Book description
This book looks at the fundamental problems a writer faces as a beginner learning to create content for media that is to be seen rather than read. It takes you from basic concepts to a first level of practice through explicit methods that train you to consistently identify a communications problem, think it through, and find a resolution before beginning to write.Through successive exercises, Writing for Visual Media helps you acquire the basic skills and confidence you need to write effective films, corporate and training videos, documentaries, ads, PSAs, TV series, and other types of visual narrative. A new chapter looks at adaptation as a specific script writing problem. Writing for Visual Media also lays a foundation for understanding interactive media and writing for non-linear content with new chapters that cover writing for the web, interactive corporate communication, instructional media, and video games.
This book will make you aware of current electronic writing tools and scriptwriting software through a companion DVD, which offers links to demos and enriches the content of the printed book with video, audio, and sample scripts. Scripts are linked to video clips that are the produced result of the words on a script page. The DVD demonstrates the visual language of scriptwriting (shots, basic camera movement, transitions, etc.) discussed in the book by means of an interactive, illustrated glossary (video and stills) of terms and concepts.
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- What’s on the DVD
- Preface to the Second Edition
- Introduction
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Part One: Defining the Problem
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1. Describing One Medium Through Another
- Writing Not to be Read But to be Made
- Writing, Producing, and Directing
- Moving from Being a Viewer to Being a Creator
- The Producer Cannot Read Your Mind
- Instructions to the Production Crew
- What is the Role of a Scriptwriter?
- The “Script” Writer is a New Kind of Writer
- What is Visual Writing?
- Visual Writing
- Where do We Go from Here?
- Differences Compared to Stage Plays
- Writing With Dialogue
- Writing Without Dialogue
- Conclusion
- Exercises
- Endnotes
-
2. Describing Sight and Sound
- Describing Time and Place
- Describing Action
- Describing the Camera Frame or the Shot
- Camera Shots
- Describing Camera Movement
- Describing Graphics and Effects
- Describing Transitions Between Shots
- Describing Sound
- Shot, Scene, and Sequence
- Finding a Format for the Page
- Master Scene Script
- Dual-Column Format
- Storyboard
- Conclusion
- Exercises
- Endnote
- 3. The Stages of Script Development
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4. A Seven-Step Method for Developing a Creative Concept
- Step 1: Define the Communication Problem
- Ivy College: An Admissions Video
- American Express: American Travel in Europe
- PSA for Battered Women
- Shell Gas International
- Step 2: Define the Target Audience
- Demographics
- Psychographics
- Step 3: Define the Objective
- Step 4: Define the Strategy
- Step 5: Define the Content
- Step 6: Define the Appropriate Medium
- Step 7: Create the Concept
- A Concept for an Anti-Smoking PSA
- Conclusion
- Exercises
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1. Describing One Medium Through Another
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Part Two: Solving Communication Problems with Visual Media
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5. Ads and PSAs: Copywriting for Visual Media
- Copywriting Versus Scriptwriting
- Client Needs and Priorities
- The 20-, 30-, and 60-Second Playlets
- Visual Writing
- Devices to Capture Audience Attention
- More on Ads and PSAs
- Recruiting the Audience as a Character
- Mixing Devices and Techniques
- Infomercials
- Video News Releases
- Billboards and Transportation Ads
- Advertising on the World Wide Web
- Formats
- Conclusion
- Exercises
- Endnotes
-
6. Corporate Communications
- Typical Corporate Communication Problems
- Other Corporate Uses of Media
- Meetings with a Visual Focus
- Getting Background and Product Knowledge
- Using Subject Matter Experts
- Video Versus Print Media or Interactive Media
- Video as a Corporate Communications Tool
- Corporate Television
- Script Formats for Corporate Videos
- Developing the Script with Client Input
- Length, Pacing, and Corporate Style
- Devices that Work for Corporate Messages
- Writing Voice Commentary
- Selling Creative Ideas
- Working with Budget Limitations
- Conclusion
- Exercises
- Endnotes
- 7. Training, Instruction and Education
- 8. Documentary and Nonfiction Narratives
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5. Ads and PSAs: Copywriting for Visual Media
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Part Three: Entertaining with Visual Media
- 9. Dramatic Structure and Form
- 10. Writing Techniques for Long Form Scripts
- 11. Writing Techniques for Adaptation
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12. Television Series, Sitcoms, and Soaps
- The Premise for Series, Sitcoms, and Soaps
- Three-Act Structure and the TV Time Slot
- Using Commercial Breaks
- Visualizing for the Small Screen
- TV Dialogue
- Realism/Realistic Dialogue
- Breaking Up Dialogue
- Pacing
- The Beat Sheet
- Team Writing
- Hook/Teaser
- The Series Bible
- Condensing Action and Plot
- Target Audience
- Script Formats for Television
- Comedy and its Devices
- Running Gags
- Visual Gags
- Double Takes
- One-liners and Laugh Lines
- Sitcoms
- New Techniques and Innovations
- Spec Scripts
- Conclusion
- Exercises
- Endnotes
- Part Four: Writing for Non-Linear and Interactive Media
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Part Five: Anticipating Professional Issues
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16. You Can Get Paid to Do This
- Writing for the Entertainment World
- Writing Contracts
- Pitching
- Ideology, Morality, and Content
- Emotional Honesty and Sentimentality
- Writing for the Corporate World
- Client Relationships
- Corporate Contracts
- Work for Hire
- Agents and Submissions
- Networking, Conventions, and Seminars
- Surfing the Web
- Hybrid Careers
- Conclusion
- Exercises
- Endnotes
-
16. You Can Get Paid to Do This
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Appendix: Script Formats
- Dual Column: PSA, Documentary, Corporate
- Master Scene Script: Feature Film for Cinema and Television
- Scene Script, Version 1: Television Sitcoms and Series
- Scene Script, Version 2: Television Sitcoms and Series
- Interactive Game Script (This is one Type of Interactive Script)
- Video Game Concept for Gods & Monsters
- Glossary of Terms, Abbreviations and Acronyms
- Bibliography
- Index
Product information
- Title: Writing for Visual Media, 2nd Edition
- Author(s):
- Release date: May 2006
- Publisher(s): Focal Press
- ISBN: 9781136028090
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