Teach Yourself Screenwriting (TY Creative Writing): Amazon.co.uk: Ray Frensham: 9780340859711: Books

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Product Description

Teach Yourself Screenwriting is the ideal introduction for someone who wants to break into the field, but is unsure of how it all works.

This book explains the processes involved in transforming your creative ideas into a format that will really work on screen, and offers specialist advice on various issues, such as characterisation and the use of visual language.

Ray Frensham shares his extensive knowledge to help both the beginner and those with some prior knowledge of screenwriting to have the best possible start for success.

This book is an essential read for the budding screenwriter and does not only guide the reader through the intricacies and craft of writing for the screen, but also advises on how to approach the industry.

About the Author

Internationally respected Script Doctor, script advisor and tutor, Ray Frensham is former Chairman of the Screenwriters’ Workshop (the UK’s leading script training organisation since 1983). He has written for and worked with international TV and film companies; he also regularly lectures, runs seminars, workshops and clinics. He has been on the Advisory Committee for the Edinburgh International Television Festival and associated with a number of film judging panels, including the FujiFilm Scholarship. He is also a consultant to the British Film Institute.

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index

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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews

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4 star:		(2)
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Average Customer Review

3.4 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)

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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Read Frensham after Robert McKee's "Story" book., 2 May 2003

By

B. D. Hartshorn "Vaserlan" (Leicester, England, GB) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Teach Yourself Screenwriting (TY Creative Writing) (Paperback)

The best thing about Frensham is his emphasis on characterisation.
The main arguement of Robert McKee's book is plot-structure being far more important than characterisation. Thus if you want to know about plot-structure then buy McKee but if you want a great character biography analysis checklist buy Frensham.

Also frensham has lots to say about how to approach rewriting: he outlines his 6 different stages: again with good checklists.

Best of all he has a typical production company script reader's (story analyst) checklist, so that we know what how the enemy thinks.

However, on plot-structure he is too formulaic: he doesn't prove story principles the way McKee does. McKee's principles are based on Aristotle and Stanislavski.

I'd suggest you'd buy "An Actor Prepares" if you really want to 'Act at the desk' so that you feel what the characters feel.

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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent guide for the beginner, 29 July 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Screenwriting (Teach Yourself: writer's library) (Paperback)

This book is brilliant, not only showing you how to lay out a screenplay but going into the fine detail of how to structure plots without being confusing or full of jargon. Frensham also provides a lot of help in generating and refining ideas, an area that is neglected by many other screenwriting texts. I refer to this book on an almost daily basis, I can't give higher praise than that!

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Think Big! Think Hollywood! Think Where To Start!!, 11 Mar 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Screenwriting (Teach Yourself: writer's library) (Paperback)

Frensham begins at the beginning and finishes at the end: visual layout of your script (including size of pages, colour, text size, UK or US), synopsis, genres, the 8 basic stories, development of your story, character development, 1st draft, 2nd draft, to promotion.

Frensham takes you on a journey, he advises films to watch and take note from. HE IS TEACHING, it's kind of an interactive book.

If you are thinking of writing for film or TV, to say this book is invaluable is an understatment.

Alfred Hitchcock said 'To make a great movie, you need just three things: a great script, a great script, and a great script.' (taken from TY Screenwriting By Raymond Fresnsham.)

I say 'To learn to write that great movie, you need just three things: this book, this book, God! You need this book!'

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Using my copy as a door wedge.
Avoid this book, it will put you in the wrong direction completely. Robert Mckee "story" is a very good choice. Read more