The Art and Science of Screenwriting [Paperback]

Philip Parker (Author), Phillip Parker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1999 | ISBN-10: 1841500003 | ISBN-13: 978-1841500003 | Edition: 2

This text looks at the essential elements of screenwriting, from finding an idea to creating a finished screenplay. The book then goes on to examine the author's own thesis on writing for the screen - that the development of structure and character cannot be separated successfully. It also aims to serve as a handbook for screenwriters at all levels, and shows how to apply creative vision and a focus on the project in hand. There is a section on the needs of the market, and an index to the key points of the text.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'This is an excellent if quite demanding book (with) plenty of practical advice.' - Julian Friedmann (Blake Friedmann Agency) 'Can Screenwriting be taught? Parker's students have a remarkable success rate.' - Screen International 'This is an extremely interesting book.' - Christopher Wehner, The Screenwriters Utopia www.screenwritersutopia.com 'A wonderful book. First rate, double A!!' - Lew Hunter, UCLA. Author of Screenwriting 434" --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Phil Parker is one of the most highly rated teachers of screenwriting in the UK and Europe. Founder of the highly successful course at the London College of Communication (graduates have won the Palme D’Or and have been Oscar-nominated), he now works as a consultant with clients including Aardman Animation, The Mob Film Co. and the UK Film Council.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Intellect L & D E F a E; 2 edition (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841500003
• ISBN-13: 978-1841500003
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,119,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars In serious need of a script doctor, July 24, 2001

By 

Paul Bailey - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art and Science of Screenwriting (Paperback)

Much is made on the cover of Parker's book of his teaching credentials. He might well be a fine teacher, but this is a poorly written book.

The irony is that a book dealing with that most *structural* of art-forms should be so poorly structured. Parker's 'creative matrix' (little more than an assertion that every aspect of a screenplay relates to every other aspect) seems to be claimed as an overarching structure for the study, but this is soon lost within a jumble of fragmentary sections and subsections. Barely half-a-dozen paragraphs pass without a new section or subsection. Bullet lists continually work against any sense of narrative flow.

The overall effect for the reader is to be lost in deep woods without a map. Section numbering has been resisted here, but might have helped a great deal to orient the reader. Often, this feels like sketchy *notes for a book*, rather than the book itself.

Unfortunately, Parker's prose also fails. Much is clumsy and stilted, showing uncertainty and inconsistency of tense, and even at times problems with number agreement. This clumsiness seriously damages clarity.

Even basic-level copy-editing seems to have been overlooked. For example, Nick Park's Oscar-winning claymation short 'Creature Comforts', is referenced as 'Creative Comforts'. Renowned BBC drama producer Michael Wearing becomes 'Michael Wareing'. Reference is made to items '9 to 11' of a list, despite the fact that the list items are marked not with numbers, but letters. Mistakes and infelicities continually trip the reader. (Peter, when you use ellipses, the things that have been left out aren't 'ellipsed', they're 'elided'.)

And yet, whilst there's nothing startlingly original here, Parker covers most of the familiar ground. Anyone new to screenwriting who is willing to hunt around in the dark woods of Parker's unstructured prose is likely to find valuable advice. They'll have to work hard, though. This is a very frustrating read.