x 156mm x 22mm
• Gewicht: 631g
• ISBN-13: 9781032880297
• ISBN-10: 1032880295
• Artikelnr.: 71812419

Autorenporträt

Claudia Hunter Johnson is the writer/director of the civil rights documentary feature, The Other Side of Silence: The Untold Story of Ruby McCollum, winner of the Gold Jury Prize at Seattle's Social Justice Film Festival and Best Florida Documentary at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. Her memoir Stifled Laughter, now in its 2nd edition, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and won the inaugural P.E.N./Newman's Own First Amendment Award and the 2023 Best Books Award for Current Events. She's also the author of the memoir Hurtling Toward Happiness: A Mother and Teenage Son's Road Trip From Blues to Bonding in a Really Small Car. She has taught screenwriting at the FSU Film School and USC's School of Cinematic Arts.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction: The Power and Importance of Human Connection PART I:
Preparing to Write the Short Screenplay 1. Connecting to Purpose 2.
Connecting to Self 3. Connecting to Genre 4. Connecting to Process 5.
Connecting to Collaboration PART II: Aspects of the Craft 6. Story and
Screenplay 7. Character 8. Structure 9. Dialogue Part III: Five (Not So)
Easy Screenplays 10. The Discovery 11. The Decision 12. The Boxing Match
13. The Improbable Connection 14. The Long Short Screenplay PART IV: Eleven
Screenplays That Make It Look Easy 15. Chillin' Out 16. The Great Wall of
Vicky Lynn 17. Killer Kart 18. Intercambios 19. Underground 20. Tough Crowd
21. Kosher 22. My Josephine 23. Lena's Spaghetti 24. Cool Breeze and Buzz
25. Slow Dancin' Down the Aisles of the Quickcheck Conclusion APPENDIX A:
Available Screenwriting Software APPENDIX B: Films and Television Series
Referenced APPENDIX C: Further Reading

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COMPANION WEBSITE

PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION: THE POWER AND IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN CONNECTION

PART 1 Preparing to Write the Short Screenplay

Chapter 1 Connecting to Purpose

Chapter 2 Connecting to Self

Chapter 3 Connecting to Genre

Chapter 4 Connecting to Process

Chapter 5 Connecting to Collaboration

PART II Aspects of the Craft

Chapter 6 Story and Screenplay

Chapter 7 Character

Chapter 8 Structure

Chapter 9 Dialogue

Part III Five (Not So) Easy Screenplays

Chapter 10 The Discovery

Chapter 11 The Decision

Chapter 12 The Boxing Match

Chapter 13 The Improbable Connection

Chapter 14 The Long Short Screenplay

PART IV Eleven Screenplays That Make It Look Easy

Chapter 15 Chillin' Out

Chapter 16 The Great Wall of Vicky Lynn

Chapter 17 Killer Kart

Chapter 18 Intercambios

Chapter 19 Underground

Chapter 20 Tough Crowd

Chapter 21 Kosher

Chapter 22 My Josephine

Chapter 23 Lena's Spaghetti

Chapter 24 Cool Breeze and Buzz

Chapter 25 Slow Dancin' Down the Aisles of the Quickcheck

Conclusion

APPENDIX A Available Screenwriting Software

APPENDIX B Films and Television Series Referenced

APPENDIX C Further Reading

NOTES

Rezensionen

Praise for the 5th edition:

"Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect, Fifth Edition, is an incredible, insightful guide to writing an effective, engaging short screenplay. Claudia Hunter Johnson takes the reader through the journey of crafting screenplays using connection as the path."

- Dr. Valliere Richard Auzenne, Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts

"Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect, Fifth Edition is an incredible, insightful guide to writing an effective, engaging short screenplay. Claudia Johnson takes the reader through the journey of crafting screenplays using connection as the path."
Dr. Valliere Richard Auzenne, Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts

Praise for the previous edition:

"Claudia Johnson leads the reader through the process of writing the short film, along the way illuminating something much bigger-how to write great drama in any form."

Linda Seger, Author, Making a Good Script Great