The Nutshell Technique: Crack the Secret of Successful ScreenwritingUniversity of Texas Press, 2016 M03 1 - 190 pages A veteran Hollywood script consultant unlocks the secrets of storytelling in this “clever, fresh way of analyzing structure” (Creative Screenwriting magazine). Veteran script consultant Jill Chamberlain knows that most first-time screenwriters don’t understand how to tell a story. These writers may have snappy dialogue, interesting characters, and clever plot devices—but what they deliver isn’t a story. It’s a situation. In order to explain the difference, Chamberlain created the Nutshell Technique, a method whereby writers identify eight dynamic, interconnected elements that are required to successfully tell a story. In this book, Chamberlain uses easy-to-follow diagrams (“nutshells”) to explain how the Nutshell Technique can make or break a film script. She takes readers step-by-step through thirty classic and contemporary movies, showing how such dissimilar screenplays as Casablanca, Chinatown, Pulp Fiction, Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, and Argo all have the same system working behind the scenes. She then teaches readers how to apply these principles to their own screenwriting./DIV |
Contents
The Problem 3 | 18 |
The Solution | 21 |
Part twO The Nutshell Technique Process | 27 |
How to Use This Section | 29 |
Protagonist | 33 |
Part 1 | 41 |
Point of No Return | 43 |
Part 2 | 59 |
Flaw | 85 |
Crisis | 101 |
Triumph | 113 |
Climactic Choice | 117 |
Final Step | 129 |
Strength | 135 |
Nonlinear Screenplays | 143 |
Using a Secret Protagonist | 149 |
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The Nutshell Technique: Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting Jill Chamberlain Limited preview - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
Annie Hall Argo Aristotelian comedy audience beginning Betty Bourne Identity Braveheart brings the protagonist Casablanca CATCH central FLAW character CLIMACTIC CHOICE CRISIS day won’t move dialogue scene doesn’t end of Act exact opposite failed to learn Film Nutshells Discussed film’s final club FINAL STEP going Groundhog Day happens happy ending he’s Ilsa Inciting Incident Jason Bourne John Malkovich Judah Jules Juno Keaton Keyser Soze killed killer Kujan lack of self-worth Laszlo learn the opposite learn the STRENGTH Little Miss Sunshine lowest point Malcolm Marsellus Maxine Michael movie nist Nutshell Technique form options perfect test Phil plot protago protagonist protagonist fails protagonist wants protagonist’s FLAW Pulp Fiction RETURN Rick’s safe-deposit box says scene header screenplay screenwriter script SET-UP WANT SET-UPWANT Sixth Sense stick his neck story story’s tagonist tells there’s thing Tony Tony’s Tootsie tragedy TRIUMPH ultimate manifestation UPWANT Usual Suspects Verbal Vincent what’s woman writers