We’re living in a time of unprecedented diversity in produced media content, with more LGBT characters, more characters of color, more disabled characters, and more characters from various religions or classes. These characters also appear in genre pieces, accessible to the mainstream, instead of being hidden away in so-called "worthier" pieces, as in the past. This book discusses issues of race, disability, sexuality, and transgender people with specific reference to characterization in movies, TV, and novel writing. Using such examples as the film Mad Max: Fury Road and the novel Gone Girl, the book explores how character role function really works. It discusses such questions as the difference between stereotype and archetype, why "trope" does not mean what Twitter and Tumblr think it means, how the burden of casting affects both box office and audience perception, and why diversity is not about agendas, buzzwords or being "politically correct." It also goes into what authenticity truly means, and why research is so important; why variety is key in ensuring true diversity in characterization; and what agents, publishers, producers, filmmakers, and commissioners are looking for—and why.

Writing Diverse Characters for Fiction, TV or Film

Humor & Entertainment

Hay, Lucy V.

Movies

Creative Essentials

Crowdfunding is a major source of funding for independent films and over $250 million has been raised for films on Kickstarter alone. This book will guide you through every stage of planning, creating and running your film crowdfunding campaign. This book is based on extensive data research and interviews which include data research on over 50,000 film crowdfunding campaigns, interviews with over 50 filmmakers who have run crowdfunding campaigns, and interviews with some of the top people at major crowdfunding platforms and services.

How to Crowdfund Your Film: Tips and Strategies for Filmmakers

Business & Money

Follows, Stephen

Finance

Producers and audiences are hungrier than ever for stories, and a lot of those stories begin life as a book - but how exactly do you transfer a story from the page to the screen? Alistair Owen puts all key questions to some of the top names in screenwriting, including Hossein Amini (Drive), Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland), Moira Buffini (Jane Eyre), Lucinda Coxon (The Danish Girl), Nick Hornby (An Education), and more.

The Art of Screen Adaptation: Top Writers Reveal Their Craft

Owen, Alistair

Review\n"A wonderfully fresh approach to screenwriting and story craft. Anthony Mullins is masterful at marrying large ideas about creativity with a practical, down-to-earth approach to writing. . . An enjoyable and thought-provoking read for all experience levels." —Warren Clarke, co-creator/writer of The Heights\n"For decades now, screenwriting manuals have almost religiously followed the principles of 'the hero's journey' and the 'three-act structure'. . . . In this 'peak TV' era of long-form, ensemble storytelling, with its non-linear structures and anti-heroes, writers are crying out for new ways of analysing story. In this hugely engaging book, Anthony Mullins breaks down an extraordinary array of films, unveiling new analytical tools that are insightful, practical and, best of all, that just might inspire you to write something genuinely original." —Michael Lucas, creator/writer of Five Bedrooms, The Newsreader and Party Tricks\n"Beyond the Hero's Journey will inspire you to rethink screenwriting. Written in a readable, conversational voice and drawing on Hollywood, independent and international scripting examples, it challenges us to focus on character arcs as the screenplay's central organising principle. It finds in arcs not only external action, but the deepest levels of internal characterisation. I cannot recommend Anthony Mullins' approach enough; he has found a powerful path to the heart of story." —Jeff Rush, co-author of Alternative Scriptwriting: Beyond the Hollywood Formula\n"Essential. Don't start writing scripts without it. And if you're writing scripts already, read it to explode every existing assumption. Modern, relevant, fresh, this book unpacks the shows and movies we're watching now. Anthony Mullins isn't just someone who inhales stories, but gets what they're doing and nails what we can learn from them. There's so much here I wish I knew when I started screenwriting. Hell, there's so much that's helped me refine the TV show I'm writing right now." —Benjamin Law, creator/writer of The Family Law\n"A joy to read and a necessary evolution in critical analysis." —Meg O'Connell, co-creator/writer of Retrograde\nTelling a story is simple, right? You take a 'hero' and send them on a 'journey'. There's a beginning, middle and an end. But what if your story doesn't fit into that basic structure? 
In Beyond the Hero's Journey, BAFTA award-winning screenwriter Anthony Mullins presents an accessible, versatile and highly visual alternative to writing that dramatically expands the range of narratives open to writers, both emerging and experienced. 
Fun and easy-to-use, this book looks at much-loved films from around the world, including Moonlight, Lady Bird, The Social Network, The Godfather, A Fantastic Woman, Mulholland Drive, Shoplifters, Amour, Inside Llewyn Davis and Call Me By Your Name, to teach you the ins and outs of writing for the screen through identifying and taking control of character arcs. 
Beyond the Hero's Journey is for every writer who has felt frustrated by the neat confines of writing guides. It will teach you to explore and excel in telling more complex, intricate and authentic stories - and show you how to share your own distinctive, original voice with the world.

