Being Professional: A Master Guide to the Do's and Don'ts of Screenwriting

by Adam Coplan

Overview

Being Professional teaches the ABCs of screenwriting from a practical perspective, rather than theoretical or academic. The author highlights the many traps, mistakes, and pitfalls that frequently plague writers of all experience levels and shows them the difference between simply completing a script as an amateur, and taking an idea and executing the best version of it as a professional piece, worthy of industry attention.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615932610
Publisher:	Wiese, Michael Productions
Publication date:	08/15/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Adam Coplan was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduating from George Washington University to pursue a career in film production. After his nearly two decades in the business, his resume is a distinctive blend of experience that makes him uniquely qualified to teach and discuss screenwriting. He has been a script reader at a major agency, story editor for one of the most prolific producers in film history, Vice President of Development for arguably the most script-conscious and literate producers of all time, and Vice President of Production for a third hugely successful producer. He has been a screenwriter, a producer, and a director, as well as a professor, and now adds the title of author to his varied background. In his various executive positions, just a select few of the films he has worked on include Executive Decision, The Matrix, The Truman Show, In&Out, A Simple Plan, Wonder Boys, I, Robot, and Behind Enemy Lines. He coproduced The Express with producer John Davis and wrote, produced, and directed the independent drama It’s Dark Here.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS Three Act Structure… It’s Not the Enemy Genre… Get to Know Your Audience Character… Indifference Is the Enemy The Great Opening Scene… Dictate the Experience The Second Act… Ride the Roller Coaster The Road Map… A to B not A to Z The Climax… The Final Is 50% of Your Grade Dialogue… Distinct Voice Means Not Your Own Concept… Get Off to a Great Start How to Begin a Scene… Seven Vital Questions Editing Your Script… Your Work Is Never Done Presentation Matters… The Gatekeepers The Elements of a Scene… Professional vs. Amateur Bonus Writing Exercises… Practice Makes Perfect