false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170631433m/65222.jpg 65222 1 For many first-time screenwriters, the most daunting aspect of getting underway is learning the proper format. Paul Argentini lends a helping hand with <I>Elements of Style for Screenwriters</I>. It's a good nuts-and-bolts introduction to the terminology of filmmaking and a step-by-step guide to making sure your opus is properly formatted. Argentini starts with a short sample screenplay as a concrete example, peppered with annotations as simple as "use plain Arabic numbers" and as complex as "(continuing) not needed here--LUDVINNIA (O.S.) and LUDVINNIA are separate elements." Don't worry, when it's all laid out on the script it makes a lot of sense. Most of the book is set up as a glossary of film terms, though Argentini does not stop at mere definitions, also filling the book with practical advice. He explains that a "talking heads" scene refers to one that is all dialogue and no action and points out that it will doom your script. The second portion of the book--considerably smaller--lays out the elements of style for playwriting in a similar sample and glossary fashion. Argentini also helpfully explains the broader differences between writing for the stage and writing for the screen (in a nutshell, the playwright can get away with those talking-head scenes.) A good, practical manual that should take a lot of the fear out of diving into that first script. <I>--Ali Davis</I> 63272 1 9 1998 Elements of Style for Screenwriters: The Essential Manual for Writers of Screenplays total:12|5:3|4:3|3:4|2:1|1:1| 12 42 15 2 1 0 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 15 08:45:45 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 15 08:48:24 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri May 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri May 15 00:19:14 -0700 2009 Fri May 15 00:20:29 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Nov 08 20:42:27 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 08 20:42:27 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Sat Sep 05 00:49:50 -0700 2009 Sat Sep 05 00:50:19 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Mon Aug 31 08:49:57 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 31 08:49:57 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Jul 01 17:12:18 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 01 17:12:18 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue May 12 12:27:35 -0700 2009 Tue May 12 12:28:09 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Feb 22 11:17:22 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 22 11:17:23 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Fri Jan 23 10:04:57 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 23 10:04:57 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Sat Aug 23 23:24:35 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 23 23:24:35 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Sun Aug 10 10:33:45 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 10 10:33:45 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Sat Jun 28 23:20:59 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 28 23:20:59 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Wed Apr 16 09:26:18 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 16 09:26:18 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Mar 26 16:34:09 -0700 2008 Wed Mar 26 16:34:09 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sat Dec 22 11:02:57 -0800 2007 Sat Dec 22 11:02:57 -0800 2007 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=65222