Beyond the Hero's Journey: Crafting Powerful and Original Character Arcs for the Screen

Mullins, Anthony

Fleabag... The Queen's Gambit... Peaky Blinders... Happy Valley... All phenomenally popular shows, whose creators had to work hard to hone their pitches and get their ideas noticed. And even harder to deliver on those ideas. From the initial spark of inspiration to the delivery of a creative, commercial series, From Creation to Pitch sets out to demystify the entire process of Television Series Drama Development for writers who are keen to get their voices heard and their stories read, discussed and viewed. Employing a practical, no-nonsense approach to what can be a minefield for many creatives, Yvonne Grace applies her decades of experience in development, script-editing and production. She also includes illuminating, in-depth interviews with leading practitioners about working on their own TV shows, including Tony Jordan who discusses the making of hit shows Sanditon and Death in Paradise, Ashley Pharoah who talks about his passion project The Living and the Dead and his multi-face

From Creation to Pitch: How to Write Stories for Television that Sell

Grace, Yvonne

Writing & Selling Thriller Screenplays: From TV Pilot to Feature Film (Writing & Selling Screenplays)

Taking the reader through the production of a play step by step, from setting up a drama group to opening night and through an entire run, this book can be read straight through or consulted as a handy reference. All aspects of starting a drama group are explored, including financing, organizing, attracting members, choosing a director, choosing plays, auditions, casting, stage management, lighting, sound, costumes, props, set design, advertising, first nights, and last nights. Additional sections deal with special concerns and interests such as producing plays in the open air, school productions, producing plays with non-English speakers, expatriate productions, plays without scripts, and producing Shakespeare and Brecht. Other helpful features include sample rehearsal schedules, sample plans for blocking scenes, and excerpts and quotes from leading drama practitioners.

Plays: . . . And How to Produce Them

Arts & Photography

Carter, David

Performing Arts

Aimed at both the amateur enthusiast and those wishing to pursue their interest and undertake professional training, this basic introduction to the craft is full of valuable advice
The basic skills that every actor needs to develop are covered in this guide, including breathing, voice control, the use of body language, timing, and handling the audience. The importance of understanding a text and the interaction of the characters within it is considered, as is the relationship between the actor/actress and director. Auxiliary activities such as actors' exercises and warm-ups are evaluated and general advice is provided. Specific skills are discussed, such as learning lines, mime, mastering dialects and accents, period manners, and how to ensure that makeup is suitable to the role. Summaries are provided of the ideas of famous theorists, directors, and actors, such as Stanislawski, Lee Strasberg, Michael Chekhov and Dorothy Heathcote, Peter Brook and Peter Hall, as well as John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier, Simon Callow, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Alec Guinness, Michael Caine, and Dirk Bogarde. Other topics considered are the differences between stage and screen acting; the problems of acting in the open air; and the particular demands of certain playwrights, such as Shakespeare and Brecht.

The Art of Acting: . . . And How to Master It (Creative Essentials)

From dealing with ethical issues to lighting, sound, and how to find funding, this guide is an essential starting point and reference for aspiring documentarians Currently one of the most popular film and TV genres, documentaries and the process of creating them are subjected to scrutiny in this revised and updated guide. Fans of the genre will enjoy a history of the art form and additional interviews with industry insiders and award-winning filmmakers who contribute their tips, tricks, and advice. Aspiring filmmakers will find advice covering the whole production process—from developing a concept to marketing and distribution. This edition has up-to-the-moment technical information on the latest cameras and equipment and a fully updated resource guide with contact details of current commissioning editors.

Documentaries: . . . and How to Make Them (Creative Essentials)

Glynne, Andy

A complete guide to short film screenplays, from finding and developing that exciting idea to information on the technical revolution in digital filmmaking and distribution Every award-winning short film begins life with a clever idea, a good story, and a screenplay. Here Patrick Nash analyzes the process of writing short film screenplays and gives advice on story and structure, plot and pace, generating ideas, screenplay format, dialogue and format, and character design. He helps readers ensure that their writing will be fresh by discussing common clichés and stereotypes; conflict, obstacles, and stakes; eliciting emotion; and how to hook the viewer. The specifics of loglines, outlines, and synopses are also covered, as well as rewriting, length, practicalities, and budgets. The book also includes a number of award-winning scripts and interviews, advice and contributions from their award-winning screenwriters and a discussion of the benefits to writers of writing short screenplays.

Short Films: Writing the Screenplay (Creative Essentials)

NASH, PATRICK

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